NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: South Point 400
The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Date: Sunday, September 26
The Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 6 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 400.5 miles (267 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Alsco Uniforms 302
The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, September 25
The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 7 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 302 miles (201 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 201)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Next Race: Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 presented by Westgate Resorts
The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Date: Friday, September 24
The Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 134)
ARCA Menards Series West
Next Race: Star Nursery 150
The Place: The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Date: Thursday, September 23
The Time: 11 p.m. ET
TV: Trackpass
NASCAR Cup Series
Las Vegas Motor Speedway waves the green flag on the Playoffs’ Round of 12
Intensity mounts as the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs have reached the Round of 12 and four of the original 16-driver Playoff field have been eliminated – Tyler Reddick, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch, and Michael McDowell. Now the remaining 12 challengers lead the NASCAR Cup Series to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the South Point 400 on September 26 at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
The 2021 season marks just the second-time the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 has opened at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Race No. 30 of the season (2020, 2021). Las Vegas is the sixth different track to host the fourth race of the Playoffs; joining Kansas Speedway (2004, ’05, ’11, ’13, ’14), Talladega Superspeedway (2006, ’07, ’08, ’12), Auto Club Speedway (2009, ’10), Charlotte Motor Speedway (2015, ’16, ’17) and Dover International Speedway (2018, ’19).
Prior to the 2020 season, Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2018 and 2019. Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski won the 2018 Las Vegas Playoff race and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. won the 2019 Las Vegas Playoff race.
A total of 13 different drivers have won the fourth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs., led by Jimmie Johnson with three victories (2009, 2011, 2016). Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch is the most recent winner of the fourth race in the Playoffs taking home the checkered flag from Las Vegas last season.
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Fourth Race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – Race Winners |
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|
Track |
Playoff Race Winners |
Date |
|
Las Vegas |
Kurt Busch |
Sunday, September 27, 2020 |
|
Dover |
Kyle Larson |
Sunday, October 6, 2019 |
|
Dover |
Chase Elliott |
Sunday, October 7, 2018 |
|
Charlotte |
Martin Truex Jr |
Sunday, October 8, 2017 |
|
Charlotte |
Jimmie Johnson |
Sunday, October 9, 2016 |
|
Charlotte |
Joey Logano |
Sunday, October 11, 2015 |
|
Kansas |
Joey Logano |
Sunday, October 5, 2014 |
|
Kansas |
Kevin Harvick |
Sunday, October 6, 2013 |
|
Talladega |
Matt Kenseth |
Sunday, October 7, 2012 |
|
Kansas |
Jimmie Johnson |
Sunday, October 9, 2011 |
|
Auto Club |
Tony Stewart |
Sunday, October 10, 2010 |
|
Auto Club |
Jimmie Johnson |
Sunday, October 11, 2009 |
|
Talladega |
Tony Stewart |
Sunday, October 5, 2008 |
|
Talladega |
Jeff Gordon |
Sunday, October 7, 2007 |
|
Talladega |
Brian Vickers |
Sunday, October 8, 2006 |
|
Kansas |
Mark Martin |
Sunday, October 9, 2005 |
|
Kansas |
Joe Nemechek |
Sunday, October 10, 2004 |
Three times the winner of the fourth race in the Playoffs has gone on to win the title in the same season:
- In 2009, Jimmie Johnson won the fourth race of the Playoffs at Auto Club Speedway and went on to win his fourth-straight series title the same season. The victory was his second of four during that postseason.
- In 2016, Jimmie Johnson won at Charlotte Motor Speedway and went on to win his record tying seventh NASCAR Cup Series title the same season. The win was Johnson’s first of three that postseason.
- In 2017, Martin Truex Jr. won at Charlotte Motor Speedway and went on to win the series title the same season. It was his first of three wins that postseason.
Twice a non-Playoff driver has won the fourth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs:
- Joe Nemechek won the Kansas Speedway Playoff race in 2004, he was ranked 21st in the point standings at the time.
- Brian Vickers won the Talladega Superspeedway Playoff race in 2006, he was ranked 16th in points at the time.
No non-Playoff driver has ever won the Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Of the six different tracks that have hosted the fourth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs the worst finish by the eventual champion Jimmie Johnson’s 24th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in 2006.
Last season’s NASCAR Cup Series champion, Chase Elliott, finished 22nd at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the fourth race in the Playoffs and went on to win the title later that same season.
Big stars and bright lights at Vegas
The construction to build Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) began in 1995. Speedway Motorsports Inc. acquired the property in 1998. The 1.5-mile paved speedway hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series race on March 1, 1998 and the event was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin driving for Roush Fenway Racing.
In total there have been 27 NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The track located just North of the famous Las Vegas strip has hosted one race per season from 1998 to 2017. The 2018 season marked the first time Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted two series events in a single season.
A total of 17 different drivers have won the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Of the 17 NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at Las Vegas Motor Speedway eight at active this weekend.
Las Vegas Active Pole Winners |
Poles |
Seasons |
Kurt Busch |
2 |
2016, ’10 |
Kyle Busch |
2 |
2009, ’08 |
Kevin Harvick |
1 |
2019 |
Erik Jones |
1 |
2018 Playoffs |
Ryan Blaney |
1 |
2018 |
Brad Keselowski |
1 |
2017 |
Joey Logano |
1 |
2014 |
Ryan Newman |
1 |
2005 |
Kasey Kahne leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Las Vegas with three (2004, 2007 and 2012). Kyle Busch (2008, 2009) and Kurt Busch (2010, 2016) lead all active drivers in poles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with two each.
This weekend’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway decided its starting lineups by Metric Qualifying and as a result last weekend’s winner and Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson will start on the pole. Larson will be joined by Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney on the front row.
A total of 15 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Of the 15 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Las Vegas seven of them are active this weekend.
Las Vegas Active Race Winners |
Wins |
Seasons |
Brad Keselowski |
3 |
2018, ’16, ’14 |
Joey Logano |
2 |
2020, ’19 |
Kevin Harvick |
2 |
2018, ’15 |
Martin Truex Jr |
2 |
2019, ’17 |
Kyle Larson |
1 |
2021 |
Kurt Busch |
1 |
2020 |
Kyle Busch |
1 |
2009 |
Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with four victories (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010). Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series wins at Las Vegas with three (2014, 2016, 2018).
Clinch Scenarios: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
A new round in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs brings a whole new set of clinch scenarios. Luckily for the calculators of the NASCAR statisticians, this week’s clinch scenarios are fairly straight forward.
Already Clinched
No drivers have clinched a spot in the 8-driver field of the next round in the Playoffs.
Can Clinch Via Win
All 12 drivers in the Round of 12 can clinch on their win alone this weekend at Las Vegas: Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Christopher Bell, Kevin Harvick.
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NASCAR Cup Series Driver Playoff Outlook Following Bristol Motor Speedway |
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|
Rank |
Driver |
Points |
Race Wins |
Stage Wins |
Playoff Pts |
Pts From Cutoff |
|
1 |
Kyle Larson (P) |
3,059 |
6 |
14 |
59 |
46 |
|
2 |
Martin Truex Jr. (P) |
3,029 |
4 |
5 |
29 |
16 |
|
3 |
Denny Hamlin (P) |
3,024 |
1 |
9 |
24 |
11 |
|
4 |
Ryan Blaney (P) |
3,024 |
3 |
4 |
24 |
11 |
|
5 |
Kyle Busch (P) |
3,022 |
2 |
5 |
22 |
9 |
|
6 |
Chase Elliott (P) |
3,021 |
2 |
3 |
21 |
8 |
|
7 |
Alex Bowman (P) |
3,015 |
3 |
0 |
15 |
2 |
|
8 |
William Byron (P) |
3,014 |
1 |
3 |
14 |
1 |
|
9 |
Joey Logano (P) |
3,013 |
1 |
5 |
13 |
-1 |
|
10 |
Brad Keselowski (P) |
3,008 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
-6 |
|
11 |
Christopher Bell (P) |
3,005 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
-9 |
|
12 |
Kevin Harvick (P) |
3,002 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
-12 |
|
13 |
Aric Almirola |
2,075 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
Eliminated from the Playoffs |
|
14 |
Tyler Reddick |
2,075 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
15 |
Kurt Busch |
2,071 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
|
|
16 |
Michael McDowell |
2,028 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
|
Kyle Larson reasserts his dominance in elimination race at Bristol
When Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. opened the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with wins at Darlington and Richmond, respectively, it looked as though momentum in the series had shifted, but this past weekend the winningest driver of the year Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson reasserted his dominance by capturing his series leading sixth win of 2021 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
In 29 starts this season Larson has put up career bests in wins (six), top fives (16) and top 10s (21). He has also led 1,905 laps – the most in a single season in his career.
If Larson were to lead 95 laps or more before the season ends, he would become the 20th different driver all-time to lead more than 2,000 laps in a single NASCAR Cup Series season and just the fourth active driver to accomplish the feat; joining Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Kyle Busch. Since the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series season, 2,000 laps led by a single driver in a single season has only occurred six times.
Drivers that led more than 2,000 laps in a single Cup season since 2000
Season |
Drivers |
Laps Led |
2001 |
Jeff Gordon |
2,320 |
2015 |
Kevin Harvick |
2,294 |
2017 |
Martin Truex Jr |
2,253 |
2009 |
Jimmie Johnson |
2,238 |
2014 |
Kevin Harvick |
2,137 |
2017 |
Kyle Busch |
2,023 |
The Playoff Dozen at Las Vegas
The Round of 16 is in the books and the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff field has been cut from 16 to 12 drivers with just seven races left in the 2021 season. The Round of 12 consists of three races at three different tracks including Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and the Charlotte Road Course. This weekend the series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the South Point 400 (Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Kyle Larson has made 10 series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway posting one win (earlier this season), four top fives and seven top 10s. His average finish at the track is 9.8 and he has led 129 laps.
Martin Truex Jr. has made 19 series starts at Las Vegas collecting two wins (2017, 2019), six top fives and 10 top 10s. His average finish at Vegas is 10.7 and he has led 299 laps.
Denny Hamlin has made 19 starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway posting four top fives and nine top 10s. His average finish at the track is 12.9 and he has led 186 laps. Las Vegas and Charlotte are the last two 1.5-mile tracks left on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule Hamlin has yet to win at.
Ryan Blaney has made 10 series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway accumulating four top fives and seven top 10s. His average finish on the 1.5-mile speedway is 9.2 and he has led 23 laps.
Kyle Busch has made 20 starts at his home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway posting one win (2009), eight top fives and 11 top 10s. His average finish at Vegas is 11.9 and he has led a total of 260 laps.
Chase Elliott has made nine series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway putting up two top fives and three top 10s. His average finish at the track is 20.6 and he has led 177 laps.
Alex Bowman has made nine starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway amassing one top five and two top 10s. His average finish at Las Vegas is 19.7 and he has led just six laps at the track.
William Byron has made seven series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway posting two top-10 finishes. His average finish at the 1.5-mile facility is 20.3 and he has led 64 laps.
Joey Logano has made 16 series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway collecting two wins (2019, 2020), six top fives and 11 top 10s. His average finish at Vegas is 8.7 and he has led 495 laps – second-most among active drivers.
Brad Keselowski has made 16 series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway putting up three wins (2014, 2016, 2018 – the most among active drivers), eight top fives and 11 top 10s. His average finish at the track is 10.8 and he has led 309 laps.
Christopher Bell has made three series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway posting one top-10 finish. His average finish at Las Vegas is 21.3 (worst among Playoff drivers).
Kevin Harvick has made 24 series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway posting two wins (2015, 2018), seven top fives and 12 top 10s. His average finish at the 1.5-mile facility is 14.0 and he has led 679 laps (most among active drivers).
NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.
Dana White, Matt Stell and Jim Breuer headline pre-race activities at Las Vegas – UFC President Dana White, country music recording artist Matt Stell and comedian Jim Breuer are among the headliners for pre-race activities prior to the South Point 400 on Sunday, Sept. 26 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
White will serve as the race’s grand marshal and will deliver the command to start engines. Stell will perform the national anthem. Following the anthem, a team of A-10 Warthog Thunderbolt IIs from nearby Nellis Air Force Base will perform the flyover.
Breuer, who will be performing his stand-up comedy routine during the race weekend at the South Point Hotel & Casino, will provide pre-race entertainment prior to driver introductions.
Violet Defense Joins Roush Fenway as Official Partner – Violet Defense – an Orlando-based germ-killing company with patented UV technology – has entered into a multi-year partnership with Roush Fenway Racing. As part of the deal that runs through the 2023 season, Violet Defense will serve as the primary partner for a combined four races in the remaining 2021 season on both Ryan Newman and Chris Buescher’s Ford Mustangs. For the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Violet Defense will continue to be featured on the No. 6 car for multiple races and join Brad Keselowski as he makes his debut with Roush Fenway in the 2022 season.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
It Begins! NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs kick off at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season ended with one of the most exciting finishes in history at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday night. AJ Allmendinger and Austin Cindric, who were both fighting for the Regular Season Championship, wrecked on the final lap and Allmendinger won the race while spinning and crossing the finish line. Allmendinger was crowned the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Champion and Cindric finished second – Allmendinger is the fifth different driver to claim the award.
As the regular season concluded at Bristol, the series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to begin the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. The 12-driver postseason field includes: Allmendinger, Cindric, Justin Allgaier, Justin Haley, Jeb Burton, Daniel Hemric, Harrison Burton, Myatt Snider, Jeremy Clements, Riley Herbst, Noah Gragson, and Brandon Jones.
The Alsco Uniforms 302 will take place on Saturday night, September 25th at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. This weekend’s starting lineup was decided by Metric Qualifying and as a result Austin Cindric will lead the field to the green flag with AJ Allmendinger joining him on the front row.
The race will be 302 miles (201 laps) and will be broken up into three stages. The first will end on Lap 45 and the second stage will end on Lap 90.
Scouting the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Driver Field
Now that the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season is officially over, we can take a deep dive into the 12 drivers that will be competing for the 2021 championship title.
Austin Cindric
Hometown: Mooresville, NC
Date of Birth: September 2, 1998
Age: 22
No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Crew Chief: Brian Wilson
2021
This season, Cindric has 26 starts, five wins, 16 top fives and 19 top 10s. He led 723 laps and has an average start of 5.0 and an average finish of 9.5. He enters the Playoffs with 44 Playoff points and 2,044 points. He is seeded first in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoff Highlights
- Enters the 2021 Playoff standings as the No. 1 seed and is currently tied in points with AJ Allmendinger. Cindric owns the tiebreaker with the most wins during the regular season with five.
- He won the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship and Regular Season Championship.
- Has posted one win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs (Phoenix 2020) and has appeared in the Championship 4 once (2020).
- The 2021 season marks the fourth time he has competed in the Playoffs (2018-21).
- Made the Championship 3 and won the title by winning the championship race at Phoenix.
- Finished the 2019 season sixth in the Playoff standings after being eliminated in the Round of 8.
- Finished his rookie season (2018) eighth in the Playoff standings after being eliminated in the Round of 8.
AJ Allmendinger
Hometown: Los Gatos, CA
Date of Birth: December 16, 1981
Age: 39
No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Jason Trinchere
2021
This season, AJ Allmendinger has made 26 starts and tallied four wins, 16 top fives, 17 top 10s and one pole award. He led 355 laps and has an average start of 6.7 and an average finish of 8.7. He heads into the Playoffs with 44 Playoff points and 2,044 points. He is seeded second in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoff Highlights
- Enters the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings at the No. 2 seed and the 2021 Regular Season Champion with 2,044 points. He is currently tied with Austin Cindric, but Cindric owns the tiebreaker of most wins during the regular season with five.
- The 2021 season marks the first time he has competed in the Xfinity Series Playoffs.
- He competed part-time in the Xfinity Series in 2020 (11 races) and finished the season 24th in the standings.
- He competed part-time in the series in 2019 (five races) and finished 39th in the standings.
- Only competed in one Xfinity Series race in 2018 and was not declared to Xfinity points.
Justin Allgaier
Hometown: Riverton, IL
Date of Birth: June 6, 1986
Age: 35
No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Jason Burdett
2021
This season, Justin Allgaier has two wins in 26 starts with 12 top fives and 17 top 10s. He had led 37 laps and has an average start of 9.3 and an average finish of 10.5. He heads into the Playoffs with 20 Playoff points and 2,020 points. He is seeded third in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoff Highlights
- Enters the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings as the No. 3 seed with 2,020 points.
- The 2021 season marks the sixth time he has competed in the Playoffs (series-most). He is the only driver in the series to compete in all six Xfinity Series Playoffs (2016-21).
- Has finished a career-best second in the Playoffs in 2020.
- Has posted one win in the Playoffs and has appeared in the Championship 4 a series-leading four times.
- Finished the 2020 season a career-best second after making the Championship 4 for the fourth time.
- Finished the 2019 season fourth in the standings after making the Championship 4 round for the third time in his career.
- Finished the 2018 season seventh in the standings after being eliminated in the Round of 8.
- Finished the 2017 season third in the standings after making the Championship 4 for the second time in his career.
- Finished the 2016 season third in the inaugural Playoffs after making the Championship 4 for the first time in his career.
Noah Gragson
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Date of Birth: July 15, 1998
Age: 23
No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Crew Chief: David Elenz
2021
This season, Noah Gragson has two wins in 26 starts with 10 top fives and 16 top 10s. He has led 188 laps and had an average start of 12.9 and an average finish of 13.5. He enters the Playoffs with 17 Playoff points and 2,017 points. He is seeded fourth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoffs Highlights
- Enters the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoff standings as the No. 4 seed with 2,017 points.
- The 2021 season marks the third time he has competed in the Playoffs (2019-21).
- Finished the 2020 season a career-best fifth in the standings after being eliminated in the Round of 8.
- Finished the 2019 season eight in the standings after also being eliminated in the Round of 8.
- Competed part-time in 2018 (three races).
Justin Haley
Hometown: Winamac, IN
Date of Birth: April 28, 1999
Age: 22
No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Alex Yontz
2021
Justin Haley has one win in 26 starts this season with six top fives and 18 top 10s. He has led 57 laps and has an average start of 7.4 and an average finish of 11.0. He enters the Playoffs with 15 Playoff points and 2,015 points. He is seeded fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoff Highlights
- Enters the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings as the No. 5 seed with 2,015 points.
- The 2021 season marks the third-time he has competed in the Playoffs (2019-‘21).
- He has finished a career-best third in the 2020 Xfinity Series Playoffs.
- He has posted one win in the Playoffs and has appeared in the Championship 4 Round once last season.
- He finished the 2020 season third in the Playoffs after making the Championship 4 Round for the first time in his career.
- Finished the 2019 season 12th in the Playoff standings after being eliminated in the Round of 12.
- Competed part-time in the Xfinity Series in 2018 (three races).
Daniel Hemric
Hometown: Kannapolis, NC
Date of Birth: January 27, 1991
Age: 30
No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Crew Chief: Dave Rogers
2021
In 26 starts, Daniel Hemric doesn’t have a win so far this season but locked himself into the Playoffs on points. He has nine top fives and 15 top 10s so far this season. He has led 510 laps and had an average start of 7.0 and an average finish of 12.4. He enters the Playoffs with 14 Playoff points and 2,014 points. He is seeded sixth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoff Highlights
- Enters the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoff standings as the No. 6 seed with 2,014 points.
- The 2021 season marks the third time he has competed in the Playoffs (2017, 2018, 2021).
- He has finished a career-best second in the 2018 Xfinity Series Playoffs.
- Has appeared in the Championship 4 twice (2017, 2018).
- Competed part-time in the Xfinity Series in 2020 (21 races) and ultimately finished the season 17th in the final standings.
- He did not compete in the Xfinity Series in 2019, he competed full-time in the Cup Series.
- Finished the 2018 season third in the Playoffs after making the Championship 4 for the second time in his career.
- Finished his rookie season in 2017 fourth in the Playoffs after making the Championship 4 for the first time of his career.
Jeb Burton
Hometown: Halifax, VA
Date of Birth: August 6, 1992
Age: 28
No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Bruce Schlicker
2021
Jeb Burton has one win in 26 starts this season with seven top fives and 15 top 10s. He got his first career Xfinity Series victory earlier this season at Talladega Superspeedway. He has led 77 laps and has an average start of 7.8 and an average finish of 11.9. He enters the Playoffs with nine Playoff points and 2,009 points. He is seeded seventh in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoff Highlights
- Enters the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoff standings as the No. 7 seed with 2,009 points.
- The 2021 season marks the first time he has competed in the Xfinity Series Playoffs.
- The 2021 season also marks his first full-time season in the Xfinity Series.
- Competed part-time in 2020 (11 races) and finished the season 28th in the final standings.
- Competed part-time in 2019 (7 races) and finished the season 29th in the final standings.
- Competed part-time in 2018 (3 races) and finished the season 47th in the final standings.
- Competed part-time in 2017 (6 races) and finished the season 38th in the final standings.
- Competed part-time in 2016 (14 races) and finished the season 24th in the final standings.
Harrison Burton
Hometown: Huntersville, NC
Date of Birth: October 9, 2000
Age: 20
No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Crew Chief: Jason Ratcliff
2021
In 26 starts this season, Harrison Burton hasn’t posted a win yet but made his way into the Playoffs based on points. He has nine top fives and 19 top 10s so far this season. He has led 174 laps and has an average start of 6.9 and an average finish of 11.7. He enters the Playoffs with eight Playoff points and 2,008 points. He is seeded eighth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoff Highlights
- Enters the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoff standings as the No. 8 seed with 2,008 points.
- Th 2021 season marks the second time he has competed in the Xfinity Series Playoffs (2020-21).
- He has won two Xfinity Series Playoff races – Texas and Martinsville – in his rookie season last year.
- Finished the 2020 season eighth in the Playoff standings after being eliminated in the Round of 12.
- Competed part-time in the series in 2019 (9 races).
Myatt Snider
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Date of Birth: December 30, 1994
Age: 26
No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Andy Street
2021
In 26 starts, Myatt Snider has one win, one top five and nine top 10s to this name. He got his first Xfinity Series career win at Homestead-Miami Speedway earlier this season. He has led eight total laps and has an average start of 12.7 and an average finish of 17. 0. He enters the Playoffs with five Playoff points and 2,005 points. He is seeded ninth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoff Highlights
- Enters the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoff standings as the No. 9 seed with 2,005 points.
- The 2021 season marks the first time he has competed in the Xfinity Series Playoffs.
- Failed to make the Playoffs in his rookie season last year, finished 16th in the final championship standings.
Brandon Jones
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Date of Birth: February 18, 1997
Age: 24
No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Crew Chief: Jeff Meendering
2021
Brandon Jones has made all 26 starts so far this season but hasn’t posted a win. He locked himself into the Playoffs on points and has nine top-five and 13 top-10 finishes this season. He has led 76 laps and has an average start of 13.7 and an average finish of 18.5. He enters the Playoffs with three Playoff points and 2,003 points. He is seeded 10th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoff Highlights
- Enters the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoff standings as the No. 10 seed with 2,003 points.
- The 2021 season marks the fifth time he has competed in the Playoffs. He ranks second in the Xfinity Series Playoff appearances all-time; behind only Justin Allgaier with six.
- Finished a career-best sixth in the 2020 Xfinity Series Playoffs.
- Has posted one win in the Playoffs (Kansas, 2019).
- Finished the 2020 season a career-best sixth in the standings after being eliminated in the Round of 8.
- Finished the 2019 season 10th in the standings after being eliminated in the Round of 12.
- Finished the 2018 season ninth in the standings after being eliminated in the Round of 12.
- Failed to make the Xfinity Playoffs in 2017, finished 16h in the final championship standings.
- Finished his rookie year in 2016 in 10th in the standings after being eliminated in the Round of 12.
Riley Herbst
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Date of Birth: February 24, 1999
Age: 22
No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
2021
In 26 starts, Riley Herbst has four top fives and 11 top 10s with one pole award. He made the Playoffs based on points. He has led 31 laps and has an average start of 13.5. and an average finish of 16.5. He enters the Playoffs with one Playoff point and 2,001 points. He is seeded 11th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoff Highlights
- Enters the Xfinity Series Playoff standings as the No. 11 seed with 2,001 points.
- The 2021 season marks the second time he has competed in the Playoffs (2020-‘21).
- Has finished a career-best 12th in the 2020 Playoffs.
- Finished the 2020 season 12th in the standings after being eliminated in the Round of 12; his first fulltime season in the series.
- Competed part-time in the series in 2019 making nine starts but elected to run for a championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
- Made his Xfinity Series debut running just one race in 2018 at Iowa Speedway.
Jeremy Clements
Hometown: Spartanburg, SC
Date of Birth: January 16, 1985
Age: 36
No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Mark Setzer / Tony Clements
2021
In 26 starts, Jeremy Clements has put up seven top 10s. He has led five laps this season and has an average start of 13.1 and an average finished of 15.1. He enters the Playoffs with no Playoff points and 2,000 points. He is seeded 12th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings.
Career Playoff Highlights
- Enters the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoff standings as the No. 12 seed with 2,000 points.
- The 2021 season marks the second time he has competed in the Playoffs (2007, 2021).
- Finished a career-best 12th in the 2017 Playoffs.
- Failed to make the Playoffs in 2020 (finished 13th in the final standings), 2019 (finished 14th in the final standings), and 2018 (finished 15th in the final standings).
- Finished the 2017 season 12th in the Playoff standings after being eliminated in the Round of 12.
- Failed to make the Playoffs in 2016, finished 15th in the championship standings.
Playoff Driver Performances at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
As the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, for the Alsco Uniforms 302 on Saturday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, to kick off the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, let’s take a look at the Playoff driver’s performances at the 1.5-mile track.
Austin Cindric: The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford has made seven series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway posting two top fives and four top 10s. He has led 93 laps at the track and has an average start of 5.3 and an average finish of 12.7. His best finish came in his first race at the track in 2020, when he finished runner-up. Most recently, he finished fourth earlier this season at Las Vegas.
AJ Allmendinger: The driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet and the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Champion has made only one start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It came earlier this year and he started 10th and went on to win the race, leading 44 laps.
Justin Allgaier: The driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet has six top fives and 10 top 10s in 14 starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He has led 115 laps and has an average start of 10.4 and an average finish of 8.6. He also has two runner-up finishes to his name (2011, 2018) at the 1,5-mile track. Most recently, he started 37th and finished 14th earlier this season.
Noah Gragson: The driver of the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet and a Las Vegas native will make his sixth start at the track on Saturday. He has four top fives and five top 10s in his previous five starts, meaning he has never finished outside of the top-five in every start he’s made. He’s led two laps around the track and has an average start of 17.4 and an average finish of 4.0. He has a best finish of runner-up in 2020 and most recently, he finished fifth there earlier this season.
Jeb Burton: The driver of the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet will make his third start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday. His first start was in 2016 and he finished 17th. Most recently, he started fifth and finished 10th earlier this season. He has one top 10 to his name at the track.
Daniel Hemric: The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has six starts at Las Vegas collecting two top fives and three top 10s. He’s led 75 laps and has an average start of 12.2 and an average finish of 14.7. Most recently, he finished runner-up at Las Vegas earlier this season.
Harrison Burton: The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota will make his fourth start at the track on Saturday. He has one top five and three top 10s in those three starts and has an average start of 10.0 and an average finish of 7.7. Most recently, he finished ninth at Las Vegas earlier this season.
Myatt Snider: The driver of the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet has made three Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas. He has an average start of 11.3 at the track and an average finish of 22.3. In his three starts, he has started on the pole twice, most recently, earlier this season.
Brandon Jones: The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has nine starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In those starts, he has two top fives and six top 10s. He has led 28 laps and has an average start of 11.6 and an average finish of 9.6. Most recently, he got a best finish at the track of third earlier this season.
Justin Haley: The driver of the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet has five total starts at Las Vegas posting three top-10 finishes. He also has an average start of 10.0 and average finish of 11.0 at Vegas. He has led five laps at the track and got his best finish of eighth earlier this season.
Riley Herbst: The driver of the No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet and another native of Las Vegas has four starts at the track. In those starts, he has two top 10s and an average start of 12.0. Most recently, he finished 40th at the track after being involved in an incident earlier this season. Prior to that, he finished ninth in 2019 and 2020.
Jeremy Clements: The driver of the No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet has made 13 starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, starting with his track debut in 2011. In those starts, he has a best finish of 13th from 2018 and 2020. Most recently, he started eighth and finished 17th earlier this season.
Xfinity Series & Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday for the Alsco Uniforms 302 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. As the series heads to Sin City, here’s a look at the NASCAR Xfinity Series history at the desert track.
There have been 28 Xfinity Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway producing 20 different race winner and 17 different pole winners. Cole Custer holds the record for the youngest pole winner in 2018 at 20 years, 7months, 23 days. Mark Martin holds the record for the oldest pole winner in 1999 at 40 years, 1 month, 25 days. Tyler Reddick holds the record for the youngest winner in 2019 at 23 years, 8 months and 3 days. Martin holds the record for the oldest winner, as well, in 2011 at 52 years, 1 month and 24 days.
Only six races have been won from the pole or first starting position and the last time it happened was in 2020 by Chase Briscoe. Kyle Busch holds both the race record (145.415 mph) from 2016 and the qualifying record (185.58 mph) in 2017.
Earlier this season when NASCAR Xfinity Series made its first stop at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, there were 40 cars in the race, and it had 23 lead changes. There were seven different leaders and eight cautions for 45 laps. Sixteen cars finished on the lead lap and 33 cars were running at the finish. Race winner AJ Allmendinger led 44 laps en route to the win and the margin of victory was .978 seconds.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Standings Post-Bristol:
Rank |
Driver |
Points |
Race Wins |
Stage Wins |
Playoff Pts |
Pts From Cutoff |
1 |
Austin Cindric |
2,044 |
5 |
9 |
44 |
39 |
2 |
AJ Allmendinger |
2,044 |
4 |
9 |
44 |
39 |
3 |
Justin Allgaier |
2,020 |
2 |
2 |
20 |
15 |
4 |
Noah Gragson |
2,017 |
2 |
3 |
17 |
12 |
5 |
Justin Haley |
2,015 |
1 |
5 |
15 |
10 |
6 |
Daniel Hemric |
2,014 |
0 |
7 |
14 |
9 |
7 |
Jeb Burton |
2,009 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
4 |
8 |
Harrison Burton |
2,008 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
3 |
9 |
Myatt Snider |
2,005 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
-3 |
10 |
Brandon Jones |
2,003 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
-5 |
11 |
Riley Herbst |
2,001 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
-7 |
12 |
Jeremy Clements |
2,000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-8 |
Taking a look at the Playoffs standings as we head into Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the four drivers below the cutline are Myatt Snider, Brandon Jones, Riley Herbst and Jeremy Clements.
Although this is only the first race of the Round of 12 so anything can happen, there are a few drivers in the standings that have a buffer on the cutline. Austin Cindric and AJ Allmendinger head into the Playoffs with the most Playoff points (44) and are 39 points each above the cutline. They have both also put up some good numbers at Las Vegas, including Allmendinger winning earlier in the season at the track.
Justin Allgaier is ranked No. 3 in the standings and is 15 points above the cutline. From there, the numbers start to get much tighter for all the drivers so a shakeup heading into the next race is definitely a possibility.
NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.
New Logo; New Look for Xfinity Series: The NASCAR Xfinity Series unveiled a new logo for the 2022 season, featuring purple instead of the current red border and outline. To take a look at the new logo, click here.
Josh Berry back in the No. 1: JR Motorsports announced on Monday afternoon that Josh Berry would be back behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet in this weekend’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Berry, who ran a part-time season for JR Motorsports in the first-half of the season, has been filling in for Michael Annett who will miss his sixth race of the season as he continues to recover from a stress fracture in his right leg. This weekend will mark the fourth time that Berry has subbed in for Annett. There’s no question that Berry would fill in for his JR Motorsports teammate as it was announced earlier this season that Berry will compete fulltime for the team in 2022.
Parsons set to run fulltime in 2022: Stefan Parsons and BJ McLeod Motorsports announced that he will compete full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022 with Sokal Digital and Advertising and Springrates Automotive Suspension Source serving as primary sponsors. Parsons, 24, has made 24 Xfinity Series starts on a part-time schedule so 2022 will mark his first full-time season.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Truck Playoffs’ Round of 8 set to begin at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Just four races left in the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season to decide the championship and the competition has reached red hot following an electric Round of 10 elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Now the Playoff contenders turn their attention to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts this Friday, September 24 at 9 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for the final 1.5-mile track on the 2021 schedule.
When the dust settled last Thursday night, eight competitors from the 10-driver NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff field advanced to the Round of 8 on their performance in the elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway – John Hunter Nemechek, Sheldon Creed, Ben Rhodes, Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, Matt Crafton, Carson Hocevar and Stewart Friesen all advanced. But it was the drivers with the last name Smith that stole the show. Heading into last weekend at Bristol, both Zane Smith and Chandler Smith were ranked below the Round of 8 cutline in the Playoff standings and both drivers managed to race their way into the next round. Chandler Smith advanced by winning his first career Camping World Truck Series race and Zane Smith finished eighth in the event giving him enough points to clinch the final spot. Front Row Motorsport’s driver Todd Gilliland and Hattori Racing Enterprises’ driver Austin Hill unfortunately failed to qualify for the Round of 8.
With the Round of 10 in their rearview mirror, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Round of 8 opener. This season marks just the first-time Las Vegas Motor Speedway has hosted the Round of 8 opener since the inception of the postseason in the series in 2016.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway will become the fourth different track to host the Playoffs’ Round of 8 opener; joining Martinsville Speedway (2016-2018), Talladega Superspeedway (2019) and Kansas Speedway (2020). Prior to 2021, Las Vegas Motor Speedway occupied the second race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs from 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and the final race of the first round in 2019.
The five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway have produced four different winners – Tyler Reddick (2016), Ben Rhodes (2017), Grant Enfinger (2018) and Austin Hill (2019, 2020). Only once has a non-Playoff driver won the Las Vegas Truck Series postseason race – Tyler Reddick in 2016 – he was ranked in the standings at the time of the win. None of the Las Vegas NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff race winners have gone on to win the title in the same season.
Las Vegas Playoff Race Winners |
Date |
Tyler Reddick |
Saturday, October 1, 2016 |
Ben Rhodes |
Saturday, September 30, 2017 |
Grant Enfinger |
Friday, September 14, 2018 |
Austin Hill |
Friday, September 13, 2019 |
Austin Hill |
Friday, September 25, 2020 |
Camping World Trucks in Sin City
In total, Las Vegas Motor Speedway has hosted 28 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races producing 20 different pole winners and 23 different race winners. Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague leads the series in poles at Las Vegs with three each. Kyle Busch leads the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in wins at his home track of Las Vegas with three victories (2018-2020).
Of the 23 different series race winners at Las Vegas, five are active this weekend, led by Austin Hill with two victories.
Active Las Vegas Winners |
Wins |
Seasons |
Austin Hill |
2 |
2020, 2019 |
John H. Nemechek |
1 |
2021 |
Grant Enfinger |
1 |
2018 |
Ben Rhodes |
1 |
2017 |
Johnny Sauter |
1 |
2009 |
Kyle Busch Motorsport’s Chandler Smith answered the bell in Bristol
Kyle Busch Motorsport’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Chandler Smith had his back against the wall last weekend in the elimination race of the first round at Bristol Motor Speedway and fought his way to his first career win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and with it clinched his spot in the Playoffs’ Round of 8. Smith’s win was the first time since the inception of the Playoffs in 2016 that a driver below the cutline in the first-round heading into the elimination race won the event to advance to the next round.
Smith becomes the third driver this season to win his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race joining Martin Truex Jr. (Bristol Dirt) and Ryan Preece (Nashville).
With the win and Playoff points that go with it, Chandler Smith finds himself fifth in the Playoff standings just three points back from Zane Smith in fourth – the final transfer spot to the Championship 4 Round. Chandler Smith, from Talking Rock, Georgia, is hoping to keep the positive momentum going in the Round of 8. He has made two series starts at Las Vegas posting one top-five finish and an average finish of 12.0.
Clinch Scenarios for Las Vegas: Trucks are rolling the dice
This weekend will be the first of three races in the second round of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs, the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts (September 24 at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Playoff standings have been reset to 3,000 points for the drivers that advanced to the Round 8. John Hunter Nemechek currently holds the Playoff standings lead with 3,050 points.
Already Clinched
No drivers have clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round yet.
Can Clinch Via Win
All eight drivers in the Round of 8 would clinch on their win alone this weekend at Las Vegas: John Hunter Nemechek, Sheldon Creed, Ben Rhodes, Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, Matt Crafton, Carson Hocevar, Stewart Friesen.
|
Rank |
Driver |
Points |
Race Wins |
Stage Wins |
Playoff Pts |
Pts From Cutoff |
|
1 |
John H. Nemechek |
3,050 |
5 |
10 |
50 |
44 |
|
2 |
Sheldon Creed |
3,026 |
3 |
6 |
26 |
20 |
|
3 |
Ben Rhodes |
3,019 |
2 |
1 |
19 |
13 |
|
4 |
Zane Smith |
3,009 |
0 |
3 |
9 |
3 |
|
5 |
Chandler Smith |
3,006 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
-3 |
|
6 |
Matt Crafton |
3,004 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
-5 |
|
7 |
Carson Hocevar |
3,002 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
-7 |
|
8 |
Stewart Friesen |
3,001 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
-8 |
|
9 |
Todd Gilliland |
2,100 |
1 |
3 |
15 |
Eliminated From The Playoffs |
|
10 |
Austin Hill |
2,094 |
2 |
1 |
21 |
John Hunter Nemechek back to the top of the reseeded Playoff standings
All those regular season wins, and stage points are sure coming in handy in the postseason for Kyle Busch Motorsport’s driver John Hunter Nemechek who finds himself atop the Playoff standings following the reseeding for the Round of 8.
Nemechek is currently 24 points ahead of second place Sheldon Creed and 44 points ahead of the Championship 4 round cutoff in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs standings following Bristol. This is just the second-time in his career he has advanced out of the first round of the Playoffs (2017, 2021).
Nemechek is one of five former winners entered this weekend at Las Vegas and is the most recent competitor to visit Victory Lane at the 1.5-mile track. Nemechek won at Las Vegas earlier this season by holding off his owner/teammate Kyle Busch. It was Nemechek’s first of a series leading five wins this season. In total, Nemechek has made seven series starts at Las Vegas posting one win, two top fives and three top 10s.
Sheldon Creed’s hot start has him seeded second heading to Vegas
Kicking off the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs with back-to-back wins at Gateway and Darlington was a great way to start postseason for GMS Racing’s Sheldon Creed, who now finds himself ranked second in the postseason standings just 24 points back from John Hunter Nemechek.
The 2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion is looking to become just the second driver in series history to win back-to-back titles joining Matt Crafton (2013, 2014). This is the second time he has advanced out of the first round of the Playoffs in as many seasons (2020, 2021). Creed is currently 20 points above the Championship 4 Round cutoff.
Looking ahead to Las Vegas, Creed has made five series starts on 1.5-mile track posting two top fives and four top 10s. He finished 18th at Las Vegas earlier this season.
Ben Rhodes looking to rebound in this round of the Playoffs
ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes advanced to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 on points after finishing in the top-10 at Bristol last weekend.
The Louisville, Kentucky native, Rhodes, is currently ranked third in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff standings just 13 points above the Championship 4 Round cutoff. This season marks the third time in his career he has advanced out of the first round of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs (2017, ’20, ’21).
Keep an eye on Rhodes this weekend, he has made nine series starts at Las Vegas putting up one win (2017), three top fives and six top 10s.
Zane Smith squeaked into the Round of 8
Just two points, that was how little the point margin was for Zane Smith to clinch the final spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs Round of 8 last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. GMS Racing’s Zane Smith pulled off an eighth-place finish last Thursday night to advance out of the first round of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs for the second-time in his career (2020, 2021).
After the reseedings for the Round of 8, Smith finds himself in the fourth position in the Playoff standings – the final transfer spot to Championship 4 Round. Smith is currently separated by three points over Chandler Smith in the fifth position – the first spot outside the Championship 4 Round.
Luckily for Smith Las Vegas is one of his better tracks. He has made three starts at the 1.5-mile speedway posting three top 10s an average finish of 6.3 (series-best among active drivers).
Chandler Smith sits in the first spot outside the Championship 4
Chandler Smith took the saying ‘Win and you’re in’ to heart last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway and did just that. The Georgia native grabbed his first career the win and in doing so guaranteed his spot in the Round of 8.
Now the rookie Chandler Smith finds himself in fifth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff standings just three points back from the Championship 4 Round cutoff.
Heading into this weekend, Smith has made two series starts at Las Vegas posting one top-five finish and an average finish of 12.0.
Three-time champ Matt Crafton keeps the campaign for his fourth title going
ThorSport Racing driver Matt Crafton’s quest for a fourth championship continues, after the veteran put up three top-10 finishes in the first three races of the Playoffs to score enough points to advance to the Round of 8 for the sixth consecutive season in his career (2016-’21) – series-most. If Crafton were to win this season championship, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series most titles all-time.
Crafton is currently ranked sixth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff standings a mere five points back from the Championship 4 Round cutline.
In 24 starts at Las Vegas, Crafton has amassed 10 top fives and 15 top 10s. His average finish at the 1.5-mile track is 11.6.
Rookie Carson Hocevar has his work cut out for him in the Round of 8
Sitting in the seventh seed is quite the accomplishment for the young NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Hocevar. The Niece Motorsports driver advanced on points to the Round of 8 but now sits seven points behind the Championship 4 Round cutline heading to Las Vegas.
Hocevar has been incredibly consistent this season, he leads the series in percentage of laps completed with him completing 99.92% of his laps attempted.
Hocevar made his series track debut at Las Vegas earlier this season; he started 10th but finished 24th.
If Hocevar can advance to the Championship 4 Round he would become just the fourth rookie since the inception of the Playoffs in the Camping World Truck Series in 2016 to accomplish the feat; joining Christopher Bell (2016), Austin Cindric (2017) and Zane Smith (2020).
Stewart Friesen finds himself in the eighth and final position of this round
Despite not winning in the first round of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs, Halmar Friesen Racing’s Stewart Friesen led all the Playoff challengers in average finish (3.7) in the Round of 10 and because of that he earned himself a spot in the Round of 8.
Now after the reseeding, Friesen resides in the eighth and final spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Round of 8 Playoff standings, and ironically, is eight points back from the Championship 4 Round cutoff.
Friesen has made nine series starts at Las Vegas posting four top fives and five top 10s. His average finish is 11.556.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Etc.
HRE’s Austin Hill can tie Kyle Busch for most win at Las Vegas – Though Hattori Racing Enterprises’ driver Austin Hill was recently eliminated from the Playoffs, he could still add a pretty nice stat to his resume this weekend in Las Vegas. If Hill were to win this weekend, he would tie NASCAR Cup Series driver and Las Vegas native Kyle Busch for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series most wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at three each. Busch rallied his wins off in the spring races of 2018, 2019 and 2020. Austin Hill secured his trips to Victory Lane at Las Vegas in the last two Playoff races at the 1.5-mile track (2019 and 2020).
Two man race out front in Trucks – This season two drivers have gobbled up the lion’s share of the laps led in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Sheldon Creed and John Hunter Nemechek have combined to lead nearly half of the laps this season (47.04%). Creed leads the Truck Series in laps led this season with 596 laps out front (24.99% of his total laps completed). Nemechek is right behind him with 526 laps led (22.05%).
NASCAR PR
