NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: South Point 400
The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Date: Sunday, October 16
The Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $7,352,089
TV: NBC, 2 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 165), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Alsco Uniforms 302
The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, October 15
The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,272,611
TV: NBC, 3 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 301.5 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: Baptist Health 200
The Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway
The Date: Saturday, October 22
The Time: 1 p.m. ET
The Purse: $721,227
TV: FS1, 12 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)
NASCAR Cup Series
Rolling The Dice: Cup Playoffs’ Round of 8 gets underway at Las Vegas
It came down to the final laps of last week’s Round 12 elimination-race at the Charlotte ROVAL to decide who would advance and continue their quest for a championship in this season’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell won the wild event in Overtime at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course marking the sixth-time in the ‘elimination-style’ Playoff Era (2014-2022) that a driver has won their way into the next round. Now, the eight elite drivers that have made it this far, need to regroup as the spotlight turns to 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway for this Sunday’s South Point 400 on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90), the first race of the Round of 8.
This is the fifth-year Las Vegas Motor Speedway has hosted a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race (2018-2022). The 2022 season also marks the first-time the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 has opened at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – race No. 33 of the season and seventh of the postseason.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the sixth different track to host the seventh race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs; joining Atlanta Motor Speedway (2004-2008), Talladega Superspeedway (2009-2010), Martinsville Speedway (2011-2019), Kansas Speedway (2020) and Texas Motor Speedway (2021).
Prior to the 2022 season, Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2018 and 2019 and the fourth race in the Playoffs, the first race of the Round of 12, from 2021-2022.
Four different drivers have won the Playoff races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.
Track |
Playoff Race Winners |
Date |
Race No. |
Las Vegas |
Brad Keselowski |
Sunday, September 16, 2018 |
27 |
Las Vegas |
Martin Truex Jr |
Sunday, September 15, 2019 |
27 |
Las Vegas |
Kurt Busch |
Sunday, September 27, 2020 |
30 |
Las Vegas |
Denny Hamlin |
Sunday, September 26, 2021 |
30 |
A total of 11 different drivers have won the seventh race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, led by Jimmie Johnson with four postseason victories (Atlanta: 2004, 2007 and Martinsville: 2012, 2016). Team Penske’s Joey Logano leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in victories in the seventh race of the Playoffs with two postseason wins (Martinsville 2018 and Kansas 2020).
|
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race No. 7 Winners |
||
|
Track |
Playoff Race Winners |
Date |
|
Atlanta |
Jimmie Johnson |
Sunday, October 31, 2004 |
|
Atlanta |
Carl Edwards |
Sunday, October 30, 2005 |
|
Atlanta |
Tony Stewart |
Sunday, October 29, 2006 |
|
Atlanta |
Jimmie Johnson |
Sunday, October 28, 2007 |
|
Atlanta |
Carl Edwards |
Sunday, October 26, 2008 |
|
Talladega |
Jamie McMurray |
Sunday, November 1, 2009 |
|
Talladega |
Clint Bowyer |
Sunday, October 31, 2010 |
|
Martinsville |
Tony Stewart |
Sunday, October 30, 2011 |
|
Martinsville |
Jimmie Johnson |
Sunday, October 28, 2012 |
|
Martinsville |
Jeff Gordon |
Sunday, October 27, 2013 |
|
Martinsville |
Dale Earnhardt Jr |
Sunday, October 26, 2014 |
|
Martinsville |
Jeff Gordon |
Sunday, November 1, 2015 |
|
Martinsville |
Jimmie Johnson |
Sunday, October 30, 2016 |
|
Martinsville |
Kyle Busch |
Sunday, October 29, 2017 |
|
Martinsville |
Joey Logano |
Sunday, October 28, 2018 |
|
Martinsville |
Martin Truex Jr |
Sunday, October 27, 2019 |
|
Kansas |
Joey Logano |
Sunday, October 18, 2020 |
|
Texas |
Kyle Larson |
Sunday, October 17, 2021 |
Five times the winner of the seventh NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race has gone on to win the championship later that same season: 2007, 2011, 2016, 2018 and 2021.
In 2007, Jimmie Johnson won from the sixth starting position at Atlanta Motor Speedway and went on to win his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championship. The win was the second of four consecutive Playoff victories he put up en route to the title that season (Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas and Phoenix).
In 2011, Tony Stewart won from the fourth starting position at Martinsville Speedway and went on to win his second NASCAR Cup Series championship (2005, 2011). The victory was his third of a record setting five Playoff wins that season.
In 2016, Jimmie Johnson won from the third starting position at Martinsville Speedway and went on to win his record tying seventh NASCAR Cup Series championship. The victory was his second of three Playoff wins during his title run that season.
In 2018, Joey Logano won from the 10th starting position at Martinsville Speedway and went on to win his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. It was his first of two Playoffs wins that season (Martinsville, Homestead-Miami).
In 2021, Kyle Larson won from the pole at Texas Motor Speedway and went on to win his first career NASCAR Cup Series championship. The victory was his third of a record tying five Playoff wins season en route to the title.
The worst finish by a driver in the seventh NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race that later went on to win the title that same season was at Atlanta Motor Speedway (2004-2008). Kurt Busch posted a 42nd-place finish in the 2004 Atlanta Motor Speedway race, then the seventh race in the Playoffs, and went on to win the title that same season. The finish was due to engine failure.
The finishes by the eventual champion in the Playoffs at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
- 1st by Kyle Larson in 2021 – the fourth race of the Playoffs.
- 22nd by Chase Elliott in 2020 – the fourth race of the Playoffs.
- 19th by Kyle Busch in 2019 – the first race of the Playoffs.
- 4th by Joey Logano in 2018 – the first race of the Playoffs.
Three times non-Playoff drivers have won the seventh race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs: 2006, 2009 and 2010.
In 2006, Tony Stewart won the seventh race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he was 11th in points at the time of the win.
In 2009, Jamie McMurray won the seventh race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Talladega Superspeedway, he was ranked 22nd in the points at the time of the win.
In 2010, Clint Bowyer won the seventh race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Talladega Superspeedway, he was 12th in the points at the time of the win.
No non-Playoff driver has ever won the Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. But that could change this weekend, four of the first six Playoff races this season have been won by non-Playoff drivers. Plus, the 2022 season has produced the series-most (19) different winners in a single season this year, tied with 1956, 1958, 1961 and 2001.
All the NASCAR Cup Series on-track action will get underway with practice and Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday, October 15 and both can be viewed on the NBC Sports App at 12:05 p.m. ET or at 12:30 p.m. ET on the USA Network.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Clinch scenarios and other tidbits
With the start of a new round in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, the contenders get reseeded and are once again faced with trying to earn their spot in the next round. This weekend’s South Point 400 (Oct. 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will kick-off the Round of 8, the first of three races the contenders have to navigate through for a spot in the Championship 4.
Already Clinched
No drivers have clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round.
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe.
Of the eight-driver Playoff field heading into this weekend at Las Vegas, two are former champions – Joey Logano (2018) and Chase Elliott (2020), and only three of the eight have made career appearances in the Championship 4 Round – Denny Hamlin has four appearances ( 2021, ’20, ’19, ’14), Joey Logano has four appearances (2020, ’18, ’16, ’14) and Chase Elliott has two (2021, ’20).
Half of the eight-driver Playoff field have advanced to the Round of 8 for the first time in their NASCAR Cup Series careers – Chastain, Bell, Byron and Briscoe. Plus, the youth movement in the series has arrived, six of the eight drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 are in their 20s, the youngest being William Byron at 24. The two drivers not in their 20s are Joey Logano at a ripe age of 32 and Denny Hamlin at 41. The average age of this season’s Round of 8 is 29.5 years old.
The crop of eight Playoff drivers also hail from seven different states across the country – Georgia (Chase Elliott), Connecticut (Joey Logano), Florida (Ross Chastain), Oklahoma (Christopher Bell), North Carolina (Ryan Blaney and William Byron), Virginia (Denny Hamlin) and Indiana (Chase Briscoe).
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NASCAR Cup Series Driver Playoff Outlook Following Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL |
||||||
|
Rank |
Driver |
Points |
Race Wins |
Stage Wins |
Playoff Pts |
+/- Cutoff |
|
1 |
Chase Elliott |
4,046 |
5 |
6 |
46 |
31 |
|
2 |
Joey Logano |
4,026 |
2 |
6 |
26 |
11 |
|
3 |
Ross Chastain |
4,021 |
2 |
6 |
21 |
6 |
|
4 |
Christopher Bell |
4,018 |
2 |
4 |
18 |
3 |
|
5 |
Ryan Blaney |
4,015 |
0 |
7 |
15 |
-3 |
|
6 |
William Byron |
4,015 |
2 |
4 |
15 |
-3 |
|
7 |
Denny Hamlin |
4,013 |
2 |
3 |
13 |
-5 |
|
8 |
Chase Briscoe |
4,009 |
1 |
4 |
9 |
-9 |
|
9 |
Kyle Larson |
2,200 |
2 |
4 |
20 |
Eliminated From The Playoffs |
|
10 |
Daniel Suarez |
2,162 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
|
|
11 |
Austin Cindric |
2,154 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
|
|
12 |
Tyler Reddick |
2,153 |
3 |
2 |
17 |
|
|
13 |
Austin Dillon |
2,134 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
|
|
14 |
Kyle Busch |
2,123 |
1 |
3 |
10 |
|
|
15 |
Alex Bowman |
2,104 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
|
|
16 |
Kevin Harvick |
2,006 |
2 |
0 |
12 |
|
Round of 8: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a gem in the desert
Las Vegas is a great city with tons to do, but nothing on the ‘The Strip’ this weekend will compare to the drama that Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be dishing-up as the 1.5-mile track serves as the jump starter of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 with the South Point 400 on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Eight Playoff contenders will begin their hunt for one of the four spots in the Championship 4 Round and a shot at this season’s title this weekend at Las Vegas – the second-to-last 1.5-mile track on the schedule.
The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was held on March 1, 1998. NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett won the pole for the inaugural event and NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin won the race driving a Ford for RFK Racing. In total there have been 29 NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1998-2022). The 1.5-mile track has hosted one race per season from 1998 to 2017. The 2018 season marked the first time Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted two Cup Series events in a single season (2018-2022).
A total of 18 different drivers have won the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kasey Kahne leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Las Vegas with three (2004, 2007, 2012). Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with two (2008, 2009). Of the 18 NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at Las Vegas seven at active this weekend.
Las Vegas Active Pole Winners |
Poles |
Seasons |
Kyle Busch |
2 |
2009, ’08 |
Christopher Bell |
1 |
2022 |
Kevin Harvick |
1 |
2019 |
Erik Jones |
1 |
2018 Playoffs |
Ryan Blaney |
1 |
2018 |
Brad Keselowski |
1 |
2017 |
Joey Logano |
1 |
2014 |
A total of 17 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and eight different drivers have won more than once at the 1.5-mile track. Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with four victories (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010). Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series wins at Las Vegas with three (2014, 2016, 2018). Of the 17 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, eight of them are active this weekend and two are current Playoff contenders – Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin.
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 |
Alex Bowman |
1 |
2022 |
Denny Hamlin |
1 |
2021 |
Kyle Larson |
1 |
2021 |
Kyle Busch |
1 |
2009 |
Ring The Bell: Christopher just put everyone on notice
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell shot out of a cannon to start the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs as the only driver to score top fives in the first three races and clinch his spot in the next round early. Then in the Round of 12, he skidded-out, literally, at Texas (34th) and Talladega (17th) putting him below the cutline for the Round of 8 heading into last weekend’s elimination race, but the Oklahoman stormed back into contention with a massive walk-off win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. The victory not only earned him a spot in the next round of the Playoffs, but put everyone back on notice that he is a title contender this season.
Now that the points are reseeded, Bell finds himself ranked fourth in the Playoff standings, three points up on the Championship 4 Round cut line. This is the first-time in Bell’s career he has advanced to the Round of 8.
The 27-year-old, Bell, is having the best season of his young Cup career putting up a season-to-date driver rating of 91.3 (third-best), two wins (New Hampshire, Charlotte RC), 11 top fives, 18 top 10s and four poles. He has also led 419 laps and has an average finish of 13.8.
Looking to this weekend at Las Vegas, Bell has made five starts and has posted two top 10s. He won the pole and finished 10th at Vegas earlier this season.
Elite Eight: Playoff challengers at Vegas
Only eight drivers left in the Playoffs to decide who will win the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series championship, and of those eight, only two are former winners at this weekend’s Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Logano, Hamlin). With so much on the line heading into this Sunday, here is a look at the career performances of the eight Playoff drivers at Las Vegas.
Chase Elliott enters the Round of 8 as the No. 1 seed, up 31 points on the Championship 4 Round cutline. In six Playoff starts this season he has posted one win (Talladega) and two top fives. His average finish this postseason is 17.0. This season is the sixth-time he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2017-2022). Elliott has made 11 series starts at Las Vegas posting three top fives and five top 10s. He finished ninth at the 1.5-mile track earlier this season.
“I think it’s going to be a really tough round (Round of 8),” said Chase Elliott. “Vegas was a struggle for us in the spring. Homestead, we have just been really hit-or-miss there. We did have a test there a couple of weeks ago, so hopefully we’ve learned from that. Martinsville, it’s just going to be about how you qualify because I don’t see anybody passing there. We’ll see how it goes. Try to bring our A-game.”
Joey Logano enters the Round of 8 as the No. 2 seed, up 11 points on the Championship 4 Round cutline. In six Playoff starts this season he has put up two top fives. His average finish this postseason is 15.8. This season is the eighth-time he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2014-2016, 2018-2022). Logano has made 18 series starts at Las Vegas posting one pole, two wins, six top fives and 11 top 10s. He finished 14th at Las Vegas earlier this season.
“I feel good. I like Vegas,” said Joey Logano. “We had a pretty good test at Miami and Martinsville has been one of Penske’s best racetracks as of late, so I feel pretty good about it (the Round of 8).”
Ross Chastain enters the Round of 8 as the No. 3 seed, up six points on the Championship 4 Round cutline. In six Playoff starts this season he has posted one top-five and three top-10 finishes. His average finish this postseason is 14.5. This season is the first-time he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2022). Chastain has made eight series starts at Las Vegas posting one top five. He finished third at the 1.5-mile track earlier this season.
“Yeah, I’m full on focusing on Las Vegas, not looking back at the Roval,” said Ross Chastain. “Our intermediate program is strong. I have full confidence going into these two weeks at intermediate tracks. Our cars are strong.”
Christopher Bell enters the Round of 8 as the No. 4 seed, up three points on the Championship 4 Round cutline. In six Playoff starts this season he has posted one win (Charlotte RC), and four top fives. His average finish this postseason is 10.7. This season is the first-time he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2022). Bell has made five series starts at Las Vegas posting two top 10s. He finished 10th at the 1.5-mile track earlier this season.
“Vegas is one of my favorite tracks and Joe Gibbs Racing has been strong on the 1.5-mile tracks,” said Christopher Bell. “Vegas is one I’ve had circled for a while and one we can contend for a win, or at least escape there with a good amount of points.”
Ryan Blaney enters the Round of 8 as the No. 5 seed, back three points from the Championship 4 Round cutline. In six Playoff starts this season he has posted two top fives and three top 10s. His average finish this postseason is 14.0. This season is the fourth-time he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2017, 2019, 2021, 2022). Blaney has made 12 series starts at Las Vegas posting five top fives and eight 10s. He finished 36th at the 1.5-mile track earlier this season due to an incident.
“I’m looking forward to getting to Vegas,” said Ryan Blaney. “I think we’ve come a long way on our mile-and-a-half program. Between Vegas and Homestead and obviously Martinsville is a strong place for us in the spring, so I’m looking forward to it. We’ve just got to put together good races with no mistakes and keep doing what we’ve been doing. I’d really like to win and not have to worry about the next two weeks, but I think this team has been doing a great job. They’re really focused right now.”
William Byron enters the Round of 8 as the No. 6 seed, back three points from the Championship 4 Round cutline. In six Playoff starts this season he has posted one top five and four top 10s. His average finish this postseason is 8.7. This season is the first-time he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2022). Byron has made nine series starts at Las Vegas posting one top five and three top 10s. He finished fifth at Las Vegas earlier this season.
“It feels awesome,” said William Byron when asked how it felt to make the Round of 8. “Certainly, a weight off our shoulders. This was the goal coming into this year, and I feel we have met that. Obviously, the end goal is making the Championship 4.”
Denny Hamlin enters the Round of 8 as the No. 7 seed, back five points from the Championship 4 Round cutline. In six Playoff starts this season he has posted three top fives and five top 10s. His average finish this postseason is 6.8 – best among Playoff contenders. This season is the seventh-time he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019-2022). Hamlin has made 21 series starts at Las Vegas posting one win, five top fives and 10 top 10s. He finished 32nd at Las Vegas earlier this season due to a drivetrain issue.
“We have been very strong on the intermediates all year and we tested Homestead a few weeks ago,” said Hamlin. “We had a good test at Martinsville and even though we finished bad there in the spring, I feel good about what we have learned since then. We’re going to have to qualify well there, and track position is going to be huge. It’s time to go to work, but yeah, we’re really excited about our prospects in this next round.”
Chase Briscoe enters the Round of 8 as the No. 8 seed, back nine points from the Championship 4 Round cutline. In six Playoff starts this season he has posted one top five and three top 10s. His average finish this postseason is 13.0. This season is the first-time he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2022). Briscoe has made three series starts at Las Vegas posting a best finish of 14th in this race last season. He finished 35th at the 1.5-mile track earlier this season due to an incident.
“I enjoy being the underdog and handle it much better when people do doubt us,” said Briscoe. “I know we’re capable, our team knows we’re capable and it really doesn’t matter what other people think. I like not having that pressure, so that’s fine if it continues. We’re going to show up each race and do what we need to do. Even if we’re down, we’re not out and we’ve shown that these last few weeks, so we’ll keep it up and make our way to Phoenix.”
NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.
Playoffs Biggest Moments: The Six Walk-off Wins – Christopher Bell’s win this past weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course was the sixth-time in the ‘elimination-style’ Playoff Era (2014-2022) that a driver below the cut line in points to advance to the next round has won his way into the next round. Below are the five other times the Playoff magic has occurred.
In 2014, heading into the Round of 12 elimination race at Talladega Superspeedway, Brad Keselowski was 10th in the Playoff standings and won the race earning his spot in the Round of 8.
In 2014, heading into the Round of 8 elimination race at Phoenix Raceway, Kevin Harvick was eighth in the Playoff standings and won the race earning his spot in the Championship 4 Round. Harvick would then win again the following week at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the season finale to pocket his first career Cup championship.
In 2015, heading into the Round of 16 elimination race at Dover Motor Speedway, Kevin Harvick was ranked 15th in the Playoff standings and won the race earning his spot in the Round of 12.
In 2019, heading into the Round of 8 elimination race at Phoenix Raceway, Denny Hamlin was fifth in the Playoff standings and won the race earning his spot in the Championship 4 Round.
In 2020, heading into the Round of 8 elimination race at Martinsville Speedway, Chase Elliott was fifth in the Playoff standings tied with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman in fourth and won the race earning his spot in the Championship 4 Round. Elliott would then go on to win at Phoenix Raceway the following weekend and take home his first career NASCAR Cup Series title.
NASCAR Cup Series Featured Matchups: South Point 400 – Below is a close look at the featured matchups fans can bet on heading into this weekend’s event.
Christopher Bell vs. Ryan Blaney (Fan Vote)
There is an old saying that “tires win races” and for Christopher Bell that was true at the Charlotte ROVAL. Pitting under a late caution turned out to be the winning move for Bell, as he used a restart to work his way up to second place before another caution brought out overtime. From there, he used a good restart to clear Kevin Harvick and go from being eliminated to clinching his spot in the Round of 8. Now that the wild Round of 12 has passed, both Bell and Ryan Blaney have three races to go before the Championship race at Phoenix. First on the list is Las Vegas. Blaney holds a strong advantage in Driver Rating at 98.5 to 73.1, but in the spring Blaney wrecked and finished 34th while Bell posted a top 10. Separated by only three points in the standings, it will be a pivotal race in ‘Sin City.’
Chase Elliott vs. Joey Logano
Heading to Vegas, Chase Elliott sits atop the Playoff standings while Joey Logano is right behind him in second. Both Elliott and Logano have shown the consistency these Playoffs and find themselves in outstanding position to qualify for the championship race in Phoenix. They’ll have to take care of business in these next three races, which all starts with Las Vegas this weekend. They are well positioned to do so, as they both boast driver ratings of over 100 at Vegas. Logano has two wins in his last seven races here, while Elliott is winless but has two top fives. In the spring, Elliott finished ninth here and Logano finished 14th.
Ross Chastain vs. Denny Hamlin
It’s been a well-documented season of drama between Ross Chastain and Denny Hamlin. However, it has been a quiet Playoffs between them. Hamlin has promised revenge on Chastain, and as both sit in the Round of 8, now may be the time these two drivers entangle again. Chastain raced well here in the Spring, bringing home his first top three in Las Vegas. This is also a particularly good track for Hamlin, who has one win and three top fives in his last seven races here. As we currently stand, Hamlin is below the cutline and trailing Chastain by eight points, so expect Hamlin to be pedal to the metal in his pursuit to win his first Cup Series Championship.
William Byron vs. Chase Briscoe
Dark Horses? Contenders? Whatever you want to call William Byron and Chase Briscoe, they are both in the Round of 8. It was a wild week for both to reach it. Byron won his appeal and raced well enough to reach the Round of 8. Chase Briscoe was below the cutline and set to be eliminated, but pit before overtime and used his fresh tires to make enough passes and knock reigning Champion Kyle Larson into elimination. Now, Briscoe stands as the only Stewart-Haas Racing Ford left in the Playoffs, while Byron has Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott in the Round of 8 alongside him. Both Briscoe and Byron have taken a jump in their careers, showing they are true wheelman and championship contenders. Both sitting below the current cutline, Vegas stands as their first chance to make up some points on the field and set themselves up for the final two races in the Round of 8.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Xfinity Playoff contenders to test their luck in Las Vegas
The NASCAR Xfinity Series wrapped up the Round of 12 last weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, so now it’s on to the Round of 8, which will kick off this Saturday, Oct. 15 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the Alsco Uniforms 302 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90). Vegas is the first three races in the Round of 8 to see which of the Playoff contenders will earn their spot in the Championship 4 Round.
The 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway track has hosted 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series races producing 22 different race winners and 18 different pole winners. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs became the track’s youngest winner when he took the checkered flag earlier this season at 19 years, five months and one day old. Mark Martin sits as the oldest winner with his 2011 win at 52 years, one month and 24 days old.
Cup Series regular Kyle Busch holds both the qualifying record at 185.58 mph and the race record at 145.415 mph in the Xfinity Series at Las Vegas. He has also led the most laps (619) and is tied for most poles with Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin and Cole Custer at two each. Playoff driver Justin Allgaier holds the record for most top fives (eight), top 10s (13) and lead lap finishes (14). NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin holds the record for the most Xfinity wins at Las Vegas with four (1999, 2005, 2008, 2011)
The most recent winner at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is Playoff driver Ty Gibbs. If he snags another win at the track, not only will he be the first to clinch his spot in the Championship 4, but he will also become the second driver in Las Vegas Motor Speedway Xfinity Series history to post a back-to-back wins. The first and only driver to accomplish the feat is Chase Briscoe (2020 sweep).
This will be the first time that Las Vegas Motor Speedway kicks off the Round of 8 in the Xfinity Series Playoffs. In the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the Las Vegas track was the first race in the post season with Chase Briscoe winning the race in 2020 and Josh Berry winning in 2021. Las Vegas Motor Speedway was not a postseason track from 2016-2019.
The Xfinity Series will get the weekend rolling with practice at 8:35 p.m. ET followed by qualifying at 9:05 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 14 on the USA Network.
The field is set for the Round of 8
After a wild elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course that went into overtime with Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger taking his fourth consecutive win at the track, the field is set for the first race in the Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The eight drivers still in the hunt for the championship are Noah Gragson, AJ Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Austin Hill, Brandon Jones and Sam Mayer.
With a new round comes three new opportunities to make it to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 5. The first stop is Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 15 followed by Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 22 then Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 29.
Any of the eight Playoff drivers could clinch their spot into the Championship 4 with a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend but let’s take a look at how they look heading into the race.
As of right now, Noah Gragson, AJ Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs and Justin Allgaier sit above the cutline. Gragson leads the pack with 3,056 points. Not far behind is Allmendinger with 3,044 points. Gibbs slides into third in the standings with 3,038 points followed by Justin Allgaier in the final Championship 4 spot with 3,033 points.
Just outside the cutline is Josh Berry (-11) with rookie Austin Hill (-15) sixth in the standings. In the last two spots in the Round of 8 are Brandon Jones (-22) and Sam Mayer (-28).
Sittin’ pretty in ‘Sin City’
Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 302 will be sure to have fans at the edge of their seats as most of the Playoff field has been pretty lucky at the 1.5-mile track set in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Multiple Playoff drivers have posted wins at the track while even more drivers have consistently finished in the top 10. Let’s dive into how the Playoff field has performed at the track in ‘Sin City.’
Noah Gragson: The driver of the No.9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet has seven starts at the track with six top fives and seven top 10s. He finished runner-up when the Xfinity Series was there earlier this season and has an average start of 14.3 and an average finish of 3.6.
AJ Allmendinger: The driver of the No.16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet has three starts at the Las Vegas track with one win (2021), one top five, three top 10s and one pole (2022). He has an average start of 4.3 and an average finish of 5.7.
Ty Gibbs: The driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is the most recent Xfinity Series winner at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In his two starts, he has posted one win (2022), one top five and one top 10.
Justin Allgaier: The driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet has 16 starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with eight top fives and 13 top 10s. He has a best finish of second (2011, 2018, 2021) and an average start of 10.3 and an average finish of 7.9.
Josh Berry: The driver of the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet has three starts at the track with one win (2021), two top fives and three top 10s. He has an average start of 8.7 and an average finish of 4.0.
Austin Hill: The driver of the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet has two starts at the track with a best finish of 17th.
Brandon Jones: The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has 11 starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with two top fives and eight top 10s. He has a best finish of third (2019, 2021), an average start of 12.1 and an average finish of 9.3.
Sam Mayer: The driver of the No.1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet has two starts at the track with a best finish of 25th.
NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.
Daniel Hemric returning to Kaulig Racing in 2023 – Daniel Hemric, who originally signed on for a one-year deal with Kaulig Racing in 2022, has signed an extension with the team and will once again be behind the wheel of the No.11 Chevrolet.
“We are so excited to have Daniel back next year in the car that started all of this, our No. 11 Chevrolet,” said team owner, Matt Kaulig. “Over the past year, Daniel has embraced what it is like to be a part of the Kaulig Racing family and has been instrumental in growing our team. We can’t wait for another great season together next year.”
Hemric made it to the Round of 12 in the postseason and has scored two top fives 10 top 10s and one pole this season thus far.
Hailie Deegan to make Xfinity Series debut this weekend – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Hailie Deegan will be making her Xfinity Series debut this weekend in the No. 07 Ford with SS Green Light Racing. Deegan will look to become the 23rd different female competitor to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series all-time.
“I really just wanted to make my debut, for sure, on a mile-and-a-half because that’s where I feel the most comfortable,” said Deegan. “I wanted to get my feet wet in the Xfinity Series.”
Deegan is in her second full-time season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with David Gilliland Racing. She has posted three top 10s in her 44 starts and finished a career-high sixth earlier this month at Talladega Superspeedway.
The best finish by a female driver in her NASCAR Xfinity Series career debut is 15th by Shawna Robinson on June 8, 1991 at Rougemont. The all-time best starting position by a female driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is the pole position – won by Shawna Robinson in 1994 at Atlanta and Danica Patrick in 2021 at Daytona. The all-time best finish by a female driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is fourth by Danica Patrick in 2011 at this weekend’s track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
South Beach to help decide this year’s Championship 4 Round contenders
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers are heading into week two of their two-week scheduled break before coming back to the track for their last race in the Playoffs’ Round of 8 the Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 22 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
With a win by non-playoff driver Matt DiBenedetto at the series’ last race at Talladega Superspeedway, only one driver has secured his spot in the Championship 4 Round at Phoenix Raceway with his win at Bristol Motor Speedway – Ty Majeski.
The remaining seven Playoff drivers will have to give it their all if they want a chance to compete for the 2022 title. Below is a look at what it will take for each driver to make it in.
Already Clinched
The following driver has clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round: Ty Majeski.
Can Clinch Via Points
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 4th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Chandler Smith, Zane Smith or Ben Rhodes.
- Chandler Smith: Would clinch with 26 points
- Zane Smith: Would clinch with 38 points
- Ben Rhodes: Would clinch with 52 points
- Christian Eckes: Could only clinch with help
- Stewart Friesen: Could only clinch with help
- John Hunter Nemechek: Could only clinch with help
- Grant Enfinger: Could only clinch with help
If there is a new winner from Christian Eckes or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 3rd winless driver in the standings.
- Chandler Smith: Would clinch with 29 points
- Zane Smith: Would clinch with 41 points
- Ben Rhodes: Could only clinch with help
- Christian Eckes: Could only clinch with help
- Stewart Friesen: Could only clinch with help
- John Hunter Nemechek: Could only clinch with help
- Grant Enfinger: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Chandler Smith, Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes, Christian Eckes, Stewart Friesen, John Hunter Nemechek and Grant Enfinger.
Playoff Bubble: Eckes, Friesen, Nemechek, Enfinger outside Champ 4 cutline
Looking at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff standings following the second race in the Round of 8 at Talladega Superspeedway, the postseason competitors are tasked with trying to make the Championship 4 Round with only one race to go.
ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski won at Bristol in the Round of 8 opener and non-playoff driver Matt DiBenedetto snagged the win at Talladega, leaving three spots still up for grabs. Heading into their next Playoff race, Chandler Smith and Zane Smith assume the second and third Playoff positions, respectively.
Ty Majeski’s ThorSport Racing teammate Ben Rhodes is currently ranked in the fourth and final transfer spot on points to the Championship 4 Round, up only three points on teammate Christian Eckes in fifth. Behind Eckes is Halmar Friesen Racing’s Stewart Friesen in sixth (-3 points below the cutline), then Kyle Busch Motorsports’ John Hunter Nemechek in seventh (-5 points) and GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger in eighth (-29 points).
Make it or break it: One shot for the Championship 4
Playoff drivers will have to give it their all next weekend as it will be their last opportunity to prove they have what it takes to compete for the championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 4.
All but one Playoff driver have given Homestead-Miami Speedway a go in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Ty Majeski: The driver of the No. 66 ThorSport Racing Toyota has one start at Homestead-Miami Speedway (2020) and posted a 10th-place finish
Chandler Smith: The driver of the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota will be posting his first Truck Series start at the Miami track next weekend.
Zane Smith: The driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford has one start at the track (2020). He finished 37th after an incident early sidelined his truck on Lap 19.
Ben Rhodes: The driver of the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota has five starts at the 1.5-mile Miami track. He has posted one top-10 finish (2018) and has led 45 laps. He has an average start of 7.8 and an average finish of 15.8
Christian Eckes: The driver of the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Toyota has made two starts at Homestead-Miami posting one top five and two top 10s. He has an average start of 3.0 and an average finish of 5.5.
Stewart Friesen: The driver of the No. 52 Halmar-Friesen Toyota has made five starts at the 1.5-mile track just north of the Florida Keys with one top five and two top 10s. He has an average start of 11.2 and an average finish of 13.0.
John Hunter Nemechek: The driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota has four starts at Miami with one top five and two top 10s. He has an average start of 7.5 and an average finish of 8.8.
Grant Enfinger: The driver of the No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet has posted five starts, one top five, three top 10s and one pole (2018) at the Miami track. He has an average start of 7.6 and an average finish of 11.4.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Etc.
Five Truck Series competitors moonlighting in Xfinity Series this weekend – Though the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series does not return to action until next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway, fans of the series will be able to catch five Camping World Truck Series regulars attempting to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend.
Hailie Deegan will attempt to make her NASCAR Xfinity Series career debut this weekend with SS-GLR w/Jeff Lefcourt in the No. 07 Chevrolet.
Matt Mills will be in the No. 5 BJ McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend at Las Vegas.
Truck Series Playoff contender John Hunter Nemechek will be in the No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota this weekend at Las Vegas. And Rajah Caruth will be in the No. 44 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet and Matt Jaskol will be piloting the No. 13 Motorsports Business Management Toyota.
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