Shelby 427 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
Amid all the sharp declines in business at Las Vegas casinos, the city gets a shot of adrenaline with the annual Las Vegas NASCAR weekend which begins with Friday's qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Vegas usually has several monster conventions a year along with the PBR and NFR rodeo events, but none has quite the impact for a single weekend as does the NASCAR weekend. Last year it was estimated that nearly $200 million in non-gaming revenue was generated due to the NASCAR weekend.
The NASCAR fans come from all over the country to fill each and every one of the 165,000 available seats for Sunday's Cup race. The entire NASCAR community is feeling the crunch of the economic climate, and while other tracks may feel tightening of fans wallets, Vegas should still thrive.
Think about it, if you have cut down on your family expenses, much of the cutting begins with travel. Many NASCAR fans travel to several races a year, some not even using vacation time because several of the races in the South are so close to each other. However, it still costs money for the ticket, fuel to get to the race, and of course cash to buy food, sodas and maybe even a few beers. Then of course you have to have a few bills to buy all the new drivers gear down merchandise row which is lined with several trailers for each driver.
So the head of the family reviews their expenses, the 2009 NASCAR schedule, their own personal calendar and decides they can only go to one race, so it's got to be a good one. Bristol or Daytona comes to mind, but gets crossed off because if it's only going to be one race and some of the vacation money is going to be used, let's make it count. Let's get the full feel of resort pampering with a party atmosphere and culminate it with the NASCAR race. Las Vegas will beat out any other track because of this amenity it has that no other has. Bristol is a great race every time out, but having nearby Dollywood as the main entertainment source other than race doesn't quite match the array of entertainment venues Vegas has. The head of the family can kind of kill two birds with one race stone, and the entire family is happy.
Last weeks race at Fontana, CA is a perfect example of what families are doing in regards to travel plans and the races. The race was once again not sold out with quite a few empty seats, and they only have 80,000 to fill which is very small compared to most other facilities. Fontana has the distinction of being the race just before Vegas and the decision for most isn't tough when weighing out the pros and cons of each. Vegas wins every time! Just how does Fontana get two races a year and Vegas only one?
The topic of interest for most of the teams this week in Vegas will be how the new banking and surface treats them. Even though they had pre-season testing last year in Vegas, they were still a bit apprehensive going around the track. There was an uneasiness with many drivers and were several wicked crashes, most notably was Jeff Gordon whose car disintegrated as he came full speed into an infield wall with no safety barriers. The barriers are now in place this season, but there still was no pre-season testing which means less time to get comfortable with the track.
One driver who had no trouble getting a grip on the new surface last season was Roush Racing's Carl Edwards. He came right off a win the week before in California and dominated the Vegas race. Edwards became the fourth different Roush driver to win a Cup race at Vegas and was the Cat in the Hat's sixth Vegas Cup win overall. Between all of his Truck, Nationwide, and Cup series victories, no one has won more in Las Vegas. If the Vegas races were played at a black jack table, the pit boss would kindly tell Jack Roush that he is too good and can no longer play table games at this casino. He's that good in Vegas!
This years Vegas race will likely mirror what we saw last week in Fontana with all the usual suspects being the top candidates to win. The stable of Roush drivers lead the pack, beginning with Matt Kenseth who will be attempting to win his 3rd straight race to start the season. Kenseth didn't even win one race last season and now he is just pigging everything in 2009. Greg Biffle likely had the best car in Fontana, but operator error on pit road cost Biffle nine spots on the final pit stop. Edwards wasn't as good as he was last year in Fontana, but was sneaky good late.
The duo of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon will be the top contenders to derail the Roush train. Gordon made a defining statement last week in California that he is ready to go in 2009 with a much more improved program on these types of tracks. Like Kenseth, Gordon didn't win a race in 2008. The two of them raced hard for the Cal win, with Gordon ultimately taking 2nd. Gordon also sits 2nd in points heading into Vegas. Jimmie Johnson loves Vegas. Coming into last year’s race there, he had won three straight Vegas races.
The Busch brothers will be coming home to Las Vegas, a place they haven't done well at collectively. Of the two, the one that is having the most fun right now is Kurt Busch, who is a solid look at 20/1 or higher this week. Kurt finds himself 3rd in points after a great run in California. That run is encouraging because it shows that the new Dodge Penske engine is actually better and makes them faster on these tracks. Kyle finished 3rd last week and battled all night with his car as he attempted to sweep all three Cal races that weekend.
My sentimental choice to win is Kurt Busch because I'm thrilled with his team’s discovery and improvements. A win in Vegas from the "Blue Deuce" would set off party bells at PT's Pubs all over town. However, right now there are several better cars. Of those cars, I think Gordon has to be the sentimental choice of the collective NASCAR Nation. He hasn't won since Charlotte in 2007 and the fans have grown to appreciate him more because of those struggles. On the other hand, it would be pretty cool to see Kenseth start the year off with three straight wins.
Top 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #24 Jeff Gordon (10/1)
2) #16 Greg Biffle (10/1)
3) #17 Matt Kenseth (8/1)
4) #99 Carl Edwards (7/1)
5) #48 Jimmie Johnson (7/1)
Props and Futures
Because the Las Vegas race is the largest wagered on race of the year, several sports books offer a wide array of propositions tied to the race itself. Anything that you can find on the final results page may be available for wagering. These props make it easier to win than trying to pick one driver out of forty-three. They are basically YES-NO props with only two options to wager on. Things like over-under lap leaders, drivers to finish on lead lap, cautions, winning car number, manufacturer to win, and head to head driver matchups can all be found at NASCAR friendly Sports Books like the Palms, Hilton, and Station Casinos.
Because of all the out of state traffic, and NASCAR specific fans, a large portion of the Sports Books overall odds to win the 2009 Championship will be wagered this weekend. Fans have learned over time that they can mail their winning tickets in at the end of the season and have some action and rooting interest all season long. The favorite is three-time current Champion Jimmie Johnson at 4/1. For many, it's hard to bet the favorite because most like to bet in small portions with the possibility of big returns. Johnson, Carl Edwards, and Kyle Busch all have low odds as the favorites to win.
A nice long shot out there right now is Kurt Busch at 40/1. If his new engine runs as well as it did in California at tracks like Vegas, Atlanta, Texas, and Charlotte, he'll make the Chase for the Championship. Once that starts, he can points race and win like he did in the first ever Chase.
Driver to win the Shelby 427
Jimmie Johnson +550
Carl Edwards +550
Kyle Busch +550
Jeff Gordon +700
Matt Kenseth +700
Greg Biffle +800
Denny Hamlin +1800
Dale Earnhardt Jr +1800
Mark Martin +2000
Kevin Harvick +2000
Jamie McMurray +2000
Brian Vickers +2500
Jeff Burton +2500
Kurt Busch +2500
Tony Stewart +2500
David Ragan +3000
Clint Bowyer +4000
Kasey Kahne +4000
Martin Truex Jr +5000
Field +2500
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Auto Club Speedway Edition
Doug Turnbull
Curtains have fallen on the first “real” race of the season, as NASCAR’s 2009 debut on the West Coast proceeded as many California races have before. Long green flag runs and a strung out field are the best ways to describe an event where the majority of the cars struggled with handling, leaving only a select few drivers to find themselves with a real shot at the win.
Adding to the boredom was the dominance of a select few. Kyle Busch came close to scoring the first “hat trick” in NASCAR history, finishing third in the Cup race while scoring impressive wins in both the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series events. Matt Kenseth followed up with his second consecutive win in the Sprint Cup 500-miler, although Jeff Gordon and Greg Biffle each had cars capable of getting to Victory Lane. Gordon drove a masterful race, only to come up just short, while a Biffle miscue on pit road and other miscues of his own left him with a surprise appearance on this week’s “Hot, Warm, Cold” list.
Here’s a breakdown of where Kenseth, Gordon, Biffle, and some of the series’ other top drivers stand heading to Las Vegas next week:
HOT – Matt Kenseth: Duh. Three words describe the ’03 champ’s 2009 season to date: two-for-two. Kenseth won the Auto Club 500 in a much different fashion than the Daytona 500 – he actually led the most laps and proved he had the fastest car throughout the day. Kenseth’s “Killer B’s” pit crew, headed by 1.000-hitting crew chief Drew Blickensderfer, also got Kenseth on and off pit road better than any other crew on the grid, producing a net gain of 10 spots during the entire 500-mile event. In the end, by holding off Jeff Gordon Kenseth became the first driver to win the first two races of the NASCAR season since Gordon accomplished the same feat in 1997.
And if you’re thinking this team is going to slow down anytime soon … think again. Las Vegas is next up on the schedule, and the No. 17 has always run well there. Watch out!
HOT – Jeff Gordon: Despite his second place finish, the No. 24 was clearly the car to beat for much of Sunday’s race until Kenseth took the lead with a killer pit stop following the race’s final caution on Lap 213. Gordon, who has been winless since the Fall Lowe’s race in 2007, was hungrier than ever to get to Victory Lane, but never made the desperate move that sometimes takes drivers out of contention. He and Kenseth battled hard through the final laps before the four-time champ used up his tires and let the No. 17 slip away.
HOT – Kyle Busch: No, I am not going straight down the results of the race and saying the top three drivers are the three hottest on the circuit just because they finished that way. Each one has legitimate reasons to be on the list; and considering Busch nearly made NASCAR history, I’d say he’s one of the hottest drivers out there. Busch came two positions short on Sunday, but wrote his name into the NASCAR record books on Saturday, becoming the first driver to win two NASCAR national touring series races on the same day. On the Cup side, Busch avenged his poor finish last week — one where he should have won the race before Daytona’s “Big One” — by taking a car that belonged in the latter half of the top 10 and nursing it to a solid top 5.
WARM – Jamie McMurray: Jamie Mac technically led the field to the green flag on Sunday, because pole sitter Brian Vickers changed an engine and had to start from the back. The No. 26 Ford then ran solidly in the Top 10 throughout the day, looking good until brake problems forced a late pit stop and took him out of contention. The soft brake pedal and the loss of track position wound up leaving McMurray and the No. 26 team with only a 16th place finish to show for a great effort. But this much is clear after the first two races: the Crown Royal Ford is running head and shoulders better than it has for the past three years with Donnie Wingo atop the pit box.
WARM – Tony Stewart: Stewart’s foray into ownership is off to a great start. Two solid runs to open 2009 have silenced many doubts about Stewart-Haas Racing. Despite losing a total of three cars during Speedweeks and Ryan Newman having some rough luck in the first two races, Stewart and the No. 14 team have run well; not great, but better than expected. If Stewart can avoid the bad luck that plagues many driver/owners and keeps his nose clean, he will find himself in the Chase.
WARM – Juan Pablo Montoya: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing straight up struggled in California. Daytona 500 pole sitter Martin Truex, Jr. meddled around in 27th place, while youngster Aric Almirola ran around 30th for most of the night before suffering a mechanical failure and finishing 35th. But in the wake of these disappointing runs was an 11th place finish by Montoya in the No. 42 Chevy. Montoya hung in or near the top 10 all night, staying on the lead lap as the leaders picked off the rest of the field one by one. Montoya opened the season with a great Gatorade Duel run and a 14th place finish in the 500, and as a result, he now finds himself tenth in the season standings. Montoya struggled last year — especially on tracks like California — so his surprising run gives his team some much-needed momentum in 2009.
COLD – Greg Biffle: Yes, Greg Biffle. Have you noticed how many incidents Biffle has been involved in this season already? He bounced around like a Baywatch lifeguard during the Bud Shootout; crashed out of his Gatorade Duel race; did not lift at all for Logano in the Daytona 500, causing the rookie to crash; spun out all by himself in the opening Nationwide Series practice; did not give Brian Vickers a bit of room on the apron of the track during the Nationwide Series race Saturday, causing Vickers to spin himself out of contention; and simply ran over Brad Keselowski in the same race, forcing the driver of the No. 88 into the wall and well off the lead lap. On Sunday, Biffle had a great car and lost himself a chance at the win by nearly overshooting his pit box and parking on the air hose, forcing the team to back the car up and add at least five seconds to the stop. Biffle fell from 2nd to 11th and rebounded to 4th place, showing how fast the No. 16 car really was. He is a great driver on a great team — but mistakes like these can ruin your championship chances.
COLD – Paul Menard: The third year driver has had some awful luck this season. Nevertheless, he has compiled finishes of 37th and 38th, and appears he is continuing his DEI tradition of only getting on camera when he causes trouble. In Sunday’s case, Menard’s mechanical troubles did not even garner a mention on the FOX broadcast — so that formula did not work this time. Travis Kvapil will have the last laugh if Menard falls out of the Top 35 and Kvapil, who lost his owner points after a Yates Racing switcheroo in the offseason, manages to squeak the No. 28 inside the bubble of comfort after race five.
COLD – Jeff Burton: Sponsor Caterpillar has to be displeased at best with its debut races on the No. 31, as Burton has opened the year with finishes of 28th in the Daytona 500 and 31st in California. But while Burton got caught up in Paul Menard’s mess in the 500, he and his team simply struggled at Auto Club Speedway. Burton’s highly-funded Richard Childress Racing team got lapped early and finished as the last car three laps down, sandwiched in the running order between David Gilliland in the TRG No. 71 and John Andretti in the Front Row Motorsports “EGR” No. 34. This team has made the Chase the past three years, but needs to get its act together on “cookie cutter” tracks if they to stretch their playoff run to four straight.
Here are some HOT and NOT instances of the past week:
HOT – Dale Jr. manning up: The fan response against Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for the crash between him and Brian Vickers fell heavily against Little E. Junior was initially defiant about the incident after the race, claiming little responsibility for both the wreck and for missing his pit box. But on Sunday, he sang a far different tune to Darrell Waltrip. In an interview with the commentator on FOX, he accepted as much of the blame for the crash as Vickers, while also revealing that he and Vickers spoke on the phone and patched things up. Junior also admitted that he was mad about missing his pit box, blaming his dumb mistake on his pit sign simply to cover his butt.
Junior wasn’t the only one apologizing, either. Vickers also claimed partial responsibility for the crash in an interview that followed Junior’s during FOX’s pre-race show, another mature gesture for a driver who followed his questionable blocking move in the 500 with an over-aggressive pass attempt on Greg Biffle during Saturday’s Nationwide Series race — where he spun himself out as a result.
NOT – Auto Club Speedway: The excitement of Daytona International Speedway got splashed with a bucket of cold water following three highly uneventful races at Auto Club Speedway out in California. Attendance for the Sprint Cup race may have been decent (it was, according to the FOX broadcast, although their assessment has to be taken with a grain of salt), but there was sparse attendance for the Nationwide and Camping World Series races.
There is a really good explanation as to why fans aren’t coming, and it’s not exactly the economy: racing action at California gets strung out easily, and it’s been that way since the track opened in 1997. Kyle Busch led nearly every lap in the first two races of the weekend, and passing the leader during the Cup race proved to be a more-than-daunting task. Fortunately, Busch’s attempt at history made the Truck and Nationwide Series races easier to watch, and the storylines surrounding Kenseth and Gordon during the Cup race — plus their great duel in the closing laps — made that event seem more exciting. Without these dramatic plot twists, this weekend of racing is filed under “Extremely Boring.”
HOT- Truck Series success: The Camping World Truck Series is often regarded as the division out of NASCAR’s top three with the best racing action. The ratings reflected this for the series’ Friday night Daytona race, which was rated the highest in its time slot on cable! Yes, that’s not a misprint: the Camping World Truck Series on SPEED Channel beat out every other program on cable. Unreal.
Every year, the championship points battle for this series goes down to the wire, and the racing is often door-to-door and fender-to-fender. But what’s also hard to believe is that despite the ratings success for the series, many teams are without sponsorship and cannot run, leaving it with a plethora of start and park teams and sometimes short fields.
NOT – Starting and Parking: Both the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series races had full fields this weekend… technically. Just as age is only a number, so are the numbers 43 and 36. In both the Truck and Nationwide Series, there were at least seven start and park teams in each race this past weekend. Starting and parking is legal, and should be, but is a disgrace to real racers. Sure, these teams would run more laps if they had the money, but seeing so many of them punk out of races early is just awful. Fortunately, the Cup Series has been immune to this so far this year, but if some of the newer, low-level, startup teams start running out of money, we may see it.
Last but not least, here’s a brief “NOT HOT” note about finishing races: Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 team blew a motor Sunday, ending an 81-race long streak of races they had completed — a modern-era record. Considering Harvick got wrecked late in the October Talladega race and still finished, this streak was hard to watch come to an end. Harvick’s RCR teammate Clint Bowyer now holds the mark for consecutive races without a DNF at 75, putting last year’s Nationwide Series champ within 10 races of breaking Herman Beam’s all-time record of 84.
NASCAR Sprint Cup teams prepare to roll the dice on the racing surface at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next week. Turn here next Tuesday to find out which teams hit the jackpot… and which hope their bad luck in Vegas stays in Vegas.
Frontstretch.com
Shelby 427 PreQ
After a rough start at Daytona, in which he finished in the 41st position, Kyle Busch bounced back in an impressive manner in California. Busch won both the Camping World and Nationwide races before following it up with a 3rd place finish in the Auto Club 500. He heads into Las Vegas Motor Speedway ranked as the No. 1 driver on our PreQ forecast. Busch has not won at the track in five starts but is averaging a 6th place finish over the last four starts at the track with a pair of top 5 finishes. Busch is looking to start the season quickly and have a poor finish at Daytona looks well on his way to being on of the most dominant drivers of the series in 2009.
Defending race champion, Carl Edwards, has had a quiet start to the season. He has run well finishing 18th at Daytona and 7th in California while sitting 9th in the point standings but he has not been running up front often so far this season. Expect that to change at Las Vegas as he has the win last season as well as a 6th place finish in his last two starts at Las Vegas. Edwards is one of the best high-banked superspeedway drivers in the series averaging a 10th place finish over the last 15 races including three straight wins to end the 2008 season. Look for the #99 Aflac Ford to be a contender this weekend in the Shelby 427.
The 2009 season is starting just like the 2008 season finished for Jamie McMurray. McMurray has had strong cars in the first two races of the season but has suffered from just plain bad luck. He was running at the front of the pack in the Daytona 500 when getting caught up in the mess created by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brian Vickers relegating him to a 37th place finish. He has again running with the main pack in California when he began to suffer a brake problem finishing as the last car on the lead lap in 16th position. If McMurray can shake his bad luck this season he could be a contender in the Chase for the Championship. Hopefully that luck will change this week as he ranks in the top 5 on our PreQ forecast. Keep your eye on the driver of the #26 Irwin Industrial Tools Ford.
Clint Bowyer moved from the #07 Jack Daniels to the startup #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper for RCR to make room for Casey Mears and has been performing well. He is 6th in the point standings after a 4th place finish in the Daytona 500 and then following it up with a respectable 19th place finish in the Auto Club 500. Bowyer, however, has not had much luck in Las Vegas. In three career starts he is averaging a lowly 26th place finish with two finishing coming outside the top 25. While Bowyer is backed by one of the best in the business a startup team, no matter how veteran, always has questions. He may struggle at a track that has caused him problems in the past. We recommend looking elsewhere for this race.
A driver that has jumped out of the gates this season is Michael Waltrip. After starting his own team last season (MWR) Waltrip managed just two tops 10s in the entire season while finishing 29th in the point standings. So far this season Waltrip has one top 10 (7th in the Daytona 500) and a 15th place run as he sits in the 7th position in the point standings. Waltrip had stated at the start of the season that if he did not run competitively on a weekly basis he would considered stepping out of the #55 NAPA Toyota. That has not yet been the case but he could be in for a long day at Las Vegas. He finished 31st in this race last season after failing to make the race in the 2007 season. In his last four starts as the track he is averaging just a 31st place finish. While he has had a hot start to the season he could falter in Sin City.
sportsbuff.com
Shelby 427 Preview
Sports Network
Site: Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Las Vegas, Nevada
Track: 1.5-mile oval
Laps: 285
Miles: 427.5
Race record: Mark Martin, 1998 (146.554 m.p.h.)
Qualifying record: Kasey Kahne, 2007 (184.856 m.p.h.)
2008 Finish
Defending champion: Carl Edwards
Runner up: Jeff Gordon
Pole winner: Kyle Busch (182.352 m.p.h.)
Top 10:
1. Carl Edwards (Start: 2)
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr (8)
3. Greg Biffle (6)
4. Kevin Harvick (17)
5. Jeff Burton (24)
6. Kasey Kahne (37)
7. David Ragan (38)
8. Travis Kvapil (29)
9. Denny Hamlin (27)
10. Mark Martin (3)
Average speed: 127.729 m.p.h.
Time of race: 3 hours, 8 minutes, 8 seconds
Margin of victory: .504 second
Caution flags: 11 for 44 laps
Lead changes: 19 among 9 drivers
Past winners
2008 Carl Edwards, Ford, 127.729 m.p.h.
2007 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 128.183 m.p.h.
2006 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 133.358 m.p.h.
2005 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 121.038 m.p.h.
2004 Matt Kenseth, Ford, 128.790 m.p.h.
2003 Matt Kenseth, Ford, 132.934 m.p.h.
2002 Sterling Marlin, Dodge, 136.747 m.p.h.
2001 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 136.377 m.p.h.
2000 Jeff Burton, Ford, 119.982 m.p.h.
1999 Jeff Burton, Ford, 137.537 m.p.h.
1998 Mark Martin, Ford, 146.554 m.p.h. (race record)
Notes
This race has a history of multiple winners, as Jimmie Johnson, Mat tKenseth and Jeff Burton have repeated as champions in Las Vegas. Johnson won three consecutive races (2005-07), while Kenseth (2003-04) and Burton(1999-2000) won back-to-back titles.Last season, Carl Edwards snapped Johnson's strangle-hold of this race, as he recorded his ninth career Sprint Cup title. Starting in the second position,Edwards reclaimed the lead on lap 238 and held on to edge Dale Earnhardt Jr by less than a second. Edwards led four times for a race-high 86 laps, while pole sitter Kyle Busch, who finished 11th, led three times for 56 laps. Two-time Vegas winner Matt Kenseth placed 20th after leading four times for 70 laps.Edwards' win total now stands at 16.In 2007, Jimmie Johnson reclaimed the lead for the last time on lap 240 and held on to defeat Jeff Gordon by almost three seconds for his third straight win in Vegas. Johnson, who started 23rd on the grid, led four times for 89laps, while Gordon, in the 36th starting spot, led for 111 laps. Pole sitter Kasey Kahne, who led for the first 13 laps, failed to finish the race due to an accident and placed 35th. The victory for Johnson was the 24th of his 40-win career.Las Vegas Motor Speedway has the distinction of being the first completely new super speedway to be built in the southwest region of the United States in more than 20 years. The track features a 1.5-mile super speedway, a 2.5-mile FIA-approved road course, a 4,000-foot drag strip, paved and dirt short tracks,motocross circuits, stadium truck racing facilities, go-kart and Legends cars layouts as well as a Junior Drag racing strip. The track was originally built as the Las Vegas Jockey Club horse track. Only three motor sports events were held at the mile-long dirt track before it was razed to make way for the Las Vegas Hilton: An Indy Car championship race in 1954, a USAC stock car race in1959 and the NASCAR event of 1955. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway recently went under a complete renovation, as added banking and a major face lift to the infield were concluded.When Johnson won in 2006, he crossed the finish line .045 of a second ahead of Kenseth for his 20th career Sprint Cup title. Johnson, who now totals 33 wins,led for only one lap in the race, but it was the last, as he won the second of his five 2006 titles. Pole sitter Greg Biffle finished eighth leading only six laps, while Kenseth was the lap leader with 146 laps led.Back in 2005, Johnson recorded his first win of that season, as he edged Kyle Busch by 1.661 seconds for his 15th Sprint Cup title. Johnson, who started inthe ninth position, led for 107 of the 267 laps, including the final 55.It goes without saying that Johnson is one of the drivers to beat, as he has posted three wins and four top-10s in seven races in Las Vegas. In fact, his average finish is 9.3.In contrast, Tony Stewart has not fared well in Sin City, posting an 0-10 Sprint Cup mark. His best finish was second in 2000.Dale Earnhardt Jr has struggled in Las Vegas, posting just two top-10 finishes in eight races. His best result was a pair of runner-up finishes in 2003 and2008 and his worst was a 37th place in 2005.Las Vegas has not been kind to the pole sitter, as they have failed to win this race. In fact, the highest starting position by a race winner is second by Edwards last year. Only four of the 11 Las Vegas races have been won from a starting position inside the top-10. Four of the 11 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20 and the deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 25th by Matt Kenseth in 2004.Mark Martin has fared well at Las Vegas with nine top-10s in 11 races,including a win in 1998. His average finish is 11.1.Five drivers have competed in all 11 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Dale Jarrett. Burton,Martin and Gordon have all won the race, while Labonte and Jarrett are two-time pole sitters.Since its inception in 1998, the Sprint Cup race at LVMS has been run at a length of 400.5 miles, which is 267 laps around the 1.5-mile oval. In order to accommodate the new event name, the race will be increased by 27 miles and will feature 285 laps.The next race on the Sprint Cup Series is set for March 8th at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch won last year's Kobalt Tools 500 in Georgia.
Shelby 427 Driver Ratings
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Notes
* The first NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a NASCAR Camping World Series, West race won by Ken Schrader on Nov. 2, 1996.
* The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on March 1, 1998, won by Mark Martin.
* The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race was held on March 16, 1997, won by Jeff Green.
* The first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race was won by Jack Sprague on Nov. 3, 1996.
* There have been 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
* Five drivers have participated in all 11 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin.
* Dale Jarrett won the inaugural pole at Las Vegas (Feb. 27, 1998).
* Eight drivers have poles, led by Dale Jarrett, Kasey Kahne and Bobby Labonte (two each).
* Seven different drivers have won, led by Jimmie Johnson (three).
* Only four of the 11 races have been won from a top-10 starting position and none have been won from the pole.
* Four of the 11 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
* The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 25th, by Matt Kenseth in 2004.
* There has been one green-white-checkered finish at Las Vegas: 2006 (270/267).
* Qualifying has never been canceled at Las Vegas.
* Matt Kenseth has a 9.0 average finish in nine Las Vegas races, the best of any driver with more than three starts. He has been running at the finish in all nine of those races and has finished on the lead lap in eight. Kenseth has also led 438 laps at Las Vegas – 179 more than any other driver.
* Roush Fenway Racing had five drivers finish in the top 10 in the inaugural Las Vegas 400 in 1998. In five of the 11 races, the winner at Las Vegas was driving for Roush at the time: Mark Martin (1998), Jeff Burton (1999 and 2000) and Matt Kenseth (2003 and 2004).
profantasysports.com
Martin's Vegas Bow Tie Affair
Racingone.com
Mark Martin captured his first NASCAR win driving a Chevrolet last season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Nationwide event, and now he looks to do the same this weekend in the Sprint Cup Series.
Las Vegas could be the perfect medicine for Martin after suffering an engine failure in his No. 5 CARQUEST Chevrolet last weekend at Auto Club Speedway, which doomed him to a 40th-place finish. He leads all drivers at Vegas with nine top-10 finishes and is second in laps led with 259.
Sunday's Shelby 427 will be Martin's 725th career Sprint Cup start and first for Hendrick Motorsports at Las Vegas. Last season, the veteran got a taste of what it's like to drive a Hendrick Chevrolet when he piloted the No. 5 for JR Motorsports to an exciting win in the Sam's Town 300.
Now that the cause of the engine failure at ACS has been determined, Martin and the No. 5 Team can now focus their attention to this weekend. When the team unloads the car on Friday it will actually be the second time Martin has had the chance to work with the team at LVMS after participating in a Goodyear Tire Test during the offseason.
"The test at Vegas last year was a big contribution to me getting to this point, so from that standpoint the test was very important," Martin said. "Since that point, we have found different ideas we want to work with, and work on, than what we used in the test anyway. It will give us a good starting point when we unload, though."
Even though LVMS was repaved when it was reconfigured three seasons ago, Martin says the track surface is to his liking.
"It's definitely surprising how rough the track is, seeing as how they just repaved it a few years ago; it's actually almost rougher than it was before, especially going into Turn 1," he said. "It's a great racetrack, though. No one likes new pavement, but as the years go on, the asphalt ages and gets more conducive to racing. The track gets more forgiving and the groove widens out.
"Rough racetracks are a big part of my racing history. Most of the ones I raced on were rough. But I like that. It gives the track its character."
Martin's previous two starts at LVMS came in Chevrolets with Ginn Racing and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. In fact, his best finish in the last four races was a fifth with Ginn, who leased engines from Hendrick Motorsports.
His first eight of 10 starts at Las Vegas came in a Ford with Roush Racing. He won the inaugural race at the track in 1998 after leading 82 laps.
Riding with Kenseth rewards bettors
LAS VEGAS SUN
In December, when odds on which driver would win the Daytona 500 first appeared in Las Vegas, Matt Kenseth of the Roush Fenway Racing team was listed at 22-1.
That price does not indicate a true long shot — after all, a handful of extreme underdogs, most of whom would not even compete in the race, could be found at 950-1 — but it placed Kenseth solidly in the middle of the pack of likely starters, anyway.
After going off at a price of 20-1 on race day, Kenseth won the traditional season opener of the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule.
A week later Kenseth went off at odds of 9-1 before winning the Auto Club Speedway 500 at Fontana, Calif., completing a two-leg parlay of sorts that paid off at 189-1 for any bettors who were riding with him from the start.
Given his hot start, it’s understandable that those relatively juicy odds have vanished as Kenseth tries for his third consecutive victory Sunday in the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Kenseth’s race-week odds of 6-1 to win the race place him in a tightly bunched group of six front-runners on the betting boards in Las Vegas.
Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch figure to enter the race as co-favorites. Each driver is listed at 5-1 at all Station Casinos properties. (As always, odds can and do change by the minute.)
Kenseth is listed just behind those three at 6-1, along with Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon.
Three of the top six drivers — Edwards, Biffle and Kenseth — compete for Roush, whose team has a record six victories in Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Kenseth won in Las Vegas in 2003 and 2004, and Edwards, the 4-1 pre-race favorite at Fontana on Feb. 22, won here last year.
Bettors who study fluctuations in odds the way Wall Street “chartists” track the movement of stock prices will be attracted to Biffle on Sunday. Biffle went off at 18-1 at Daytona, where he finished 20th. He was a 10-1 shot at Fontana, where his car looked strong for much of the race in a fourth-place showing. The 6-1 price in Las Vegas suggests Biffle could be ready to “pop” with another strong outing.
Johnson, who has won three consecutive Cup championships, has had success in Las Vegas with victories in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He is the 4-1 favorite to make it four in a row, according to odds in Las Vegas sports books.
Gordon, who started the 1997 Cup season with two consecutive victories — the most recent time it was accomplished before Kenseth did it this year — was heavily bet in the Daytona 500, with his odds dropping to 3-1 from an opener of 12-1. He placed 13th at Daytona and was the runner-up at Fontana as a 12-1 shot.
Busch placed third in the Fontana race as a 5-1 shot — the third choice behind only Edwards and Johnson — on a weekend he won the Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series races.
Busch is also among the top selections to win the Cup championship at odds of 5-1, just ahead of Kenseth, who opened at 12-1 or even higher depending on the shop, currently at 6-1.
In a clear nod to Busch’s prospects Sunday, two of the shortest-priced exacta wagers available at Station properties on the Shelby 427 include Toyota. The exacta requires bettors to pick the car manufacturer of the drivers who finish first and second — in that order.
Chevrolet-Toyota is the second choice at 7-2, behind the favorite of Chevy-Chevy at 5-6. Toyota-Chevy follows at odds of 4-1. Chevy backers have the likes of Johnson, Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Mark Martin working for them.
In a separate proposition involving the number of the winning car, “even” is a heavy favorite of minus 220 (risk $2.20 to net $1) against odd at plus 180. “Even” players have Kyle and Kurt Busch in their corner, along with a veritable Murderers’ Row of Johnson, Biffle, Gordon, Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart. No Kenseth (No. 17), though.
SHELBY 427 DRIVER MATCHUPS
Matt Kenseth -110
Jimmie Johnson -120
• • •
Jeff Gordon even
Carl Edwards -130
• • •
Joey Logano -115
Ryan Newman -115
• • •
Kevin Harvick -115
Brian Vickers -115
• • •
Dale Earnhardt Jr. +125
Kyle Busch -155
• • •
Clint Bowyer -115
Kasey Kahne -115
• • •
Tony Stewart +115
Greg Biffle -145
• • •
David Reutimann -115
Elliott Sadler -115
• • •
Mark Martin -110
Denny Hamlin -120
• • •
Reed Sorenson -115
Bobby Labonte -115
2009 Shelby 427 Preview
Welcome to the first of the cookie-cutter mile-and-a-half tracks for the year. It’s time for NASCAR’s annual trip to Sin City, the Entertainment Capital of the World, the Glistening Elvis, Ol’ Gambly*: Las Vegas.
* Note: Some nicknames may be made up.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway is another one of the new 1.5 mile tracks built in the last 15 years or so, along with Chicagoland, Texas and Kansas. They tend to be labeled as “cookie cutter” in that they are very similar in length, banking and were all built to serve major market areas.
The track has 20° banking. It was repaved with progressive banking in 2006, which sped up the lap times considerably. Kasey Kahne set the track record in 2004 with a 174.904. After they repaved it, he set the new track record in 2007 with a 184.856. That’s a full second and a half quicker around the track.
This used to be the UAW/Dodge 400, but seeing as how Chrysler doesn’t have any more money than I do these days, Carroll Shelby International has stepped up to sponsor the race. (And added 27 more miles to it to correspond with the powerplant in one of their most famous automobiles.)
This track date used to be for Richmond’s Spring race. But cold weather and a snow delay at the 1989 Pontiac 400 caused NASCAR to move Richmond’s date up to early May.
This event is Las Vegas’s only Cup date. Nationwide and Cup are run here in the Spring. Trucks will come back later in the Fall. As such, because of the newness of the track, there have been only 11 Cup races run here.
If you’ll recall last week, I mentioned that Roush and Hendrick had combined to win 13 of the 17 Cup races held at California. Well, the percentage at Las Vegas is even worse. Roush and Hendrick have combined to win 10 of the 11 races held here. The only outlier was when Sterling Marlin went to victory with Chip Ganassi in 2002.
So, who’s going to win this week?
Well, the safe bet would be Jimmie Johnson. He won this race three times in a row before Carl Edwards, another perennial favorite, broke up the streak last year. But it’s never any fun picking him to win.
Kasey Kahne is a dark horse that I think could do well. He qualifies well here consistently (well, except last year), but has had occasional bad luck, crashing twice. Last year, he qualified poorly, started at the back due to an engine change, but moved forward and eventually finished 6th.
You might think Jeff Burton could be a candidate. He’s won here twice when he was with Roush and even as recently as last year, he finished 5th. However, he’s had a terrible season so far with a 28th at Daytona and a 32nd at California.
Also, I don’t want to keep beating the David Ragan drum all year, but Roush does well at Vegas, and he finished 7th last year after starting 38th. I think it was Darrell Waltrip who said that he thinks Ragan will be the next first-time winner in NASCAR, and I’m inclined to agree.
Finally, you want a really dark horse? Elliott Sadler gets better at this track every year, one of the few tracks where that’s the case. He’s driving with a chip on his shoulder and at Daytona, he finished 5th. Yes, he wasn’t good at Fontana, but except for one win in 2004, he’s never good at Fontana. (He’s only had one other Top 10 at California.) Sadler could have a really good finish here this week.
restrictorplated.com
NASCAR Fantasy Preview: Las Vegas
By Jeff Gutowski
This week the series heads to Las Vegas, Nevada for the running of the Shelby 427.
The engines won’t be as much of a factor this week as they were last week at Fontana because the track is a half-mile shorter and has a bit more banking in the corners which are 20 degrees compared to the 14 degrees in Fontana. Therefore, the cars won’t need as much power on the straightaways.
The race is also 73-miles shorter this weekend.
Needless to say, I’m sure that Hendrick Motorsports will get rid of the batch of valve springs that failed at California and replace them with all new ones.
* Matt Kenseth is my pick to win once again this weekend at Las Vegas. The pit crew for this team has been flawless so far this year and new crew-chief, Drew Blickensderfer, has made all of the right calls so far this season. Matt won back to back races here during the 2003 and 2004 seasons and finished runner-up in 2006.
* Jimmie Johnson will be the non-Roush driver with the best chance of beating Matt this weekend. Jimmie won 3 races in a row here from 2005-2007 and wants to break Matt’s momentum if he can. This team is capable on going on a winning streak at anytime as they have shown the last 3 years.
* Carl Edwards won this race last season when he dominated the mile and a half tracks. They said that the Roush teams won the last 5 races at California and now they head to Vegas where they have won 6 of the 11 Cup races that have been run. Carl will be very stout this coming weekend!
* Jeff Gordon has started out having a very good year. The Roush teams have won 6 races at Las Vegas but the Hendrick teams have won here 4 times themselves. The only other team to have a win here is Chip Ganassi Racing when Sterling Marlin won back in 2002. Jeff won here back in 2001 and looks to be back on track in his Hall of Fame career.
* Kyle Busch can’t be counted out in any race that he runs. He could have easily won 3 races at Daytona and did win 2 out of 3 at Fontana last weekend. He has a 2nd and 3rd place finish in Vegas to his credit already and this is his home town.
* Denny Hamlin had a good race last weekend and has done very well at Vegas in his 3 starts there finishing in the top 10 every race with a best finish of 3rd. This is only Denny’s 4th full season in NASCAR and he seems to mature every week. Once again they should make the Chase once again this year.
* Tony Stewart has been impressive so far this season with his new team. Tony hasn’t won a race at Vegas yet but he has 6 top 10 finishes in 10 starts there. New teams always get better as the weeks go by and Tony has always been a slow starter himself. This could be a team to watch out for come June and July.
* Greg Biffle had a strong run at Vegas last week and like I said before, the Roush teams are very good here. This team is one of the streakiest teams on the circuit and right now they are running well. If not for a mistake in the pits late in the race last weekend. Greg would have been battling with Matt and Jeff for the win.
* Mark Martin has run well at Vegas for every team he has run for and this weekend will be no exception. Mark won the inaugural race in Vegas and has finished in the top 10 9 times in 11 starts. He is one of the most consistent drivers here and has a car that can get him into victory lane this weekend if all of the pieces fall in the right place
Yahoo Picks for Las Vegas
Group A
* Matt Kenseth (starter)
* Jimmie Johnson
Group B
* Denny Hamlin (starter)
* David Ragan (starter)
* Tony Stewart
* Kasey Kahne
Group C
* Bobby Labonte (starter)
* Reed Sorenson
Top 5 Overall at Las Vegas
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Carl Edwards
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Kyle Busch
Dark Horse: David Ragan
Stay Away From: Clint Bowyer
Shelby 427 HOT! Sheet
It wasn’t too long ago that Michael Waltrip was quoted as saying he wasn’t too far away from retirement. Well, he may be re-thinking those thoughts after a pretty successful start to the 2009 season. It all started at Daytona when he started in 27th place, but as is the norm at that track, starting back in the pack isn’t such a bad thing. He made his way up to 7th before the rains came. He followed that up by coming from the rear of the field after an engine change at California to finish 15th. You can get him cheap right now, and is probably worth the price.
There are a lot of guys who experienced changes in the offseason, in one way or another. One who has experienced some early success with the change of scenery is Reed Sorenson. He ended last season with five straight races in which he finished 31st or worse. This year behind the wheel of the famed #43 car, he opened up with a very solid 9th place showing. That effort secured sponsorship for at least a few more races. Last week, he wound up 21st, which is still good for fantasy players. You may want to keep your eye on him.
I shouldn’t have to tell you to keep an eye on the next guy on the sheet. That’s because Matt Kenseth is a perfect two for two to start the season. Not too many guys in the history of the sport can say that. In fact, it’s been 12 years since it was last accomplished. And we don’t see him slowing down this weekend. He has led at least one lap in six of his nine trips there, and twice he has ended up in victory lane. A three peat is unprecedented, but not impossible. He better be on your roster on Sunday.
After finishing 2008 on a high note with three straight third place finishes, hopes were extremely high for Jamie McMurray this season. However, things haven’t gone there way yet. The #26 car was running well at Daytona before he fell victim to “the big one”, which resulted in finishing 13 laps down in 37th. Last week, he started 3rd and was hopeful for a top 10, but instead drifted back to 16th after a brake problem plagued him at the end of the race. Until things do start going his way, keep him off your team.
At the very bottom of the list this week is Dave Blaney. After going without a ride in the season opener, he jumped in the #66 car at Fontana. He would have almost been better off watching again. After starting the event in 30th position, he made it only 50 of the 250 laps before a fuel pump problem sent him home in 42nd. His history at Vegas isn’t good as he has failed to finish on the lead lap in five of his eight races there. Stay away from him.
profantasysports.com
Driver Handicaps: Las Vegas
Racingone.com
This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Shelby 427. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 285-lap event.
Who's HOT at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• Matt Kenseth has a 6.0 average finish in the last six races, which includes two wins, plus he has led the most laps of any driver with 438.
• Jimmie Johnson has won the last three of the last four events and has a series-leading driver rating in that span.
• Mark Martin leads all drivers with nine top 10s and is tied with Jeff Gordon for the most top fives (5).
• Defending event winner Carl Edwards won on four tracks with the new car in 2008 measuring exactly 1.5-miles ine length.
• Kyle Busch has a 6.3 average finish in his last four starts.
Keep an Eye on at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second in this event last year.
• Jamie McMurray will be driving a car that performend well at Homestead-Miami last season.
• Jeff Burton has the best average finish (10.5) among all drivers that have entered every event
• Denny Hamlin has yet to finish outside the top 10 in three starts.
• Tony Stewart has finished in the top 10 six times at Las Vegas.
Track Performers
In 2008, Kevin Harvick led all drivers with a 7.5 average finish in the eight races contested with the new car on tracks exactly 1.5-miles in length. Kyle Busch was second with an average finish of 9.4. Defending Las Vegas winner Carl Edwards won the most races with four and led the most laps with 624. Both Edwards and Greg Biffle topped all drivers with six top 10s. Additionally, Edwards and Busch each won a race in 2008 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which measures 1.54 miles in length.
Qualifying Tidbits
Kasey Kahne and Bobby Labonte are tied for the pole lead, with two, among active drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In 2007, Kahne reset his own qualifying record with a lap of 184.856 mph. Last year, Kyle Busch won his first Sprint Cup pole at Las Vegas after turing a lap of 182.352 mph in the M&M's Toyota. Carl Edwards won the 2008 race from the second position to become the fourth driver to win from a top-10 starting position. Matt Kenseth's 2004 victory came from the furthest starting position - 25th. Past Pole Winners | Starting Positions of Auto Club Winners
RacingOne Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Mark Martin
Pete Pistone: Matt Kenseth
Rachael West: Greg Biffle
Kym Opalenik: Jeff Gordon
Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings
1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has averaged a 6.0 finish in his last six starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, that includes back-to-back wins in 2003 and 2004. His overall 9.0 finishing average at LVMS is second among all drivers. Also, Kenseth has led the most laps at Vegas with 438.
2. Jeff Gordon: Gordon captured his fifth top five at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2007 when he led 111 laps en route to a second-place finish. His best finish at the speedway was in 2001 when he went to Victory Lane. Last year, Gordon was involved in a hard crash on the backstretch in the closing laps. He wound up finishing 35th in that event, which marked his second DNF in 11 starts at LVMS.
3. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 16th, 26th and 38th, respectively, in his three starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Penske Racing. In his five previous starts, Busch captured two top 10s with Roush Fenway Racing. Busch, who has the best starting average (6.1) among all drivers, will be racing chassis No. PSC-579 this weekend. This is a car that raced four times in 2008, debuting at Michigan in August.
4. Tony Stewart: Stewart has posted six top-10 finishes in 10 starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with his best finish coming in 2000 (second). The last time Stewart led a lap at LVMS was in 2006 when he led for 54 laps en route to a 21st-place finish because of a flat tire late in the race. The finish stopped Stewart's top 10 streak at four. Last year he finished 43rd after a blown right-front tire on lap 108 took him out of contention. This weekend Stewart will make his Vegas debut with Stewart-Haas Racing in the same car (chassis No. 450) that last finished 17th at Bristol Motor Speedway (August) with driver Tony Raines.
5. Greg Biffle: Biffle has posted an average finish of 8.3 in his last four starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His overall finishing average is 14.6 thanks to a 40th-place finish in 2004 due to engine problems.
6. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has yet to post a top-10 finish in three starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Last year, Bowyer fought an ill-handling car to a 28th-place finish. This weekend he will be racing a brand new car (chassis No. 263) in the Shelby 427.
7. Michael Waltrip: Waltrip has competed in 10 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After failing to qualify in 2007, Waltrip finished 31st last season in his first track start behind the wheel of the No. 55 Toyota. Waltrip's lone top 10 came with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in 2003 when he finished third.
8. David Ragan: Ragan is coming off his first top 10 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after finishing seventh last season. The finish improved his finishing average to 22.0 after finishing 37th in his first start in 2007. This weekend Ragan will be driving a new car (chassis No. 620) in the Shelby 427.
9. Carl Edwards: Edwards is coming off his first win at Las vegas Motor Speedway after leading 86 laps from the second starting position. The win boosted his finishing average to 11.8 in four starts at the 1.5-mile track. This weekend Edwards will be driving a brand new chassis (RK-558) in the Shelby 427.
10. Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya will be making his third Sprint Cup start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. His best start was fourth in his rookie season (2007) and best finish of 19th came last year.
11. Elliott Sadler: In 2004, Sadler scored his only top 10 in 10 starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after he came home sixth. In six of his nine other starts, Sadler has finished 20th or worse with two outside the top 40. His career average finish at Vegas is 23.9. The past two seasons, Sadler finished 14th and 12th in his two track starts with (Gillett-Evernham) Richard Petty Motorsports.
12. David Reutimann: After failing to qualify for the 2007 Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Reutimann made the show last year and finished 37th.
13. AJ Allmendinger: This weekend, Allmendinger will attempt to qualify for his first Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He failed to qualify for the 2007 and 2008 race, driving for Team Red Bull.
14. Reed Sorenson: Sorenson has the worst average finish (29.7) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway among all active drivers with two or more starts. His best finish came last year in 18th.
15. Denny Hamlin: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is Hamlin's best 1.5-mile speedway on the circuit based on his 7.3 average finish. Last year he finished ninth after battling back from going a lap down. This weekend Hamlin will drive the same car (chassis No. 225) that finished 17th at Texas last November.
16. Kevin Harvick: In 2005 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Harvick had the fourth fastest time in qualifying, but his GM Goodwrench Chevrolet failed to pass post-qualifying inspection for not having a full tank of fuel during his run. He was forced to start 42nd after NASCAR said the fuel pump had been altered to make it appear like it was full. Harvick battled back from the rear of the field to post his first of two career top fives at LVMS. His best finish came last year when he started 17th and finished fourth. Las Vegas is also the site of Harvick's first career top-10 in the Sprint Cup Series when he finished eighth in 2001. In 2004, Harvick had a strong run at Vegas leading 43 laps towards the end before running out of fuel. He ended-up finishing 21st, one lap down. Harvick, who has a 14.2 finishing average at Vegas, will debut a new car (chassis No. 272) in the Shelby 427.
17. Martin Truex Jr: Last year, Truex Jr. posted his best finish (12th) in his second start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2007. He also led his first laps (2) at the 1.5-mile speedway. Last year, Truex Jr. finished 15th to bring his finishing average to 15.7. This weekend he will pilot a new car (chassis No. 80) in the Shelby 427.
18. Kyle Busch: Busch has posted an average finish of 6.3 in his last four starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His first start at the track came in 2004 when he ran a partial schedule in the Cup Series. In that race, he finished 41st after crashing on lap 11. Last year in this event, Busch made his Vegas debut with Joe Gibbs Racing. He won the pole for that race and led 56 laps before finishing 11th. This weekend Busch will pilot the same chassis (No. 229) that finished sixth last November at Texas Motor Speedway.
19. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson won three consecutive Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from 2005-2007. In 2006, he only led the most important lap when he passed Matt Kenseth en route to the victory. In his two other wins, Johnson led a combined 196 laps, including a personal track-best 107 in 2005. Johnson, who finished 29th last season, has four top-10 finishes in seven starts at Vegas. Last season, Johnson posted his worst finish at LVMS in 29th to raise his overall finishing average to 9.3. This weekend, Johnson will be piloting a new car (chassis No. 534) in the Shelby 427.
20. Casey Mears: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is Mears' second-best track on the Sprint Cup schedule based on his 15.2 average finish. All three of his top-10 finishes came with Chip Ganassi Racing from 2004-2006. This weekend he will make his track debut with Richard Childress Racing driving a new car (chassis No. 273).
Notable Drivers Outside the Top 20
23. Kasey Kahne: Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the site of Kahne's first career pole after he became the first rookie to take the top spot at the track. He went on to lead two times for 43 laps en route to a second-place finish in that event. Kahne reset his own track record last year with a lap of 184.856 mph. Kahne's average finish took a hit in 2005 and in 2007 with a pair of crashes. He was able to rebound in 2008 with a sixth-place effort to bring his finishing average down to 17.0.
26. Brian Vickers: After failing to qualify in 2007, Vickers made his first start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Team Red Bull last year and finished 24th. Vickers' best finish at LVMS came with Hendrick Motorsports in 2006 when he finished 23rd. In 2005, he finished last after Dale Earnhardt Jr. clipped him early in the race. Vickers was one of four drivers to participate in a Goodyear tire test in December.
27. Mark Martin: Inaugural Las Vegas race winner Martin is second to Jeff Burton for the best finishing average among all drivers that have competed in every race. Martin's 11.1 average finish is coupled by two finishes outside the top 10 due to mechanical problems in 2003 and 2005. His worst finish (43rd) came in 2003 as a result of engine failure. Martin, who has a series leading nine top-10 finishes at LVMS, will be making his Vegas debut with Hendrick Motorsports. Martin was able to work with the team at LVMS over the offseason during a Goodyear tire test. He will drive the same car (chassis No. 523) that was used in the test when he makes his 725th career start on Sunday.
28. Jamie McMurray: In 2007, McMurray scored his second top 10 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after finishing 10th. His other two starts with Roush Fenway Racing have resulted in finished outside the top 20. His best finish (fourth) came with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2004. This weekend the No. 26 Team will be racing the same car (chassis No. 617) that finished third at Homestead-Miami Speedway last season.
31. Jeff Burton: At 10.5, Burton has the best finishing average among all drivers that have entered every Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After placing 17th, seventh, 15th and fifth, respectively, Burton will make his fifth start at LVMS in an RCR Chevrolet. Burton, who combined to lead his first laps (14) with RCR at LVMS over the past two seasons, will be behind the wheel of a brand new car (chassis No. 271).
33. Ryan Newman: Newman rebounded from a 43rd-place finish in 2006 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with an eighth-place and 14th-place finish the following seasons. In 2005, Newman earned his only pole at LVMS marking his fourth consecutive start at the track of fifth or better. Newman's best finish, of fourth, came in 2002 - the year that he captured NASCAR Rookie-of-the-Year honors. This weekend Newman will make his first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing.
35. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt Jr. is coming off his second runner-up finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The finish in the 2008 event came in his first track start with Hendrick Motorsports. His previous eight starts came with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. where he posted two top 10s. Earnhardt's finishing average of 20.8 took a major hit in 2005 when he was the instigator in an early crash when he clipped the left rear of Brian Vickers. The incident triggered a five car crash and saddled Earnhardt, Jr. with a 42nd-place finish. This weekend Dale Jr. will race the same car (chassis No. 488) that raced last season at Vegas and Texas (finished 12th).
Great value for Hamlin at Las Vegas
Betonline.com
NASCAR Las Vegas odds are very close heading into Sunday’s race, the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and those who bet sports will surely be looking for a bargain. Look no further than Denny Hamlin, the No.11 driver that sportsbook odds are underestimating.
Hamlin has NASCAR Las Vegas odds of +1600, and it seems to be a matter of time before he makes it to Victory Lane in Vegas, so why not this week? In three races here, Hamlin has yet to finish out of the top 10, and his 7.3 finishing average is the best among active drivers at this track. Make him your NASCAR betting pick this week.
NASCAR Las Vegas odds have put defending race winner Carl Edwards at +500, along with Jimmie Johnson, and these two have combined to win the last four races here. Johnson went on a three-year streak between 2005-2007, before Edwards wrestled the checkered flag away last year. Edwards’ No.99 car then failed the post-race inspection, and he would love another victory here.
Matt Kenseth is trying to become the first driver to win the first three races of the season, and he is backed by NASCAR betting odds of +550 at Vegas, where he won back-to-back races in 2003 and 2004. Kenseth’s 9.0 finishing average is second only to Hamlin, and this No.17 team is looking much better than it has over the last three years.
Other contenders according to NASCAR Las Vegas odds are Kyle Busch at +600, and Jeff Gordon at +750. Busch, who is also a Vegas native, is a contender every time he gets behind the wheel of anything, whether it is a Sprint Cup or Nationwide car, or a truck. Gordon won here in 2001, and the No.24 team has looked awesome so far this year.
For those that like the #18 this week.
Kyle Busch lost an engine early in practice and the team is changing the engine, so Busch will have to fall to the rear of the field on Sunday no matter where he qualifies Friday.
Busch brothers tops in qualifying at Las Vegas
Fri 27th, February 2009
Las Vegas, NV (Sports Network) - Kyle Busch won the pole at his hometrack, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, for the second year in a row, while his elder brother, Kurt Busch, posted the second best lap in Friday's qualifying for the Shelby 427.
Kyle Busch set a new track qualifying record with a lap of 29.033 seconds (185.995 m.p.h.). However, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver will have to start the Sprint Cup Series race from the rear of the field after an engine change prior to qualifying.
"We're just going to buy our time and race the 427 miles," Busch said. "All the guys on this team did an awesome job changing the engine today. We look forward to hopefully being able to do it on Sunday."
The pole victory was Busch's fifth in his Sprint Cup career.
Kurt Busch will now lead the 43-car field to the green flag after recording a lap of 29.078 seconds.
The last time brothers qualified on the front row for a Cup race occurred in April 2000 when Rusty Wallace won the pole and Kenny Wallace secured the outside pole at Martinsville Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson qualified third at Las Vegas, followed by David Reutimann and Marcos Ambrose.
Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart completed the top-10.
Other drivers of note and their starting positions include: Carl Edwards (16th), Greg Biffle (24th), Jeff Gordon (28th), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (31st) and Matt Kenseth (40th).
Jeremy Mayfield and Scott Riggs were among the eight drivers who failed to qualify. Both drivers raced their way into the Daytona 500 earlier this month. Other drivers missing the field were: Travis Kvapil, Dave Blaney, Mike Garvey, Sterling Marlin, Tony Raines and Dexter Bean.
After winning the Daytona 500 and the Auto Club 500 at California, Kenseth will attempt to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win the first three Cup races of the season. Kenseth currently holds an 81-point lead over Gordon in the series standings. He won back-to-back races at Las Vegas from 2003-04.
"I didn't think we would have won the first two races, so I haven't really thought about the third," Kenseth said. "Hopefully we can get our car to handle good this weekend and have a shot. The pit crew has been operating at an extremely high level, and so have all the guys getting the cars to handle and run - the engine guys and everything - so I feel like we have the tools to be competitive and we'll just try to be as competitive as we can and hopefully be somewhere in position at the end."
Roush Fenway Racing has been dominant at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with the team's six victories best compared to Hendrick Motorsports' four wins since the series started racing there in 1998.
Gordon, who is coming off a second-place finish at California, is eager to snap his winless streak, which now stretches to 43 races. He won at Las Vegas in 2001, the same year he captured his fourth Cup championship.
Edwards won last year's event at Las Vegas.
The green flag for Sunday's race is scheduled to drop around 4:30 p.m. (et).