UAW Dodge 400 News and Notes

2008 Las Vegas Testing News

Vegas testing shows Gibbs' strength, others struggles
SCENEDAILY.COM

Not where Joe Gibbs racing is concerned.

Monday morning's NASCAR Sprint Cup test session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway only served to confirm what Gibbs driver Denny Hamlin already believed, namely that JGR's transition from Chevrolet to Toyota would be seamless.

Hamlin also acknowledged that the switch to the full-time use of NASCAR's new racecar has made the acclimation to Toyota much smoother.

"We definitely didn't think going into this year that we were going to have growing pains by switching manufacturers," said Hamlin, who topped the speed chart at 178.265 mph in the first session of the two-day test.

"Had we had the old car, where we really don't know the aero advantages, yeah, we probably would have been a little more concerned. But we know we've got to build basically the same bodies we had last year, and all we're dealing with is different horsepower.

"So, really, there's going to be no transition for us. We're going hopefully to be as competitive, if not more competitive. And the way it's looking, we're going to be more competitive than we were last year."

In Hamlin's view, the addition of Kyle Busch (fifth fastest Monday morning at 178.042 mph) has strengthened the organization, particularly when it comes to getting feedback from the No. 18 Camry that Busch drives.

"It's been good so far," Hamlin said. "(We've) definitely been able to use a lot of notes from the 18, a lot more than what the teams have in probably the last three or four years. ... I think it's going to be good. I think we really never have had a three-car united team at Joe Gibbs Racing.

"It's always been -- our cars have been spread out. We've kind of had one up front at times, one in the middle and one in the back. It kind of alternates which car that is. Really, I think this year is going to be the first time you'll really see the three-car team of Joe Gibbs Racing."

Busch keeps Toyota atop the Vegas speed chart
SCENEDAILY.COM

LAS VEGAS - One Toyota replaced another on top of the speed chart in the afternoon NASCAR Sprint Cup testing session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Joe Gibbs Racing's Kyle Busch topped the session with a lap of 183.580 mph, just ahead of teammate Tony Stewart's 182.426 mph.

Denny Hamlin's JGR Toyota, fastest in the morning session, was 24th in the afternoon runs.

"We've been trying hard on these cars to get more grip in them," Busch said. "So far, everything has gone well. The guys have been digging in and working hard to make it faster. We are still learning and trying to make it better."

Busch was asked how he was adapting to a new team and new manufacturer.

"You go to a race track and try to make the best of it," he said. "I've got a great bunch of guys with Joe Gibbs Racing and the Toyota power underneath the hood. It's important for us to come out and look good, and ultimately make [team owner] Joe and [team President] J.D. [Gibbs] look good for picking me. This is still [Toyota Racing Development's] motor package in this car - it isn't a Gibbs motor package - so I can only assume that we will come back here with more."

Montoya sets fastest lap of testing
January 29, 2008

LAS VEGAS (AP) -Juan Pablo Montoya paced testing Tuesday at Las Vegas Motorspeedway, going 186.761 mph in his Dodge to post the fastest lap of the two-day session.

Montoya's mark in the afternoon session bettered Kyle Busch's fast lap of 183.580 on Monday and Carl Edwards' mark of 184.256 in the Tuesday morning runs.

In all, 12 drivers bettered Edwards' morning run, including four Toyota drivers as the automaker's fleet continued to impress in preseason testing. AJ Allmendinger was second fastest to Montoya, running a 185.752 in a Camry fielded by Red Bull Racing.

Tony Stewart was 10th fastest in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, David Reutimann was 11th for Michael Waltrip Racing and Busch was 12th for Gibbs. The strong showings come after two weeks of solid runs in Daytona for Toyota, which struggled in its first season of Sprint Cup competition last year.

``We have been pleased with the results we have seen from our teams here in Las Vegas,'' said Andy Graves, an official with Toyota Racing Development. ``This is a much different test from Daytona and we need to understand what we have at these types of intermediate race tracks.''

Casey Mears led the Hendrick Motorsports contingent in this test, posting the third-fastest lap at 185.344 in a Chevrolet. Kasey Kahne was fourth in a Dodge for Gillett Evernham Motorsports, and Reed Sorenson was fifth to join Montoya as two Chip Ganassi-owned cars in the top five.

Elliott Sadler was sixth in a GEM-owned Dodge and was followed by Scott Riggs for Haas CNC Racing, Edwards in a Roush Fenway Racing Ford and two-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson in a Hendrick car.

The afternoon session was shortened by about 10 minutes when Jeff Gordon's car dropped oil on the track as darkness was closing in on the speedway.

In other on-track incidents, Jeff Burton wrecked his Chevrolet in the morning session, while Stewart scraped the wall in the afternoon and Michael Waltrip spun his car.

UAW-Dodge 400 PreQ

It is been a solid start to the 2008 season for Toyota drivers, especially those in the Joe Gibbs Racing camp. Kyle Busch leads the overall point’s standings closely followed by teammate Tony Stewart. Stewart could wrestle the points lead away from Busch this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Stewart has run well at Las Vegas and last season finished 7th in this race after the track was reconfigured. Stewart runs well on high-banked superspeedways. You can expect a strong performance out of both Stewart and Busch in the UAW-Dodge 400 just as you saw at California the week before. Jump on the JGR bandwagon quickly this season.
It will be hard-pressed to bet against Jimmie Johnson in this race. For one he has won the last three events at the track. Second, it has been a whole two races since he has not been to victory lane. The “drought” to start the 2008 season has to be eating away at Johnson as he looks for a third consecutive championship title. It will not take Johnson long to get to victory lane and the trip to Vegas could be the cure for the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet to get that first win of the year.

Matt Kenseth is just as hungry to get to victory lane early this season. In 2007 he won at both California on his way to three consecutive top 5 finishes. He didn’t quite make it to victory lane last weekend but he did run a solid 5th place. He has been extremely productive on the high-banked superspeedways recording 10 top 5s since the start of the 2007 season (14 races). He is looking to move up a few spots this weekend and capture his first checkered flag of the season. It should be a great battle for the win in Vegas with the #17 DeWalt Ford among the front runners.

After a superb run in the Daytona 500, in which he finished in 5th place, Reed Sorenson found some early troubles in California on Sunday when NASCAR started the race in between rain storms. Sorenson was caught up in the wreck involving Dale Earnhardt Jr., Casey Mears, and Sam Hornish Jr. Sorenson now will head to a track that has not been kind to him in two career starts. In each event Sorenson has finished outside the top 30 with an average finish of 35th place. That’s not going to provide the youngster with a lot of confidence heading into the race this weekend. It would be a prudent move to avoid the #41 Target Dodge for this race.

Another driver that has had an up-and-down career at Las Vegas has been Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior, as stated above, was involved in a wreck at California relegating him to a 40th place finish. He will head into Vegas with a bit of a chip on his shoulder as he really didn’t get a chance to race at California. In Vegas, however, he has not run much better finishing outside the top 20 four times in eight career starts with an average finish of 21st place. He does have a pair of top 10s at the track and should run better with Hendrick Motorsports power supporting him but Junior needs to get rid of that bad luck that has been following him around the last few seasons.

profantasysports.com

UAW-DODGE 400 FACT SHEET

What: UAW-Dodge 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event

Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval)

When: Sunday, March 2, 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time

Distance: 400 miles, 267 laps

Field: 43 cars. Top 35 from 2007 owner points, seven on qualifying speed and one past champion’s provisional.

Qualifying record: Kasey Kahne (184.856 mph, 29.212 seconds) 2007

Race record: Mark Martin (146.530 mph) 1998

Last winner: Jimmie Johnson

Top 5 in 2007: 1, Johnson; 2, J. Gordon; 3, Hamlin; 4, Kenseth; 5, Martin.

Previous winners: Mark Martin (1998), Jeff Burton (1999, 2000), Jeff Gordon (2001), Sterling Marlin (2002), Matt Kenseth (2003, 2004), Jimmie Johnson (2005, 2006, 2007)

Previous pole-sitters: Dale Jarrett (1998, 2001), Bobby Labonte (1999, 2003), Ricky Rudd (2000), Todd Bodine (2002), Kasey Kahne (2004, 2007), Ryan Newman (2005), Greg Biffle (2006).

Noting the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400

• Only seven drivers have competed in all 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup events at LVMS. They are Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Sterling Marlin, Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte and Joe Nemechek.

• No driver has ever won the UAW-Dodge 400 from the pole position.

• Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to start in the top five and win. He won from the third starting spot in 2006.

• Jack Roush has posted wins at LVMS with three different drivers (Martin, J. Burton and Kenseth).

• Chip Ganassi, who won with Sterling Marlin in 2002, is the only car owner other than Roush or Hendrick to win at LVMS.

• Jeff Burton (2000) is the only driver to sweep both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide races at LVMS.

• Jeff Burton also is the only driver running at the finish of every Sprint Cup event at LVMS.

• Juan Pablo Montoya used LVMS as his test track before winning the 2000 Indianapolis 500.

• Both Sam Hornish Jr. and Patrick Carpentier will be making their first stock-car starts at LVMS. Hornish competed at LVMS in the IRL in 1999 and 2000, while Carpentier competed in Champ Car races in 2004 and 2005.

• Carpentier is the only current Las Vegas resident competing in the Sprint Cup Series. Brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch were born in Las Vegas but now reside in North Carolina.

• There will be three former Indy 500 winners in the race (Dario Franchitti, Juan Pablo Montoya and Hornish).

UAW-Dodge 400 preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

JJ is almost King of Vegas

Jimmie Johnson is already the defending two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, but should he win this Sunday’s UAW-Dodge 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he’ll be put into an entirely new category and share history with the greatest names in NASCAR. Johnson has won the last three Vegas races in a row. Two of the wins were on the older flatter configuration while last years win was on the brand new dynamic, faster version of LVMS.

Only five times in the history of the Cup series has a driver won four consecutives races in a row over four straight seasons and its been by done by only three drivers. Richard Petty did it two times, once at Martinsville and the other time at Richmond where he won five straight years. Darrell Waltrip won the same Bristol fall race four straight seasons and totaled seven Bristol wins in a row when including the spring race there. Jeff Gordon won four straight Bristol spring races in a row and then came probably the greatest consecutive streak of all time for Gordon, which was winning four straight Southern 500’s at Darlington.

Those are some pretty big heavyweights Johnson has an opportunity to join this week. He would become the only driver to win four races in a row at a track that has only one race a year. Greg Biffle attempted the feat last season at Homestead going for his 4th consecutive win, but his teammate Matt Kenseth took the checkers instead.

In reality, Las Vegas has only one true King, and that is Elvis. But Vegas has always made room for excellence in talent and the city especially loves winners. The Rat Pack, Wayne Newton, and Tarkanian’s Runnin’ Rebels have always been loved and revered by visitors and locals alike. Over the last 10 years Vegas has evolved into a Motorsports city. For Johnson, he is fast becoming the closest one can become to being King of Vegas, other than the King himself.

The scary thing about just how good Johnson is that he was so dominant on the intermediate tracks with the old car, and now he’ll be running the new car which he won with five times last season. Last weeks race at California was the first race ever using the Car of Today. Last season the Hendrick team led by Johnson and teammate Jeff Gordon dominated the entire field in COT races. Hendrick spent the most time, money, and efforts to be the best with the new car and it paid off with a Championship, but it was tough pill to swallow for many fans having the same two drivers dominate so easily every week.

It is likely that some of the other teams have caught up and closed the gap between Hendrick and everyone else. We saw evidence of that last season when Roush-Fenway Racing collectively ran well later in the year as they got more data acquired with more races run, as did DEI, Childress, Penske, and Evernham. However, you have to believe that Hendrick is just as ready for this new stage of intermediate track racing as they were when the new car first came out last season when they won the first 5 COT races of the season.

Las Vegas Preseason Testing

Prior to Daytona Speedweeks, the Cup teams all came to Las Vegas for testing with the new cars. The test times were somewhat skewed because of the awful weather conditions and 40 mph winds sweeping through the track. There should also be skepticism with the times because not many teams ran in groups meaning they all basically ran alone. The last cautionary tale regarding the times involves sand-bagging, which Hendrick teams have been known to do once in a while. If you are the best, why show anyone else what you got until the cash is on the table?

On the positive note regarding the test times, fast is fast regardless of any circumstance. Juan Pablo Montoya rolled out with the fastest speed of the two day sessions. What that shows is that Chip Ganassi teams may be onto to something with the new car on the intermediate track. Further supporting evidence that Ganassi was good was Reed Sorenson ripping out the 5th fastest time of the sessions.

Last Week at California

The events that occurred last week at Fontana will assist in determining just how good Hendrick Motorsports and the rest of the top NASCAR teams will do this week in Las Vegas. The rain ruined much of the practice and qualifying sessions at California so we can’t equate how relevant the speeds were to what actually happened in the race itself. As for the race itself, there wasn’t much of a surprise. The top Hendrick and Roush drivers shined as did the Gibbs Toyota’s.

COT’s First Race Run on High Banked 1.5 mile track

California falls into the category of the intermediate track along with Las Vegas, but Vegas is clearly in another category. Vegas falls closer to its sister tracks of Texas, Charlotte, and Atlanta both in configuration and actual speeds run. They aren’t identical, but they are close. A formula to get the best read on what driver will do well this week starts with using 25 percent of what happened in California last week, 40 percent of what happened all last season in the COT, 20 percent of what happened in last seasons Vegas race, and 15 percent of what happened in pre-season Vegas testing. Shake it all up and you should have a pretty good shot at coming up with the winner…..or you just scrap it all and say, “give me Jimmie Johnson”!

Let’s remember that last season’s Vegas race was somewhat of a nightmare for many of the drivers. They were all using cars they were comfortable with, but some of them like Tony Stewart just didn’t like the new configuration of the track. They couldn’t get used to it and none of the drivers could let it all hang out until late in the race. While the track is similar to Texas, Charlotte, and Atlanta, it handles much different, particularly turn 2 where drivers drove into gingerly every lap. Now we come back to the track for its 2nd race and the drivers have new cars, so in reality it’s almost a completely new experience again for the drivers, which they always seem to love.

Jimmie Johnson had the most dominant car on these tracks last season winning the last two races of 2007 on high banked 1.5 mile tracks. However, that was with the “Car of Yesterday”. We saw how good Hendrick was with the COT on all the small tracks last season, but the high banked tracks are completely different. If any team can transfer ideal set-ups from one car to another without skipping a beat, it definitely is Hendrick. However, it just doesn’t seem so black and white. Between Johnson chasing history, the new car, the unfamiliarity of the track, and other teams gaining and testing well, it just seems to pint to another driver. The logical choice at that stage would have to be a Roush driver and a Gibbs driver.

We’ll go with Denny Hamlin in his Joe Gibbs Toyota on the basis of how well he maneuvered through Vegas’ treacherous turn 2 and smoothly finish with a 3rd place finish last season. The knock against betting on Hamlin to win is that he finishes races well, but doesn’t do all he can to win. That sounds ridiculous, but it’s the same thing they used to say when wagering on Mark Martin when he was the No. 1 contender against the Jeff Gordon machine of the late 90’s. Johnson is a tough giant to slay, but every once in a while the giant takes a nap.

Top 5 Finish Prediction

#11 Denny Hamlin (11/1)
#17 Matt Kenseth (8/1)
#48 Jimmie Johnson (7/1)
#5 Kyle Busch (11/1)
#24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)

Legitimate longs-hot contenders (drivers worth taking a look at if the price is right)

6) #5 Casey Mears (20/1)
7) #41 Reed Sorenson (32/1)
8) #9 Kasey Kahne (25/1)
9) #26 Jamie McMurray (28/1)
10) #07 Clint Bowyer (28/1)

NASCAR meets Las Vegas
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Las Vegas Sports Book Propositions

There are usually two races a year where the Las Vegas sports books get pretty creative with their propositions. The high profile races of Daytona and Las Vegas create so much more action than a regular NASCAR race at area Sports Books that they are able to pique the interest of guests with Super Bowl style propositions. Basically, anything that is recorded in a NASCAR race box score will be considered for some type of wagering proposition.

Other considerations also come into play with the type of wagering options offered. Mandalay Bay knows they have the entire Lowe’s Home Improvement Racing team staying with them, so they have catered to them somewhat by offering an extra dose of Jimmie Johnson props. The feature matchup is the Home Improvement grudge match between the Home Depot Toyota driven by Tony Stewart and the Lowe’s Chevy driven by Johnson. Who will finish higher? Lowe’s is a minus -150 favorite meaning you’d have to lay $3 to win $2 if Lowe’s is your choice. The math of the prop even goes deeper when considering Johnson wins every year and Vegas remains one of only 4 tracks that Stewart has never won on.

The Palms Sports Book will be offering a variety of props linking the drivers that participate in the both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. Drivers like Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and Carl Edwards will be participating at a high level in both series. Some of the things they’ll be offering is over–under numbers on the combination of both series and also drivers matchups combining the two totals from each day.

Caesars Palace will offering a team based index prop among many of their other regular propositions. They will take all the cars within a team and ask what order of finish they’ll finish in. It will be like a Superfecta in horse racing. So when you bet on this type of proposition, you almost could care less what happens to everyone else on the track other than your group of drivers. Your drivers could finish 39th, 40th, 41st, and 42nd, but as long as you have the correct order being 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, you win. Sounds fun and looks to be something that will likely be copied by other books.

Station Casinos books have several different props offered for the Vegas race such as over-under margin of victory, winning car number, and exacta wagering. The newest prop they have offered this season has a territorial flavor to it involving the Busch brothers. Both Kurt and Kyle Busch have put themselves into the upper echelon of current NASCAR drivers and with that comes a prop asking what state, Nevada or North Carolina, will have the better finish. Carolina is the epicenter of NASCAR and where all the legends have hailed from, but right now, only Dale Earnhardt Jr is on that plateau with Kyle and Kurt, and some may even argue that. The edge a bettor may have is strictly in the numbers. Currently, there are only two drivers from Nevada and five from North Carolina. Because of that, Carolina is a slight minus -120 favorite.

Here’s a look at some of the other UAW-Dodge 400 propositions offered this week:

Will a Hendrick Motorsports driver win UAW-Dodge 400? NO -330, YES +250 In this prop you get 4 of the top cars in NASCAR going against 39 other cars. The variables and sheer numbers are against you if you like the “YES”, except for the real number that matters and that is wins. A Hendrick driver has won 4 of the 10 Vegas races run, including the last 3 by Johnson. Getting Johnson, Gordon, Junior, and Casey Mears at 5 to 2 odds is pretty tempting based on Hendrick’s current state of dominance.

Will a former Vegas Cup race winner win the 2008 UAW-Dodge 400? NO -240, YES +190 This prop is similar to the Hendrick prop because “YES” gets you both Johnson and Gordon, in addition to the top Roush-Fenway entry and two-time Vegas winner of Matt Kenseth. On a lower tier of value in the prop, you also get Mark Martin and Jeff Burton. This prop gives you 5 drivers against 38, however weighted it may seem towards the “NO”, just keep in mind that the “YES” has won 5 Vegas races in a row and 6 of 7.

Will the driver to lead the most laps win the UAW-Dodge 400? NO -160, YES +130 Last season in the first race run on the new configuration, the driver to lead the most laps, Jeff Gordon, did not win the race, he finished 2nd. However in two of the previous 3 Vegas races on the older flatter track, the winner did lead the most laps. The new track figures to make for better racing as does the COT. It will be much harder for a driver to run away with the Vegas race as was the case for the first 8 seasons.

UAW-Dodge 400 predictions from around Las Vegas Casinos

Jay Kornegay – Las Vegas Hilton: Kevin Harvick
Kelly Downey – Green Valley Ranch: Jeff Gordon
Bill Walkowski – Santa Fe Station: Tony Stewart, new engine and looks to upstage his buddy Kurt Busch in his backyard.
Fred Crespi – Palms: Denny Hamlin, like the way he tested in Las Vegas and California.
Bert Osborne – South Point: Dale Earnhardt Jr
Jackson Meeker: Boulder Station: Jeff Gordon
Tony Miller – Golden Nugget: Jimmie Johnson because he just doesn’t lose in Vegas.
Karen Ray - Circus Circus: Tony Stewart
Zach Goldberg – Sunset Station: Matt Kenseth; look for him to take advantage of the high banks
David Grisar – Caesars Palace: Jimmie Johnson
Chuck Esposito – Caesars Palace: Matt Kenseth
Jay Rood – Mandalay Bay: Kyle Busch
Hugh Citron – Mandalay Bay: Jeff Gordon
Jeff Motley – Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon

Las Vegas Odds and Ends
VegasInsider.com

General Information

• There have been ten NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway since the
track opened in 1997.
• Jimmie Johnson is the defending UAW-Dodge 400 champion, and the winner of the last three Las Vegas races.
• Only Jeff Burton has finished all ten Las Vegas races.
• There are three different two-time winners at Las Vegas, all of them back-to-back: Jeff Burton,
1999-2000; Matt Kenseth, 2003-2004; Jimmie Johnson, 2005-2007.
• There have been six different winners in the ten races at Las Vegas.
• Only three of the ten Las Vegas races have been won from a starting position inside the Top 10.
• No Las Vegas race has ever been won from the pole position (the highest starting position of a
race winner was third – Jimmie Johnson in 2006.)
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Las Vegas was 25th by Matt Kenseth in 2004. Jimmie Johnson started 23rd last year.
• Dale Jarrett (1998 and 2001), Bobby Labonte (1999 and 2003), Kasey Kahne are the only repeat Bud Pole winners at Las Vegas.
• The 2000 Las Vegas race was the only one shortened by rain – 148 laps/222 miles were run.
• There has been one extended race at Las Vegas: 2006 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 (270 laps).
• Jack Roush has posted five wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the most of any car owner.
Those five wins were scored by Mark Martin (one), Jeff Burton (two) and Matt Kenseth (two).
• Hendrick Motorsports has posted four victories here: Jeff Gordon (one), Jimmie Johnson (three).
• All ten races at Las Vegas have had at least one car owner post multiple top-10 finishes, most
notably when Roush scored five top 10s in the inaugural race in 1998.

Las Vegas Streaks

• Kurt Busch has started in the top 10 in each of his seven Las Vegas races.
• Kyle Busch has three straight top-ten finishes.
• Jeff Gordon has three straight top-five finishes.
• Matt Kenseth has five straight top-10 finishes

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data

Race # 3 of 36 (3-2-08) Number of laps: 267
Track Size: 1.5 miles Length of Event: 400.5 miles
• This is the second race at the newly renovated Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• 1.5-mile oval
• Banking is 20 degrees in the turns
• Frontstretch is 2,275 feet long and is banked nine degrees
• Backstretch is 1,572 feet long with nine degrees banking

Qualifying/Race Data

Track qualifying record: Kasey Kahne (174.904 mph, 30.874 seconds, 3-5-04)
Track race record: Mark Martin (146.554 mph, 2 hours, 43 minutes, 58 seconds, 3-1-98)

History

Races won from the pole: 0 of 10 events
Races won from inside the top 10: 3 of 10 (30%)
Races won from outside the top 10: 7 of 10 (70%)
• Dale Jarrett won the inaugural Bud Pole at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Feb. 27, 1998).
• Mark Martin won the inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas (March 1, 1998).

Last Six Winners at Las Vegas

2007 - Jimmie Johnson
2006 – Jimmie Johnson
2005 – Jimmie Johnson
2004 – Matt Kenseth
2003 – Matt Kenseth
2002 – Sterling Marlin

Active Drivers – Wins at Las Vegas

Jimmie Johnson – 3 Sterling Marlin – 1
Matt Kenseth – 2 Jeff Gordon – 1
Jeff Burton – 2 Mark Martin – 1

Active Drivers – Poles at Las Vegas

Dale Jarrett – 2 Kasey Kahne – 2
Bobby Labonte – 2 Ryan Newman – 1
Ricky Rudd – 1 Greg Biffle – 1
Todd Bodine – 1

RacingOne Power Rankings

Season-to-Date Driver Ratings

The 2008 Power Rankings kick off after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series completed its first event with the new race car on an intermediate track. RacingOne's rankings are based on a combination of season-to-date loop data, season standings and staff selections.

1. Kyle Busch: Came just short of leading all three of NASCAR's top divisions and off to the best start of his career.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: In four starts at LVMS, Busch has posted three top-10s and has an average finish of 13.8.

2. Carl Edwards: "Cousin Carl" should be a factor the next two weekends after his intermediate track performance in Fontana.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Edwards finally broke into the top 10 at Vegas last season after posting a 14th-place finish and 26th-place finish, respectively, in his first two starts there.

3. Jimmie Johnson: Bounced back from his Daytona disappointment with typical solid California run.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Johnson has won the last three straight races at Las Vegas Speedway.

4. Tony Stewart: The change of manufacturers hasn't slowed down "Smoke" one bit.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Stewart has posted six top 10s at Vegas, including four top fives.

5. Jeff Gordon: Backed up fast performance in shortened Fontana practice session in race trim.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Gordon has posted three straight top-five finishes at Las Vegas, including a runner-up there last year. He won the race there in 2001.

6. Ryan Newman: Forget the post-Daytona fade, a solid top 10 in Fontana.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Newman has four top-10 finishes at LVMS, a best fourth in the 2002 race.

7. Kasey Kahne: First two races point to a turnaround at GEM.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Kahne has either been good or bad at LVMS, with two top five finishes and two DNFs in four starts.

8. Kurt Busch: Has come from the back of the field two weeks in a row.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Busch hasn't performed well at LVMS since joining Penske, with two finishes outside the top 15. Prior to that he only posted two top 10s in five starts with Roush.

9. Greg Biffle: The resurgent Roush Fenway team has "The Biff" in contention again.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Biffle has two top 10s in four LVMS starts and an average finish of 17.5.

10. Matt Kenseth: Stayed away from David Ragan and was able to get a top five in Fontana.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Kenseth won back-to-back races at Las Vegas in 2003 and 2004 and has finished in the top 10 there since.

11. Kevin Harvick: Not as splashy as last year's start but still solid.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Harvick only has two top-10 finishes, a best fifth in 2005, in seven starts at LVMS. His average finish is 15.7.

12. Martin Truex Jr.: Had a fast car in Fontana and might be someone to watch in Vegas and Atlanta.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Truex Jr's 12th-place finish last year is his best at Vegas in two starts.

13. Brian Vickers: Brought Team Red Bull some sunshine in all the California gloom with an 11th.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Vickers has yet to make a start with Team Red Bull at Vegas and his finishing average is 29.3.

14. Jeff Burton: Nice to finish a race without any shouting matches with teammates.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Burton is one of seven drivers to have raced in all 10 Sprint Cup races at LVMS and won back-to-back races there in 1999 and 2000.

15. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: NASCAR's inability to deal with Mother Nature cost him a chance to turnaround recent Fontana disappointments.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Fact: Earnhardt Jr. has onlt finished in the top 10 twice in eight starts.

Looking for Luck in Vegas
Racingone.com

Thinga have suddenly gone downhill for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

After starting off strong in "Speedweeks" at Daytona with wins in the Budweiser Shootout and one of the Gatorade Duel at Daytona qualifying races, Junior has been dealt two disappointing hands.

He finished ninth in the Daytona 500 when he was left in the lead pack without and teammate drafting help.

And his day ended early last Sunday in the first half of the Auto Club 500 when he was caught up in an accident with Casey Mears and Sam Hornish Jr.

"I hate it for my team that we ended up in an early wreck," said Earnhardt Jr., a victim of the moisture that kept seeping on to the track. "I know with the rainout and everything, the team had to stay another day just to run 40th all day. But we're here to race, and, believe me, they fixed that wrecked car so good we were running in the top-five on the speed charts with it."

Earnhardt, Jr. has to hope that speed can b found this weekend at the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a track where he's enjoyed limited success during his Sprint Cup career.

In his eight previous starts, Earnhardt has led 145 laps and recorded one top-five finish and two top-10s. His best finish was second place, which he achieved March 2, 2003.

But that was while Junior drove for DEI. His new team, Hendrick Motorsports, has an excellent record at LVMS.

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, has won the last three races at the track, while the other three Hendrick teams have combined for an additional five top-five finishes and six top 10s during those events.

Sunday's race will be the first for the new NASCAR Sprint Cup car at LVMS.

"We had a real good test in Vegas last month," said crew chief Tony Eury Jr. "We learned a lot about the track and decided that, instead of running the car we tested, to build a new car based on the data we collected (at the test). We're unloading this new car we built blind as a frog. Seriously, every week we run this (Car of Tomorrow), we will get better at it. It's a work in progress and has evened out the playing field."

Slow star with COT got Roush and his team going
February 27, 2008

Jack Roush is a no-excuses kind of guy.

When his team lagged behind early last year on its development of the Car of Tomorrow, Roush quickly sized up the situation and decided it was time to catch up.

Roush, who took on Red Sox owner John Henry and his Fenway Sports Group as partners in his team last year, was surprised to find that rival NASCAR Sprint Cup teams like Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing had taken it upon themselves at the start of the 2007 season to test the new car, rather than waiting for official NASCAR tests.

Because of restrictions in place last year, the teams had to test at tracks where Cup didn't race and had to find tires other than the Goodyear brand that is used exclusively in NASCAR's top professional series.

``I've really got to screw it up bad to mess it up for the guys, and I tried last year,'' Roush said earlier this week after Carl Edwards gave Roush Fenway Racing its first victory of the 2008 season in the rain-delayed race at Fontana, Calif.

``Getting behind on the testing thing early on, when we went to Bristol (for the first CoT race last March) and we were 2,000 miles behind the other cars in terms of what they'd been doing ... and it was all my fault.''

Roush, whose team fields five Cup entries with Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray and David Ragan, quickly got everyone on his team pointed in the right direction in the new car.

``From the first of May, when we suited up, (we) went on the market to find some tires other than Goodyear tires, went to the racetracks that weren't on NASCAR's schedule, we made a Herculean effort,'' Roush noted. ``The guys ... went off and carried the load and caught up.''

The 16-race CoT schedule that NASCAR ran in 2007 to prepare for the full slate this year included two road races, one superspeedway and 13 ovals measuring 1.3 miles or less.

Roush said his team went after the road courses first.

``By the time we went to Sears Point (in June), we had a pretty good race car out of the Car of Tomorrow,'' said Roush, who got a fifth-place finish from Biffle at the Sonoma, Calif., track. ``That was the first effort, to make sure we didn't get beat up there as bad as we might. From that point on, it just got better and better.''

Edwards gave Roush Fenway its first CoT win later in the year at Bristol. He and Biffle followed that victory a few weeks later with a 1-2 finish at Dover and Biffle and Kenseth were 2-3 at Phoenix in the penultimate race of the season.

``The thing that got it done was that we have a good, deep, strong organization,'' Roush said. ``The guys were highly motivated, didn't quit on me, didn't have a bad attitude about it. We all just suited up and did what we could.''

By the end of the season, everybody at Roush Fenway was confident they could compete with the top teams in Cup on an equal basis, although few people seemed to expect it.

With Hendrick showing signs of building a dynasty behind two-time reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time series champion Jeff Gordon and team newcomer Dale Earnhardt Jr., Roush got a little tired of answering questions about how anybody was going to be able to compete with them.

``I was besieged for 10 days down (in Daytona) with people that had questions like: How was I going to deal with Hendrick's domination? What was going to happen?

``I felt that I had five really good cars for Daytona. I told them, `Just watch. Write the future, not based on the past, but on what happens at the time.' We don't feel like we're underdogs by any means.''

None of the Roush Fenway or Hendrick cars had much luck in the Daytona 500, but to win the first CoT event at Auto Club Speedway - the former California Speedway - Edwards had to pass and then hold off Johnson and Gordon.

``We'll just have to see how the year unfolds, see who is going to be where,'' Johnson said. ``I think we all knew the Roush cars were coming. They were getting real strong (at) the end of last year.''

As happy as Edwards was to get an early win, he expects things to get a lot tougher.

``If there's one thing we've learned, we've got to stay on top of it,'' he said. ``We have to keep working as hard as we can. There are very minor differences between the cars that are winning these races and the cars running fifth or sixth.''

Meanwhile, Roush said he is just happy that his team and all the rest can concentrate on one kind of car this season instead of having to build and race old-style cars and the CoTs in the same time.

And Roush is just fine with racing the new car, if that's what everybody else has.

``For my part, I'll race a three-legged dog if that's what the rules required,'' he said.

Joe Gibbs Racing riding high despite major team changes
February 27, 2008

LAS VEGAS (AP) -When Joe Gibbs Racing signed Kyle Busch to its already volatile lineup of drivers, even Tony Stewart questioned how the personalities would mesh.

``My first reaction was, this is going to be a train wreck with this group of guys,'' said Stewart, a 10-year veteran of JGR.

When team president J.D. Gibbs called him to tell him the organization was leaving the comfortable Chevrolet camp to be the anchor at fledgling Toyota, Stewart was again skeptical.

``I thought he was joking at first,'' he explained. ``It just came out of left field.''

But just like signing Busch, the switch to Toyota made sense to an ownership group that carefully considers the affects every move has on the long-term viability of the family business. Although it's very early into this season of change for JGR, two of the biggest moves in company history appear to have hit the mark:

-Busch heads into Sunday's race in his hometown of Las Vegas as the Sprint Cup points leader. He's got a pair of top-five finishes for Toyota, which scored only two of them all of last year.

-Stewart, who nearly won the Daytona 500, sits third in the series standings and is just 19 points behind Busch. He won the first two Nationwide Series races of the year for JGR and currently leads Busch by 30 points in those standings.

-Denny Hamlin gave Toyota its first victory in the Cup Series by winning one of the non-points qualifying races before the Daytona 500. Bad luck through the first two races has him mired back in 31st in the standings, but no one expects him to stay there for long.

In its 17th season of NASCAR, this is the strongest JGR has ever been. With three legitimate championship contenders on the Cup roster and a leading role with manufacturer Toyota, owner Joe Gibbs has created a team that's secure for his 400-plus employees and strong enough to still be around when his grandchildren are ready to take over.

``I never dreamed we'd wind up where we are. When we started our first year with 17 people, I kind of thought that's the way it would be - you just can't dream about the way it's exploded,'' said Gibbs, who returned to NASCAR full-time following his January resignation as coach of the Washington Redskins.

``We want to win and we want to win championships. And every decision we make, we make it to try and run fast and win races. We don't want to be second.''

Problem was, JGR was second, even while the team was racking up three championships from 2000 to 2005.

In NASCAR, everybody is chasing Hendrick Motorsports, a team that won 18 of 36 races last season and its second straight Cup title. And since both Hendrick and JGR fielded Chevrolets, Gibbs knew it would never get ahead if both teams worked under the General Motors umbrella.

So after 16 years and 58 victories, JGR decided to leave Chevrolet.

``Joe Gibbs Racing has always been a GM team, and when I realized (J.D. Gibbs) was serious, I thought `This is big,''' Stewart recalled.

Real big.

JGR decided to tie its future to Toyota, which struggled tremendously in its first season at NASCAR's highest level. Toyota teams struggled to qualify for races and only ran near the front two times in 2007 - Dave Blaney's third-place finish at Talladega was the best for a Camry, and Brian Vickers had a fifth-place finish at Charlotte.

Toyota desperately needed a marquee team, and got one when JGR defected. It gave the automaker instant credibility and an organization that was ready, willing and able to help the other Toyota teams.

When its ties to Chevrolet were officially over in December, J.D. Gibbs personally visited with every Toyota team to offer JGR support, including technical advice from shocks specialist Ronnie Crooks.

``He went to Bill Davis Racing and Red Bull and to Michael (Waltrip), and he did that on his own and that's something we at Toyota are extremely grateful for,'' said Lee White, senior vice president and general manager of Toyota Racing Development.

``It assured our teams that Joe Gibbs Racing was here to help everyone, and it's because they realize the better the overall Toyota program is, the better Joe Gibbs Racing will be.''

Of course, it's still very early and far too premature to say 2008 will be JGR's year. Toyota has shown much improvement through two races and right now, all three Gibbs drivers are getting along just fine.

Busch and Stewart, who famously feuded a few years ago following on-track aggression at Daytona, are long past it. And Busch scored major points two weeks ago when he stopped by Stewart's motor home to deliver a gift he was certain the two-time champion would love: A DVD of Stewart's favorite movie, ``Smokey and The Bandit.''

Hamlin and Stewart, who feuded last summer following an on-track accident at Daytona, proved they can work together when they teamed up to hold off Hendrick driver Jeff Gordon in the Daytona qualifying race two weeks ago.

But the three strong personalities could butt heads at any time, something JGR is well aware of and ready to deal with.

``Ever since we've been in this sport, the guys we've been with have done well and been gifted, but pretty volatile,'' J.D. Gibbs said. ``Look, I tried to race cars. I stunk. Part of it was, I don't think I was crazy enough. These guys have a passion for what they do, and they're really gifted.

``When things don't go well, they get really bummed out. Things go well? They're going to feel great. Our goal is to give them the equipment they need, and the people they need around them to be able to consistently go out and have a shot at winning races. If they have that shot, they'll be fine.''

Who's Hot / Who's Not In Nextel Cup
Mike Lovecchio

The warm, sunny, and beautiful weather conditions commonly associated with California were replaced this weekend by rain, rain and well…more rain. After little practice time and a washed out qualifying session, NASCAR made a number of futile attempts to run the Cup race on Sunday before finally – at 2 a.m. EST – postponing the race. The schedule may have been thrown out of whack, but when the green flag finally flew again Monday afternoon it was typical California racing – boring – and the usual cast of characters up front.

With the win, Carl Edwards recorded Roush Fenway’s fourth consecutive Spring race win at the 2-mile oval, while Jimmie Johnson followed up his win in the Fall race last year with a second place run in his return to his home track. It was a long week for drivers, teams, and fans alike; but for some in particular, the weekend couldn’t have been any longer.

At the same time, other drivers followed up great runs at Daytona with solid efforts again this week, becoming some of the select few happy to be in Ontario in the first place. To see who was basking in the California sun Monday afternoon and who simply couldn’t wait to get home, check out this week’s edition of Who’s Hot / Who’s Not in Sprint Cup.

Hot:

With two 4th place finishes in 2008, it is hard to describe Kyle Busch’s performance as anything but hot.

Kyle Busch: Nobody in NASCAR has been as hot as the younger Busch – just ask Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip’s undeniable lovefest for Busch has been unmistakable on TV recently; but the truth is, Busch has done nothing but impress thus far this season, recording 4th place finishes in each of the first two races.

The Las Vegas kid is the only driver to record two Top 5s to start the year, and now he returns to his home track this week, where he has enjoyed numerous success. In each of his last three races at Vegas, the 22-year-old has yet to finish outside of the Top 10, including Top 3 finishes in 2005 and 2006.

Ryan Newman: The Daytona 500 champion did just what he had to do this weekend, and that was follow up last week’s performance with another strong run at California. The No. 12 was not one of the “elite” cars on Sunday/Monday, but Newman did manage a 10th place finish, leaving him 2nd in points.

Looking ahead, Newman has four Top 10s in seven starts at Las Vegas, including an 8th place run last year. It will be interesting to see if he can continue his strong start this week.

Tony Stewart: Stewart was the victim of a Penske push on the last lap of the Daytona 500. He may not have won the season opener, but a third place run wasn’t too bad; neither was a 7th place finish this week at California.

The No. 20 should be strong all year and contend for the championship, but it’s still early; and for now, Stewart has sights set on Las Vegas, where he finished 7th one year ago and in the Top 10 in five of the last six years.

Warm:

Carl Edwards: This week’s Auto Club 500 winner moved up 13 spots in the points after finishing 19th in the Daytona 500. Edwards was strong at the end of the race and eventually passed Jimmie Johnson in the closing laps.

California has traditionally been a Ford track and Edwards was expected to run strong; however, he now heads to Vegas where he has just one Top 10 in three years (6th – 2007).

Kasey Kahne: The Budweiser car may still confuse some fans at first glance, but there is no confusing how strong the No. 9 has been this year. Quietly, Kahne is one of only four drivers to finish in the Top 10 in each of the first two races this year. Think that streak will end this week? You might want to think again.

In four races at Las Vegas, Kahne has recorded two poles and never qualified lower than 7th. He’s raced strong as well. In the two races he did not crash, Kahne’s lowest finishing position is 4th … not too shabby.

Jimmie Johnson / Jeff Gordon: Concerned after these two driver’s performances at Daytona? Me neither. Both outside of the Top 20 last week, Johnson and Gordon finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively, at California — showing glimpses of last year’s dominating performance in the process.

This week could be the time Hendrick Motorsports returns to victory lane. If California is a Ford / Roush Fenway track, then Las Vegas is definitely a Hendrick facility, with Johnson winning the last three races at the 1.5-mile oval. Gordon hasn’t run all that bad either, with three straight Top 5s and a win in 2001.

Others: Kurt Busch (4th in points); Kevin Harvick (7th in points); Greg Biffle (9th in points); Jeff Burton (10th in points); Brian Vickers (11th in points).

Cool:

Denny Hamlin: Few drivers have had luck as bad as Hamlin this year. While Kyle Busch and Stewart have been red hot, Hamlin has struggled. After running strong at the beginning of the Daytona 500, damage slowed down the No. 11 machine, resulting in a 19th place finish. This week, Hamlin was the victim of NASCAR’s wet track blunder (we’ll get to that later), finishing 41st after an accident on Sunday.

Cold:

Kyle Petty / Dave Blaney: If anybody knows about the importance of the Top 35 rule, it’s Petty and Blaney, who both narrowly made the cut for a locked in spot for the first five races of this season. However, neither of these drivers have taken advantage of their “provisional” in the first two races, with both currently sitting outside of the bubble.

Casey Mears: Accidents have plagued Mears, who has actually run strong when on the track in the first two races. Two consecutive DNFs to start the year leave the No. 5 team 43rd in car owner points, but you can expect them to bounce back and onto the bubble before Race 5 is complete.

Mears was 3rd fastest in Vegas testing, too, so that turnaround could happen as soon as this week.

NASCAR: C’mon guys. 2 AM EST? Seriously? What happened to making 8 PM the deadline to start the race? Sure, the green flag already flew; but you’ve got the storm of the century coming through Fontana, and a track that’s “weeping” even when it’s not raining. You totaled five cars because of a premature start, and then led your viewers on from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. about a possible restart. It was not a good weekend for the sanctioning body; but at least Vegas should be better. Right?

Frozen:

A.J. Allmendinger: I thought I felt bad for Allmendinger after he failed to race his way into the Daytona 500, but the poor man didn’t even get a chance to qualify for the Auto Club 500. Brian Vickers has the No. 83 Red Bull team in the Top 12 to start the season, but Allmendinger can’t even get the No. 84 off the ground because of the stupid Top 35 rule. What a shame.

frontstretch.com

Analyzing the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

This Sunday is Round 3 for the "new car" competing in each of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season - and so far, some telling trends have developed.

Trend 1: Tight and varied competition up front. There were a record number of lead changes (33) at the Auto Club Speedway last weekend, which followed a Daytona 500 that challenged the race record for lead changes (42) and leaders (16).

Trend 2: New Victory Lane appearances: In 2007, Chevrolets dominated the "new car" races, winning 13 of the 16. This season, the Chevrolets have thus far been shut out, with a Dodge (Ryan Newman) and a Ford (Carl Edwards) grabbing the checkered flags.

These recent trends may be helping the field catch reigning series champion Jimmie Johnson - winner of the last three races at Las Vegas.

Johnson has been a one-man wrecking crew at Vegas, notching series-highs in Driver Rating (133.7), Average Running Position (5.1) and Fastest Laps Run (149) during his win streak.

But will the "new car" even the playing field this weekend like it did the previous two?

The most likely candidates to dethrone Johnson are teammate Jeff Gordon and former teammate Kyle Busch. Both have won races in the new car, and both have solid statistics at Las Vegas.

In the past three Vegas races, Gordon has a Driver Rating of 114.1 and an Average Running Position of 8.1 He finished second there last season. Points leader Kyle Busch has a Vegas Driver Rating of 108.7 and an Average Running Position of 7.1.

Selected Driver Highlights - Las Vegas Motor Speedway-specific

Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Loop Data statistics - Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. - in this release, however, cover the last three races at Las Vegas. NASCAR's scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)

Two top 10s

Average finish of 17.5

Average Running Position of 11.8, seventh-best

Driver Rating of 95.5, seventh-best

27 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best

Average Green Flag Speed of 161.735, seventh-fastest

543 Laps in the Top 15 (67.5%), tied for seventh-most

Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Chevrolet)

Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s

Average finish of 11.0

Average Running Position of 11.1, fifth-best

Driver Rating of 93.6, ninth-best

26 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

206 Green Flag Passes, second-most

644 Laps in the Top 15 (80.1%), fourth-most

135 Quality Passes, third-most

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)

One top five, two top 10s

Average finish of 17.6

Average Running Position of 11.5, sixth-best

Driver Rating of 94.1, eighth-best

Average Green Flag Speed of 161.426, ninth-fastest

582 Laps in the Top 15 (72.4%), sixth-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)

Two top fives, three top 10s

Average finish of 13.8

Average Running Position of 7.1, second-best

Driver Rating of 108.7, third-best

49 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

Green Flag Speed of 162.170 mph, third-fastest

746 Laps in the Top 15 (92.8%), third-most

132 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)

One win, five top fives

Average finish of 12.9

Average Running Position of 8.1, third-best

Driver Rating of 114.1, second-best

66 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

200 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most

Average Green Flag Speed of 162.484 mph. second-fastest

748 Laps in the Top 15 (93.0%), second-most

Series-high 153 Quality Passes

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)

One top five, two top 10s

Average finish of 6.5

Average Running Position of 13.0, ninth-best

Driver Rating of 91.7, 10th-best

Average Green Flag Speed of 161.415 mph, 10th-fastest

349 Laps in the Top 15 (65.0%), 12th-best percentage

71 Quality Passes (35.5 per race), seventh-most per race

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)

Three wins, four top 10s

Average finish of 6.0

Series-best Average Running Position of 5.1

Series-best Driver Rating of 133.7

Series-high 149 Fastest Laps Run

Series-fastest Average Green Flag Speed of 163.075 mph

Series-high 749 Laps in the Top 15 (93.2%)

139 Quality Passes, second-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)

Two wins, four top fives, five top 10s

Average finish of 7.6

Average Running Position of 12.7, eighth-best

Driver Rating of 104.5, fourth-best

39 Fastest Laps Run, tied for fourth-most

Average Green Flag Speed of 161.862 mph, fifth-best

Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)

Four top fives, six top 10s

Average finish of 11.2

Average Running Position of 9.7, fourth-best

Driver Rating of 100.9, fifth-best

39 Fastest Laps Run, tied for fourth-most

205 Green Flag Passes, third-most

Average Green Flag Speed of 162.147 mph, fourth-fastest

640 Laps in the Top 15 (79.6%), fifth-most

126 Quality Passes, fifth-most

At Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

History

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 3, 1998 - won by Mark Martin.

The first NASCAR Nationwide Cup race was held on March 16, 1997 - won by Jeff Green.

The first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race was won by Jack Sprague on Nov. 3, 1996.

Notebook

There have been 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Seven drivers have participated in all 10 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin, Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek.

Dale Jarrett won the inaugural Coors Light Pole (Feb. 27, 1998).

Mark Martin won the inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race (March 1, 1998).

Seven drivers have posted poles, led by Dale Jarrett, Kasey Kahne and Bobby Labonte (two each).

Six different drivers have won, led by Jimmie Johnson (three).

Only three of the 10 races have been won from a top 10 starting position and none have been won from the pole.

Four of the 10 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: 2006 (270/267).

Jimmie Johnson has won the past three NASCAR Sprint Cup races. The most recent driver to win four consecutive races at a track was Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Talladega (fall 2001-fall 2003). The most recent driver to win four straight in the same event was Jeff Gordon in the Southern 500 at Darlington (1995-98).

Roush Fenway Racing had five drivers finish in the top 10 in the inaugural Las Vegas 400 in 1998. Five of the 10 race winners at Las Vegas were driving for Roush Fenway at the time: Mark Martin (1998), Jeff Burton (1999 and 2000), and Matt Kenseth (2003 and 2004).

The Local Flavor

There have been 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Nevada.

All-time, 19 drivers in NASCAR's three national series have their home state recorded as Nevada.

Las Vegas Speedway Data
Race # 3 of 36 (3-2-08)
Track Size: 1.5 miles

Race Length: 267 laps/400.5 miles

Banking/Corners: 20 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees

Driver Rating at Las Vegas
Jimmie Johnson 133.7
Jeff Gordon 114.1
Kyle Busch 108.7
Matt Kenseth 104.5
Tony Stewart 100.9
Mark Martin 97.0
Greg Biffle 95.5
Kurt Busch 94.1
Jeff Burton 93.6
Denny Hamlin 91.7

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2007 races (3 total) at Las Vegas.

Qualifying/Race Data
2007 pole winner: Kasey Kahne (184.856 mph, 29.212 seconds)
2007 race winner: Jimmie Johnson (128.183 mph, 3-11-07)
Track qualifying record: Kasey Kahne (184.856 mph, 29.212 seconds,
3-9-07)
Track race record: Mark Martin (146.554 mph, 3-1-98)

Estimated Pit Window: Every 50-55 laps, based on fuel mileage.

UAW-Dodge 400 HOT! Sheet

The first couple of races of the season have traditionally been a struggle for some reason for Tony Stewart. Last season, he placed 43rd in the season opener (Daytona 500) and the year before he went home 43rd in the second event (Auto Club 500). But this year has been way different. Counting the Shootout and the Duel, he has an average finish of 3rd place in four events. Add to that the fact that he has visited victory lane twice already in the Nationwide Series, and it is easy to see why we say he is a ‘must have’ on your roster.
It has been a real nice surprise to 2008 for Kasey Kahne owners. Thanks to his production (or lack thereof) last season when he ended the season 19th in the standings, he came at a pretty cheap price a couple of weeks ago. But a 7th place showing at Daytona and a 9th place finish on Monday at California has made his stock shoot way up. Get him now because he is looking like he is on the fast track back to he Chase for the Championship.

Like him or not, one of the drivers that has to be on your roster this weekend is Kyle Busch. No matter what he has driven in the early racing season, he has been a man on a mission: get to the front. Not only is he the leader in the Cup series with back-to-back 4th place finishes, he is also on top of the Truck series with a win and a runner-up showing. He is also 2nd in the Nationwide Series standings. Adding to all the aforementioned, he’s heading to his hometown track. Enough said.

The man at the very bottom of our sheet this week, Casey Mears, just can’t seem to catch a break in the early going. The new driver of the #5 car has qualified exceptionally well taking 9th at Daytona and 5th at California. The team was poised to take a top 5 in the first race but got caught up in an accident in the last 10 laps. On Sunday before the delay, he ran into some leaking water on the track and hit the wall hard and went home 42nd. Las Vegas has been pretty kind to him in the past, but until he can finish a race, we’d leave him on the bench.

Right above him this week is a guy who has disappointed fantasy racing players everywhere in the first two races, but it hasn’t really been his fault. Denny Hamlin won his Duel race and ended up leading 32 laps at Daytona but faded back to 17th at the end. Then, like Mears, he was also a victim of a slick spot on the track that forced him out for an extended period of time and eventually resulting in 41st place. He’s too good for us to sit, but he gets the ‘buyer beware’ label this week.

ProFantasySports.com

UAW-Dodge 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup series race
By Brian Hilderbrand

See that driver sitting on the pole for Sunday’s UAW-Dodge 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race? Forget him, he probably won’t win; no pole sitter ever has won the Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

In fact, only three of the 10 previous race winners in Las Vegas have done so from a top-10 starting position. Heck, Jimmie Johnson, who has won the past three races at the speedway, started 23rd last year, and Matt Kenseth won the 2004 race after starting 25th.

The driver who wins the pole Friday likely will be an afterthought by the time the checkered flag falls Sunday afternoon. But when NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series hits the track for its 11th annual visit to the 1.5-mile speedway, there will be plenty of story lines for fans to follow during the 267-lap race. Here are five of them:

The Car of Today

The newest version of NASCAR’s “stock” race car was rolled out last year and was used in 16 races — but this weekend it will have its racing debut on a 1.5-mile speedway. Based on its performance Sunday and Monday at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., the new car — with its distinctive front splitter and rear wing — should result in better racing at a track that too often has featured single-file racing.

“The side-by-side (racing) seems to be excellent and the draft that you get down the straightaways is really good,” Jeff Gordon noted following a two-day test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in January. “I’m hoping that those things create some great passing and overtaking and great racing.”

Tire troubles

Many Cup drivers were up in arms last year as a result of the reconfiguring and repaving of the track and the tire package Goodyear brought to Las Vegas to counter the new racing surface. Just as a fine wine improves with age, the speedway’s surface will be better this weekend after a year’s worth of weathering and use by the local driving schools.

“When we were out here for the test, it was already 50 percent better than it was last year,” said Steve Letarte, Jeff Gordon’s crew chief. “There will still probably be a few complaints this year but probably less than there were (last year), and I think in another year it’ll be as good as new (before the repaving).”

Kyle Busch

Busch, a Las Vegas native, clearly has been a man on a mission since the season opened two weeks ago in Daytona, Fla. Busch, who was let go by Hendrick Motorsports at the end of last season to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr., apparently is out to prove that team owner Rick Hendrick made a mistake.

Acknowledged as one of the most talented drivers in the Sprint Cup Series garage, Busch has fourth-place finishes in the first two Cup races this season, two runner-up finishes in the Nationwide Series events and a win and a second in two Truck Series races.

Look for Busch to score Toyota’s maiden victory in the Cup Series on Sunday.

Kurt Busch

Kyle’s older brother has said for years that a victory in his hometown race would mean as much as a Daytona 500 win. In seven career starts, Busch got the starting part down — his average starting position is 5.7 — but has had mixed results in the race.

He finished ninth in 2004 and third (to Kyle) in 2005 but struggled to a 26th-place showing last season.

Jimmie Johnson

It’s no secret why Johnson is the favorite among the local oddsmakers to win Sunday’s race: He’s won the past three races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he is coming off a strong performance in California, where he was the runner-up to Carl Edwards, and — oh, yeah — he is the two-time defending series champion.

Johnson’s 10 victories last season set the pace among Sprint Cup drivers.

lasvegassun.com