UAW Dodge 400 News and Notes

NASCAR notes: Teams may roll the dice in Vegas

NASCAR team reports as the Sprint Cup Series heads to its third race of the season, the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The event will be the first for NASCAR's new "Car of Today" body style on a 1½-mile track.
Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

This week: "Hometown Hero" Busch returns to Las Vegas atop both the Sprint Cup and NASCAR Craftsman Series and is second in the Nationwide Series. Busch has no wins, two top-five and three top-10 finishes in his four previous Cup starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and is primed to take Toyota to its first-ever victory in a Sprint Cup points race. Busch finished second here in 2005 and third in 2006. He was ninth in this race last March. ... Busch realizes it's a little early in the season to get excited about being the points leader of any series. "It doesn't mean much right now," Busch said. "If the championship was paid for — 'woo hoo, yay for us' — but we've still got 33 weeks left in this deal. We'll take it now and hopefully hold onto it for a while and keep battling with the 24 (Jeff Gordon), 48 (Jimmie Johnson) — we know they'll come back strong in the points. There are going to be some other contenders, too."

Last week: Busch had an impressive fourth-place finish in Monday's rain-delayed finish at California Speedway. "It's a good championship points day," he said. "It was pretty cool out there to run the way we did in our Interstate Batteries Toyota. Unfortunately we didn't have quite the car to get up there and contend with those boys at the end, but overall a good day and that's all we can ask for. We had a great race car, but not quite as good as those guys at the end. The 24 (Jeff Gordon), 48 (Jimmie Johnson) and 99 (Carl Edwards) were real strong; we knew that from the beginning and in practice."

Etc.: Busch drove to victory in Saturday's truck race and finished second to Tony Stewart in the Nationwide Series race, held Monday afternoon at the conclusion of the Cup race.

Ryan Newman, No. 12 Dodge, Penske Racing

This week: This year's Daytona 500 champion is another driver looking to score his first Cup points race victory at Vegas. He has no wins, one top-five (fourth in 2002) and four top-10 finishes in seven career starts. Newman won the pole there in 2005. "This has been the best start to a year in my Cup career, and I hope the team can continue that this weekend at Las Vegas," Newman said. "We have a lot of momentum, and we don't want to lose that. We had a good test at Las Vegas. That track is about being fast, getting the car to ride good and figuring out ways to create advantages that are becoming fewer and fewer over other teams. We learned a lot in the test, and we need to keep working on it in practice so we will be at our best for the race."

Last week: Newman scored his 100th career NASCAR Cup top-10 with a 10th-place finish at Fontana. "I couldn't wait to get home after the race at California," Newman said. "It has been a busy start to the season for us, and it doesn't look to be slowing down — but I'm not complaining. After winning Daytona, we did a week-long media tour and came straight to California, so it had been two weeks since I had been home. It was nice to get home, see my dogs, hang around my house and just catch my breath. It's the little things that you miss. It's been an amazing year for me so far, and I am so honored to represent NASCAR as the Daytona 500 champion, but it was nice to just be at home for a few days and get rested."

Etc.: Newman will drive chassis PRS-552, a brand new car for the Dodge team. It will turn its first laps at Las Vegas on Friday.

Tony Stewart, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

This week: Another top Sprint Cup driver looking for his first Vegas win, Stewart has four top-five finishes and six top-10s in nine starts there. He finished second in 2000, third in 2004 and had back-to-back fifth-place finishes in 2002 and 2003.

Last week: Stewart had quite a day at Fontana on Monday — a seventh-place finish in the Cup race followed by a victory in the Nationwide Series race. "It wasn't a big deal — that was easy," Stewart said of running two races back-to-back. "These cars (Nationwide) drove so much better than the ones we drove this morning — it was a lot more fun to drive these, obviously, because they handle so good compared to the Sprint Cup cars. We need a little work right now, in all honesty (on the Toyota engines in the Cup cars). They had some problems earlier in the week, and so they tamed them down for this week to make sure they would live and they did. I would rather make it live than take a chance on it being fast and not making it to the end here. That's part of the learning curve and part of the growing pains when you change like this — trying to find what you have to do, and some days you're not going to have it perfect. We'll get it there — it's just going to take a couple weeks."

Etc.: Stewart clinched the 1997 Indy Racing League championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when he was competing for Team Menard. One year earlier, Stewart suffered the most serious injury of his career when he had a broken pelvis in a turn 2 crash at LVMS in the IRL race — the first-ever event at the track.

Kurt Busch, No. 2 Dodge, Penske Racing

This week: NASCAR's "Mr. Las Vegas" heads back home hoping to continue his fine start to the 2008 season but would like to finally break into Victory Lane there. He has just one top-five finish — third in 2005 — and two top-10 finishes in seven Cup starts at the desert track. "If I was to win at Vegas on Sunday, oh man, I'd come unglued," Busch said. "It's my big race. A lot of people like going to Vegas, doing the race and the city in one huge weekend with so much going on. It's my hometown. I used to haul (rear) through that desert parking lot before the big track even existed after a race at the local short track. You know, I saw it built from the ground up. With the track being among the most popular venues we visit now, it'd be extra special to win this weekend. I want to win at all the tracks, and hopefully I'll be around long enough to win at most of them. But Vegas is No. 1 on my hit list right now."

Last week: Busch is coming off a 13th-place finish at Fontana.

Etc.: Busch's visit to his souvenir trailer at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday will mark the 248th time in the last 251 races that he has been out on race day mornings to meet the fans and sign autographs. This tradition began during his first full year (2001) on the Cup circuit. He is tentatively scheduled to be at his souvenir trailer from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

This week: Edwards is hoping to do another celebratory back flip by duplicating his victory at Fontana but has just one top-10 finish in three career starts at Vegas. He was sixth in 2007, 26th in 2006 and 14th in 2005. But after getting off to a fast start, Edwards is hopeful his team has closed the gap on Hendrick Motorsports. "I hope that this is a sign that were up to their standards, to their level," he said. "I believe we are. I know that last year I would not have traded my car in for one of theirs at any of the COT races towards the end of the year. I thought we had the best car. Everyone knows, all the drivers know, for sure, it's what you're sitting in a lot of the times that makes that tiny little bit of difference. I'm proud to be driving this car. I'm proud of what Jack (Roush, the team's co-owner) and Bob (Osborne, the crew chief) and all the engineers did last year when we saw how far behind we were. That reaction and the action that came after that is what got us here."

Last week: Edwards had to wait nearly 24 hours from start to finish to earn his victory at Fontana, the eighth Cup win of his career. "I told my guys that we've got them right where we got 'em," Edwards said. "This is what we prepared for. The tougher it gets, the more competitive it is. If we had a 55-hour red flag, we're still going to go out there and race as hard as possible. That's what we prepare for. That's what I prepare for. I enjoy that kind of stuff."

Etc.: Edwards' victory at Fontana was the 585th triumph for Ford in the Cup Series.

Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Dodge, Gillett Evernham Motorsports

This week: Kahne has two poles at Vegas, but his best finish there came in his rookie season in 2004 when he was second. He faltered to 38th the next year, then bounced back for a fourth-place in 2006 and was 35th in 2007. "Las Vegas is a fun track and a pretty fun place to visit," Kahne said. "As far as the track goes, it has went through some changes, but I expect the racing will be even better this year. It should be interesting with this new car there this weekend. We felt pretty good about the test we had there in January, and we had a good race in California going before that last pit stop and the car got too loose." He is taking the same car to Las Vegas this weekend.

Last week: Kahne is coming off a ninth-place finish at California. "I think the race in California gave us a lot of confidence and gave us an idea that we are heading in the right direction," Kahne said. "The team did a lot of work in the offseason to make our cars better, and it felt like that work paid off at California. We're probably off to the best start we've ever had after two top-10 finishes, so we feel like we have a little momentum. We are racing the California car this week in Vegas, and hopefully we'll see more of the same this week."

Etc.: Kahne has led at least one lap during three of the four races in which he has competed at Las Vegas, for a total of 57 laps led.

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: Harvick has one top-five (fifth in 2005) and two top-10s, including an eighth in his rookie season of 2001, in seven Las Vegas starts. The preseason test at Vegas in January has Harvick confident he can break into the winner's column. "We felt really good at Vegas," he said. "We made a lot of long runs and did not have any tire issues. The car ran really well right off the truck, and it was comfortable to drive. I think Vegas is going to be another one of those race tracks where the groove is going to move around. You are going to be able to run at the bottom, middle and top and really move your car around on the race track. The runs are going slow to down as the track temperatures go up in the afternoon. I think Vegas is going to be a really good race for us."

Last week: Harvick was eighth at Fontana.

Etc.: Harvick has not recorded a DNF (did not finish) in 46 consecutive races. Harvick's last DNF was at Dover in September (2006). Additionally, he has run 85 consecutive point-paying races without crashing out of a single one. Combined, Harvick has gone 150 points races in NASCAR's two top divisions without crashing out.

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: Finally, here is a driver who not only has won at Las Vegas, he's going for an unprecedented four in a row at this track. Johnson's Vegas winning streak started with a victory in 2005. He duplicated the feat the past two years to give him a .500 winning percentage in his six career starts here. "It would be great to get that fourth win, but we won't approach this weekend any differently than we would at a track where we've never won," Johnson said. "We go into every weekend hoping to win, but so does every other team out there. I have every confidence in the equipment and the crew to get the job done, but anyone who's ever been to Vegas will tell you you've got to have some luck on your side, too. If you've ever watched a poker tournament on TV, you know even the most experienced players can get beat. We won't take anything for granted. At the Vegas test, you could really attack with the car. It seemed like the track was getting a middle lane, if not an outside lane. So as we get into that weekend and all that activity on track, I hope that the track really widens out. I think it's going to be a better show for us to put on because we can really be aggressive with the cars. At California Speedway, there's not a lot of banking to tiptoe around, but at Vegas you can really charge."

Last week: Johnson's second-place finish on Monday was a good turnaround from his Daytona disappointment. "I'm excited to take what we learned today — actually, the last four or five days we've been here ... seems like a month we've been here — take that to Vegas and improve on it," Johnson said. "Good rebound from Daytona. We'll roll on."

Etc.: In six Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Johnson has completed all 1,605 laps of competition. He owns three victories, three top-five and four top-10 finishes. His average starting spot is 13.7 and average finish is 6.0, and he's won more than $1.5 million in Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sprint Cup Series events.

Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

This week: Biffle is still searching for his first top-five at Vegas. His best finish, sixth, came in 2005, and he was eighth in 2006. Those are his only two top-10s in four Cup starts there. He is a strong believer in momentum and how a good run at Daytona and California can carry through to the other races at the start of the season. "Yes, 100%, absolutely," Biffle said. "You'll see a guy get a pole or have a good run, and then it plays over to the next week and weeks to come. But, definitely our run last week was what we needed. I've replayed that race over 100 times in my head, and I'm glad I've finally forgotten about it now because I feel like we could've won that 500. I was in position to win the 500, in position to get a top-five, which would've been better than a top-10. But I've accepted the fact we got 10th and it was a great finish and to come here top 10 in points, at a race track where we run good at and go next week to a track we run good and so on. So, I'm pretty happy, you know? And I think the momentum is on our side, definitely."

Last week: Biffle was 15th at Fontana.

Etc.: With a race that started on Sunday and ended on Monday, Biffle felt as if he had competed in a marathon last weekend. "It felt like the 24 Hours of Daytona or something," he said.

Jeff Burton, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: Burton earned back-to-back Vegas victories in 1999 and 2000, including a thrilling, wheel-to-wheel finish competing against older brother Ward in 1999. Jeff has three top-fives and six top-10 finishes in 10 starts at LVMS, but he laments one that got away last year, when he was stopped by engine failure. "In my heart, I believe we had the Cup Series race won," Burton said. "We had an engine failure late in the race. I look back on that weekend and think that we had a chance to do something really special. I won the Nationwide Series race the day before, and I thought we truly had a chance to win both races and hope that I can do that this year. I think we learned a lot (from last month's test), and we definitely have a good starting point. I think a lot is going to change between now and then. The track is going to be slicker and will have more rubber on it. The track is definitely going to change, but I think we're going to be in pretty good shape."

Last week: Burton was 12th at Fontana.

Etc.: Burton emphasized the importance of a race driver and team to excel on the 1½-mile tracks on the schedule. "The way the points are paid and with so many mile-and-a-half and two-mile tracks on the schedule, it's important to have a solid intermediate program," he said. "If not, then you don't have a chance of competing for the championship. So it's a part of the program that we have worked exceptionally hard on."

Brian Vickers, No. 83 Toyota, Red Bull Racing

This week: Vickers finished 22nd last year at Las Vegas, his best finish in three Cup starts at the track. "We qualified well (10th) a year ago, so I feel pretty good about how the weekend will go this time around," said Vickers, who is one of the drivers who does not have a guaranteed starting spot in the 400 since he was outside the top 35 at the end of the 2007 season.

Last week: After ending up 11th at Fontana for his second top-12 finish of the young season, Vickers said, "That was definitely the best finish we could get today. I gave it all I had. Truth be told, we probably had a 20th or so place car, but through great pit strategy (two tires on the final stop), we came out with a solid finish. I'm very happy with our finish."

Etc.: Crew chief Kevin Hamlin is delighted with how well he and Vickers are working together. "This is my second race working with Brian, and so far we are off to a good start," said Hamlin. "This team really seems to be clicking. Today (at Fontana) we had a smooth race, good decisions, and the pit crew did a fantastic job."

Martin Truex Jr., No. 1 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.

This week: Truex has finished 20th and 12th, respectively, in his two Cup starts at Vegas, but he's convinced he will run a lot better this weekend. "They (his team) give me a lot of confidence going to the race track each week with the cars they build and the job they are able to do," said Truex.

Last week: While Truex was pleased with his sixth-place finish in the marathon event, he felt things would have been even better if the race had been run Sunday night. "I thought our car was better suited to the cooler conditions," said Truex. "It felt like as the race went on last night, we got better and the competition got worse. (Monday) we were pretty free pretty much all day with the sun."

Etc.: Truex spoke for a lot of people when he said "it feels like we've been here (Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.) for two weeks! I tell you what, I feel for NASCAR. They've had their hands full. They got ripped pretty hard for (Sunday) night (the controversial start to the rain-delayed 500), but they were trying to get the race in."

CUT-OFF FOR THE "CHASE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP"

Elliott Sadler, No. 19 Dodge, Gillett Evernham Motorsports

This week: Sadler has only one top-10 finish in nine starts at Las Vegas, but he believes things will be different this weekend — he had the sixth-best time in the Vegas test in late January. "We were really pleased with what we learned and how our car handled," said Sadler.

Last week: Sadler fell six spots in the point standings after finishing 24th at Fontana. "The track was a lot slicker today (Monday) than it was (Sunday) with the all the rain and the lack of racing on it," said Sadler. "It was a frustrating day for us; we just missed the set-up a little bit. We just kept losing the rear grip in the car as the race went on today."

Etc.: Sadler believes the Fontana event and the next two races on the schedule — Vegas and Atlanta — will help tell every team just where they are in figuring out the COT. "Talk to me after Atlanta and I'll tell you where we need to be to compete (with the other teams)," said Sadler.

Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: Gordon will be seeking his fourth straight top-five finish at Vegas. A year ago, he finished second behind teammate Jimmie Johnson. Gordon scored his lone win at the track in 2001. "I think track position is going to be very important (this weekend), and I think that's going to be the trend going forward with this car," said Gordon.

Last week: Gordon dominated the Sunday part of the rain-delayed Fontana race, leading five times for 57 of the 87 laps run. But when the race was resumed on Monday, Gordon wasn't as strong and led only twice for 11 laps on his way to a third-place finish. "Nobody was going to beat Carl Edwards today," said Gordon, who suffered engine failure on the last lap but was still able to coast across the finish line as the race ended under the yellow flag.

Etc.: With his third-place finish at Fontana, Gordon jumped 24 spots in the standings and is only 40 points out of the top 10. ... Gordon admitted he was "very lucky" at the end of the Auto Club 500. "We blew up coming off turn two (on the last lap) just as the caution came out. Thank goodness we had a little luck on our side today," he said.

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

This week: Kenseth has five straight top-eight finishes at Las Vegas, including two wins and a second. He has led 368 laps at the 1.5-mile track, or 110 laps more than any other driver. ... Kenseth will run the same car he ran at Fontana. It also is the car he tested at both Vegas and Fontana. "I've always enjoyed racing at Las Vegas," he said. "It's a cool place to visit, and the track is a top-notch facility."

Last week: Kenseth was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop early in the Auto Club 500 to have debris removed from his grill, which caused the car to overheat. He rebounded from this early problem to finish fifth for his sixth straight top-seven finish at Fontana as he moved up 19 spots in the standings. "I'm glad it's over," said Kenseth after the Monday finish. "To me, it seems like it was longer than Michigan last year when we raced on Tuesday."

Etc.: Crew chief Chip Bolin believes Vegas will "lend itself to a pit-strategy game because the tires won't fall off much over the course of a run, and you'll see guys taking on two tires or no tires toward the end of the race for track position."

Bobby Labonte, No. 43 Dodge, Petty Enterprises

This week: Labonte has two top-10 finishes in 10 starts at Vegas. He is one of three drivers with two pole positions at the track. No one has won three. "Las Vegas is a track that has been good to me over the years," said Labonte. "The track changes have made it into a place that has multiple grooves for passing."

Last week: After finishing a disappointing 25th at Fontana, Labonte noted that "everyone is trying new front-end stuff with shocks and springs in order to get this car to turn. Last year it was coil-binding the front springs. Now we're working with bump stops on the front shocks. We're working hard to get a grasp of this, but we missed a little bit somewhere today."

Etc.: Labonte and crew chief Jeff Meendering spent time this week days riding snowmobiles at Richard Petty's ranch in Wyoming. "We just wanted to get away from the track and get to know each other better," said Labonte. "Jeff is going to be a top-notch crew chief in the business for a long time."

Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

This week: In two starts at Las Vegas, Sorenson's best finish is 31st. For that reason, he said, "we're just going to try to be smooth in everything we do and try to be smart in practice, in qualifying and be consistent over the weekend and get a top-15 finish and we'll be happy."

Last week: It was a really long weekend for Sorenson after getting caught up in one of the early accidents in the rain-delayed Auto Club 500. His car suffered heavy damage in the wreck and spent considerable time in the garage area before he was able to return to the race. Sorenson ended up 37th, 10 laps back of winner Carl Edwards. As a result, Sorenson dropped from fifth to 17th in the standings.

Etc.: With teammates such as Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti, Sorenson doesn't receive a lot of attention. Sorenson knows the only way to change that is "by running good. That's what our media plan is, so if you do that, media attention will follow."

David Reutimann, No. 00 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing

This week: Reutimann failed to qualify for the Cup race at Vegas in 2007. But he believes things will be different this year even though he is one of the drivers who have to run fast enough in qualifying on Friday to earn a spot in the starting field. "Our team is a lot better," he said.

Last week: Reutimann finished 23rd in the Auto Club 500 after struggling with an ill-handling race car. "We danced around a little bit of a problem that we had that the car didn't like," said Reutimann. "When we finally got the adjustment that addressed the situation, which was really, really loose in (the corner), then the car was too tight. We had to go back and start undoing the stuff that we had done to make it tighter."

Etc.: "I'm pretty pleased with the stuff we learned (at the Vegas and Fontana tests) and the gains we've made in our whole program," said Reutimann. "I'm encouraged by what I saw (during the two test sessions)."

Clint Bowyer, No. 07 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: Bowyer is still looking for his first top-10 finish at Vegas; his best in two Cup starts there is 15th. He does have two top-10 finishes in three Nationwide Series events at the track. Bowyer is also looking for his first top-10 finish of the 2008 season, which has not begun as well as he had hoped.

Last week: After running in the top 10 during the Sunday portion of the rain-delayed event at Fontana, Bowyer was surprised with how off his car was on Monday when the event was completed. "It was like night and day," Bowyer said after his 19th-place finish. "We were good at night and not so good in the daytime."

Etc.: Bowyer, who finished a surprising third a year ago behind Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, admits the pressure is on his team "to back up" what they did in 2007. "It's started over again," said Bowyer. "Can they (his team) do it again? I definitely feel more pressure this year than I did last year."

Scott Riggs, No. 66 Chevrolet, Haas CNC Racing

This week: Riggs' best finish in four Cup starts at Vegas is his 23rd a year ago. "Vegas is a tough track," he said. "It's a lot like California, but narrower, so there is less side-by-side racing."

Last week: Although he finished just out of the top 20 (in 21st place), Riggs was pleased with how his weekend went at Fontana. "We need to get off to a good start to make sure we are in the top 35 (in the point standings) after five races, and today really helped us along those lines," said Riggs, who stands 20th after two events.

Etc.: Riggs believes the team "learned a lot at California that will help us be better at Las Vegas. We'll continue to work hard and grow as a team." Riggs joined the organization after the end of the 2007 season.

OTHERS

David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Yates Racing

This week: Gilliland finished 21st last year at Las Vegas in his first Cup start at the 1.5-mile speedway. "I thought out test was actually better at Vegas than it was at California, so I'm real, real excited about going back to Vegas," said Gilliland. "We feel we can have an even better day than we had at California."

Last week: Gilliland was all smiles after his 17th-place finish at Fontana as he moved up seven spots in the standings. "We're real, real happy," he said. "I thought we were competitive all day, and that's important for us."

Etc.: Gilliland believes his top-20 run at Fontana was the kind of run the team needed. "I think as a whole Yates Racing showed a lot of promise today, and that's what we need to do to get more sponsors," said Gilliland.

Jamie McMurray, No. 26 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

This week: McMurray finished 10th a year ago at Las Vegas for his second top-10 in five starts at the track. He will be driving the same car that he tested there earlier this year. "After our test session at Vegas, I'm really looking forward to the race this weekend," said McMurray.

Last week: McMurray seemed headed for a top-10 finish until he almost spun out with 12 laps to go. "I thought we were going to have a great finish there at the end," he said after finishing 22nd. "Larry (Carter, crew chief) made a great call (for two tires) that put us in position to finish in the top 10. When I went into turn four (on lap 239), the car got really loose on me and started to come around. I was able to save it, but I lost a ton of positions in the end."

Etc.: McMurray experienced an once-in-a-lifetime thrill earlier this month when he was invited to fly with the Thunderbirds. Following the flight, McMurray said, "I can't believe we just did what we did. What a thrill to be able to fly with some of the greatest pilots in the world."

Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: In eight starts at Vegas, Earnhardt has only two top-10 finishes. But he did finish second in 2003, when he led 97 laps. Earnhardt will be racing a new car this weekend. "Instead of running the car we tested, we decided to build a new car based on the data we collected," said crew chief Tony Eury Jr.

Last week: Earnhardt was one of the drivers who thought NASCAR should not have started the Fontana race after a long weekend of rain and problems with the race track. And after getting caught up in an accident when teammate Casey Mears hit a wet spot and hit the wall, then spun back into Earnhardt, he said, "The track ain't ready today (Sunday). This was a bad move." Earnhardt finished 40th to drop from eighth to 23rd in the standings.

Etc.: Eury said he is not "concerned about the tires (this weekend) as much as I am on how tight the car will get throughout the race. We will just have to see how practice and the race shake out."

Mark Martin, No. 8 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.

This week: Martin has three top-six finishes in the last four races at Las Vegas. In 10 starts at the facility, he has earned eight top-10 finishes, including a win in the first Cup race at the track in 1997. Martin also has two victories in four Nationwide races at Vegas.

Last week: Martin had high hopes for the 700th start of his illustrious career, but things didn't work out as he had envisioned and he finished 16th at Fontana. "The car just wasn't as good in the race as we had hoped," said Martin. "I have to take the blame for that. We just missed the set-up, and that falls on my shoulders. We had a great test out here, but I must have misjudged somewhere along the way."

Etc.: After not running as well as expected at Fontana, Martin admits "we definitely have our work cut out for us heading into Vegas this weekend. I have to do a better job of figuring out what the car needs."

Dale Jarrett, No. 44 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing

This week: Jarrett scored three top-10 finishes in his first five starts at Las Vegas. But in his last five races there, his best finish is 11th. A year ago, he ended up 33rd. "Michael Waltrip Racing had a pretty good test at Vegas in January, so hopefully we will be in good shape this weekend," said Jarrett, who will retire as a driver later this spring.

Last week: It was not the kind of day that Jarrett hoped to have in his last start at Fontana as tire problems and a late-race spin left him in 33rd place. As a result, Jarrett dropped nine spots in the standings. "The track got real slick, and we were just off all day," said Jarrett, who spun on the final lap of the race to bring out the 12th and final caution flag of the event.

Etc.: With David Reutimann taking over as the driver of the UPS Toyota after the fifth race of the season, Jarrett hopes to make "life a little easier" for his teammate by being solidly in the top 35 at that point. Jarrett is 25th in the standings after two events.

usatoday.com

Driver Handicaps: Las Vegas
Racingone.com

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Sunday's UAW-Dodge 400. RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 267-lap event.

Who's HOT at Las Vegas
# Jimmie Johnson has won the last three Sprint Cup events.
# Matt Kenseth has a 3.2 average finish in the last five races, which includes two wins, plus he has led the most laps of any driver with 368 in seven starts.
# Jeff Burton has the best average finish (11.0) among all drivers that have entered every event.
# Mark Martin leads all drivers with eight top 10s.
# Kyle Busch has a 4.7 average finish in his last three starts.
# Jeff Gordon is coming off three consecutive top-five finishes.

Keep an Eye on at Las Vegas
# Kasey Kahne was solid in Preseason Thunder and posted one of the best laps in Las Vegas testing.
# Tony Stewart has an 11.2 average finish in nine starts at Las Vegas.
# Carl Edwards will be driving a car that is similar to his California winning chassis.
# Kurt Busch has the best average start (5.7) among all drivers with more than five starts.

Testing Report
Back in January, Juan Pablo Montoya jumped to the top of the speed charts in the final session of testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after he turned a lap of 186.761 mph in his No. 42A Dodge. Montoya was one of six drivers, four of which were driving a Dodge, to run faster than Kasey Kahne's 2007 qualifying record of 184.856 mph. Testing Speeds

Track Performers
With the old car, the Hendrick Motorsports teammates of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson lead all drivers with nine wins each on tracks exactly 1.5-miles in length. Mark Martin and Tony Stewart are tied for second with seven wins a piece. Jeff Burton rounds out the top five in wins with six. Martin leads all drivers with 47 top-10 finishes, followed by Gordon with 45. Ryan Newman is the current pole leader on 1.5-mile tracks with 11. In 2007, Gordon and Matt Kenseth led all drivers that have made all eight starts on 1.5-mile tracks in finishing average at 9.1 and 11.5, respectively.

Las Vegas Rookie Report
Regan Smith is the only Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate that has competed in a NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Smith has posted an average finish of 32.0 in three Nationwide starts. Rookie Standings

Qualifying Tidbits
Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte and Dale Jarrett are tied for the pole lead, with two, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Last year, Kahne reset his own qualifying record with a lap of 184.856 mph. Jimmie Johnson won two of the last three Las Vegas races from a top-10 starting position, and Matt Kenseth's 2004 victory came from the furthest starting position - 25th. Past Pole Winners | Starting Positions of Las Vegas Winners

RacingOne Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Kyle Busch - A major factor to sweep the weekend, so bet on him, and 18 on the Roulette tables.
Pete Pistone: Matt Kenseth - Johnson's Vegas streak has to end sometime and Kenseth looked very strong in the COT's intermediate track debut in Fontana.
Rachael West: Tony Stewart - Las Vegas is the only 1.5-mile track on the circuit that he hasn't won at, but come Sunday that won't be true.
Kym Opalenik: Kasey Kahne - Looking to back-up a good run at California and give Dodge a win in the race they are sponsoring.

Additional Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings

1. Kyle Busch (Points: 335): Busch has finished second, third and ninth, respectively, in his last three Sprint Cup 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. This weekend Busch will be making his first track start driving a Toyota.

2. Ryan Newman (Points Behind: -6): Newman rebounded from a 43rd-place finish in 2006 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with an eighth-place finish last season. In 2005, Newman earned his only pole at LVMS marking his fourth consecutive start at the track of fifth or better. His best finish, of fourth, came in 2002, the year that Newman captured NASCAR Rookie-of-the-Year honors. This weekend Newman will be behind the wheel of a brand new car (chassis No. PRS-552).

3. Tony Stewart (Points Behind: -19): Stewart has posted six top-10 finishes in nine 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. Stewart, who finished seventh last year in this event, will be driving a new car (chassis No. 194) that was tested at both California and Vegas.

4. Kurt Busch (Points Behind: -36): Busch finished 16th and 26th, respectively, in his two 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 (5.7) among all drivers with more than five starts at LVMS, will be racing chassis No. PSC-526 this weekend. This is a new car that was tested at Las Vegas in January and Atlanta last fall.

5. Carl Edwards (Points Behind: -39): Edwards is coming off his first top 10 (sixth) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Sprint Cup Series. This weekend Edwards will be shooting for a second consecutive win driving a brand new chassis (RK-558) that is similar to his California car.

6. Kasey Kahne (Points Behind: -41): 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, dropping it to 19.8. This weekend Kahne will be back in the same car that finished ninth at California last weekend.

7. Kevin Harvick (Points Behind: -67): 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 best finish (fifth) at LVMS. 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 15.7 finishing average, will race the same chassis (No. 235) that was tested at LVMS in January.

8. Jimmie Johnson (Points Behind: -68): Johnson has won the last three Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 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 will make his 222nd career start, has four top-10 finishes in five starts at Vegas. In 2004, Johnson posted his worst finish (16th) at LVMS after making contact with the No. 4 car on pit road. This weekend Johnson will be piloting a new car (chassis No. 48419) that was tested at Gateway International Raceway in 2007.

9. Greg Biffle (Points Behind: -73): Biffle has posted an average finish of 10.0 in his last three starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His overall finishing average is 17.5 thanks to a 40th-place finish in 2004 due to engine problems. This weekend Biffle will pilot a brand new car (chassis RK-546) that was tested at Vegas and California.

10. Jeff Burton (Points Behind: -74): At 11.0, 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 and 15th, respectively, Burton will make his fourth start at LVMS in an RCR Chevrolet. Burton, who led his first laps (4) with RCR at LVMS last year, will be behind the wheel of a brand new car (chassis No. 239).

11. Brian Vickers (Points Behind: -78): After failing to qualify last year, Vickers will be looking to make his first start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Team Red Bull. Vickers' best finish at LVMS came with Hendrick Motorsports in 2006 when he finished 23rd. In 2005, he finished dead last after Dale Earnhardt Jr. clipped him early in the race.

12. Martin Truex Jr. (Points Behind: -82): Last year, Truex Jr. posted his best finish (12th) in his second start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He also led his first laps (2) at the 1.5-mile speedway.

13. Elliott Sadler (Points Behind: -94): In 2004, Sadler scored his only top 10 in nine starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after he came home sixth. In six of his eight other starts, Sadler has finished 20th or worse with two outside the top 40. His career average finish at Vegas is 25.2. Last year Sadler finished 14th in his first track start with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.

14. Jeff Gordon (Points Behind: -114): Gordon captured his fifth top five at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in this event last season 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. In 2003, Gordon led 53 laps before an accident relegated him to 37th, his worst finish and only DNF at Vegas.

15. Matt Kenseth (Points Behind: -115): Kenseth has averaged a 3.2 finish in his last five starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, that includes back-to-back wins in 2003 and 2004. His overall 7.6 finishing average at LVMS is third among all drivers. Kenseth, who has led the most laps at Vegas with 368, will be behind the wheel of the same car (chassis RK-473) that led 192 laps before finishing 35th with a mechanical failure at Dover in 2007.

16. Bobby Labonte (Points Behind: -117): Labonte enjoyed some success in his first eight starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway capturing two poles and four top 10s with Joe Gibbs Racing. His last two starts have come with his current team, Petty Enterprises, where's he scored a 30th and 13th-place finish.

17. Reed Sorenson (Points Behind: -123): Sorenson has the worst average finish (35.5) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway among all drivers with two or more starts. His best finish came last year in 31st.

18. David Reutimann (Points Behind: -132): Reutimann failed to qualify for his first Sprint Cup start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2007.

19. Clint Bowyer (Points Behind: -133): Bowyer has yet to post a top-10 finish in two starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This weekend he will be racing a brand new car (chassis No. 241) in the UAW-Dodge 400.

20. Scott Riggs (Points Behind: -135): Riggs' best finish in four starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway came last season when he came home 23rd in the No. 10 Dodge. This weekend he will be back in a Chevrolet for the third time at the track. Riggs led one lap in his first start in 2004 on his way to a 29th-place finish.

21. David Gilliland (Points Behind: -144): Last year, Gilliland finished 21st in his only Sprint Cup start at Las vegas Motor Speedway. This weekend he will drive the same car (chassis No. 506) that he tested at Vegas earlier this season.

22. Jamie McMurray (Points Behind: -148): McMurray is coming off his second top 10 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after finishing 10th. In 2006, McMurray finished 23rd in his first track start in a Ford with Roush Fenway Racing. 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. RK-551) that tested at LMVS.

23. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Points Behind: -149): Earnhardt Jr. has one runner-up finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2003. That year he led 97 of 145 career laps led at the 1.5-mile speedway. 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. Last year, Junior started 11th and finished 28th in his last track start with DEI. This weekend Dale Jr. will race a brand new chassis (No. 88-488) in the UAW-Dodge 400.

24. Mark Martin (Points Behind: -150): 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 11.2 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 eight top-10 finishes at LVMS, will be making his second start in a Chevrolet at the track.

25. Dale Jarrett (Points Behind: -151): Jarrett, the inaugural Las Vegas pole winner, is tied with Kasey and Bobby Labonte for most poles (two) at the 1.5-mile track. His best finish in eight starts came in 2001 when he finished second after starting from the pole. Jarrett has five finishes of eleventh or better and an overall average of 17.3. This weekend will mark his second start with Michael Waltrip Racing, and last of his career, at Las Vegas.

27. Juan Pablo Montoya (Points Behind: -165): Montoya posted the fastest lap (186.761 mph) in testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in January. Last year he finished 22nd in his first start the track.

30. David Ragan (Points Behind: -177): Ragan looks to turn around his luck this weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Last year he finished 37th in the Cup race and then crashed during testing this season. The No. 6 Team will unload a new car (chassis RK-561) for the UAW-Dodge 400.

31. Denny Hamlin (Points Behind: -178): Las Vegas Motor Speedway is Hamlin's best 1.5-mile speedway on the circuit based on his 6.5 average finish. Last year he finished third after a decision to stay out when the final caution flew on lap 252. This weekend Hamlin will pilot chassis No. 204 for the first time.

32. Robby Gordon (Points Behind: -179): Gordon has raced in eight Sprint Cup races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with four different teams. His best finish came in 2006 when he piloted his own No. 7 machine home to a 12th-place finish. The only time Gordon has led a lap(s) at Vegas came in his first start in 2000 when he led eight circuits behind the wheel of the No. 13 Ford.

42. Casey Mears (Points Behind: -240): Up until last season, Mears has enjoyed a solid track record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Although Mears has yet to lead a lap, he scored three consecutive finishes of ninth or better with Chip Ganassi Racing from 2004-2006. His 40th-place finish in 2007 came in his first track start with Hendrick Motorsports. This weekend Mears will pilot the same car (chassis No. 418) that finished fifth at Dover in 2007 with driver Kyle Busch.

Kahne wants to recapture magic on track

He led NASCAR's top series with six wins in 2006, but a crash in Las Vegas led to a dismal 2007.

LAS VEGAS -- After Kasey Kahne stunned NASCAR's top series in 2006 with a series-high six wins in only his third full season, the sport could only wonder how strong he would be in 2007.

Kahne, a soft-spoken native of Enumclaw, Wash., whose wide-eyed boyish looks have made him a NASCAR heartthrob, had the same high expectations.

But in the third race of 2007, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kahne -- who started on the pole -- crashed into the wall when his No. 9 Dodge blew a tire. He finished 35th.

Looking back, "that was kind of the year at that point," Kahne recalled.

Indeed, the rest of the season was misery for Kahne, 27, as his Gillett Evernham Motorsports team couldn't find the formula to give Kahne enough speed.

He finished 19th in points, had only one top-five finish in 36 races and missed the Chase for the Cup title playoff.

And in a fitting end to his dreary year, Kahne got into a scuffle with a security guard while trying to get to his motor coach during the weekend of the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

But Kahne is trying to bounce back, and he returns to Las Vegas for the UAW-Dodge 400 on Sunday after respectable finishes in the first two races this year -- seventh in the Daytona 500 and ninth last weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

Qualifying is scheduled today for Sunday's race on the 1.5-mile Las Vegas oval, a race reigning Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has won the last three years.

"We felt pretty good about the test [last month] we had in California and Las Vegas," Kahne said. "We learned a lot and hopefully that works to our favor."

Regardless, "I try to look at the bright side, try to make things right," he said. "Even last year when we were struggling, going into every Sunday, I thought, 'Hey, we can run good today.' "

But he didn't. And as his season deteriorated, team co-owner Ray Evernham said Kahne wasn't at fault.

Rather, the team struggled to keep up -- both in terms of aerodynamics and horsepower -- with such winning teams as Hendrick Motorsports.

The problem applied to both its conventional race cars and the new Car of Tomorrow, which NASCAR began phasing in last year.

But with that car now the only car in the series, Kahne and Evernham are more optimistic because the team can concentrate on just the one Dodge.

"Things are definitely different this year with Evernham as far as the structure and the plan that's set there to make the cars right, to make them handle for a while, not just for a week," Kahne said.

Kahne also has a new main sponsor in Budweiser beer, which moved from Dale Earnhardt Jr. when Earnhardt moved to Hendrick this season.

Kahne's rivals could empathize with his struggle.

"If the car isn't fast enough to make the Chase, then you're not going to make it," said Juan Pablo Montoya.

"Look at Kasey Kahne. Did he forget how to drive? No, he drove better than he did the year before. But the car wasn't fast enough."

Kahne started racing when he was 14 in both midget and sprint cars. He won the USAC Midget Series championship in 2000.

Two years later he landed a ride in NASCAR's second-tier circuit, now called the Nationwide Series, and earned his first win in the season finale at Homestead-Miami.

After Evernham promoted him to the Cup level in 2004, he was strong from the start. Kahne had 13 top-five finishes that season and was named rookie of the year.

He scored his initial Cup win, at Richmond, Va., in 2005 and then led the series with his six victories in 2006. He also made the Chase in 2006 -- and finished eighth -- while earning $7.8 million in race winnings.

In the process, the relatively shy Kahne became one of NASCAR's most popular drivers, aided by his TV commercials for Allstate Insurance that feature adoring women excited at the prospect of seeing him. A new batch of the ads is scheduled to air during Sunday's race.

latimes.com

Bettors are racing to sports books to back Nevadans against Tar Heel drivers on Sunday

Of the myriad betting propositions on Sunday’s UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, one best reflects the ever-changing NASCAR landscape.

It’s available at the sports books at all Station Casinos properties, and it pits drivers from Nevada against drivers from North Carolina in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race. Winning wagers will be determined by which group has the better finish in the race.

“Traditionally you think of North Carolina as the epicenter of everything having to do with NASCAR,” said oddsmaker Micah Roberts, sports book director at Sunset Station, who created the prop. “But if you think about it some more, there are really only five drivers currently in North Carolina, whereas 15 years ago there probably would have been 20 drivers.”

Because the prop relies on NASCAR’s official listing of the drivers’ hometowns, bettors backing Nevada have Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch working for them, and North Carolina bettors get Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett, Kyle Petty, Scott Riggs and Brian Vickers.

Impressed by the performance of Kyle Busch this season — he finished fourth in the Daytona 500 and fourth in the Auto Club 500 — bettors have been playing the Nevada side of the prop. After opening at minus-110 (risk $1.10 to win $1), the Nevada side has been bet up to minus-160.

“It really illustrates the whole transition of NASCAR, how it has gone global from its roots as a regional sport,” Roberts said. “There are a lot of talented drivers from west of the Mississippi — California, Nevada, Washington state — places that never used to be considered NASCAR-friendly.”

Four of the five North Carolina drivers, in fact, are long-shot bets to win Sunday’s race: Riggs at 75-1, Vickers at 75-1, Jarrett at 100-1 and Petty at 500-1.

Kurt Busch is a 17-1 shot, with Roberts predicting a 12th- to 18th-place finish for him, so the wager could come down to Kyle Busch (an 11-1 shot) against Earnhardt Jr. (13-1).

In betting to win the race, gamblers have been backing Jimmie Johnson, looking for his fourth consecutive victory in the Las Vegas race, and former champ Jeff Gordon, according to Roberts.

The odds on Johnson, the race favorite, have dropped from 7-1 to 6-1 and Gordon’s odds have dropped from 8-1 to 7-1 at Station books, Roberts said.

lasvegassun.com

Busch pleases hometown crowd with pole win

Las Vegas, NV (Sports Network) - To the delight of the fans, Las Vegas native Kyle Busch captured the pole for Sunday's UAW-Dodge 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The No.18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver circled the variable- banked, 1.5-mile speedway in 29.613 seconds (182.352 m.p.h.).

The pole victory was Busch's first of the season and third of his Sprint Cup career. His last pole was in 2006 at Phoenix.

"That was pretty awesome," said Busch. "It was a little tight, but I just drove through the tightness...luckily it sucked good enough to where we were able to clear all the walls and not hit anything."

Starting alongside Busch will be last week's Auto Club 500 winner Carl Edwards, who posted a second-best time of 29.738 seconds.

Mark Martin (29.786) and Jeff Gordon (29.795) will make up row two.

"It was magic there in (turns) one and two," said Gordon over the radio. "I probably got a little overzealous into turn three because I carried a little too much speed and got off the white line."

Other drivers of interest and their starting positions: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8th), Matt Kenseth (13th), Ryan Newman (15th), Kevin Harvick (17th), Clint Bowyer (21st) Juan Pablo Montoya (31st) and Jimmie Johnson (33rd).

Looking at the standings, it's interesting to note the balance between the manufacturers. Dodge and Chevrolet have placed three cars each in the top-10 while Toyota and Ford have two cars. After last year's 18-win domination by Hendrick Motorsports and a total of 26 wins from Chevrolet, its nice to see everyone have a legitimate shot again. NASCAR officials couldn't ask for better parity.

While the Daytona 500 is the "Super Bowl" for Sprint Cup drivers and teams, the Auto Club 500 was probably a better indication of what the year has in store for NASCAR fans.

In last weekend's race, they left the restrictor-plate behind and horsepower along with handling provided your winning car. In the final 15 laps, Edwards passed Johnson on both the bottom and the top of the track, showing all the power and maneuverability needed to get around the two-time series champion.

In fact, four of five Roush-Fenway Racing Fords finished in the top-15. Kenseth, with his usual solid performance, finished fifth, David Ragan finished 14th and Greg Biffle, who looked very good in the cool Sunday evening air, still finished 15th under the hot Monday sun.

With or without a restrictor-plate, both Kyle Busch and Stewart seem to be championship contenders. There seems to be no weakness in the combination of Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota, except for the three explosive personalities behind the wheel. If Stewart, Busch and Denny Hamlin can all get along, they will compete for the title.

But the championship still goes through Hendrick Motorsports.

Last year's 18-win season may be a memory, but with Johnson, four-time series champion Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. driving, they will compete for the win every time out.

Johnson and Gordon rebounded from their Daytona 500 disappointments finishing second and third, respectively at the newly renamed Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway). At LVMS Gordon has one win among five top- fives in 10 starts, while Johnson has three wins among four top-10s in just eight starts.

On Sunday the green flag is scheduled to drop at 4:30 p.m. (et).

UAW Dodge 400 Odds and Predictions
Christopher G. Shepard

Jimmie Johnson seeks his fourth consecutive win at the UAW Dodge 400 this Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the place that sparked Hendrick Motorsports domination of the Cup Series last year.

There is something about LVMS that lends itself to repeat winners as Jeff Burton won here three years in a row from 1999-2001, Matt Kenseth won two years in a row from '03-05 and, of course, Johnson who has won the past three years and has dominated intermediate tracks in the Car of Today.

Johnson was the last driver to win at the same track four consecutive times when he did it at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2004-2005. Teammate Jeff Gordon was the last driver to win the same event four times in a row at the Southern 500 at Darlington from 1995-1998.

Who will win the UAW-Dodge 400?

While Johnson will no doubt face competition from hometown favorite and current points' leader, Kyle Busch, he showed the depth of his talent and experience by compensating for the new high-banks put in place last year at LSVM. In fact, Johnson won the last two high-banked races in 2007.

Kyle Busch has two fourth place finishes in the first two races of the season and has notched three consecutive top 10 finishes at Las Vegas. Certainly Roush Fenway Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing are the teams with cache after last weekend's rain-delayed race that did nothing to entice fans to the Super Speedway, but just like last year's start of the season and two winless weeks of getting a feel for their cars, HMS drivers ripped off wins in 10 of the next 12 races.

Pick! Jimmie Johnson (9/2)

UAW Dodge 400 Solid Gold Picks

Sportsbook.com has listed match-ups on the UAW Dodge 400. I have included a few match-ups that I think should be profitable this Sunday. Keep in mind my picks are all 1-unit plays unless otherwise noted. Last weekend at California my picks went 2-1. I cashed tickets on Kasey Kahne (+1.05, ninth place over Greg Biffle's 15th) and Kevin Harvick (-1.05 who finished 8th place over Mark Martin's 16th place). I lost on Kenseth (even) as Johnson came in second and Kenseth finished fifth but ended the day up one unit. After two races over the wall I am 3-3, but in a hole early with my NASCAR picks to the tune of -2.15 units.

Matt Kenseth (-1.15)/Carl Edwards (-1.15)

I love the back flip; there hasn't been a better auto-dismount since the Duke Boys. But you can't argue with success and before JJ ripped of three-straight Kenseth won two in a row. Even more impressive is that Kenseth has the third best average finish at Vegas behind Johnson and Hamlin at 7.6 and has four top five and five top 10 finishes in the desert. Edwards, meanwhile, is coming off of a soggy win and, like in other sports, when a team has a big win there is the let down factor and I can't see "Concrete Carl" who has never won and only has one top 10 finish at LVMS finish besting Kenseth.

Pick! Matt Kenseth

Long-Shot Value Pick

It's Sunday noon and you have a virtual Jackson burning a hole in your offshore and you decide to play on asphalt and concrete. It's a fool's game trying to predict the winner each week betting favorites because at short odds for the money I'd invest it really isn't worth the risk. For the casual fan a $20 is just the right taste for an enjoyable race that hopefully ends the same afternoon it begins. Gillett Evernham Motorsports' Kasey Kahne has had a great start to the season with two top 10 finishes in two races. If you're looking for a wager that will keep you watching your HD Flat screen, Kahne, in his D-ride (Dodge), is as good a bet as any.

Pick! Kasey Kahne 20/1

Square Tire Pick

Reed Sorenson (+1.20)/Mark Martin (-1.50)

You won't win a bet racing on square tires and you won't cash your ticket backing square picks. Looking over the card I see one such matchup that screams square tire. Martin owns Sin City, right? The old man has only two races in which he didn't record a top-10 finish at Las Vegas. In 2003 he finished 43rd and in 2005 he was 30th. Furthermore, Martin has an average finish of 11 at Las Vegas while Sorenson's is 33rd. The casual NASCAR observer is all over Martin. It's a name they recognize. But a closer look at Sorenson shows he's been ripping up the track for Chip Ganassi Racing and is on target to finish ahead of Martin this weekend. This short season Sorenson has already notched one top five and one top 10 finish, and although he lost 12-spots in the standings he's at 17th place and one of my drivers I am tracking this year.

Pick! Sorenson (+1.20)

*UAW-Dodge 400 Odds

A.J. Allmendinger 100/1
Bobby Labonte 100/1
Brian Vickers 125/1
Carl Edwards 8/1
Casey Mears 30/1
Clint Bowyer 28/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 12/1
Dale Jarrett 150/1
Dario Franchitti 100/1
Dave Blaney 125/1
David Gilliland 100/1
David Ragan 125/1
David Reutimann 65/1
Denny Hamlin 15/1
Elliott Sadler 80/1
Greg Biffle 16/1
J.J. Yeley 100/1
Jamie McMurray 40/1
Jeff Burton 28/1
Jeff Gordon 6/1
Jeremy Mayfield 200/1
Jimmie Johnson 9/2
Joe Nemechek 150/1
John Andretti 150/1
Johnny Sauter 150/1
Juan Pablo Montoya 30/1
Kasey Kahne 20/1
Ken Schrader 200/1
Kevin Harvick 30/1
Kurt Busch 14/1
Kyle Busch 8/1
Kyle Petty 250/1
Mark Martin 35/1
Martin Truex Jr. 22/1
Matt Kenseth 10/1
Michael Waltrip 150/1
Mike Skinner 150/1
Patrick Carpentier 100/1
Paul Menard 100/1
Reed Sorenson 40/1
Regan Smith 150/1
Robby Gordon 100/1
Ryan Newman 25/1
Sam Hornish Jr. 100/1
Scott Riggs 100/1
Tony Stewart 9/1
Travis Kvapil 125/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 50/1

*Odds courtesy of Bodog

docsports.com

Happy Hour practice for the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

#9-Kahne 176.586
#99-Edwards 176.298
#15-Menard 176.240
#24-Gordon 176.211
#48-Johnson 176.108
slowest: #70-Mayfield 171.320 and #27-Skinner 172.783
wreck: #07-Bowyer lost it and smacked the outside wall, bounced off and came back down the track and backed into the inside wall. #45-Petty got into the #07 and did some damage to the left front of the #45. The #07 team is going to a backup car, looks like the same car he ran at California last week

JAYSKI.COM

Busch hits a speedbump, but stays on track for hometown victory
March 1, 2008

LAS VEGAS (AP) -Kyle Busch hit his first speedbump of the season Saturday, when he wrecked one car and scraped the wall with another.

No worries.

Busch is the hottest driver in NASCAR heading into Sunday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the locals have made him a 4-to-1 favorite to win on his hometown track. The Sprint Cup Series points leader will start from the pole in his new Toyota, which suffered just slight damage when he bounced it off the wall Saturday in the final practice session.

It's not expected to slow Busch, who hasn't finished lower than fourth this season in six races spanning three series. His torrid start has the industry abuzz, with many respected veterans marveling at the 22-year-old's talent.

``Right now, he is the wheel man of the series,'' said Mark Martin, who qualified third. ``When you watch Jeff Gordon drive, Jeff Gordon goes really fast. But you don't see a whole lot there other than going fast.

``You watch Kyle Busch drive and not only is he going fast, he's taking your breath, too.''

Busch certainly did that in the season-opening Daytona 500, dominating the early parts of the race before mounting a frantic final charge that was so dizzying, teammate Tony Stewart complained he had motion sickness from watching Busch slice through the field.

He came up short, finishing fourth, then added another fourth-place finish in Monday's rain-postponed event in California. It was good enough to push him into the points lead for the first time in his career, but Busch wants a win. His only victory this season came in last week's Truck Series race.

A win in Vegas - where Busch has a second, third and ninth-place finish in four previous starts - would make history: no driver has won from the pole since Cup racing began here in 1998.

``It's pretty special to be on pole at home track,'' he said. ``It'll be even better in Victory Lane at the end of 400 miles.''

Except for his two mishaps Saturday - in addition to scraping the wall in his Cup car, he wrecked his Nationwide Series ride on his second qualifying lap - everything Busch has done so far this season has been pretty special.

In addition to his spot atop the Cup standings, Busch is leading the Truck Series points and headed into Saturday's Nationwide race trailing only Stewart in the standings. And when he knocked Carl Edwards off the pole, last week's race winner could only shrug.

``I couldn't run the lap he ran if I tried 100 times,'' Edwards said. ``He's just a great driver. It's pretty wild to see the success he's had. He's doing very well.''

In just his fourth full season of Cup racing, Busch is drawing comparisons to the late Tim Richmond because of his aggressive, wide-open style and impressive car control.

``I just felt all along that he was going to have a great opportunity in this sport, and he has fallen into a category like Tim Richmond,'' said older brother, Kurt, the 2004 series champion.

``I like his tenacity, his aggressiveness, his belief of, `Hey man, I'm just here to win. I don't care about anything else.' ``

But he wasn't supposed to be this good this soon into his first season at Joe Gibbs Racing.

He had established himself as a driver capable of winning every week at Hendrick Motorsports, where he had four wins and 51 top-10 finishes in 114 starts. But he could also be quite wild, and his fearless attitude led to many crumpled cars.

Even so, he established himself as a championship contender, making the Chase the last two seasons - even after Hendrick informed him he was letting him go at the end of last year to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

``I was really impressed with how he and his team handled the departure,'' said Kurt Busch, who had a nasty divorce with Roush Racing three years ago. ``They did really well with staying on the same page, competing to win races and it was very professional.''

Busch landed on his feet with JGR, and the transition has been seamless. Not even a manufacturer change from Chevrolet to Toyota could slow the kid who has hovered at the top of the speed chart at every preseason test.

Now Busch, who struggled with a reputation as a disrespectful brat during the first years of his career, is humbled by the positive attention he's receiving. Martin stopped by his car after qualifying Friday to praise Busch's recent run.

``Mark told me it was once him that people were always telling about how great he was and about how much of a talent he was, and now he's the one telling me that,'' Busch said. ``The way he put it and the words he put it in were pretty special and felt cool.''

Busch is focused on keeping it all in perspective, though. He knows this streak won't last the entire 36-race schedule, and leading the points two races into the season won't do much for him when the champion is crowned in November.

``Sooner or later you wonder when the fall is going to happen,'' he said. ``I'm a pretty good surfer, so as long as this wave keeps going, I'm going to ride it.''

NASCAR drivers have fewer complaints about Las Vegas track

Newly designed tires figure to reduce number of crashes.

LAS VEGAS -- When NASCAR's top drivers left Las Vegas Motor Speedway a year ago, many were in an ornery mood.

The track had just undergone a face-lift that the drivers complained had made the 1.5-mile oval treacherous, and a spree of crashes prompted some to say they had spent the weekend in "Spin City."

But as the Sprint Cup Series holds this year's UAW-Dodge 400 today, the grumbling is all but gone, replaced with questions about how NASCAR's new Car of Tomorrow will perform on the Las Vegas layout.

"This year we've got our hands full with the car and we're a lot less focused on the race track," said Jeff Gordon, who won here in 2001 and starts fourth today for Hendrick Motorsports.

The 267-lap race, the third of the Cup season, is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m.

Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing is on the pole and Carl Edwards, the Roush Fenway Racing driver who won a week ago in California, starts next to him on the outside of the front row.

Gordon's teammate Jimmie Johnson, the reigning Cup champion, is going for his fourth consecutive victory at Las Vegas and starts 33rd in the 43-car field.

Edwards teammate Matt Kenseth, who won here in 2003 and 2004, starts 13th.

The speedway's upgrade included repaving the track and raising the corner banking to 20 degrees from 12. That sent speeds sharply higher and raised fears of tire blowouts that could cause serious wrecks.

So NASCAR and tire maker Goodyear brought a harder tire to Las Vegas. But the drivers said the tires were so stiff they couldn't get enough grip to control their cars, especially on the new asphalt, and there were several crashes anyway.

"The tire was rock hard and it just didn't suit the track," Gordon said.

Now they're driving the Car of Tomorrow, a vastly different car that was partly phased in last year -- but not at Las Vegas -- and is now the only car in the series.

In addition, they're using newly designed Goodyear tires that are getting better reviews. The drivers also have more experience on the track, having spent two days testing here in January.

But make no mistake, they said, the track is still perilous, as evidenced by the six drivers -- including Kasey Kahne and Juan Pablo Montoya -- who hit the wall during practice Friday.

"This race-track configuration has picked the speed up a lot," said Greg Biffle, another Roush Fenway driver. " . . . We don't want to complain as drivers that we're going too fast because that makes us look like a wimp, but the problem with the speed is it makes it harder to race side-by-side and that's what all you guys want to see."

One driver who didn't mind the changes is Ryan Newman, who won this year's season-opening Daytona 500 for Penske Racing.

"I kind of liked the way the track was last year," said Newman, driver of the No. 12 Dodge. But he said it's a rule of thumb that most drivers don't react well to new surroundings.

"We as drivers will complain any time there is a change -- when they change the tires, when they change the cars, when they change the track, when they repave the track -- we always complain," Newman said.

He agreed that "it was tough last year for sure with the tire combination," but this year "the tire, the car and the track are better."

Last weekend's rain delays at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, and the controversial way NASCAR handled things, was still being debated in the garage.

Some drivers complained that the Auto Club 500 began Sunday before the track was dry enough, contributing to two major wrecks in the first 25 laps.

Then, after rain interrupted the race after only 87 laps, NASCAR tried until nearly 11 p.m. to restart the 250-lap race, only to postpone it until Monday when the track couldn't be dried enough.

Jeff Burton said trying to resume the race so late "didn't make a lot of sense to me, but I know NASCAR had their reasons. If they told me to be there, I was going to be there."

latimes.com

UAW-Dodge 400: King Carl and the Shrub
by: Brian Gabrielle

Last Week: A big winner in Week 2. We had Carl Edwards winning the Fontana race outright, which he did in spectacular fashion. That was a +700 bet, on which we wagered 1/6th of a unit. And we also had Matt Kenseth topping Tony Stewart, which he did, finishing fifth to Stewart's seventh (phew), and that was a -120 bet on which we wagered one unit. For the week, then, we managed a profit of 1.67 units on 1.5 units wagered, a return of 111.3%. For the season, that's two-out-of-two winning weeks, and we stand at a profit of 2.08 units on three units wagered, a return of 69.3%. (Note that if you'd eschewed the relatively conservative betting pattern we outline below, and simply bet one unit per wager we recommend, last week you'd have profited 5.83 units on four units wagered, a return of 145.8%; for the season, that would put you at a profit of 3.74 units on eight units wagered, a return of 46.8%.)

(All straight-up odds are from World Sports Exchange; head-to-head odds are from Station Casinos.)

Take Carl Edwards (+1000), 1/6th unit. No love for King Carl's win Fontana? Almost no matter what sports book you use, it seems Edwards's odds are longer this week than last, despite the strength he showed in California last week. Edwards was very fast testing for Fontana, and won that race, and he was equally fast in testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway back in January, the track where Sunday afternoon's race will take place. In three final Vegas practice sessions, Edwards was fastest once, fifth once and eighth once. That's fast. He was also seventh-quickest in Friday's first practice session. There are definite differences between the two-miler at Fontana and the 1.5-miler at Vegas; in particular, the banked straightaways make the new configuration of Vegas speedier than California Speedway. Still, there are similarities, too; both are downforce events, and tire wear, especially with the Car of Tomorrow, is crucial. Edwards showed he could be great on long runs, which is what you need to do on this track type.

Take Kyle Busch (+1000), 1/6th unit. Shrub is the points leader after two races, and let's face it: with a little luck, he could've won both Daytona and Fontana. LVMS is his home track, and in January testing, he was the most consistently quick driver out there, never finishing worse than 12th on the speed charts, leading once, and getting inside the top five in another run. The big question for the entire Gibbs organization entering 2008 was the switch to Toyota, but just three races into the season, it's resoundingly clear that Toyota's new motors are awesome. Having an advantage on the straightaways is a great thing at a track like this, and I think the No. 18 has a chance to win.

Take Jimmie Johnson (+500), 1/6th unit. Ho hum. This is a boring pick, and if it hits no one exactly gets rich. But Johnson has won three straight at LVMS, and even though two of those came with the old track configuration and only 2007's win came on this new surface, it's still impressive. J.J. was the second-best car all day in Fontana and finished second, and was third-quickest in Friday's first practice. Think of this as a hedge; if J.J. wins, we're slight gainers and move on to Atlanta. If one of our other guys wins, well, it was an investment worth making.

spreadexperts.com

UAW-Dodge 400 PostQ

The start of the 2008 season could not be going any better for the young Kyle Busch. After losing his ride with Hendrick Motorsports Busch signed on to drive the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing machine. JGR then switched from Chevrolet to Toyota which left many wondering if the team would start off slow since Toyota struggled in its inaugural season. Busch, Gibbs, and Toyota all have seem to made the correct choices as he leads the series in the point standings after the first two events of the season with a pair of 4th place finishes. Toyota is searching for its first trip to victory lane in a point’s race and Busch would love nothing more to give it to the manufacturer. He looks to be the first JGR driver and the first Toyota driver to win a point’s race this season.

Another team that many expected to see in victory lane early in the season is searching for their first win as Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Gordon could take the checkers this weekend after ranking as the No. 1 driver on the Speed chart while qualifying in the 4th position. He is among the best high-bank superspeedway drivers in the series and is riding a streak of five consecutive top 10 finishes dating back to Kansas of last season on the HBSS. He has also been running very well at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as he has three straight top 5 finishes including a runner-up finish last season. Even if Gordon doesn’t make it to victory lane he should finish up front.

Of course all eyes will be on the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson as he attempts to win four consecutive races at Las Vegas. Johnson has dominated the last three events in Vegas leading nearly 25 percent of the laps in his wins. Johnson will have his work cut out for him this weekend however as he had a poor qualifying run and will start in the 33rd position. He did improve in the Saturday practice sessions as he ended up in the fourth position on the Speed chart. Johnson will need to keep his nose clean while running through the field but when is all said and done he will be contending for the lead.

While we keep saying that we like Juan Pablo Montoya over the long haul in the short term he has been struggling. In two races he has a 32nd (Daytona) and 20th (California) place finish. Montoya also looks like he will be in for a rough day in Vegas as he qualified in the 31st position and was among the slowest of the 43 drivers on the Speed chart posting the 42nd quickest average time. Montoya finishes outside the top 20 in this race last season and it is doubtful that he will do any better this season.

Another driver that has struggled so far this weekend is Bobby Labonte. The #43 Petty Enterprises Dodge has been among the slowest cars in the practice sessions with Labonte sitting in the 38th spot on the Speed chart. He did not qualify any better as he will be starting from 39th position. In the lone high-bank superspeedway race this season (California) Labonte was never a factor finishing outside the top 20. It is unlikely that he will run much better this weekend after his showing in the practice sessions and qualifying. Avoid him for this race.

ProFantasySports.com

Picks N Pans: UAW Dodge 400

Round three of the Cup series will take place in the desert West as the circuit heads to Las Vegas for the UAW-Dodge 400. The reconfigured Las Vegas Motor Speedway is set to offer up some very intense racing with its variable banking. As the teams continue to figure out this new car configuration, the passing on the track becomes more and more prevalent. Hopefully fans are appreciating the fact that cars are actually making passes for the lead on the track this year. To see which drivers our experts think will make the passes that count and end up in the front or rear this weekend, read on in this weeks Picks ‘n’ Pans.

Cami’s Race Rewind:

Despite making contact with the wall and suffering a miscue on pit road, Jimmie Johnson scored his third straight win at Las Vegas in last year’s UAW DaimlerChrysler 400. While Johnson worked to overcome his early problems, Jeff Gordon led much of the middle stages of the race before eventually finishing second to his teammate. Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin rounded out the Top 5. Nine cautions slowed the race, but that was less than what was expected after the track underwent a makeover in the offseason. However, several top drivers made early exits after making contact with the wall.

Mike’s Keys to the Race:

The newly reconfigured Las Vegas Motor Speedway is rivaling Atlanta for the fastest circuit in the series. The graduated banking offers multiple racing lines for the drivers to choose from to try and get their cars to work the best. It will be similar to California, shorter but just as fast if not faster. Most likely, the teams who ran well at California will run well again at Vegas. Expect to see the Hendrick brigade out front with all four of their cars running well. Roush will obviously be strong again coming off of Carl Edwards’ win at California. Don’t count out Joe Gibbs either after they put two cars in the Top 10 at California. On the Dodge front, expect Kasey Kahne to continue his even numbered year resurgence.

Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are good bets this weekend at Vegas, according to our fantasy racing experts.

Mike’s Picks:

Crank ‘em up:

Jimmie Johnson was quoted last week, after finishing second in the race, that his team still didn’t have a handle on the new car configuration. The rest of the series should be very worried when the No. 48 team finally does get the feel of it. Johnson has won the last three races held at Las Vegas. He is in danger of making Vegas “Charlotte Motor Speedway West”. With six races under his belt at Vegas, Johnson has an average finish of 6th. Expect the two time defending champion to be at the front all day again this weekend.

Kyle Busch leads the point standings in Cup and Trucks. He was dominant at Daytona, and has passed the most cars in both of the races held this season. In four career starts at Vegas, he has three Top 10 finishes. Busch is on a mission to dominate everything he races in this season, and has a very legitimate chance to bring home Toyota’s first Cup win this weekend. After his effort last weekend, expect him to run at the front of the pack again this Sunday.

Sit ‘em down:

Clint Bowyer is undergoing his sophomore slump a year late. A 24th place finish at Daytona and a 19th place finish at California has last year’s Chaser mired in 19th in the points. Add to that his record at Vegas of a 15th and 36th place finish, and things do not look good for the No. 07 ride. While Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton have run well in the new car configuration, Bowyer seems to be having some difficulties with it. Its best to let Bowyer ride the pine for a week or so until he proves he’s back to last year’s form.

Elliott Sadler got everyone’s panties in a bunch with a solid run at Daytona, but followed it up with a performance at California typical of those in 2007. A mid race spin and a lap down 24th place finish looked like the GEM efforts of old. Sadler has one Top 10 finish in nine races at Las Vegas. The odds look pretty strong that Sadler will continue his average to sub-par performance this weekend.

Roll the Dice:

Casey Mears was moving up through the pack early in the race at California before a weeping race track took him and his newest Hendrick teammate out of the race. The other two Hendrick cars finished in the Top 3 at California, so expect to see Mears run a little stronger this coming weekend. He needs to pick up his performance considering he is 42nd in points right now. Fortunately for Mears, in five races at Vegas, he has three Top 10 and four Top 15 finishes. Sure, its a gamble considering his early season performance, but expect Mears to have a strong run this weekend.

Cami’s Picks:

Crank ‘em up:

Last week at California, Matt Kenseth saw his chance of pulling off the 3-peat stopped by his teammate Carl Edwards. This week at Las Vegas, Kenseth is hoping to stop Jimmie Johnson from making it four in a row. Kenseth had his own streak going in 2003-2004 with back to back wins. While he hasn’t been back to victory lane since, he has been in the Top 10 in those three events. Look for Kenseth to keep climbing up the standings after his rough start at Daytona.

Another driver who is looking to put a bad start to the season behind him is Denny Hamlin. After being involved in several near misses at Daytona, he made contact with the wall at California and finished deep in the field in 41st. His teammates have been running strong, but he hasn’t had a chance to show what he can do…yet. With Top 10 finishes in his two Vegas starts, Hamlin should find himself in a position to finally get on track this season.

Sit ‘em down:

At Vegas sometimes you hit the jackpot and sometimes you go bust. That’s exactly what has happened to Kasey Kahne in his four career starts in Vegas. He’s scored two Top 5s, but he’s also scored two finishes of 35th and lower. That kind of inconsistency has not only plagued Kahne at Vegas, but over the last two seasons. While things appear to have possibly turned around in 2008 from last year’s disastrous season; the jury is still out on whether or not it’s the real deal.

Juan Pablo Montoya is another driver who has yet to perform up to last year’s results. It’s been six races, dating back to last season, since Montoya has scored a Top 10 finish and while his teammate Reed Sorenson ran well at Daytona, the Ganassi Dodge’s haven’t been setting the world on fire as of late. In his first run at Vegas, he started fourth; but various troubles during the day relegated him to a 22nd place finish. In fantasy racing, it’s the bottom line that counts and right now, Montoya isn’t getting it done.

Roll the Dice:

Ryan Newman showed his performance at Daytona wasn’t a one-hit wonder and backed it up with a tenth place finish last weekend in California. And with four Top 10s in his seven career starts at Vegas, look for the good times to keep on rolling this weekend. Another victory might not be in the cards, but he’s a solid choice for another good run.

frontstretch.com

Edwards holds off Earnhardt Jr. for second straight win

Las Vegas, NV (Sports Network) - Carl Edwards overcame one pit-road penalty, but avoided a second one, then held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. on two restarts to capture the UAW-Dodge 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The No.99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford crossed the finish line 0.504 seconds ahead of "Junior."

The victory was Edwards' second consecutive win and ninth of his Sprint Cup career.

"That was a pretty spectacular race car we had out there today," said Edwards. "I'm very proud to be driving this race car, everybody at Roush Fenway has done a great job."

Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton completed the top-five.

Other finishers of note: Kasey Kahne (6th), Kyle Busch (11th), Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman (14th), defending series champion Jimmie Johnson (29th), Jeff Gordon (35th) and Tony Stewart (43rd).

Busch, the hometown favorite, began the day by leading the field to the green flag for 267 scheduled laps of racing. Busch led that first lap and seven more fast ones until Jamie McMurray brought out the first caution flag of the day. Busch and about half of the field stayed out during the yellow.

Early on Busch and Edwards quickly showed they were the class of the field. And they weren't content to just ride, they battled each other for the lead side-by-side. By lap 30 Busch's handling went away and he faded to fourth behind Biffle and Gordon. It was the Edwards-Biffle show as they led by more than four seconds at lap 48.

With a long green-flag run, those who didn't stop on the first caution flag were getting ready to pit under green. The stops began at lap 50. Both Kurt Busch and Biffle were penalized for speeding on pit road - leaving both way behind the leaders.

A few laps later, those who had stopped at lap seven were forced to pit giving the lead back to Edwards. He held more than seven second on Kyle Busch and nine seconds on Mark Martin.

However, a debris caution flag on lap 68 erased Edwards' big lead. Edwards came in for four new tires and fuel along with Martin and a number of the leaders as the different strategies jumbled the top-10 again.

First Burton, then Kyle Busch took turned leading the way. Meanwhile, Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart were in third and fourth, respectively. Busch built the lead to more than three seconds as the field reached the 100-lap mark. The only driver keeping pace with him was Edwards who slipped past Burton for third at lap 101.

On lap 109 Stewart slammed the wall in turn four with what appeared to be a blown tire. It was a pretty hard hit and the No.20 driver was slow to get out of the car, walking to the ambulance with a limp and plenty of support.

"That was the hardest hit I've taken in a long time," said Stewart. "It just went straight in...it hit so hard it got my lower back sore and legs felt half-numb and tingled until we got to the infield care center."

On the corresponding pit stop, Edwards' pit crew lost control of a tire sending last week's winner to the end of the longest line. The first green flag lap after the caution, Matt Kenseth and Gordon worked together to get around Kyle Busch for the race lead.

Gordon tried to get around Kenseth and lead a lap, but the No.17 Ford was too tough and fought him off. Then he pulled out to a two-second lead as the race hit the mid-point.

The pace was going along pretty quickly until lap 144 when Robby Gordon blew a right-front tire to bring out the caution flag. Kenseth beat Gordon off pit road by about two feet, denying Gordon the five bonus points again. The No.24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet would get his five points later in the race.

Kenseth, Gordon and Kyle Busch settled into a rhythm until a lap 161 caution flag. Behind them Edwards was climbing the charts to ninth.

This time Gordon won the race off pit lane and his No.24 Chevy enjoyed the clean air. He built the lead to one second with 95 laps remaining. A Scott Riggs spin brought out another caution flag and erased Gordon's lead as everyone headed down pit lane.

Earnhardt Jr., Harvick and Edwards took just two tires to lead the pack after the pit stop, while Gordon took four tires and came out sixth.

At the 195-lap mark, "Junior" was still out front, but Roush Fenway Racing teammates Edwards and Kenseth were second and third, respectively. Harvick was falling back and Gordon was fifth. Edwards caught Earnhardt Jr. with 73 laps to go and slid underneath the No.88. Kenseth followed him through as Earnhardt Jr. fell to third. Gordon got around Harvick, but was five second behind the leaders.

The field was about 25 laps away from the final pit stop which might decide the race. Fifty-three laps to go and Edwards held more than two second on teammate Kenseth. Another pair of teammates, Earnhardt Jr. and Gordon, were just behind.

Then a debris caution flag on lap 213 set up final pit stops. The final pit stop saw Kenseth, Earnhardt Jr., Edwards and Gordon win the battle. But Edwards had a tire roll across pit lane which normally requires and "end-of- the-longest-line" penalty. This time, however, NASCAR saw a replay that showed a cameraman interfere with the pit crew and elected not to penalize the No.99 team.

They were still the top-four with 40 laps remaining. Edwards got around "Junior" and caught Kenseth with 37 to go. But passing his teammate was not so easy.

Then Dale Jarrett brought out caution flag No.9 with a spin on lap 232 to slow the action.

On the restart, Kenseth built the lead to three lengths, but one lap later he got high and Edwards dove underneath him for the lead. He quickly built the lead to one second. The gap was 1.6 seconds with 20 laps to go and two second with 17 laps remaining.

Earnhardt Jr. got around Kenseth, but had nothing for the No.99 Ford. Then with 11 laps to go Kurt Busch slammed the wall and set up a short five-lap shootout for the win.

On the restart, Edwards took off, but Earnhardt Jr. spun his tires. Kenseth took advantage and jumped to the outside, Gordon dropped to the bottom and both got around the No.88. But the No.17 and No.24 got together and both spun out bringing out a final caution flag. The mess was enough to red flag the race and save a two-lap finish for the fans.

Edwards again got a good restart, but "Junior" stayed right with him this time. Still, Earnhardt Jr. could never get close enough to try a pass and settled for second place.

"Carl had an awesome race car...but we're pretty proud of our finish," said Earnhardt Jr., who unofficially climbing into the top-10 overall.

The win gives Edwards the championship lead for the first time in his career, 21 points ahead of Kyle Busch.

The next race in the series is scheduled for Sunday, March 8th at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.