CONCORD, N.C. – Hendrick Motorsports continues the West Coast swing with a stop in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the third race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. The organization aims to make it three consecutive wins in the spring race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
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Cup Series action came to Nevada desert in 1998 and has held 30 events since then. Following the track's reconfiguration for the 2007 season, the facility continued to maintain the original shape but increased banking in the turns to 20 degrees. The front stretch and back straightaway utilize nine degrees of banking. From a fan’s perspective, the Las Vegas is also home to the "Neon Garage," which allows fans a closer look at the competition through an elevated viewing room.
The track’s configuration allows for competitive racing and exciting restarts. For Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, being mindful of the unpredictable restarts is a key factor in having success at Las Vegas.
"It’s a place, racing two times a year, we’ve learned a lot about," Fugle told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio this week. "The track is starting to weather a bit, but it puts on a restart race for sure. There are multiple grooves in turns one and two. You see a lot of pushing getting into turn one. The cars fan out and there's a lot of drafting for a lap or two where someone will need to be pushing your lane to get position on restarts. Restarts are super crucial."
The trip out West will mark the second race of the West Coast swing and provide the teams with valuable data for later in the season. Las Vegas will once again host the opening event in the Round of 8, making it a crucial part of a potential championship run. Gathering data on Sunday afternoon will be a key focus of all four teams in the Hendrick Motorsports stable.
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One year ago, Hendrick Motorsports took victory in the first of two races at Las Vegas with all four cars coming home inside the top-10 positions. That was only the second time in team history that the quartet all placed in the top 10 at this particular track -- the other occurrence was in 2014. By the end of 274 laps, it was Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in victory lane.
Bowman’s victory was the result of a late-race strategy call by crew chief Greg Ives to only put fresh right-side tires on the vehicle under caution. The strategy call gave the Tucson, Arizona, native the track position he needed to start on the front row and eventually edge ahead of Kyle Larson during the overtime restart to take home the trophy.
Despite earning a runner-up finish in the event, Las Vegas has been the sight of triumph for Larson in the past. In only his fourth start with Hendrick Motorsports, Larson dominated 2021’s spring race in Nevada by leading 103 laps, earning a victory in stage two on his way to a race win.
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William Byron’s career on the Las Vegas 1.5-mile track has seen three top-10 finishes with one top-five run. That lone top-five finish came last spring as he lined up in the second row behind Larson for the overtime restart. The No. 24 entry’s push to Larson gave him a chance to fight for the win as Byron held off the competitors with four fresh tires to his two in his rearview mirror. In the end, a fifth-place finish serves as his best result at the venue.
Chase Elliott will miss this weekend's race after suffering a leg injury while snowboarding in Colorado. Josh Berry will drive this weekend as the No. 9 team looks to build off a runner-up finish in Fontana last weekend. Berry has made two Cup Series starts and has five NASCAR Xfinity Series wins with Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports.
As an organization, the Rick Hendrick owned team has notched seven wins at Las Vegas. Jimmie Johnson leads the team with four, while team vice chairman Jeff Gordon, Larson and Bowman each have one win at the 1.5-mile facility.
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Here is what you need to know to catch this weekend’s action.
WHAT TIME IS PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING?
Group practice will take place on Saturday, March 4, at 1:35 p.m. ET and be broadcast on FS2. Coverage will switch over to FS1 at 2 p.m. ET. Immediately following the practice session will be Cup Series qualifying at 2:20 p.m. ET, with coverage available on FS1. After each car takes time in the first round of single-car group qualifying, the top-five teams in each group will compete in the final round for the pole position. Larson, Berry, and Byron will be in Group A, while Bowman will be in Group B.
WHAT TIME IS THE RACE?
The 267-lap Cup Series main event is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 5, and will be broadcast on FOX.
CAN I LISTEN ON THE RADIO?
The race will be on PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
CAN I STREAM ONLINE?
Yes. Download the FOX Sports Live app for online coverage. Fans can also keep up with the action on Twitter by following @TeamHendrick.
WHAT CHANNEL IS FS1 AND FS2?
It varies by location, but this link allows viewers to find the channels by entering their zip code and selecting their television provider.
FIVE FAST FACTS HEADING INTO LAS VEGAS
Data provided by Racing Insights
4: Bowman is one of four drivers to earn top-10 results in both of the first two races of the season. The No. 48 entry sits third in the points standings.
11: The average finish for Byron at Las Vegas in his last four Cup Series starts. The No. 24 RaptorTough.com team will look to regain momentum after a slow start to the season.
18: Top-10 finishes in stages from Elliott at Las Vegas. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native ranks second in the Cup Series in this category. Three of those results were stage victories.
39: Percentage of the laps led by Hendrick Motorsports on 1.5-mile tracks in 2022. The team's 705 laps led on this track length were the most in the series.
261: Points earned by Larson at 1.5-mile tracks in 2022 (not including Atlanta Motor Speedway, which used the superspeedway package following its reconfiguration). That mark was the second-best in Cup Series.