CONCORD, N.C. - Three races remain before the Championship 4 will be finalized. The first obstacle to overcome? Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the opening race in the Round of 8.
Dating back to the track's origins, Hendrick Motorsports has been successful at the 1.5-mile circuit located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon won his lone race at the track in 2001 while Jimmie Johnson won four times in his career with the team.
In recent years, Rick Hendrick's group has won five of the last seven events, highlighted by three Kyle Larson wins (2021, 2023 and 2024) and victories by Alex Bowman (2022) and William Byron (2023).
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Where is NASCAR this weekend?
The Cup Series will race at Las Vegas at 2:30 p.m. ET this Sunday.
NASCAR on TV this week
Saturday, October 19
4:35 p.m. ET: Practice - USA Network
5:20 p.m. ET: Qualifying - USA Network
Chase Elliott will be the representative of Hendrick Motorsports in Group A while Larson, Byron and Bowman will be in Group B.
Sunday, October 20
2:30 p.m. ET: Cup Series main event - NBC
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STAGES
STAGE 1: LAP 80
STAGE 2: LAP 165
END OF RACE: LAP 267
NASCAR playoff standings Round of 12
| Driver | Wins this round | Margin to elimination |
| 1. Kyle Larson | 0 | +33 |
| 2. Christopher Bell | 0 | +13 |
| 3. Tyler Reddick | 0 | +10 |
| 4. William Byron | 0 | +4 |
| ----------------- | ||
| 5. Ryan Blaney | 0 | -4 |
| 6. Denny Hamlin | 0 | -8 |
| 7. Chase Elliott | 0 | -9 |
| 8. Joey Logano | 0 | -11 |
Will the NASCAR race be on the radio?
Yes, listeners can find the race on PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
Where can I stream NASCAR online?
Yes. Download the NBC Sports App for online coverage. Fans can also keep up with the action on X by following @TeamHendrick.
Vegas driver averages, statistics for Hendrick Motorsports drivers
Data provided by Racing Insights
Larson, No. 5 team
Las Vegas has been one of Larson's best tracks since joining Hendrick Motorsports. His back-to-back wins make him an easy pick for Sunday's main event. But why? Well, he only has two finishes worse than second in seven races with the No. 5 team in the Nevada desert. In fact, his last two trips to the 1.5-mile facility have resulted in a sweep of both stages on his way to the race victory. From a playoff perspective, 33 points above the cutline to enter the day is certainly a good start. However, the most recent Cup Series winner will have his eyes set on a seventh victory in 2024 this Sunday.
Elliott, No. 9 team
This season is the seventh appearance for Elliott in the Round of 8, a stat that leads all Hendrick Motorsports drivers. As for Vegas, Elliott's performances on 1.5-mile tracks should inspire confidence. His lone victory so far in 2024 came at Texas Motor Speedway and his 178 points scored at tracks of this type are the fourth-most of any driver in the Cup Series. Coming into the weekend nine markers behind the cutline, qualifying will be especially important as the group will aim to score valuable stage points in the opening segments before ultimately chasing a breakthrough win in the final portion of the race.
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Byron, No. 24 team
Already with one career victory at Las Vegas, Byron will have his sights set on another trip to victory lane to secure a spot in the Championship 4. While he has yet to win this postseason, his marks of consistency have pushed him to this point. He currently ranks second among playoff drivers in stage points scored (52) and total points earned (206). Byron has also won at all three tracks in the Round of 8 and will begin the final leg of his journey to return to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway this weekend.
Bowman, No. 48 team
Despite no longer being playoff eligible, Bowman enters Las Vegas looking to make a statement on what has otherwise been an extremely successful year for the No. 48 Ally Racing team. And this facility might present the perfect opportunity to do so. While he was victorious in the spring race in '22, Bowman also rides a three-race top-10 streak on 1.5-mile tracks heading into Sunday's main event. By the numbers, his seven top-five results are the second-most he's ever had in a season. Despite the adversity, Bowman will have his focus set on one goal this weekend: driving into victory lane.
Hendrick Motorsports
In the last five races at Las Vegas, Hendrick Motorsports has gone to victory lane four times between three different drivers. In fact, the last three races at the track have seen a driver from the group win the race while sweeping both stages. Since the start of 2023, the team has led 574 of the 805 circuits (71%) and will aim to win a record-setting fourth consecutive race in the Nevada desert this weekend.
Don't miss the Cup Series main event from Las Vegas at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).