CONCORD, N.C. – This weekend, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series kicks off the West Coast swing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Before the green flag waves this Sunday on FOX at 3:30 p.m. ET, take a look at a few highlighted notes to keep in mind as Hendrick Motorsports take on the Las Vegas oval.
THIS WEEK'S PAINT SCHEMES: Kasey Kahne will compete in the No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet SS in this weekend's Las Vegas Motor Speedway race. Jeff Gordon will pilot the No. 24 3M Chevrolet SS while teammate Jimmie Johnson drives the No. 48 Kobalt Tools Chevrolet SS for the first time this season. Rounding up the Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will race the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS.
QUALIFYING: This weekend's qualifying will take place tonight, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Tune-in to practices on FOX Sports 1 on March 6 at 3 p.m. ET and March 7 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. ET.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT LAS VEGAS: In 17 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has earned five wins, 17 top-five finishes and 30 top-10 finishes. In last season's event, all four drivers finished inside the top 10, led by Earnhardt's runner-up result. Johnson leads all drivers at the 1.5-mile oval with four victories, while Gordon is tied for first there with six top-five finishes.
KAHNE AT LAS VEGAS: In his first Cup start at Las Vegas in 2004, Kahne earned runner-up honors. In 2013, Kahne started fourth, led 114 laps and finished second. He is the all-time pole winner at Las Vegas with three (2004, 2007 and 2012). In his first year driving for Hendrick Motorsports, Kahne recorded the organization's first Vegas pole and his most recent at the 1.5-mile track. According to NASCAR loop data, during the last 10 Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas, Kahne ranks third in green-flag passes (609). He also ranks eighth in laps led (129), ninth in speed in traffic (169.415 mph), ninth in laps in the top 15 (1,735), ninth in fastest laps run (94), 10th in driver rating (88.1) and 10th in fastest drivers early in a run (172.161 mph).
MISSING IN LAS VEGAS: Although Gordon ranks third all-time with 78 career pole positions, Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of three tracks where he has yet to win. Kansas Speedway and Kentucky Speedway are the other venues where Gordon has never set the fastest time on qualifying day.
LAS VEGAS CHASSIS: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-895 for this Sunday's race in Las Vegas. Gordon raced the chassis to a record-breaking fifth Brickyard 400 victory in July, a win at Michigan International Speedway in August and a 14th-place finish at Kansas Speedway in October 2014.
JOHNSON AT LAS VEGAS: In 13 Sprint Cup starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Johnson has four wins, five top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes and has led 455 laps. Three of his wins were back to back to back (2005, 2006, and 2007). In the last 10 races, Johnson's average start at the 1.5- mile oval is 11.9 and has an average finish of 8.7. He also ranks first in laps led (442), first in fastest laps run (346), first in driver rating (113.6) and third in laps in the top 15 (2,090).
VEGAS DOUBLE: Earnhardt will drive the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet during the 300-mile NASCAR XFINITY Series event on Mar. 7 at Las Vegas. The 1998 and 1999 XFINITY Series champion has scored three top-five finishes and four top-10 finishes in five XFINITY starts at the 1.5-mile track.
EARNHARDT AT LAS VEGAS: Earnhardt has an average finish of 7.9 behind the wheel of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet during his seven Cup events for Hendrick Motorsports at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Earnhardt has the most runner-up finishes at the 1.5-mile oval with three. Among active drivers, Earnhardt ranks fifth in the laps led category with 283 total at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He is also tied for eighth among active, full-time drivers at the 1.5-mile racetrack with three top-five finishes and tied for second with eight top-10 finishes.