The NASCAR drivers and teams will put it all out on the track and “let it ride” at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend in the South Point 400.
16 drivers have made the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with a chance to win the 2018 championship. These drivers will have a singular goal … win the race to earn the automatic advance to the next round of the playoffs. These drivers can add to their Playoff Point total by winning stages and the race. Those points along with the Playoff Points earned during the regular season will give them an advantage through the next two stages of the playoffs. All of that will likely put extra pressure on those drivers and teams to perform.
The rest of the drivers in the race want to play spoiler and win the race to start building toward next year. The pressure will not be as high on these teams as they have less to lose.
These two scenarios will likely lead to a great battle in Vegas for fans to enjoy. Add to that the challenge of racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and this week’s kickoff to the playoffs could be full of drama.
Below is a look at the track and race data for this weekend.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data
Track Size: 1.5-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 20 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 20 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 2,275 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,572 feet
South Point 400 Data
Season Race #: 27 of 36 (09-16-18)
Race Length: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
Stage 1 & 2 Length: 80 laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 107 laps
Now let’s look at the top performers among the active drivers in Las Vegas.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Jimmie Johnson…………………… 108.9
Kyle Busch………………………… 103.4
Kevin Harvick…………………….. 100.6
Joey Logano……………………….. 97.3
Matt Kenseth………………………. 96.3
Ryan Blaney………………………… 95.3
Martin Truex Jr……………………… 92.6
Kyle Larson…………………………. 92.5
Brad Keselowski……………………. 92.4
Chase Elliott………………………… 91.7
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-Present (14 total) among active drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Five of the six active drivers that have won during their careers are also drivers in the playoffs with a chance to win the championship.
Jimmie Johnson has the most wins among active drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and is actually the all-time leading winner at the track. Jimmie has claimed four checkered flags at the track in NASCAR’s top division. If he can claim his fifth, it would be his first win of the 2018 season and advance him automatically to the Round of 12 in the playoffs.
Matt Kenseth is not a playoff eligible driver and this season did not have a full-time ride in NASCAR. He has three wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. However, Trevor Bayne (also not playoff eligible) is set to pilot the #6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.
Championship contenders Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski are next on the Las Vegas wins list with a pair of victories each. Kevin’s second win at the track came earlier this year when he dominated the March race. Brad has won the last two races in a row at Darlington and Indianapolis. A win by either one of these drivers would be their ticket to round two of the playoffs.
Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. are the only other two active drivers to have won a cup series race at Las Vegas. Both drivers are in the playoffs. Martin was the winner of the 2017 Las Vegas race and is the defending 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. Winning would propel either driver to the next round with a continued chance to win the 2018 championship.
Will there be a win by a contender or a win by a spoiler? We will find out what story is written when the green flag waives at 2:00 PM central time (3:00 PM eastern time) to start the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday, September 16th.
By: Buck Stevens
