Track Profile: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Track Specs: 1.5-mile tri-oval; Banking/Turns: 20 degrees; Banking/tri-oval: 9 degrees; Banking/Backstretch: 3 degrees
2009 Race Winner: Kyle Busch
Sin City native and NASCAR wild child Kyle Busch was up big (taking pole position with 185.995 mph), then lost it all (starting 43rd after an engine change), before winning it all back (with a .411-second victory over runner-up Clint Bowyer) in a classic Las Vegas underdog story.
In an optical illusion, Busch is credited with becoming the first driver in Las Vegas history to earn a win from the pole position. But behind the curtain, Busch actually became the first driver to go from worst to first, thanks to a Vegas-record 14 caution flags during the 285-lap dance.
Jimmie Johnson bluffed his way to a race-high 92 laps led, but the 48 car spun out on Turn 2 of Lap 280, resulting in the final caution and a 24th-place finish for the man who hit the trifecta from 2005-07 at the 1.5-mile tri-oval.
Lucky number seven of the 12 races in Clark County history have been won by three drivers — Johnson, Matt Kenseth (2003-04) and Jeff Burton (1999, 2000). Meanwhile, four drivers — Mark Martin (1998), Jeff Gordon (2001), Sterling Marlin (2002) and Carl Edwards (2008) — were one-hit wonders unable to mount a winning streak.
Don’t be surprised if the Doyle Brunson of the Cup circuit, 51-year-old Martin, goes all-in again. With one checkered flag and nine top-10s in 12 Cup runs, along with three Nationwide wins, he’s a Vegas hustler. But Busch remains the odds-on favorite.
Fantasy Stall
Looking at Checkers: The way those Childress cars are running, I’d double-down on Jeff Burton.
Pretty Solid Pick: Matt Kenseth’s crew chief change would concern me, but they finished seventh in their first race together last week.
Good Sleeper Pick: Mark Martin isn’t really a sleeper, but his nine top 10s in 12 Vegas starts need mentioning.
Runs on Seven Cylinders: This looks like a Brian Vickers-type track, but his 24th-place average finish says otherwise.
Insider Tip: Fontana notes should transfer relatively well.
Crew Chief’s Take
“It's definitely surprising how rough the track is, seeing as how they just repaved it a few years ago. But there’s a lot about Las Vegas that sets it apart. Unlike the other Speedway Motorsports tracks (other than Bristol and Sonoma), it doesn’t have that Bruton Smith blueprint of a tri-oval that’s squared off. When Vegas was redesigned, they didn’t just go back to the drawing board. It was more like they improved the track without tearing it completely apart. The only difficulty at Vegas is making the racing more exciting than the jet planes (from Nellis Air Force Base) flying over.”
Las Vegas Classic Moments
Las Vegas Motor Speedway looks a lot different in its inaugural year on the Winston Cup circuit. A 1.5-mile tri-oval with only 12 degrees of banking in the turns, Vegas is considered a flat track before its reconfiguration prior to the 2007 season.
One thing that is consistent from the beginning, though, is Roush Racing’s prowess at the facility. Mark Martin and his retooled No. 6 Valvoline team lead 82 laps en route to their win in the Las Vegas 400. It’s Martin’s first of seven victories in the ’98 season that would find him second in the standings and the win column to Jeff Gordon.
Of note in this race is the debut of the now-familiar M&M’s paint scheme. Previously in the Skittles-branded No. 36 MB2 Motorsports Pontiac, Ernie Irvan drives the one-off colors to a disappointing 30th-place finish. M&M’s becomes the team’s primary the following season.
