South Point 400 Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The hometown kid has finally done it, Kurt Busch had two amazing restarts but more importantly, crew chief Matt McCall’s pit call got the job done in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Like his last three wins, the 2004 Cup Series champ made the show exciting for the folks at home when it matters most and doesn’t have to worry about the stress of scratching and clawing to make the Round of 8 because he has punched his ticket with that emotionalRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service With a career record of 0-for-21 coming into Sunday night’s South Point 400 at his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch may have felt like a “long shot.” But with fortunate track position late in the race and some sure-bet restarts at the front of the field, Busch can now count himself a Vegas winner. The victory was a high stakes haul, automatically earning a position for Busch in the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – moving the 2004 series champion fromRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The second round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs gets underway with a trip out west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the running of the South Point 400. While the Cup Series has already run on the 1.5-mile track earlier this year, it will be a vastly different environment the 12 championship contenders are walking into on Sunday, not only weather-wise, but also with the absence of fans due to the ongoing COVID-19 precautions. The 267-lap race will be crucial to the second round ofRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There was certainly no shortage of drama – both on and off the track – in the opening race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs last weekend and that high energy will undoubtedly carry over to the second race of the 10-race Playoff this Saturday night in the Federated Auto Parts 400 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Richmond Raceway. Martin Truex Jr. won his fifth race of the 2019 season (series-most) lastRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent The highlight of the day for Ryan Newman was a pit strategy call as he flew under the radar at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The South Point 400 was nearly identical to the Spring race at Las Vegas. With just two natural cautions, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Grid drivers had little chance move up the running order. Newman’s No. 6 Oscar Meyer Bacon Ford Mustang did so with some pit strategy. At the end of the second stage, Newman’s Scott Graves-led RoushRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor When the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs get underway each year, the intensity among the drivers chasing after the championship always gets cranked up and Sunday’s kickoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was no exception. By the end of the night, frustration ran rampant through the garage area for the Playoff drivers who didn’t have things go their way in the South Point 400. Chief among them was regular season champion Kyle Busch, who got into the wall early in the race andRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service LAS VEGAS — It had been almost three months since Martin Truex Jr. last raised a trophy and while others may have wondered about his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team’s Playoff potential, this team never wavered in its confidence or pursuit. And sure enough, they were the ones celebrating in Victory Lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after Sunday night’s South Point 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opener. “Welcome back,’’ an ecstatic Truex screamed to his team on the radioRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent After a mid-race spin, William Byron rebounded to earn a top-10 finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. At the start of stage three, the Hendrick Motorsports No 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 contacted Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 PPG Ford Mustang. The damage appeared minor and for a moment, it looked as if Byron’s tire would clear the left rear fender itself. On lap 182, the left rear tire blew, and he spun in turns three and four. After the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup SeriesRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service LAS VEGAS – Clint Bowyer won the pole position for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway turning a fast lap of 178.926 mph in the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. It is only the third pole position he’s earned in 14 years of full-time Cup Series competition and the first, coincidentally, since this same date – Sept. 14– at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2007 – a race he won. There have been 431 races since hisRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor 26 races down. 10 to go. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend to kick off the 2019 edition of the Playoffs. 16 drivers enter this final stretch of the season, but only one will emerge as champion. Every race from here on out is crucial on the path toward the title, even Sunday’s South Point 400. A misstep here could put the championship contenders in an early hole or if they find success, propel them on aRead More