Up to Speed: Boyd Gaming 300 Preview

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to the track this weekend for the Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Last weekend, Christopher Bell scored his first victory of the season, joining Michael Annett as the other driver now locked into the playoffs.

The first appearance of Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon, the first leg of the ‘West Coast Swing,’ and momentum. Busch and Dillon are the only Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers entered in Saturday’s race.

Coverage for the Boyd Gaming 300 is scheduled to start Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. ET. Las Vegas Motor Speedway has been on the Xfinity Series schedule since 1997. It has hosted the third race of the season for 18 of its’ 22 years on the schedule. In 23 races at the 1.5-mile D-Shaped Oval, 19 drivers have claimed victory. The last 11 races at Las Vegas have produced 11 different winners.

The last time the Xfinity Series visited Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Ross Chastain took the victory in dominant fashion, leading 180 of 200 laps. Chastain beat Justin Allgaier to the line by 1.629 seconds. Only six of the drivers that finished in the top-10 that day are entered in Saturday’s race.

Busch, Chastain, and Dillon are the only previous winners entered in Saturday’s race.

By the Numbers

What: Boyd Gaming 300, NASCAR Xfinity Series Season Race 3

Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, Nevada (Opened: 1996)

TV/Radio: Fox Sports 1, 4:00 p.m. ET / PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90

Track Size: 1.5-mile D-Shaped Oval

Banking: 12-20 degrees in turns

Race Length: 200 Laps, 300 Miles (Three Stages, 45/90/200)

2018 Race Winner: Kyle Larson – No. 42 DC Solar Chevrolet Camaro SS (Started second, 142 laps led).

Track Qualifying Record: Kyle Busch (29.098 seconds, 185.580 mph – 3/11/2017).

Storylines Heading into the Boyd Gaming 300:

There are several storylines going into this weekend’s race to watch for:

• Haas Automation will be the primary sponsor of Cole Custer’s No. 00 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing.
• Hurdl will be the primary sponsor of Tyler Reddick’s No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Richard Childress Racing.
• Ross Chastain will be in the No. 4 RM Parks/EZ Angus Ranch Chevrolet Camaro SS for JD Motorsports.
• Cessna will be the primary sponsor of Justin Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro SS for JR Motorsports.
• Zane Smith will be in the No. 8 The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Chevrolet Camaro SS for JR Motorsports.
• Austin Dillon will be in the No. 10 Allwell Medicare Chevrolet Camaro SS for Kaulig Racing.
• Kyle Busch will be in the No. 18 Extreme Concepts / iK9 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Donald Theetge will be in the No. 90 Mercedes-Benz St-Nicolas / Circuit Acura Chevrolet Camaro SS for DGM Racing.
• Jairo Avila, Jr. will be in the No. 99 Art General Contractors Toyota Supra for BJ McLeod Motorsports.

Weekend Schedule (All Times Eastern)

Friday, March 1

• NXS Practice 1 (4:05 p.m. – 4:55 p.m., on Fox Sports 1)
• NXS Practice 2 (6:35 p.m. – 7:25 p.m., on Fox Sports 1)

Saturday, March 2

• NXS Qualifying (12:40 p.m., on Fox Sports 1)
• NXS Boyd Gaming 300 (4:00 p.m. – 200 laps, 300 miles – on Fox Sports 1, SiriusXM Channel 90, and the Performance Racing Network)