The Playoff field was set last week at The Brickyard, a race won by Kevin Harvick. No real surprises in that one, but 7-time champion Jimmie Johnson will NOT be a part of the postseason picture. That said, the races are still there for anyone to win, and tonight’s contest is no exception.
Here’s what to look for:
Playoff driver Clint Bowyer will start on the pole for Sunday’s race after topping Saturday’s qualifying. (Photo: Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports)
–Clint Bowyer is 15th in the Playoff standings before Race 1, but he’ll start in front of everybody in the South Point 400. A Win tonight would guarantee berth into the next round, and keep the #14 around for a few more races. He’s never won at Las Vegas; his best finish was a 2nd way back in 2009.
Daniel Suárez – Starting P2 tomorrow at @lvmotorspeedway, ready to run a strong race #SuarezNation 💪🔥 (Source: @Daniel_SuarezG)
–Daniel Suarez will start alongside his Stewart-Haas teammate (joined by their other teammates in positions 3 and 4!), and is the only driver of these five not taking part in NASCAR’s Playoffs. This is a great opportunity to grab a Win though; the pressure those other guys are feeling is off, as he has nowhere to advance to, or be eliminated from. The #41 could surprise tonight.
Joe Gibbs Racing – What it’s all about… THE FANS! @MartinTruex_Jr | @BassProShops (Source: @JoeGibbsRacing)
–Martin Truex Jr. has the best average over the last ten races of any driver (7.4), and last won here in 2017. His most recent Win this year was back in June at the road course in Sonoma.
Brad Keselowski – Good looking, Fast hot rod! Thanks #2crew 😊👍🏻 (Source: @keselowski)
–Brad Keselowski won this race last year, and sports the 3rd best average among active drivers over the last ten (8.4). The Blue Deuce rolls off 18th, looking to advance to the next round as soon as possible.
NASCAR – Two the hard way? @joeylogano is looking to sweep the season at @LVMotorSpeedway! (Source: @NASCAR)
–Joey Logano is our 2nd best driver in terms of average over the last ten races (8.3), and last captured a Las Vegas win..in March! This has traditionally been a track with just one date per season, but that has changed recently to include a Fall race. Logano doesn’t have the best launch point in this one, however, disembarking from 22nd.
Wilmer Valderrama – Who’s attending the #SouthPoint400 today! @LVMotorSpeedway ! This guy is!! 😜 (Source: @WValderrama)
Coverage of the race starts on NBCSN at 7:00pm, green flag scheduled for 7:16pm.
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