Fantasy Fastlane: Kyle Larson’s time to shine (again) at Las Vegas

Despite a unique schedule to begin the 2025 NASCAR season, Christopher Bell remains the hottest driver in the Cup Series. The first true intermediate test comes this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Bell has been close to victory multiple times before. After this week, competitors will have a better gauge of who could be real threats throughout the season and other teams that may need to hunker down and find additional speed.

New to Fastlane this year is my weekly NASCAR 36 for 36 pick, where you can come play along. It’s a season-long points battle introduced last year in which strategy is the primary emphasis. With 36 chartered cars and 36 races on the 2025 schedule, players can choose each car once for the duration of the season. 

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MUST START:

Christopher Bell | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 4-1

Let’s not overthink this: Bell is white hot, becoming the first driver in the Next Gen era to win three consecutive races. It’s very possible he becomes the first driver to win four straight races since Jimmie Johnson did so in 2007 and just the ninth driver in series history to accomplish the feat. Bell led a race-high 155 laps from the pole in the fall race, but a Paul Wolfe Hail Mary kept the No. 20 car out of Victory Lane. Bell has three top-five finishes in the last four Vegas events.

MUST START:

Kyle Larson | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 4-1

While Bell is getting all the glory, Larson is the driver to beat entering this weekend. The No. 5 team has won two of the last three Vegas races, sweeping all three stages in last year’s race in dominating fashion, leading 181 of 267 laps. This weekend will start a stretch where Larson is a frequent visitor in my lineup. 

MUST START:

Tyler Reddick | View stats

23XI Racing, No. 45 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 13-2

Much like Reddick’s 2024 regular season, he is quietly going about his business, slotting in third in points after four races. Tracks akin to Vegas suit Reddick more than most drivers with his ability to run inches away from the wall. He finished runner-up in this race last year to Larson, but he was charging hard at the end. He has five top-10 finishes in the last seven races here.

MUST START:

Ross Chastain | View stats

Trackhouse Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 22-1

It was the Las Vegas spring race three years ago when Chastain burst onto the scene with Trackhouse, leading a race-high 83 laps. Including a third-place finish that day, he’s earned four top-five finishes in the last six trips to Sin City and finished seventh here last fall. 

SLEEPER PICK:

Kyle Busch | View stats

Richard Childress Racing, No. 8 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 16-1

The hometown hero hasn’t won a Cup race at the 1.5-mile track in 16 years. On the flip side, Busch has five top-five finishes over the last eight Vegas races, though four of those came while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. Yet the two-time Cup champion placed third here in the fall of 2023 with RCR, and his No. 8 Chevy was one of the only cars in the field that could contend with Larson last spring before a pit-road penalty derailed him to 26th in the finishing order.

SLEEPER PICK:

Alex Bowman | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 48 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 22-1

It’s no surprise that Bowman is quietly going about his business to start 2025, ranking sixth in the championship standings. The 2022 Vegas winner is the real deal here, earning three top-five finishes during his last five starts. The No. 48 team has made late rallies to top 10 finishes in the last two races, so if he can have a clean race, watch out.

SLEEPER PICK:

Daniel Suárez | View stats

Trackhouse Racing, No. 99 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 45-1

Through the opening month of the 2025 season, Suárez has not caught a break. In the last two races, he was involved in wrecks while running inside the top 10, and it dropped him to 29th in the championship standings. Last October, he stretched his fuel tank to a third-place finish at Las Vegas. However, he’s been good here in recent seasons, riding four straight top-15 finishes into this weekend.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Chase Elliott | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 18-1

Unlike Elliott’s Hendrick teammates, he hasn’t grasped Las Vegas in recent years. Dating back to the fall of 2022, he has four straight finishes outside the top 10. In 15 Vegas starts, he has a top-10 percentage of 33.3%, ranking among his lowest on the circuit at a particular track. The No. 9 car will likely be featured in my lineup in a bunch of upcoming races, so sitting him out this weekend shouldn’t hurt. 

STAY AWAY FROM:

Chris Buescher | View stats

RFK Racing, No. 17 Ford

Odds (DraftKings): 45-1

With three top-10 finishes in the opening four races of 2025, Buescher continues to handle business. In the fall, he snuck into the top 10 in the final rundown, but it marked just his second top-10 finish in 16 Las Vegas starts. Granted, two of his last three finishes have been 11th or better here, so he’s on the upswing, but I’m not ready to include him in my lineup. 

STAY AWAY FROM:

Ty Gibbs | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 54 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 30-1

At some point, Gibbs’ season has to turn around. There is too much potential within the No. 54 camp and Gibbs as a driver for it to continue spiraling out of control. But the numbers don’t lie: Gibbs has eight finishes of 25th or worse in the last nine races dating back to the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in the 2024 playoffs, including a 30th-place finish at Las Vegas. Adding to the flame, four of his five Vegas finishes have been 22nd or worse. 

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Tyler Reddick vs. Chase Briscoe 

The last time the Cup Series visited Sin City, Reddick flipped through the infield while battling toward the front of the field after winning the opening stage. Aside from a fourth-place finish in 2022, Vegas has been among the most challenging tracks for Briscoe since entering the Cup Series, with an average finish of 22.8. Martin Truex Jr. was stellar at the track with the No. 19 team, but Reddick has familiarity. This is an easy choice entering the weekend.

FEATURED MATCHUP: 

Christopher Bell vs. Joey Logano

It was Logano winning on fuel mileage last fall that upset Bell’s bid at not only winning the race but ultimately the 2024 championship. Logano has a strong 9.5 average finish through 23 Vegas starts and should be a consideration for your lineup this weekend. However, Bell can do no wrong to begin 2025, while the No. 22 team is the first Cup champion to go the first four races of the next season without earning a top 10. Bell is the clear pick. 

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Ross Chastain vs. Kyle Busch

This might be the toughest matchup of the weekend. Both drivers have put together solid performances in recent seasons at Las Vegas. Busch had plenty of speed a year ago, rivaling the Hendrick duo of Larson and Byron. My brain is telling me to go with consistency, though. Since Chastain linked up with Trackhouse, he’s always near the front at this intermediate track. 

FEATURED MATCHUP: 

Alex Bowman vs. Noah Gragson

During last spring’s event, Gragson, another Las Vegas native, had a strong showing, finishing sixth with Stewart-Haas Racing. He dropped to 18th in the fall race. This is one of Bowman’s better tracks, and he should have a leg up this weekend, being a former track winner.

MY LINEUP: Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman 

GARAGE: Kyle Busch 

36 for 36: 

My strategy of picking underdog drivers who have previously excelled at past races while also saving many of the big-name drivers for later in the year hasn’t worked over the last two weeks. While I mentioned Gragson would be a good pick last week for Phoenix, I burned my use on Carson Hocevar after he earned a third-place starting spot. I’m changing it up this week. Ross Chastain is always good here, earning four top-five finishes in six starts with Trackhouse. Let’s hope this isn’t another wasted selection.