NASCAR.com staff’s 2019 playoff predictions

Posted on September 15, 2019 by Staff Report

The extended NASCAR.com staff makes its picks for 2019 title contenders, postseason surprises and who will hoist the Monster Energy Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

ZACK ALBERT

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski. Expecting a veteran feel to this season’s title-eligible quartet, made up of drivers who have snatched up victories in multiples this year.

Sleeper: Kyle Larson. A lengthy winless skid seems like an ominous sign, but it’s balanced by a recent show of strength from the No. 42 team, which is due for a turnaround at the right time.

Early out: Aric Almirola. One top-10 finish in 26 races this year makes the No. 10 tough to count on for a deep playoff run.

Champion: Kyle Busch. The regular-season champ is primed to become the overall champ at Homestead, where the No. 18 team’s benchmark of performance should carry the day.

PAT DeCOLA

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano. NASCAR’s top-tier talents show why they’re the best and ride strong regular seasons into strong playoff runs all the way to Miami.

Sleeper: Kurt Busch. Kurt has quietly been lurking in that next rung under the top dogs all season, could be ready to pounce on any mistakes and sneak into the Championship 4 for another shot at a second title.

Early out: Alex Bowman. Bowman rides into the playoffs with a pretty decent No. 9 seed but has seemed to lose all the momentum he built up that led to his Chicagoland Speedway win.

Champion: Kyle Busch. Everyone seems to think Hamlin will be the favorite if he makes it to Homestead based on his track history, but this feels like Busch’s year. He got hot early on but has been extremely strong all season despite a recent winless streak.

MARISSA FULLER

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano. These four all stand out in their own way this season – Busch and Hamlin will continue their winning ways, Elliott is going to fight for his life and solidify his spot with a win at one of the tracks in the Round of 8, and Logano’s momentum from last year’s title win will follow him back to the Championship 4.

Sleeper: Ryan Newman. The veteran has showed an insane amount of confidence this season and has slowly but surely found himself running up front and closing out races in the right spot at the right time.

Early out: Aric Almirola. The No. 10 driver made it into the NASCAR Playoffs on points, but I think a lack of confidence being winless in the playoffs will hurt him in the long run.

Champion: Denny Hamlin. Redemption is the name of the game for Hamlin, who is hoping to put 2010 behind him, as he and his new crew chief have shown their capabilities and I don’t think they’re done winning. It also helps that the playoff tracks are pretty good to Hamlin.

RJ KRAFT

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano. Hamlin’s and Harvick’s summer hot streaks continue, while Busch and Logano have been the top drivers all season.

Sleeper: Kyle Larson. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver’s late-summer surge stayed under the radar due to Hamlin, Harvick and Erik Jones’ strong summers.

Early out: Ryan Blaney. He may be the reigning winner at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, but Richmond Raceway is statistically his worst track and despite solid numbers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he has one top 10 on a 1.5-mile track in 2019.

Champion: Kevin Harvick. In addition to winning three of the last seven races, “Happy” always seem to shine when the pressure is on.

STEVE LUVENDER

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott. Oh, and I’ve got a little bit riding on this.

Sleeper: Ryan Newman. He appeared to have fallen asleep during a red flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — the only driver to do so — making him the true sleeper.

Early out: Alex Bowman. He won his first career race at Chicagoland leading precisely 88 laps, so really, that’s good enough for 2019.

Champion: Denny Hamlin. If the race is somehow delayed a day, he’ll be crowned champion on his (and, selfishly, my) birthday, Nov. 18.

JONATHAN MERRYMAN

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott. Busch, Harvick and Hamlin are expected to make it, while the next step for Elliott is to advance past the Round of 8.

Sleeper: Ryan Blaney. He’s a sleeper because he hasn’t won this year, but if he can close out races, he will be hard to deal with.

Early out: Kyle Larson. Historically, Round 1 has not been kind to Larson and 2019 has proven to be tough for the No. 42.

Champion: Denny Hamlin. Confidence is as abundant as the No. 11’s speed. This feels like Hamlin’s year.

@NASCARCASM

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson (Sorry, habit), Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin

Sleeper: Kevin Harvick

Early out: Kevin Harvick

Champion: Denny Hamlin. It’s bizarre to have a year where Joe Gibbs Racing is so dominant that a past champion with three regular-season wins IS YOUR SLEEPER, but the JGR big three (If we’re using that designation again this year) will all make their way to Homestead, and it’s absolutely the year of Hamlin, and if I’m wrong, well then I’ll just ask my editor to delete this.

BRAD NORMAN

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. Playoff points reign supreme here, but the No. 9 team has a history of turning it up in the postseason.

Sleeper: Erik Jones. The No. 20 team has the look of a group primed for the Round of 8 — perhaps more.

Early out: Brad Keselowski. Speed abounds at Team Penske, but the No. 2 crew seems just a tick off.

Champion: Martin Truex Jr. Somehow, the 2017 champion enters the postseason under the radar — a situation he and crew chief Cole Pearn will thrive upon on the way to another trophy.

TERRIN WAACK

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano. It was either Logano or Keselowski for Team Penske, but the reigning champ needs at least a chance to repeat.

Sleeper: William Byron. The young driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has the points system figured out, so expect him to get far in the playoffs and perhaps his first win.

Early out: Aric Almirola. Almirola only has one top-five finish this season and hasn’t steered his No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to a top-10 ending in the last eight races — not a good trend.

Champion: Denny Hamlin. It’s about time Hamlin wins a title after 14 full-time seasons, and the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota sure has been proving his capabilities this season with four wins, including the Daytona 500.

ALEX WEAVER

Championship 4: Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. These guys are winning consistently throughout the season and know how to dominate on the biggest stage with the most pressure.

Sleeper: William Byron. He and crew chief Chad Knaus are finding their stride and heating up at the right time.

Early out: Clint Bowyer. Bowyer and the No. 14 team have let mistakes determine their season. If they can put together a well-executed race, they may be in. If not, think they’re out early.

Champion: Denny Hamlin. Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gabehart are the two best friends anyone can have right now in the garage. They have found it, and the No. 11 team is having fun winning.

GEORGE WINKLER

Championship 4: Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano. Tough decisions at the top, but I stuck with Team Penske for my last driver in based on the speed the team has shown all season.

Sleeper: Kyle Larson. If he learns to stay out of trouble, Larson has the talent to be a title contender.

Early out: Alex Bowman. He has just one top-10 finish in the nine races since his win at Chicago.

Champion: Denny Hamlin. What a story if Hamlin comes back from a zero-win season to claim a championship in honor of J.D. Gibbs.

CHASE WILHELM

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing has been the class of the field all season and that will show in the Championship 4, but Chase Elliott is also in there to spoil the party.

Sleeper: William Byron. Byron and Knaus are starting to really click, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the second-year driver make it to the Round of 8.

Early out: Aric Almirola. The 2019 season hasn’t been pleasant for Almirola, so elimination after the first round is very likely unless the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing team can dig deep.

Champion: Chase Elliott. The No. 9 driver is going to go on a heater during this 10-race playoff stretch and beat some seasoned veterans at Homestead.

Posted on September 14, 2019 by Staff Report

LAS VEGAS — The RSS Racing No. 39 Chevrolet of Ryan Sieg failed Saturday’s post-race inspection at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, resulting in a disqualification after the NASCAR Xfinity Series event.

Sieg’s car did not meet the ride-height requirements after the Rhino Pro Truck Outfitters 300, the series’ regular-season finale. The 32-year-old Sieg had been scored one lap down in 14th at the end of the 200-lap race, but was demoted to last-place points in the 38-car field.

The disqualification did not affect Sieg’s standing as one of the 12 drivers qualifying for the Xfinity Series Playoffs. Sieg was the last driver to clinch a postseason berth, having built up an significant cushion above the cutoff line in the points standings.

NASCAR officials also announced that two teams will be penalized for having a one lug nut not safely secured in a post-race check. The infractions were found on the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing car driven to third place by Brandon Jones and the No. 9 JR Motorsports entry of sixth-place Noah Gragson. Fines for both teams’ crew chiefs should be announced next week, according to guidelines in the NASCAR Rule Book.

Posted on September 14, 2019September 15, 2019 by Holly Cain

LAS VEGAS – Tyler Reddick and his Richard Childress Racing team gambled and hit the jackpot Saturday evening at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, taking a chance on fuel mileage and racing just hard enough to hold off Christopher Bell by 0.738 seconds in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Rhino Pro Truck Outfitters 300.

Reddick, who hoisted his fifth trophy, also officially earned the regular-season championship based on points come lap 71 of the 200-lap race. He was running fifth at the time.

“Christopher Bell had a really fast race car today, but we were just able to come in and get fuel and tires and run really fast laps to keep us in front of him,’’ said Reddick, whose 30 laps led to close out the win were the sum of his laps out front. “Hats off to (crew chief) Randall (Burnett) and all the guys. We’ve had a really fast car in the past, unfortunately today we didn’t have it but we got them with strategy.’’

Brandon Jones was third, polesitter Cole Custer was fourth, and Justin Allgaier rounded out the top five. Veteran Elliott Sadler, a four-time Xfinity Series championship runner-up and 13-race winner, finished 10th in his last NASCAR national series race.

It was a strong statement for Reddick, who earned his fifth victory to close out the regular season and now begins his playoff run on a high note Friday at Richmond Raceway. The Californian has a series-best 20 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes in 26 races and is the defending Xfinity Series champion.

A six-race winner this season, Bell led a race-high 154 laps and was disappointed in the outcome after an especially strong showing. He pitted for tires and fuel with 30 laps remaining and returned to the track to try to make up Reddick’s nearly 20-second advantage at the time. Bell slowly gained but ultimately came up short.

Although Bell’s effort didn’t earn him the race trophy, he does go into the playoffs with the points lead. He is the top-ranked driver with 2,055 points as they reset. Custer and Reddick are tied for second, 11 points fewer than Bell.

The rest of the Xfinity Series postseason qualifiers in their reseeded order include Austin Cindric, rookie Chase Briscoe, veterans Justin Allgaier and Michael Annett, rookie Noah Gragson, Brandon Jones, Justin Haley, Ryan Sieg and rookie John Hunter Nemechek.

Sieg failed post-race technical inspection, but it didn’t cost him a playoff berth.

Custer, who bested Bell for the pole position Saturday afternoon, earned his fourth consecutive top 10 at the track and, although disappointed not to win, seemed optimistic about his playoff potential.

“We were just tight,’’ Custer said of his No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. “We tried to make adjustments to fix it. Just a tough weekend. … We had a great regular season and looking forward to the playoffs. I’m pumped for it. I think all the tracks in the playoffs we’ll be strong and everybody should look out for us.’’

In addition to Richmond, there’s the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and Dover International Speedway in the first round.

Reddick’s crew chief conceded it was a risky move to get the victory, but Burnett ultimately said he was feeling the Vegas vibe and that a strategic gamble was the team’s only hope in besting the faster Bell.

“We felt like we weren’t going to be able to get up there and compete with the 20; he was the class of the field all day,’’ Burnett said. “We saw an opportunity there. We knew we would be really close. None of the other guys came down (pit road). We really didn’t have anything to lose at this point.

“We got back out there, (Reddick) did a great job managing and holding pace. We just managed our pace based on how fast the 20 was catching us. We had to pick it back up at the end.

“It just worked out. “

Posted on September 14, 2019September 14, 2019 by Staff Report

The 2019 Xfinity Series Playoffs field was officially set on Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the regular-season finale.

Nine of 12 spots had been clinched in advance of the Rhino Pro Truck Outfitters 300, meaning three spots were available. Brandon Jones, John Hunter Nemechek and Ryan Sieg locked them up in Saturday’s race.

“There’s a lot of guys that are going to be tough to beat, but I’m ready to go into battle,” Jones said after a third-place finish at las Vegas. “I have to make it past these couple hard ones, but get me to the mile-and-a-halves where we’re really decent and I think we’re going to be a sleeper coming into this thing.”

Sieg added that it is all about going all out because wild things can happen in the playoffs.

“Go hard and that’s all we can do,” Sieg said. “It’s what we’ve been doing these past few weeks. We just have to do all we can do. You never know what could happen.”

The seven-race Xfinity Series Playoffs begin Sept. 20 at Richmond Raceway. The Round of 12 is made up of Richmond, Charlotte Roval and Dover with the Round of 8 consisting of Kansas, Texas and ISM (Phoenix) and the Championship 4 taking place at Homestead-Miami.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES PLAYOFFS FIELD WITH SEEDINGS AND POINTS

1. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing: 2055 points
2. Cole Custer, Stewart-Haas Racing: 2044 points
3. Tyler Reddick, Richard Childress Racing: 2044 points
4. Austin Cindric, Team Penske: 2017 points
5. Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi: 2012 points
6. Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports: 2012 points
7. Michael Annett, JR Motorsports: 2009 points
8. Noah Gragson, JR Motorsports: 2005 points
9. Brandon Jones, Joe Gibbs Racing: 2004 points
10. Justin Haley, Kaulig Racing: 2003 points
11. Ryan Sieg, RSS Racing: 2001 points
12. John Hunter Nemechek, GMS Racing: 2000 points

Contributing: Chase Wilhelm from Las Vegas

Posted on September 14, 2019September 14, 2019 by Staff Report

All Tyler Reddick did was win Saturday evening at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Reddick locked up the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular-Season Championship, taking the honor a season after scoring the series championship in 2018. He secured the title midway through Stage 2 of the Rhino Pro Truck Outfitters 30 after a combination of his eight points earned in Stage 1 and the number of early retirees guaranteeing him enough race-end points.

“We just need to be smart about what advantage we have,” Reddick said. “Obviously, if we can go out and win a race and take care of business and not have to worry about the final race, that would be great.

“We don’t want to obviously give away what we worked really hard for in the regular season. We want to use those points we’ve accumulated well and keep them in our back pocket in case we need them.”

The No. 2 Richard Childress Racing driver also took the race victory in the regular-season finale at the 1.5-mile track, boldly stretching out his fuel to edge out Christopher Bell, who finished second.

“We knew we weren’t going to beat the 20 car straight up tonight,” No. 2 crew chief Randall Burnett said. “We didn’t have the speed. At that point, we didn’t have anything to lose because we had already clinched the regular season with the stage points we had gotten.

“We were like, heck, may as well have fun with it and try it. Probably won’t be that aggressive in the playoffs, but you know, if need be, we will. It’s just kind of circumstantial.”

Clinching the regular-season title hands Reddick a 15-point bonus heading into the seven-race playoffs that begin Sept. 20 at Richmond Raceway. The top-10 finishers in the regular-season standings receive bonus points on a sliding scale, starting with 15 for first and ending with one extra point for 10th.

The bonus inches Reddick closer to the total playoff points Bell and Cole Custer will carry entering the playoffs. Both Bell and Custer have six wins apiece this season to Reddick’s five. Bell is the first seed with 2,055 points, while Reddick and Custer are tied for the second with 2,044 points.

After his title season with JR Motorsports, Reddick moved over to Richard Childress Racing and hasn’t missed a beat. Already in 2019, he has more wins (five), top fives (20), top 10s (22), laps led (448) and poles (3) than he had all of last season. The 23-year-old California native has sat atop the point standings since the fourth race of the season at ISM Raceway.

Last season, Justin Allgaier scored the regular-season title. In 2017, Elliott Sadler took the honors. Neither driver went on to score the championship.

Contributing: Chase Wilhelm from Las Vegas

Posted on September 14, 2019September 15, 2019 by Chase Wilhelm

LAS VEGAS – Cat Stevens was right and so was Sheryl Crow: The first cut is the deepest.

That’s the case for Jimmie Johnson, as feelings from missing the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs of his career sink in. The 10-race, 16-driver party didn’t have room on the invitation list for the seven-time champion.

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As Johnson continues to rebuild the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team alongside crew chief Cliff Daniels, the goals are set, the vision is clear and confidence is through the roof.

But that doesn’t stop the sting.

“There’s tons of excitement and optimism around that, but seeing everybody partying over there on the Strip, doing burnouts and everything, all the guys that made the playoffs, that hurt,” Johnson said. “There’s no way around it.”

The fact it’s painful to watch his competitors compete for a title without him proves the fire still burns bright. Of course, Johnson is not done yet. He just has to wait another year to fight for a record-setting eighth championship.

“I want to be a part of all that, and I should be,” Johnson said. “So, as I kind of analyze that, I’m glad it hurts. If it didn’t hurt, I think there’d be a problem.”

Adding insult to injury, all three of Johnson’s teammates are postseason bound, as Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and William Byron get ready to fight for a championship beginning with Sunday night’s NASCAR Playoffs opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriuxXM NASCAR Radio).

“I even said to my teammates in our debriefs on Tuesday congratulations and take advantage of this opportunity that you have,” Johnson said. “I’d do anything to be in your position to have a shot at an eighth championship right now.”

Disappointment aside, Elliott thinks Johnson will be an asset for all three teams over the next 10 weeks given the experience he carries.

“I’m going to lean on him,” Elliott said. “I try to lean on him as much as I can. I wish I was racing him to be a part of it as well, but I know how the kind of guy he is and the reason he’s a seven-time champion is because of the attitude he carries and I know he’s going to find the silver lining in it somewhere.

“I know that’s hard to find and it may not be this week and it may not be next week, but I know he’s going to find it at some point, and I expect he’ll come back stronger.”

Posted on September 14, 2019September 14, 2019 by RJ Kraft

Clint Bowyer is on the pole for Sunday’s South Point 400 (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and will lead a four-car brigade for Stewart-Haas Racing in the front two rows. Does the SHR driver merit a spot in your Fantasy Live lineup? And how should you navigate the playoff game format? We’ve dissected the numbers to offer a suggested lineup worthy of your Fantasy Live consideration.

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RJ Kraft’s Fantasy Live lineup for race day at Las Vegas:
Playoff driver 1: Kevin Harvick
Playoff driver 2: Chase Elliott
Non-playoff driver 1: Jimmie Johnson
Non-playoff driver 2: Daniel Suarez
Garage: Kyle Busch

Analysis: For the playoff game, I’m going to ride the hot hand of Harvick. He’s been too strong of late to avoid. For my second active play, I’m going to try something and go with Elliott. He had strong averages in final practice and I like that he’ll have better track position than most playoff drivers in the field. The body of work at 1.5-mile tracks this year hasn’t been impressive for him, but it wasn’t in 2016 when he ran well at Chicago to open that postseason.

As for the garage: The 18 camp has been off in qualifying in recent weeks but still scores strong finishes. It was really a choice between Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and the hometown driver Busch. I am reluctant to bet against Busch with no use limits in this format as good as the Penske duo has been at Las Vegas and the long run speed they’ve shown.

On the non-playoff side, I am rolling with Johnson. He had the best 10-lap average among the non-playoff drivers and the speed has been there in recent weeks. Plus, I think the sting of missing the playoffs for the first time is a big motivator for “Seven-Time.” The other non-playoff spot was a choice between Daniel Suarez and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Suarez has put together four straight top-11 finishes while Stenhouse finished in the top 10 here in March and was the best non-playoff car on the 15-lap board. I’m going with the recent record and taking Suarez.

For the bonus picks, I will take Harvick to win Stage 1 with Elliott in Stage 2 and Keselowski for the win. The Keselowski pick is a hedge to have him somewhere in my roster/picks for this race.

Each week in this space, we’ll also highlight two Props Challenge items for players.

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1. O/U 1.5 non-playoff drivers finish in the top 10. I am taking the OVER here as we just need two to do it. My early bets would be Johnson and Suarez, but Stenhouse finished in the top 10 in the spring and Menard has a solid history here as well. Last year, three non-playoff drivers finished in the top 10 so it is certainly doable.

2. Which Joe Gibbs Racing driver will finish higher: Denny Hamlin or Martin Truex Jr.? I am taking Truex here in a little bit of a contrarian move. I know Hamlin has the better starting spot and has been the hotter driver of late, but Truex has been the better driver at Las Vegas overall in recent runs. The 2017 champ had better averages in the practice sessions and let’s not forget, day-to-night races are a Truex-Cole Pearn specialty, so I like him to outrun Hamlin here.

Posted on September 14, 2019 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, the South Point 400 (7 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on September 14, 2019September 14, 2019 by Holly Cain

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 has 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 his last pole.

It’s exactly the kind of start to his playoffs Bowyer needed. But not one he necessarily expected.

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“I’m as shocked as you are,’’ Bowyer said, laughing as he sat down to address reporters after the qualifying session. “I’m extremely proud of the effort. We’re on the pole, but 1-2-3-4 for Stewart-Haas Racing that says a lot about our focus.’’

Bowyer will start alongside SHR teammate Daniel Suarez, who was less than a tenth-of-a-second off Bowyer’s pace in the No. 41 SHR Ford. Their teammates, playoff-eligible drivers Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola, were third and fourth fastest, giving the team a sweep in qualifying.

“You have to qualify well because it puts you in position to start the race on a good note and stay up front and keep some track position, and it really sets you up to score points in Stage 1,’’ said Almirola, driver of the No. 10 SHR Ford. “That is really what qualifying well does for you. I think that is the biggest thing.”

Las Vegas native Kurt Busch was fifth fastest in the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet – best of the non-SHR competitors. His brother and 2019 regular-season champion, Kyle, will start 20th – second best among the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team. Kyle’s teammate, Denny Hamlin, will start 13th.

LAS VEGAS: Full schedule | What to know | Fantasy picks

Interestingly, five of the top 10 drivers on Sunday’s grid are not playoff competitors – including Suarez, Richard Childress Racing teammates Daniel Hemric (sixth) and Austin Dillon (seventh), Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson (eighth) and Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell, who will start 10th – his best position on the grid this season except for a seventh-place start at Chicagoland Speedway in June.

Defending race winner Brad Keselowski qualified 18th, and Team Penske teammate Joey Logano, who won here in March, qualified 22nd.

Bowyer certainly is hopeful this improved Vegas starting position will also translate into an improved Vegas finish for him. He has only a single top-five showing and four top 10s in 15 starts at the track. His best result is runner-up in 2009.

He arrives in Las Vegas, however, riding a solid streak of success. He has accomplished three top 10s in the previous three races leading into this playoff opener. And he has six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes this season.

“It’s playoff time, and it’s going to get intense right off the bat,’’ Bowyer said. “I say it every year, you can’t win the championship in Las Vegas but you can lose it here.”

Posted on September 14, 2019September 14, 2019 by Zack Albert

LAS VEGAS — William Byron isn’t that far removed from being a rookie. The yellow stripes came off the rear bumper of the No. 24 Chevrolet after last season, but he’s back to being a bit of a newbie in his sophomore year.

Of the 16 drivers in the Monster Energy Series Playoffs field, just one is making his first postseason appearance. That’s Byron, the second-year prodigy who enters Sunday’s playoff opener (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM) with speed and a seasoned crew chief in hopes of making waves over the final 10 events.

“The second year is great,” Byron said. “I wish I could have had the first year back, I guess, and been in the playoffs last year, but I definitely appreciate it now, and being able to be a part of it.”

After a sluggish start to Year 2, Byron rallied his way into the playoff picture with a blend of solid finishes — both on the overall results and in stages, where the No. 24 team converted for lucrative point bonuses. The 21-year-old driver ranked 19th in the series standings at the All-Star break, but surged into the playoff mix by earning more than 30 points in nine of the final 14 races to close out the regular season.

Credit the composure of Byron, but also the guidance of veteran crew chief Chad Knaus, a seven-time champion in his long tenure with Jimmie Johnson, but in his first year with Hendrick’s youngest driver. Byron may not be battle-tested with playoff experience, but in Knaus, he has a future Hall of Famer steering the ship.

“Yeah, we’ve talked quite a bit the last couple of weeks about how we approach it,” Byron says. “He’s done some cool things (like) bringing the whole team in and doing a couple of team-building events and things like that. I haven’t really noticed a lot of difference in how he approaches it. Maybe there will be once we get to the race track, but I feel like we’re just going to go about doing our normal. He always has something in his bag of tricks, I guess, to apply, whether that’s the car or just the way we execute the weekend. So, he’s got a good way of using his expertise to kind of make that next step.”

Byron qualified for the 10-race stretch on the basis of points, but his primary displays of speed have come in qualifying. Byron has placed the No. 24 on the front row nine times this season, and his average start is roughly two positions ahead of his average finish.

Byron and Co. might be considered a smaller blip on the radar as a plucky No. 13 seed, but a first go-round in the playoffs also represents a building block in the next stage of his career.

“We don’t feel like we’re just sneaking into the playoffs or anything,” Byron said. “We locked it in a couple of races ago. So, I feel good about that. I think the next step is just how do we perform in the playoffs and how do we get to the next level of our progression as a program.”