Trackside Live is back this weekend in Sin City! The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series all head to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for desert races — and two Trackside Live shows.
The live shows are Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Guests for the shows include Kyle Busch, Noah Gragson and Tyler Reddick on Saturday and Kyle Larson, Erik Jones, Austin Dillon, Brendan Gaughan, Matt DiBenedetto and Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy on Sunday.
The Trackside Live crew will come prepared with games, Q&As with drivers, prizes and a lot of family fun for everyone. Join in on this unique experience, take home some great stuff and even better memories in advance of Sunday night’s playoff opener, the South Point 400 (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Aren’t able to make it to the track this weekend? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! You don’t have to miss a second of the Trackside Live fun as the entire show will be streamed live on NASCAR.com here.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs kick off this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the South Point 400. Sixteen drivers will vie for the title over the final 10 races of the season.
This first of the three-race Round of 16 is on the 1.5-mile Sin City track for the second year in a row. The point totals have been reset for the playoffs, with regular-season champ Kyle Busch leading the way in the standings by a 15-point margin over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.
Here is the rest of the need-to-know information for Sunday’s playoff opener.
TRACK DETAILS
Las Vegas is a 1.5-mile, tri-oval asphalt track with 20-degree banking in the turns and 9-12 degree banking on the front and backstretch. The track was built in 1996, and the Cup Series has been racing there since 1998.
RULES PACKAGE
The race at Las Vegas will feature the 2019 rules package with aero ducts and a tapered-spacer engine generating a targeted 550 horsepower.
Each team will be provided with three sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radial tires for practice, one set for qualifying and 10 sets for the 400-mile race (nine, plus one transferred from practice or qualifying).
The Monster Energy Series gets a break from its string of hard-wear tracks with its trip to Vegas.
“Las Vegas is widely known on the NASCAR circuit as a track that does not wear tires,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “That is an important concern for Goodyear and the race teams because when tires don’t wear, they don’t shed rubber and therefore retain more heat. What that requires us to do is bring tread compounds that will wear more and help the tire run cooler. We’ve done a lot of development work in this area, with a number of tracks that have ‘smoother’ surfaces. We’ve come up with a successful right-side tire that accomplishes that, and we now bring that to multiple tracks — Texas (Motor Speedway), Kansas (Speedway), Michigan (International Speedway) and Kentucky (Speedway), in addition to Las Vegas.”
STATS
Nine different drivers have won the pole for the last nine Las Vegas races that held qualifying.
Brad Keselowski has either won or been passed for the win in six of the last seven Las Vegas races, including in March when Joey Logano passed him with 24 laps remaining.
All six of the active Monster Energy Series drivers with wins at Las Vegas (Busch, Keselowski, Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr.) are also former Cup Series champions.
Source: Racing Insights
LIVE COVERAGE
This weekend’s race will air live Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN and streamed on the NBC Sports App. Radio coverage can be found on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Also, follow along on NASCAR.com for live Lap-by-Lap coverage, the live leaderboard, Drive (featuring in-car cameras) and RaceView (subscription: in-car audio, stats, more). Be sure to set your lineup in Fantasy Live and make your picks in the Props Challenge.
2018 RACE WINNER
Keselowski is the defending race winner at Las Vegas, a victory that capped his third straight win during a 2018 hot streak that also included triumphs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway. Keselowski scored Team Penske’s 500th organizational win with this checkered flag. He avoided a series of wrecks and mishaps that befell several other playoff drives, and he beat Kyle Larson to the finish line in a two-lap, overtime shootout.
ACTIVE LAS VEGAS WINNERS
Johnson, four times; Keselowski, three times; Harvick, two times; Logano, Truex and Busch, one time each.
After a 26-race regular season, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) playoffs get underway this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
While 16 drivers are now eligible to run for the hardware, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson finds himself on the outside looking in for the first time in his career.
To make this week’s NASCAR Props Challenge picks, I’ll rely heavily on betting odds to project expected driver performance, as well as race trends from the March MENCS race at Las Vegas.
1. Which playoff driver earns the higher finish: Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney?
Larson is currently 12-1 at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas to win Sunday’s race, while Blaney is 20-1. Let’s lean on Vegas here and take Kyle.
Pick: Larson
2. Kyle Busch has four top fives in his last seven starts at his home track. Does he earn another top five on Sunday?
Busch is currently the favorite to win with +450 odds, but expecting a top-five finish in a field with so many fast race cars is too rich for my blood.
Pick: No
3. Which team will have the highest finishing driver: Joe Gibbs Racing or Team Penske?
This is really close, but with Busch the favorite and all four Joe Gibbs cars listed with odds of 12 or better, I have to go JGR.
Pick: Joe Gibbs Racing
4. Ford drivers have won the last three Las Vegas races. Does that streak continue: Yes or No?
Matt DiBenedetto’s answer to his uncertain job status was to come out fighting, a stance underscored by his boxing-attired entrance at Bristol Motor Speedway last month.
Tuesday, DiBenedetto answered the bell for another round in his well-traveled NASCAR career.
DiBenedetto’s deal with the storied Wood Brothers Racing organization for 2020 fell into place quickly, as both sides described in a Tuesday news conference. DiBenedetto will replace Paul Menard, who steps away from a full-time racing career spanning 13 seasons to focus on spending more time with his family.
It represented another “pinch me” moment for the 28-year-old journeyman, who has cemented his reputation as a scrapper as he enters his next chapter as the pilot of the iconic No. 21 Ford.
“Shoot, it’s been a dream of mine to be able to drive for one of the almost legendary teams in NASCAR is going to be unbelievable,” said DiBenedetto, who is on the move after one season at Leavine Family Racing. “It’s been surreal. It’s been amazing to have the opportunity this year driving for LFR to showcase what we can do and to elevate me and give me the opportunity to come over here and drive for the Wood Brothers, so it’s going to be an incredible opportunity.”
DiBenedetto rocketed to the top of the list of available free agents in the Monster Energy Series garage a month ago, when he was notified that Leavine Family Racing would not bring him back for a second season. DiBenedetto found an advocate in the taciturn Menard, who vouched for the driver of the No. 95 Toyota as he considered his retirement.
In the same time frame, the newly lame-duck DiBenedetto wowed the Bristol faithful with a spirited drive to second place in search of his first big-league victory. That result only solidified Menard’s endorsement.
“He was the first choice, the only choice and that’s just the way it turned out,” team president Eddie Wood said. “I think it was just meant to be.”
The one-year contract means that DiBenedetto will have pressure to perform again in an effort to shore up some long-term stability on the Monster Energy Series roster. His recent uptick — four top-10 finishes in the last seven races — helps.
The Wood Brothers will be his fourth team since 2015, but the No. 21 group also represents his best opportunity to prove he belongs.
“It’s what makes it so rewarding and makes me appreciate it so much,” DiBenedetto said. “And it’s what’s taught me everything, not only as a person but as a driver to fight and claw and be the best that I can be, and it teaches you to appreciate it and a lot about life. I wouldn’t trade the path and journey for the world. Everything’s led into great opportunities. This is the best opportunity of my life, and I think we can altogether build something great to come for many years. That’s definitely the goal.”
With one regular-season race remaining in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it’s time to analyze how drivers can clinch a spot in the Xfinity Series Playoffs. Of course, the easiest way to clinch is to win this weekend.
But if that doesn’t happen, here are the drivers who have a chance to clinch on points when the checkered flag drops at Las Vegas. Three spots in the 12-driver field are open.
• Brandon Jones: He would clinch on points with 16 points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, John Hunter Nemechek or Ryan Sieg), he would clinch on points, regardless of finish.
• John Hunter Nemechek: He would clinch on points with 43 points and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Brandon Jones or Ryan Sieg), he would clinch on points, regardless of finish.
• Ryan Sieg: Sieg would clinch with a win. If there is a repeat winner (or a win by Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Brandon Jones or John Hunter Nemechek), he would clinch on points, regardless of finish. He could clinch on points with a new winner and help.
The remaining playoff eligible drivers can only clinch with a win.
Clinching for Regular Season Championship • Tyler Reddick can clinch the Regular Season Championship with 11 points
Chase Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports revealed a new look for the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro that will hit the track in the October playoff race at Dover International Speedway.
The primarily pink scheme will promote Hooters’ Give a Hoot campaign in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Elliott is the defending race winner for the opening event in the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Playoffs.
Give A Hoot fundraising in October benefits the V Foundation for Cancer Research, one of the nation’s leading cancer research funding organizations, as well as other local beneficiaries through the Kelly Jo Dowd Breast Cancer Research Fund.
The Kelly Jo Dowd Breast Cancer Research Fund was established in honor of the late Kelly Jo Dowd, an original Hooters Girl and the 1995 Hooters Calendar Cover Girl. She battled breast cancer for five years before her death 2007.
Elliott is seeded seventh in the 16-driver Monster Energy Series Playoffs, which begin this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In his fourth full-time season for Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott, 23, has two wins and eight top-five finishes through the 26 regular-season races. A win at Talladega Superspeedway, where his father, Bill, set speed records, and a repeat victory at Watkins Glen International put Elliott in solid standing as the postseason begins.
Following the Oct. 6 race, Hooters will host a charity auction in which fans will have the chance to bid on a pair of his racing gloves and shoes – both pink. All auction proceeds will benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research through its Give A Hoot fundraising platform.
Such is the case with NASCAR Silly Season — one day you’re down and the next you’re up.
That’s certainly the case for Matt DiBenedetto, currently the driver of the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota. Just weeks after announcing 2019 would be his final season racing for LFR, DiBenedetto was tabbed for the famed No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing after Paul Menard’s retirement at the end of the season.
DiBenedetto shared his reaction to the news on social media:
I don’t even have the words to describe how thankful I am!! Paul is such a great guy and I’m lucky to call him a friend and I wish him the best! So excited to take over and drive for one of the most legendary teams in NASCAR next year! I have so many people to thank!!!! 🥳 https://t.co/qJy1kcpV10
Other drivers reached out to DiBenedetto on social media to share their reactions:
Wow, congratulations @mattdracing ! As for Paul, I think all race fans should say thank you to him and his family for all they have done for this sport and continue to do. https://t.co/8OIs7NVnua
In what many consider a surprise announcement only five days before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs begin in Las Vegas, one of the sport’s most iconic teams, Wood Brothers Racing, announced Tuesday that driver Paul Menard will be stepping out of the driver’s seat and Matt DiBenedetto will replace him in the famed No. 21 Ford beginning in the 2020 season.
Wood Brothers conceded in a teleconference the team didn’t necessarily intend to make the news a “surprise” turn of events. Menard said he had been considering stepping out of a full-time driving role for months. Ultimately, the father of two young children decided, “I love my family more.”
According to those involved, Menard informed the Wood Brothers team of his intentions to stop full-time racing three weeks ago and then immediately suggested DiBenedetto, who currently drives the No. 95 Toyota for Leavine Family Racing, as a good driver to take over the No. 21 Ford. The Wood Brothers car is in a technical alliance with Team Penske, so Penske principals were also involved in securing the deal with DiBenedetto.
The whole process from Menard telling Wood Brothers he wanted to leave the full-time ride to it securing DiBenedetto took only about three weeks, the team said.
“First thing out of Paul’s mouth was, ‘Get Matt,’” team co-owner Eddie Wood said. “So right away, we started a conversation with Matt and that’s the only direction we went. And I’d like to thank Paul for putting us in that direction.”
I don’t even have the words to describe how thankful I am!! Paul is such a great guy and I’m lucky to call him a friend and I wish him the best! So excited to take over and drive for one of the most legendary teams in NASCAR next year! I have so many people to thank!!!! 🥳 https://t.co/qJy1kcpV10
“My whole path and career has been pretty unorthodox and crazy for sure,’’ DiBenedetto said. “I believe strongly in fate and that everything happens for a reason. I’ve had to trust in that throughout this whole journey because if I had control of everything throughout my career, I would have messed it up many, many times.
“I’ve just had to work as hard as I can. I live for this day and night and have had to let the things out of my control fall as they may. I’ve just been really lucky and it’s unreal how this path and opportunity worked out.”
After the mid-August announcement he would not be returning to Leavine Family Racing for the 2020 season, DiBenedetto said he received “a few phone calls” from teams expressing interest in him.
“But as soon as I got the phone call [from the Wood Brothers], that was a dream-come-true phone call and I was basically all-in on the opportunity,’’ he said. “They could have called me at two in the morning to meet with them and I would have been there immediately. This is the best opportunity of my life and I think we can all build something great for years to come.’’
Said team co-owner Len Wood: “He was our first choice. I just think it was meant to be.’’
DiBenedetto, a 28-year-old Californian, is in the midst of a career year in the No. 95 LFR Toyota, leading a race-best 49 laps in the season-opening Daytona 500 before being collected in a wreck in the waning portion of the race. He has scored the first top fives of his five Cup seasons (at Sonoma Raceway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway) this year and already earned a career-high six top 10s in the car. Only three weeks ago he scored a dramatic and career best runner-up finish to Denny Hamlin at the famed Bristol Night Race.
The 39-year-old Wisconsin native Menard has competed full time in the Monster Energy Series for 13 seasons, earning his lone victory at one of the sport’s grandest races, the 2011 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His first full-time Cup job was in 2007 driving Chevrolets for Dale Earnhardt Inc. He raced a season each for both Yates Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports before settling in at Richard Childress Racing, where he competed from 2011-17. He moved to the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 last season.
Menard has two Monster Energy Series pole positions to his credit – in 2008 at the Daytona International Speedway summer race and last year at Chicagoland Speedway. He has one win, 20 top-five and 69 top-10 finishes. His best season statistically was 2014, when he had five top fives and 13 top 10s.
Currently, Menard ranks 19th in the Monster Energy Series standings with four top 10s through the opening 26 Cup races.
Menard also has three NASCAR Xfinity Series victories and said he still plans to compete in assorted Xfinity races in the upcoming seasons.
“The way I look at it there’s still 26 years before I can get my AARP card, so I’ll stay pretty busy doing things,” Menard said. “First and foremost, I need to be a good dad, good husband. Outside of that are a lot of opportunities. Obviously we have a great company (Menards) up in Wisconsin that’s growing and vibrant.
“I’m not done racing yet, trying to figure out what the next step is for sure, but it’s not going to be 38 races a year, I can tell you that.’’
NASCAR Fantasy Live’s Playoff game will cover the 10 races in the playoffs and function similarly to the regular-season edition of Fantasy Live. There are some changes to this game from the regular season, which are explained below. Leagues put together in the regular season will be kept intact, although scoring will reset for the playoffs. Players will also be able to see their overall scoring for the season combined across the regular season and playoff formats.
Accessing the game to set your roster can be done by logging into your account and going to the Fantasy page (NASCAR.com/Fantasy). You also can access the game by opening NASCAR Mobile, logging into your account and clicking the Fantasy icon on the bottom of the app.
Here is a primer to get you up to speed on the playoff game for 2019.
How is the playoff game different? The first major difference is that there is no limit on how many times you can use a driver in the playoffs. If you are thinking that means you can roster Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick for every race … you can but there is a twist there that we will get to below. The roster composition of teams is different from the regular season as well (further explained below) and there are some limits on how you can utilize the garage driver. There also is an additional bonus pick that must be set by the playoff opener in Las Vegas.
This is how the roster page will look. Playoff drivers will be specified with a special header. (NASCAR Digital Media)
What is the roster composition?
Players will be able to field a roster of starters with two active playoff drivers and two non-playoff drivers. You have one driver in your garage. Driver and garage selections lock five minutes before the race start time and do not carry over week-to-week, meaning you need to set your roster for each race.
How does the garage driver work? Players can substitute their one garage driver up until the start of the Final Stage. Once the Final Stage starts, no more switches are allowed. However, if your garage driver is in the playoffs, you can only swap him for one of your two playoff drivers. If your garage guy is a non-playoff driver, you can only swap him for one of your two non-playoff drivers.
Example: Your active roster for Las Vegas is Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch as playoff drivers with Paul Menard and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as your non-playoff drivers. Martin Truex Jr. is your garage driver. Truex can only be swapped for Harvick or Busch. You CANNOT replace Truex for Menard or Stenhouse.
Which races make up the playoffs?
The playoffs, which start Sept. 15, consist of 10 races: Las Vegas, Richmond, Charlotte road course, Dover, Talladega, Kansas, Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami. Only the Charlotte road course and Homestead-Miami have not held a race this season before the playoffs.
Do eliminated drivers shift from playoff to non-playoff? Yes, drivers that are eliminated from the playoffs will see their designation (playoff or non-playoff) transition at the start of a new round. This will give players fewer playoff options to choose from as we get deeper into the playoffs but more non-playoff options to choose from at the same time.
So which drivers end up scoring points?
The drivers ending the race in your main roster will comprise the drivers that make up your total score. A driver that ends the race in the garage would not see his results count toward your score.
Are there any limits to how much a driver can be used?
No. Unlike the regular-season game, there are no use limits on any driver. In theory, you could field the same lineup every week if you choose.
What is the scoring system?
The scoring will reflect the NASCAR Official Scoring System. For example, if Chase Elliott wins Stage 1 and Stage 2 and wins the race, he will earn players 60 fantasy points for that particular race just as he would earn 60 points for himself in the season standings.
Drivers running in the top 10 at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2 receive points, starting with 10 points for first, nine for second, etc. The race winner receives 40 points, while second-place receives 35 points, third receives 34 points and all the way down to 1 point for drivers that finish 36th through 40th.
Are there any bonus picks?
Yes, players can make bonus picks for the pole winner, Stage 1 winner, Stage 2 winner, race winner and manufacturer winner. The pole winner bonus pick selection will lock approximately five minutes before the start time of qualifying. All other bonus picks lock five minutes before the race start time. Bonus picks DO NOT count against driver usage.
NASCAR Digital Media
NEW FOR THE PLAYOFFS: Players can choose a playoff champion pick that is worth 60 points. This pick will lock five minutes before the green flag of the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept. 15 (7 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). This bonus will be added to your score at the completion of the 10-week playoffs following the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale on Nov. 17.
What is the value of each bonus pick?
Pole Winner (5 points for correct pick)
Stage 1 Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Stage 2 Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Race Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Winning Manufacturer (10 points for correct pick)
Playoffs Champion (60 points for correct pick)
Will my leagues and teams from last year be available? Regular-season leagues will see their full membership move over to the playoffs.
What is the prize for the best player in the playoffs?
The overall winner will receive a prize of $2,500.
During this season’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Team Toyota drivers and athletes are pairing up to curate unique prizes fans won’t want to miss.
Every two weeks, a new Toyota Tag Team will be introduced in custom video content, giving fans the inside track on fun and candid conversations between some of the world’s most elite athletes. Each Tag Team brings fans a shot at exclusive prizes connected to the athletes’ personal interests or careers.
Throughout the NASCAR® Playoffs, fans can enter at www.toyota.com/racing/playoffpromo for a chance to win these athlete-inspired prizes, plus a 2020 Toyota Camry TRD and VIP Daytona 500 experience from the ultimate Tag Team: Toyota & NASCAR.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Ends 11/17/19. Must be a permanent legal resident of the (50) U.S. or DC of legal age of majority (& at least 18) as of 9/9/19. Void where prohibited. Click here for Official Rules, which govern, entry & complete details. Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. is not a Sponsor of this Promotion.
