Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Complete lineup for Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – With a respite from strong gusts in the final round of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series knockout qualifying on Friday at windswept Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney posted the fastest lap of the day to earn the pole position for the third race of the season.

After covering the 1.5-mile distance in 28.200 seconds (191.489 mph)—the fastest lap of the day—Blaney will lead the field to the green flag in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM).

Kevin Harvick was second fastest in the money round at 190.248 mph. Kurt Busch, Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate completed a Ford sweep of the top three starting positions after a lap at 190.067 mph.

“Our team did a great job of getting us ready from round to round,” said Blaney, who scored his first pole with Team Penske and the third of his career.

On his first-round lap, Blaney felt a huge gust of wind as he approached Turn 1, but the wind abated during his runs in the second and final rounds.

“I got blown off into Turn 1 in the first round, but then in the next two rounds I didn’t really feel it,” Blaney said. “The last one, we didn’t get a big gust of wind, and I was able to put together a pretty decent lap.

“I thought our Ford was pretty good over three rounds. The second and third rounds were really good. They (the team) made really good changes to our race car and got us where we needed to be. It’s nice to know we have some good speed, and now it’s about getting it racing well. We’ll work on that Saturday. Hopefully we’ll be set up for Sunday.” 

WATCH: In-car camera shows windy, bumpy ride

Reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion and defending race winner Martin Truex Jr. will start fourth in the No. 78 Furniture Row racing Toyota, followed by Kyle Larson in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

Chase Elliott, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Brad Keselowski, Erik Jones and Joey Logano, respectively, filled positions six through 10 on the grid.

Harvick said the wind presented issues for the drivers getting into Turn 3.

“I think it really helped us through (Turns) 1 and 2,” Harvick said. “I think you usually see a lot more issues into 1 and 2 than what we had today, and I think that’s the wind and the direction it was blowing with all the added sideforce that you had.

“You had to be really careful getting into Turn 3, just enough to get the car up the race track with the wind blowing in that direction.”

Kurt Busch claimed the 12th and final position in the final round, one spot ahead of his brother, Kyle Busch, who will start 13th. Kurt then improved to third when it counted.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Conceding the weather conditions may vary between this week’s spring race weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the track’s inaugural playoff race date coming September 16, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers still remained confident Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube (3:30 p.m. ET. FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) would serve as a good reference point for the all-important return trip this fall.

RELATED: Complete Las Vegas schedule

Speaking with the media Friday morning prior to opening Monster Energy Series practice, Kyle Larson was confident and optimistic that this #NASCARGoesWest stop would absolutely benefit the playoff drivers down the road.

“I think any time you race at a track, whether it’s cool or hot, it relates,” the Chip Ganassi Racing driver said, noting he didn’t expect the different seasons to be a huge factor.

“I mean there is definitely some added importance to this race with it being in the Playoffs. I mean hopefully we have a strong race and if not, you know what you need to go back and work on to be better when you come back here later in the year to benefit your playoff run.

“Not that this race when it was just a stand-alone event or one race wasn’t important, but any time you can race at a track that you are going to come back at in the final 10 it’s got some added importance to it.” 

As was Larson, veteran Kevin Harvick was a playoff driver in 2017 and has qualified for NASCAR’s Championship 4, in three of the last four years resulting in a series championship in 2014. This season’s playoffs slate has a decidedly new look including for the first time, that vital playoffs opener at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

WATCH: Larson says #NASCARGoes West races reveal top cars, teams

It will be the first time the Monster Energy Series teams have competed in Vegas later than the March springtime date. Harvick said he expects the additional race date to affect the importance of this weekend for his Stewart-Haas Racing organization and others.

“I think the thought process of knowing you are coming back here for a second-time is definitely a good thing, and definitely something that is relevant for us as we go through the weekend,” said Harvick, who won last Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“The progression of the year is always so drastic. By the time we come back in September and you look at the downforce and things the car makes at that time compared to the beginning of the year, if you look at what we raced here last year compared to what we will race today is all progression of the year.

“Coming back here, I think that direction will still stand and you will do some things different. Every track has its own trends and quirks about it that you want to have written down and noted. It is an important weekend to make sure you have a firm understanding of the direction of this particular race track knowing you are coming back for the Playoffs. It will be different.”

MORE: Top Las Vegas moments | Paint schemes

Driver Ryan Blaney agreed, saying his No. 12 Team Penske Ford team would definitely consider this race a good reference point for the fall event. But, he said that’s really true anywhere the series races twice — postseason implications or not.

“You try to learn every bit you can,” Blaney said. “You put it in your notebook. Even if the track is different you learn something or you don’t. The more and more you can build up your notebook and knowledge of things the better.

“We pay attention to every track whether we go there once or twice, Playoff or non-Playoff race. You try to get more knowledge. It is a little different coming back here but I think it won’t change that much. It will be fairly similar to how it is now.

“There might not be 30 mph winds,” he said. “But we will pay close attention to it like we do every week.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Harvick storms Atlanta with dominant wins

When it comes to all-time combined national series wins, NASCAR has but three centenarians in its entire history.

It’s about to be four.

Kevin Harvick picked up a pair of wins — his 98th and 99th — in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series last weekend at Atlanta. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver now sits on the precipice of NASCAR history alongside Hall of Famers David Pearson and Richard Petty and fellow Monster Energy Series champ Kyle Busch.

MORE: All-time combined wins in NASCAR national series history

“It’s a fun stat and I think obviously for me, coming to Stewart-Haas Racing I guess re-energized me a little bit and enthused me about everything that is going on,” Harvick said Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio). “It’s definitely not a bad stat. Definitely something that is kind of fun to see.”

Harvick has a shot to match David Pearson’s career total of 106 — 105 of which were at the Cup level — with 38 races left between his Monster Energy Series and Xfinity Series slate in 2018. It’s worth noting that he won the Monster Energy Series race at Vegas in 2015.

As competitive as Harvick is, he’ll have to race for a real long time — or pop off an exceptionally unprecedented streak of victories — to match the other two drivers ahead of him. Busch has spread 183 wins across all three series with a whopping 91 at the Xfinity level, while Petty has that round 200 number of Cup wins.

“I think what Harvick and myself have been able to do with the amount of wins that we have in all three series is cool,” Busch said Friday. “I think you reach 100, that’s a big number to reach in this sport, in how difficult it is to win races these days, whether it’s Cup, Xfinity or Truck.

“I think that should be something to be proud of.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full practice results

Kyle Larson topped the leaderboard in Friday’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at 190.658 mph in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

Right behind him was last week’s Atlanta winner in Kevin Harvick, who posted a best speed of 190.409 mph  in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

Rounding out the top five were Paul Menard in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford (190.369 mph), Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (190.342 mph) and William Byron in the No. 24 Chevrolet (190.282 mph).

MORE: Harvick eyes big milestone

Series points leader Joey Logano was 14th fastest.

Drivers faced heavy winds during this practice, with speeds in the Las Vegas area hovering around 23 mph according to weather.com. Watch Daniel Suarez’s in-car camera in the video above to see first-hand what the drivers were dealing with while turning laps on the 1.5-mile speedway in the desert.

The next on-track activity for the Monster Energy Series is qualifying at 7:15 p.m. ET on FS1.

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Team Penske announced today that BODYARMOR Sports Drink will be featured as the primary sponsor on the No. 12 Ford Fusion driven by Ryan Blaney for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, July 7. This marks the first-ever race team partnership for BODYARMOR, which began working with Blaney last season.

BODYARMOR Sports Drink will also be an associate sponsor on the No. 12 Ford Fusion for four additional Cup Series races during the 2018 season, beginning with the event at Kansas Speedway on May 12.

RELATED: New Glass Case of Emotion podcast

“We are excited to have BODYARMOR join Team Penske and bring a new brand with a lot of energy and vision to our organization,” said Roger Penske. “As we have grown our NASCAR Cup Series program to three full-time entries in 2018 we look forward to new opportunities with Ryan and new partners like BODYARMOR.”

In addition to its sponsorship with Team Penske, BODYARMOR Sports Drink has also launched its “BODYARMOR Heroes” promotion. Consumers across the country will be able to honor a military hero of their choosing by posting to social media using the #BODYARMORHeroes hashtag with a photo and short description of their hero through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The winner will have his or her hero’s image and likeness featured on Blaney’s No.12 BODYARMOR Ford Fusion for the July 7 race in Daytona. The military hero will also get the opportunity to attend the race and meet Blaney.

“BODYARMOR is thrilled to be partnering with Team Penske this year – and extremely proud to be launching the BODYARMOR heroes program which will honor our country’s real-life military heroes by working with them on our race activation,” said Michael Fedele. “BODYARMOR Sports Drink is a go-to option for anyone in need of superior hydration and we are excited to be hydrating Ryan and his team on and off the track again this year.”

BODYARMOR Sports Drink, the better-for-you hydration option with natural flavors and sweeteners, and potassium-packed electrolytes, first joined forces with Blaney last year when the brand partnered with the Team Penske driver before the start of the 2017 season.

“It’s great to build on the relationship with BODYARMOR and have them as part of the development of the No. 12 Ford team,” said Blaney. “BODYARMOR has partnered with some great athletes in many different sports and we look forward to adding to that legacy and increasing the presence of their brand through our team in NASCAR.”

STANDINGS: Blaney ranks second

At just 24 years old, Blaney is a key pillar of NASCAR’s youth movement. Last season, he captured his first Cup Series pole at Kansas Speedway and his first Cup Series win at Pocono Raceway and earned a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs for the first time in his young career. Already in 2018, Blaney has shined — earning a victory in one of the Duels at Daytona and leading a race-high 118 laps in the season-opening Daytona 500. Blaney currently sits second in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings.

BODYARMOR is the fastest growing sports drink in its category. The consumer demand for a better-for-you sports drink has made BODYARMOR the number three sports drink in the U.S. Along with Blaney, BODYARMOR has amassed a superstar roster of professional athletes who are also investors in the company, including James Harden, Mike Trout, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew Luck and Dustin Johnson, among others. Kobe Bryant is the number three shareholder in BODYARMOR.

The 2018 season continues this weekend with the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 4.

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR community will honor pioneer Wendell Scott, whose first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start came 57 years ago, this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Scott was the first African-American driver to win a premier series race. A trailblazer, Scott is recognized during the first race weekend of March, which coincides with his first start — March 4, 1961. NASCAR has created an original commemorative decal that is available to be placed as a B-post decal on all national series vehicles.

Scott made 495 starts during his career and posted 147 top-10 finishes before retiring in 1973. Scott died in 1990. He won in NASCAR’s top national touring series on Dec. 1, 1963, on a 1-mile dirt track in Jacksonville, Florida.

Scott was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.

Posted on by Track Release

On Thursday, March 15th, NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick is returning to his hometown to race for the first time at Kern County Raceway in the NASCAR K & N Pro Series season opener.

Harvick will also be the Grand Marshal of the NASCAR Late Model 50 lap race on the same night, prior to the start of the K&N Pro Series 175 lapper.   Harvick won his first stock car championship in the Late Model division at Mesa Marin Raceway in 1993, while still attending North High.

“The Happy Harvick 50” will feature the top NASCAR Late Model drivers in the region. Harvick will give the command to start the engines for the 50 lapper, and present the trophy to the winner of the race.

The 2018 season opener for Kern County Raceway is set for Thursday, March 15th, featuring the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Late Models, tickets are on sale now at www.kernraceway.com.

Kevin Harvick will be racing in the “Bakersfield 175 presented by NAPA Auto Parts” his first race ever at the state of the art half mile, gates open 4:30pm, and racing begins at 7pm.

Kern County Raceway is proud to partner with Budweiser, Bulwark FR, Coors Light, Jim Burke Ford, and Whelen Engineering.

Posted on by Holly Cain

In the spirit of the “numbers game” that characterizes the Las Vegas area hosting NASCAR’s three national series this weekend, here are some jackpot trends and statistics to consider as NASCAR starts its three-race western swing (#NASCARGoesWest) with the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

 

Jimmie Johnson is the most successful driver at the 1.5-mile speedway with four wins – the last in 2010 – six top-fives and nine top-10 finishes and he also tops the series in driver rating (112), laps led (582), laps running in the top-15 (76.7 percent), fastest laps (445) and quality passes (496) at the track.

 

Johnson (four) and Brad Keselowski (two) are the only two series drivers with multiple Las Vegas wins. And Johnson would sure like to summon that positive precedence as his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team hopes to avoid what would be a career-long winless streak at 26 races.

RELATED: Schedule for Las Vegas | Paint schemes for Las Vegas

Despite the impressive Johnson statistical superiority, current points leader Joey Logano actually boasts the best average finish at Vegas (10.0), however the Team Penske driver has never won at the track. He finished runner-up to his teammate Brad Keselowski in 2016 and was fourth last year.

 

Johnson’s former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne, who now drives the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet has won more pole positions (three) at Vegas than anyone and also has a track best two runner-up finishes here – most recently in 2013.

 

There are only five former winners in Sunday’s race and last week’s Atlanta winner Kevin Harvick joins Johnson as two of only four drivers to have won at Las Vegas as reigning Cup champions. It’s a feat current champ Martin Truex Jr. sure would like to accomplish. This is the race that essentially launched Truex on his title-winning trajectory in 2017 — one of seven trophies he earned on 1.5-mile tracks en route to the big Monster Energy Cup hoist at the season finale.

Posted on by NASCAR.com

Name: Peggy
Current City: Warwick, Pennsylvania
Member since: 2009

Getting to know Peggy

Why did you join the Official NASCAR Fan Council?
“I’m such a big fan of NASCAR, and if I, along with other fans, can have a voice in the decisions NASCAR makes, I think it’s great!”

How did you first become interested in NASCAR?
“I watched NASCAR when I was younger, but then I became busy raising my three children and working. My youngest son, Brett, at around age 9 or 10 had the race on one Sunday, and I started watching it with him. I asked him who he liked, and he said a young guy named Jeff Gordon. I became hooked for real again after that!”

What makes NASCAR special for you?
“NASCAR is my favorite sport. It’s nice to see how fan-friendly it is, both at the track and online.”

Do you have any favorite NASCAR memories or traditions?

“My son was a Jeff Gordon fan and when he was a teenager, we travelled to several races together, even spending his 16th birthday at the Richmond race! My oldest daughter has a lesser interest, but Jeff has always been her favorite driver, and it turns out that he is also her husband’s favorite driver. I have also gone to races with them, so we have shared some great family times at the races.”

If you could go to any NASCAR race/track, where would you go?
“Probably Bristol, but I would be happy to go anywhere!”

Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?
Driver: “Jeff Gordon will always be my favorite driver. He’s not only a great champion, but a class act. I have stuck with the 24 team and Chase Elliott since Jeff retired, and I have been more than pleasantly surprised with what a great young man Chase is, and there is no question he will be a future star in the sport.”

Track: “I have been to Charlotte, Richmond and Pocono. I can’t say that I have a favorite of those I have been to, although the festivities at Charlotte were awesome!”

Memorabilia: “I have 36 Jeff Gordon cars, one Ricky Hendrick car and one Jimmie Johnson car that I have collected over the years, but my case is full, so I have stopped collecting!”

Where is your dream car?
“I don’t necessarily have a dream car.  Most of my life I have driven Chevrolets. My current car is a 2004 Chevrolet Impala Indy SS Limited Edition, of which there were only 4,008 made, and mine is #3947.”

What would be your dream vacation?
There are a lot of places I want to go, but I would love to take a trip out west to see some of the national parks, especially the Grand Canyon, but any trip is a nice trip as far as I’m concerned!”

From all of us at NASCAR, we thank Peggy for her continued support and look forward to hearing from her in 2018.

Posted on by Sponsored Content

The term “neon” simply makes sense when thinking about Las Vegas — the expansive Strip of hotels and casinos glitters with light at all hours of the night.

But further north at Las Vegas Motor Speedway may be the most popular “neon” attraction in all of Sin City, one that aligns neatly with Jiffy Lube, part of the entitlement sponsor of the March 4 Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

“The entire Jiffy Lube network from franchisees to service center techs is excited to be a part of the upcoming Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube and to bring race fans a truly memorable experience,” said Denny Reiner, director of marketing for Jiffy Lube International.  “This race sponsorship is a great opportunity to further tie two leading brands together – Jiffy Lube, the industry’s largest fast lube provider, and Pennzoil, the nation’s premiere motor oil.”

The Monster Energy Series garage area inside the 1.5-mile facility is a gleaming jewel in the desert. Known as the “Neon Garage,” it is one of the most popular attractions on the circuit, especially for those die-hard fans who can’t get enough all-access moments with their favorite teams and drivers.

Fans from across the country — Las Vegas is a destination race, after all — have unbelievable access to drivers and crew members, with unprecedented viewpoints through large glass windows on the overhead walkway. That garage setup and purpose is a template, so to speak, for future enhancements done across the sport.

“The Neon Garage was a big step in increasing the fan experience across the board in NASCAR,” said Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford for Team Penske. “It was a really new concept when Las Vegas Motor Speedway introduced it and it was received well. You’re seeing other tracks do the same thing now, Richmond Raceway, ISM Raceway, Daytona has a great garage setup to bring the fans closer. These types of facilities are great for fans and I think as drivers we have to appreciate that because fans drive our sport.”

Four garage buildings constructed in the shape of a diamond gives teams plenty of space to work on their stock cars between practices on race weekend. The 125,000 square-foot space allows crew members to work on cars quickly and conveniently, making necessary tweaks and adjustments to get the car back on track. No one likes sitting around waiting, NASCAR drivers included.

Presenting race partner Jiffy Lube can relate to that desire. With more than 2,000 service centers across North America, Jiffy Lube understands and places a priority on quick service so drivers can get back on the road and to their day quickly.

Jiffy Lube does more than just change oil. Like a finely tuned Monster Energy Series pit crew, they offer a full range of preventive maintenance services – in a Jiffy.