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1. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Despite struggling to get by teammate Joey Logano late in the race, Keselowski put the heat on Kyle Busch and took the lead with six laps to go to earn his first victory of the year. The 2012 champ overcame a pit road speeding penalty on Lap 180 to make it happen. Grade: A


2. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. Logano could not keep his teammate at bay in the closing laps, but was able to get by Kyle Busch for second on the last lap to give Team Penske a 1-2 finish. Grade: A


3. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Starting just outside the top 10, it didn’t take the Atlanta winner long to contend for the lead. Johnson made a hard charge late in the race and edged Kyle Busch at the line to finish third. Grade: A


4. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. The hometown driver made an incredible pass for the lead on Lap 224 and was able to get another great restart just laps later to hold onto the top spot. However, Busch could not maintain the lead in the closing laps and slipped to fourth. Grade: A



WATCH: Kyle’s daring three-wide passes


5. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. The pit crew struggled on the second caution of the day, dropping Dillon from the top 10 to outside the top 20 and leading to some heated radio conversations. Dillon was then hit with a speeding penalty under green at the 150-lap mark, but stayed out with 50 laps to go to restart third. Grade: B-


6. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. The Rookie of the Year candidate continues to impress. The No. 21 Ford was a factor at the front of the field much of the day, earning his first top 10 of the year. Grade: A


7. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick’s weekend included battling the flu, watching his client Miesha Tate win the UFC title and a solid top-10 finish to kick off the West Coast swing. Grade: A-


8. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Starting 20th, Earnhardt Jr. methodically worked his way through the field to earn his second top 10 of the season and move to 12th in the standings. Grade: B+


9. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. A speeding penalty on the first stop of the day dropped him to the rear with ground to make up. Busch worked his way back into the top 10 by the 125-lap mark, but slid back after spinning to avoid Matt Kenseth. Grade: B+


10. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne had a quiet day, narrowly avoided Matt Kenseth late in the going and earned his first top 10 of the season. Grade: B


11. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Toyota, Furniture Row Racing. Truex dropped to 21st at the 100-lap mark after having to pit a second time for a missing lug nut. He was able to climb back to 11th with a strong car. Grade: B-


12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. The Roush Fenway Racing driver was hit with a speeding penalty under green, but recovered and heads to Phoenix 11th in the standings. Grade: B+


13. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Starting 21st, Newman worked his way into the top 10, but slipped to 13th by the time the checkered flag flew. Grade: B


14. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger struggled to find the handling before the competition caution and was hit with a pit road speeding penalty on the second stop of the day. The team never gave up and they rallied at the end. Grade: C+


15. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard was running in the top 10 with 65 laps to go but slid back following the restart. The car was fast all weekend, but that did not translate as well into the race. Grade: B-


16. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Jamie Mac was never a factor at the front of the field, spent much of the race battling to get into the top 25 and ended the day 16th. Grade: B


17. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne gained 11 spots on the day to score his best finish of the season. Grade: B


18. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. The driver of the No. 19 Toyota was having a quiet, solid day until he spun, avoiding teammate Matt Kenseth late in the race. The crew made repairs and kept their driver on the lead lap. Grade: B


19. Denny Hamlin , No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin grabbed the lead early with a two-tire pit stop, but he fell outside the top 15 once the tires went away. He was never able to make his way back to the front. Grade: B-


20. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. A speeding penalty under green on Lap 150 did not help Biffle’s cause, but he took the wave around and finished on the lead lap despite minor damage. Grade: B-


21. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. After starting 18th, Patrick spent most of the day racing for a spot in the top 25. By the end of the day she was knocking on the door of the top 20. Grade: C+


22. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Bowyer had an uncontrolled tire on the first pit stop of the day, but that didn’t slow the team from improving throughout the race. After starting 35th, Sunday’s finish was a step in the right direction. Grade. C+


23. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears missed his pit stall on Lap 144, which dropped him multiple laps down. He was able to rally and was the last car to finish on the lead lap. Grade: C


24. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. After starting seventh, Almirola dropped outside the top 15 early and missed his pit stall under green with 125 laps to go. Disappointing day for the No. 43 team. Grade: C-


25. Regan Smith, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Smith spent the majority of the race mid-pack, but also found trouble late in the race to bring out the fifth caution of the day. Grade: C-


26. Chris Buescher, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. The rookie’s team had an uncontrolled tire on the second stop of the day. Buescher was able to fight his way back and finish one spot behind where he started. Grade: C


27. Brian Scott, No. 44 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. The driver of the No. 44 Ford started 32nd, raced outside the top 30 for much of the day and was caught up in the Lap 224 wreck. By the end of the event, Scott was able to climb to 27th. Grade: C+


28. Landon Cassill, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Cassill finished the day one spot behind where he started and praised Goodyear and the new package for the fun racing. Grade: C


29. Michael McDowell, No. 95. Chevrolet, Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing. Staying out of trouble, McDowell and the team made gains throughout the weekend, but there is more work is to be done. Grade: C


30. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Annett has scored back-to-back 30th place finishes in the No. 46 Chevrolet. This is another team that needs to improve going forward. Grade: C-


31. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing.  Finishing four laps down, DiBenedetto raced much of the afternoon just outside the top 30. However, he finished three positions ahead of where he started. Grade: D+


32. David Ragan, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Ragan battled an ill-handling car throughout the event and finished five laps down. Grade: D


33. Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 32 Chevrolet, Go Fas Racing. The fourth generation racer finished five spots ahead of where he started on the day. Grade: C-


34. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Larson was hit with a speeding penalty under green midway through the race, but a bump from AJ Allmendinger sent the No. 42 into the outside wall on Lap 215. Another wreck with 53 laps to go added insult to injury. Grade: D


35. Josh Wise, No. 30 Chevrolet, The Motorsports Group. Wise ran at the back of the field all day and took the car to the garage after 175 laps. The team got the car back on track and gained four spots on the day. Grade: D+


36. Brian Vickers, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Making his second start in Tony Stewart’s No. 14, Vickers raced in the top 20, but was sent behind the wall late with a broken rear gear. Grade: C-


37. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. A loose wheel weight led to an unscheduled pit stop on Lap 73, but Kenseth remained a factor at the front of the field, leading 10 laps. On Lap 224, Kenseth lost control of the car in Turn 1 and was hit from behind. Grade: C-


38. Chase Elliott, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. The Daytona 500 pole winner was having another solid outing, racing his way into the top five. However, Elliott had nowhere to go when Matt Kenseth slid up the track right in his path. The young driver was hard on himself afterward for not avoiding the wreck. Grade: C


39. Cole Whitt , No. 98 Chevrolet, Premium Motorsports. Whitt started 36th and was the first driver to pull behind the garage with an issue. Grade: D-

Posted on by Nascar

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing No. 1 Chevrolet), Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet), Brian Scott (Richard Petty Motorsports No. 44 Ford) and Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota) are scheduled to take part in a two-day Goodyear tire test Tuesday and Wednesday, March 8-9, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.



It is the second of eight tire tests scheduled by Goodyear officials and NASCAR for 2016 as part of the 2016 Unified Testing plan.



CMS will host Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series events the final two weekends in May.



Selection of teams scheduled to take part in tire tests is based on the previous year’s top 20 in owner points, and only full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers may participate in a tire manufacturer test.



According to CMS officials, the test is closed to fans. Media will be allowed during a lunch break during Wednesday’s test only.



Goodyear officials have said the overall tire selections for 2016 with the lower downforce rules package have thus far resulted in slightly softer compounds for tire builds.



“Obviously we test, we look at all the data, we look at temperatures … lap times, but we’re not just trying to go as fast as we can,” said Greg Stucker, director of race tire sales for Goodyear. “We’re also trying to make sure that we get as much feedback from the drivers as we can to make sure we’re landing in the right spot.



“We want to see problem-free racing and something that the guys can manage. … We want to make sure that it’s a good, robust package that is kind of predictable. I think you have to look at things as you go through the season and I don’t think we’ll have a real good gauge until we’re a fourth of the way through the season — maybe halfway through — to understand if we’re on the right track. And that won’t be a Goodyear call; that will be a going through the garage area kind of thing.”



The rules package, a version of which was used for races at Kentucky Speedway and Darlington Raceway last season, features a shorter, 3.5-inch spoiler, a quarter-inch leading edge on the front splitter and a 33-inch wide splitter extension panel (radiator pan).



Goodyear tire tests are also scheduled for Richmond, Pocono, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, Michigan and New Hampshire this season.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Watch the live stream here

 

From 8-11 a.m. ET on Wednesday, NASCAR.com will live stream the post-race inspection process.

 

The three-hour look takes you behind the scenes as NASCAR officials inspect NASCAR Sprint Cup Series vehicles following Sunday’s Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The cars being inspected this week are: the No. 2 Ford of Brad Keselowski  (won Sunday’s race), the No. 22 Ford of Joey Logano  (finished second in Sunday’s race) and the No. 5 Chevrolet of Kasey Kahne (the random car selected).

 

For more information on what the inspection process entails, click here.

Posted on by Staff Report

A Hendrick Motorsports plane carrying team members was forced to make an emergency landing Monday morning as the team traveled back from Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

 

According to a team spokesperson, the plane was diverted to Memphis International Airport after a presence of smoke was noticed in the plane’s cabin. The plane landed safely and is being evaluated, according to the HMS spokesperson.

 

No injuries were reported and none of the team’s four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers were on board the aircraft.

 

The passengers returned to North Carolina on another flight.

Listen to the spotter for Jimmie Johnson‘s No. 48 Chevrolet, Earl Barban, recount the flight in the video above.

 

Jessica O’Brien, wife of Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 engineer Tim O’Brien, tweeted the following reaction:

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Entry list for Phoenix

 

Ty Dillon will be back behind the wheel of the No. 14 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing for the Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Dillon will be driving the Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats-sponsored car in place of the injured Tony Stewart. The three-time champion remains sidelined from a back injury suffered in an all-terrain vehicle accident on Jan. 31 in Arizona.

Dillon and Brian Vickers have thus far shared the work in filling in for Stewart. The 24-year-old Dillon drove the No. 14 Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway last month and finished 17th in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. Dillon also ran the Daytona 500 in the No. 95 Chevrolet for Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing and earned a 25th-place finish. He will make several starts in the No. 95 as part of alliance Richard Childress Racing has with Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing.

As for Stewart, he is eager to return but said last week in Las Vegas that he won’t do anything to jeopardize his recovery.

“We’re not rushing,” Stewart said of his recovery and return to the track. “The number one goal is to get it right the first time. We’re not going to push the issue, we’re going to make sure it’s right.”

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LAS VEGAS — It was a happy day for Wood Brothers Racing driver Ryan Blaney as the Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate finished sixth in the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his best showing through three races in 2016.

That it came on a day when Team Penske — which has a technical alliance with Wood Brothers Racing — finished 1-2 with Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano made it more meaningful.

Since the teams joined forces in late 2014, Blaney has gone from a developmental driver, to part-time, to full-time in the No. 21 Ford and has learned a lot from his Penske peers.

“Our cars are extremely fast and the Wood Brothers do a great job, and we can’t thank Penske enough for their support,” Blaney said. “You see the 2 car won the race and the 22 finished second; we were right there. The teams are growing together and learning and so am I, so hopefully this is a good way to get our season going, here.”

Beginning in 2012, for 58 races Blaney piloted the No. 29 in the Camping World Truck Series, a truck owned by Keselowski. The Kobalt 400 victor began his mentoring of Blaney then.

“He drove my truck for a while, so there was a lot of mentoring there,” Keselowski said. “Mostly over the form of, ‘Please don’t wreck it, I can’t afford to fix it.’ Now I think he’s got the right people around him with (No. 21 crew chief) Jeremy Bullins and the Wood Brothers and a lot of help and support there. I’m certainly willing to help him whenever I can, but I don’t think he needs me. I just think he needs some time.”

Blaney started the 2016 season qualifying seventh for the Daytona 500, a restrictor-plate track where he’s shown strength. However, with his 19th-place finish there, followed by his 25th-place finish last week at Atlanta, his Las Vegas run was more on-par with where many expected the 22-year-old to be as a full-time Sprint Cup Series driver.

“Especially after Atlanta last week, getting spun out on the last lap, that kind of got us down a lot,” Blaney said. “To come here and have a solid run all day really ups the team’s spirits.”

Blaney and the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing team head to Phoenix International Raceway next weekend, a 1-mile track that the driver has never raced at in NASCAR’s elite series.

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Full race results | Keselowski holds off Busch to win at Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – Kyle Busch climbed out of his fourth-place finishing No. 18 M&Ms Toyota and despite being passed for the lead with only six laps remaining in Sunday’s Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it was evident he will leave his hometown more encouraged than frustrated.

His Joe Gibbs Racing team had struggled finding speed much of the weekend but he worked his way to the front of the field Sunday even after starting the race from the 23rd position.
  

And his third top-five in as many races this season keeps the reigning series champion atop the Sprint Cup Series standings by six points over Sunday’s third-place finisher Jimmie Johnson.

“We were really, really bad this whole weekend, horrible,” Busch said. “So, not a bad finish today considering. Not a win. But we have started top-fiving it and when we do that, the wins should come.”

Busch made a remarkable move on a restart with 43 laps remaining – moving to the lead from his sixth-place position – and looking stout over the run. But his car began fading in the final laps with eventual race winner Brad Keselowski getting by with six laps to go and then Joey Logano and Johnson scooting past in the final laps.

WATCH: Busch catapults from sixth to first | Keselowski passes Busch

“Our car just wasn’t good on the long runs today,’” said Busch, who led 199 of 200 laps en route to the XFINITY Series victory on Saturday. “I felt like we had a really good shot when we got out front like that, but the vibration just got so bad it wouldn’t turn anymore.

“We’ve got some work to do. There are definitely some guys that are better than us. I think as a company we’re not bad. But I think we’re about fourth to eighth is where we run, so we need to get a little bit better.

“Yeah, we led laps today, but (teammate) Matt (Kenseth) being a leader got passed under the green flag and me being a leader got passed under the green flag so we’re just not good enough yet.

“If I had to grade our weekend for progress, it’s an A-plus for being as bad as we were to ending up right there.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Full race results

LAS VEGAS – Joey Logano appropriately likened the bizarre weather at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Sunday’s Kobalt 400 to the “Wild, Wild West.”

Huge gusts of wind, rain showers and even a light dust storm occurred on race day, delaying the green flag by a few minutes and creating oddball conditions mid-race, before finally clearing and turning into a peaceful sunshine by the time Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag.

As the field came around the 1.5-mile oval on the second lap, four-time champion-turned FOX television commentator Jeff Gordon said, “No sign of these winds upsetting the race cars.”

Until it did. The wind picked up at various points during the afternoon, and in the final 100 laps, a huge dust cloud briefly surrounded the race field.

“It was dusty, windy, rainy and crazy,” second-place finisher Logano said after the race. “But it made for a great race. I was pretty worried about what we were going to do with the wind before the race first started. It was really windy during driver intros. The ride in the back of the pick-up truck (around the track) and the rain hitting you in the face made it feel like you were going 100 mph.

“I was a little nervous about what Turn 3 was going to look like the first time we went down there (in the race). But it was consistent and wasn’t gusting much, so we all kind of knew what we had and could adjust to it.”

Rookie Ryan Blaney – whose sixth-place finish was best among the first-year drivers – said he was pretty captivated by the strange weather too.

“The biggest problem was it was kind of unpredictable,” Blaney said. “If it was a steady wind it wasn’t so bad and you could kind of get into a rhythm. I got blown into Turn 3 pretty hard one time and almost took the 88 [Dale Earnhardt Jr.] out, and that would have been terrible.

“As I was sliding up toward him that was on my mind,” Blaney said smiling.

“But the spotters did a great job of letting us know if it was picking up or what direction it was coming. It was very different today between the dust and wind – definitely more than anything I’ve ever been a part of.”

Las Vegas native Kyle Busch – who finished fourth after being passed for the race lead with five laps remaining Sunday afternoon – said he felt worse for the fans in the stands than for the competitors dealing with the conditions on track.

“This weather was horrible for the race fans, I’d say,” Busch said. “I feel bad for all of them. When you deal with the wind in the desert you get sand in your face and in your eyes and everything. For us behind the wheel it wasn’t too bad. There were some opportunities where the wind was blowing in different directions and you could really hustle your race car, and others where it was blowing in another direction and you’d have to ease up and be more tentative.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

LAS VEGAS — By the start of the Kobalt 400 on Sunday in Las Vegas, NASCAR had not yet received word from Furniture Row Racing that it was officially withdrawing its appeal of crew chief Cole Pearn’s one-race suspension.

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer, confirmed Monday morning on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that the sanctioning body still had not gotten any sort of notice.

FOX reported during the early portion of Sunday’s race that Pearn told the network the team would withdraw its appeal and he would serve the one-race suspension issued to him as punishment next week at Phoenix.

The team was found to have illegal roof flaps before the Atlanta event. It resulted in a P3 penalty that included a $50,000 fine, 15-point deductions of championship driver points and owner points and Pearn’s suspension. The team initially said it would appeal the punishment because it was a “safety issue” not something that resulted in a competitive edge.

Furniture Row officials told NASCAR.com the team had no official announcement regarding its appeal.

“I think from Cole’s side he’s a little frustrated about how it all went down, which is understandable,” Truex said Friday in Las Vegas. “People in the garage area talk and he feels like, ‘Do people really think I’m stupid enough after what happened at Daytona to try to pull something over on NASCAR in the same area?’

“Being that it’s a safety issue, it’s really a big deal to us to figure out exactly how it all happened. He’ll figure exactly how to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again and he’ll go through the appeal process and see what comes of it.”

Furniture Row Racing General Manager Joe Garone told NASCAR.com on Friday in Las Vegas, “In some ways, it’s spun up into a little bit bigger deal than it actually is, so we’re just trying to keep it what it really is and focus on racing.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Elder Busch sets track record in qualifying, takes pole

 

LAS VEGAS — Dressed in bright candy-colored T-shirts with “2015 Sprint Cup Champion” hats on their heads and unmistakable pride in their eyes, a large contingent of Kyle Busch fans lined up behind the reigning champ’s pit stall during qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his home track.

Their effort to be near greatness paid off the next day as they got to celebrate Saturday afternoon watching Busch completely dominate the XFINITY Series race — leading all but one of the 200 laps — en route to his first XFINITY win in front of his hometown crowd.

 

After the race, the series all-time lap leader took three victory bows — his trademark celebration — with the winning checkered flag. And he was still smiling as the sun began to set.

 

“It feels really good. Check that box off in Vegas so only one more left,” Kyle Busch said of his quest to win at every XFINITY Series venue.

 

“Certainly it was really cool to have the opportunity to win here. I have had many opportunities but didn’t quite have the day we needed to get it done. The work that goes into everything makes my job look easy. And today was pretty special to get a win here in front of my hometown.”

 

And, he said smiling, “It’s always fun to go every week and see how intros go.”

 

Busch’s older brother Kurt will start Sunday’s Kobalt 400 Sprint Cup race from the pole here and Kyle joins him as a favorite on race day as well.

 

The two may face a tough crowd at some of the places they visit and race around the country, but especially here “at home” there is unmistakable admiration and pride for the Busch brothers.

 

Other places, they may endure a loud, resounding chorus of “boos” during driver introduction — considered by most a twisted compliment for winning too much — but here in their native Las Vegas there is a decided feeling of adoration for the two Cup champions.

 

“My aunt still asks me, ‘why do you like him? He’s the bad guy in NASCAR,’ ” Kyle Busch fan James Moulton, 48, of Las Vegas, said smiling.

 

“I tell her, you watch in the next couple of years everyone will come around and root for him. That’s already happening.”

Moulton’s friend Hector Nunez is a new fan to NASCAR, but you’d never know it considering the Kyle Busch apparel he is dressed in, from hat to T-shirt to the lanyard holding his ticket. He still has a photo from Homestead-Miami Speedway saved on his phone — the tall scoring pylon showing “Kyle Busch 2015 Champion” on it from the minutes immediately after last year’s season finale in South Florida.

“I like his personality and I like that he’s serious,” Nunez explained, as he proudly showed off his photo to the Busch fans around him.

Neither of the men is put off by the sometimes tough reception that typically greets their favorite driver at tracks across the country. They have even been approached and chided by people just because of their Busch apparel.

“Usually it’s a ‘boo’ or they stop and ask, ‘Why do you like that guy?’ and I gladly answer them, ‘You will see when you watch the Chase,’ ” Moulton said.

Sixteen-year-old Hunter Frey stood among the crowd on Las Vegas pit road this weekend, donning an M&M’s hat and brightly colored Kyle Busch T-shirt. He said he met Busch when he was only 7 years old and has been a fan ever since — even though he conceded with a slight smile, most of his friends are Junior fans.

Frey doesn’t care. He’s buoyed by the fact his driver has something theirs doesn’t: a championship trophy.

“I like how Kyle’s aggressive on the track and not afraid to say how it is,” Frey said proudly. “I like his personality.”

As you might expect, the Busch brothers are must-have subjects for the local Las Vegas media covering the race weekend. And both drivers indulged interviews Friday afternoon.

“Vegas is different,” Kurt Busch said. “It’s our hometown and we grew up racing on that little 3/8-mile bullring that is in the shadows of this 1.5-mile track. Every time I come out here it reminds me of all the people that helped Kyle and I, especially our Dad, Tom. But the different late model teams, modified teams, the legend car races and all the competitors, the dwarf car days. 

“It’s just fun to come back and reminisce. But, ultimately you’ve got to strap on the helmet and focus on the task at hand.”

 

MORE: Kurt says ‘gnarly’ wind will be a factor Sunday

His younger brother agreed, but his highly competitive nature was most evident — home or not.

“You always want to win every week so it makes no difference if you’re in Daytona or Vegas,” Kyle Busch matter-of-factly explained. “There seems to be a little more coolness here in Las Vegas, taking another one for the hometown would be cool.”

It’s something Kyle Busch doesn’t take for granted, either. Last year he didn’t get to race in his hometown after severely breaking his right leg and left foot in an accident at the end of the XFINITY Series season-opener. He missed the first 11 Cup races of the season before returning and winning four times in the regular season, earning a Chase playoff bid and ultimately winning the Sprint Cup championship after a victory in the last race of the year.

It was one of the most incredible accomplishments in the sport’s history and duly noted by even those who may not have cheered for Busch before.

One of the most interesting and significant things his longtime public relations representative Bill Janitz has recognized in the start of this year’s schedule is “Everyone is calling him ‘champ’ now. … It gets him to smile for sure.”

Certainly the reaction to Busch’s weekly introductions are audibly different — a lot less booing and a lot more cheering. It is a genuine appreciation for the path Busch has walked.

“He’s the hometown hero here,” said 12-year-old Nolan Sepulveda, of Las Vegas, who purchased a Kyle Busch champion’s hat just for the race weekend.

MORE: Kurt’s No. 41, Kyle’s No. 18 and the rest of the field in photos

“At first, I didn’t think he was going to pull it off and win the championship because it would be just too good to be true. To break his leg then come back and end up winning the whole thing. … that’s incredible.”

And when you come to Las Vegas, in particular, few would argue that point.

“I always want to come out here and have a good run and do a good job and more important win a race to get locked into the Chase,” Kyle Busch said. “But being here in Vegas, whether it’s Vegas or Kansas or anywhere else, being in Victory Lane is where it looks best at the end of the day.”