Top 10 Driver Ratings at Las Vegas
Jimmie Johnson…………………… 108.9
Kyle Busch…………………………. 103.4
Kevin Harvick………………………. 100.6
Joey Logano…………………………. 97.3
Matt Kenseth………………………… 96.3
Ryan Blaney…………………………. 95.3
Martin Truex Jr……………………… 92.6
Kyle Larson………………………….. 92.5
Brad Keselowski……………………. 92.4
Chase Elliott…………………………. 91.7
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2018 races (14 total) among active drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
At Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
History
· The construction to build the superspeedway known today as Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) began in 1995. Speedway Motorsports Inc. acquired the property in 1998.
· The first NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race won by Ken Schrader on Nov. 2, 1996.
· The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race was held on March 1, 1998, won by Mark Martin.
· In 2006, the track was reconfigured to include progressive banking.
· There have been 21 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. LVMS has hosted one race per season from 1998 to 2017; this season marks the first time Las Vegas will host two MENCS events in a single season.
Starts
· A total of 153 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; 116 in more than one.
· Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth lead the series in starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 18 each.
· A total of six drivers have made their Monster Energy Series career debut at Las Vegas – Stanton Barrett (1999), Kyle Busch (2004), Timmy Hill (2012), Jon Wood, Aric Almirola (2007) and Cole Custer (2018).
· Joey Logano leads the series among active drivers in average starting position at Las Vegas with an 8.2 in 10 starts.
· Six active drivers have average starting positions inside the top 10 at Las Vegas: Joey Logano (8.2), Erik Jones (8.5), Kurt Busch (9.1), Brad Keselowski (9.6), Kyle Busch (9.7) and Kyle Larson (9.8).
Poles
· A total of 14 drivers have won Monster Energy Series Busch poles at Las Vegas, led by Kasey Kahne with three (2004, 2007 and 2012).
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett won the inaugural pole at Las Vegas with a speed of 168.224 mph (32.773 secs.).
· Kyle Busch is the only driver to win consecutive poles at LVMS; from (2008-2009).
· Youngest LVMS pole winner: Kyle Busch (3/2/2008 – 22 years, 10 months, 0 days).
· Oldest LVMS pole winner: Dale Jarrett (3/4/2001 – 44 years, 3 months, 6 days).
· Only one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver has posted his first career pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Kasey Kahne (03/07/2004).
Wins
· A total of 12 different Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, led by Jimmie Johnson with four victories (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010).
· Of the 12 series winners at LVMS, six are active this weekend: Jimmie Johnson (4), Matt Kenseth (3), Brad Keselowski (2), Kevin Harvick (2), Martin Truex Jr. (1) and Kyle Busch (1).
· Six drivers (all-time) have multiple Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins at Las Vegas: Jimmie Johnson (four), Matt Kenseth (three), Brad Keselowski, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick (each have two).
· Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Las Vegas with seven victories, followed by Hendrick Motorsports with five, Stewart-Haas Racing (three), Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske (two each), Chip Ganassi Racing and Furniture Row Racing (each have one).
· Youngest LVMS winner: Kyle Busch (03/01/2009 – 23 years, 9 months, 27 days).
· Oldest LVMS winner: Sterling Marlin (03/03/2002 – 44 years, 7 months, 32 days).
· Three drivers have won consecutive races at Las Vegas: Jeff Burton (1999, 2000); Matt Kenseth (2003, 2004) and Jimmie Johnson, who is the only driver to win three consecutive races (2005, 2006 and 2007).
· Las Vegas-native Kyle Busch became the first and only driver to win from the pole, in 2009.
· Only five of the 21 Monster Energy Series Las Vegas races (23.8%) have been won from the front row: Kyle Busch, 2009 (pole); Carl Edwards, 2008 (second starting position); Brad Keselowski, 2014 (second starting position); Martin Truex Jr. (second starting position); Kevin Harvick, 2018 (second starting position).
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started is 25th, by Matt Kenseth in 2004.
· Eight of the 12 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers who have won at Las Vegas participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Mark Martin (1998; inaugural event) is the only driver to win at Las Vegas in his first appearance.
· Ryan Newman leads the series among active drivers with the most starts at Las Vegas without visiting Victory Lane at 17 races.
· Four manufacturers have visited Victory Lane in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at LVMS, led by Ford (10), Chevrolet (seven), Toyota (three) and Dodge (one).
Additional Finishing Positions
· A total of 16 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished runner-up at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
· Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the series in runner-up finishes at Las Vegas with three; followed by Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart with two each.
· A total of 39 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished in the top-five at Las Vegas.
· Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart lead the series in top-five finishes at Las Vegas with six each.
· A total of 57 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished in the top-10 at Las Vegas.
· Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin lead the series in top-10 finishes at LVMS with 10 each.
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in average finishing position at Las Vegas with a 7.7.
· Ryan Blaney leads all active drivers in the series in average finish at LVMS with a 9.25; followed by Joey Logano with a 9.7.
Female Competitors
· Danica Patrick and Shawna Robinson are the only two female drivers to compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Track Specific Stats
· NASCAR Overtime: Only one race has resulted with a NASCAR Overtime finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
· Only one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas has ended early due to weather.
· Qualifying has only been cancelled once at LVMS – 2013.
· The closest margin of victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was the March 12, 2006 race won by Jimmie Johnson over Matt Kenseth by a MOV of 0.045 second.
NASCAR in Nevada
· There has been a total of 63 NASCAR national series races among two tracks in the state of Nevada.
· The first NASCAR national series race held in the state of Nevada was at Las Vegas Park Speedway on October 16, 1955. Las Vegas Park Speedway was a 1-mile dirt track, and the event was 200 laps. Norm Nelson won the race in a Chrysler.
Nevada in NASCAR
· A total of 28 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Nevada.
· Only two are currently active in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas Racing) both from Las Vegas.
· Five drivers with their home state recorded as Nevada have won a NASCAR national series race.
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