Statistical Advance: Analyzing the South Point 400

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, going into the South Point 400 on Sunday, October 15 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Fast Facts: Race #7 (Las Vegas)

• The 2023 season will be the sixth-year Las Vegas Motor Speedway has hosted a NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race (2018-2023).
• The 2023 season also marks the second-time the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 has opened at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Race No. 33 of the season and seventh of the postseason).
• Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the sixth different track to host the seventh race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2022-2023); joining Atlanta Motor Speedway (2004-2008), Talladega Superspeedway (2009-2010), Martinsville Speedway (2011-2019), Kansas Speedway (2020) and Texas Motor Speedway (2021).
• Prior to the 2022 season, Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2018 and 2019 and the fourth race in the Playoffs from 2020-2021.

• A total of 11 different drivers have won the seventh race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, led by Jimmie Johnson with four postseason victories at two tracks (Atlanta: 2004, 2007 and Martinsville: 2012, 2016).
• Joey Logano leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in victories in the seventh race of the Playoffs with three postseason wins at three different tracks (Martinsville in 2018, Kansas in 2020 and Las Vegas in 2022).

• Six times the winner of the seventh NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race has gone on to win the championship later that same season:
• In 2007, Jimmie Johnson won from the sixth starting position at Atlanta Motor Speedway and went on to win his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championship. The win was the second of four consecutive Playoff victories he put up en route to the title (Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas and Phoenix).
• In 2011, Tony Stewart won from the fourth starting position at Martinsville Speedway and went on to win his third NASCAR Cup Series championship. The victory was his third of a record setting five Playoff wins season en route to the title.
• In 2016, Jimmie Johnson won from the third starting position at Martinsville Speedway and went on to win his record tying seventh NASCAR Cup Series championship. The victory was his second of three Playoff wins en route to the title.
• In 2018, Joey Logano won from the 10th starting position at Martinsville Speedway and went on to win his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. It was his first of two Playoffs wins that season (Las Vegas, Miami).
• In 2021, Kyle Larson won from the pole at Texas Motor Speedway and went on to win his first career NASCAR Cup Series championship. The victory was his third of a record tying five Playoff wins season en route to the title.
• In 2022, Joey Logano won from the fifth starting position at Martinsville Speedway and went on to win his second NASCAR Cup Series championship (2018, 2022). It was his first of only two Playoffs wins that season (Las Vegas, Phoenix).
• The worst finish by a driver in the seventh NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race that later went on to win the title that same season was at Atlanta Motor Speedway (2004-2008). Kurt Busch posted a 42nd-place finish in the 2004 Atlanta Motor Speedway race, then the seventh race in the Playoffs, and went on to win the title that same season. The finish was due to an engine failure.
• The finishes by the eventual champion in the Playoffs at Las Vegas Motor Speedway since joining in 2018:
• 1st by Joey Logano in 2022 – the seventh race of the Playoffs.
• 1st by Kyle Larson in 2021 – the fourth race of the Playoffs.
• 22nd by Chase Elliott in 2020 – the fourth race of the Playoffs.
• 19th by Kyle Busch in 2019 – the first race of the Playoffs.
• 4th by Joey Logano in 2018 – the first race of the Playoffs.
• Three non-Playoff drivers have won the seventh race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs:
• In 2006, Tony Stewart won the seventh race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he was 11th in points at the time of the win.
• In 2009, Jamie McMurray won the seventh race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Talladega Superspeedway, he was ranked 22nd in the points at the time of the win.
• In 2010, Clint Bowyer won the seventh race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Talladega Superspeedway, he was 12th in the points at the time of the win.
• No non-Playoff driver has ever won the Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Cup Series 2023 Top 8 in the Driver Standings at Las Vegas

* – Based on last 24 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2005 – 2022).

At Las Vegas Motor Speedway Stats & Tidbits:
Season Race #: 33 of 36 (October 15, 2023)
The Purse: $7,785,320
Track Size: 1.5-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 20 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 20 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch & Backstretch: 9 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 2,275 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,572 feet
Race Length: 267 laps (400.5 miles)
Stage 1 Length: 80 laps
Stage 2 Length: 85 laps
Final Stage Length: 102 laps

Las Vegas Qualifying & Race Data:

Track Qualifying Record:

Kurt Busch, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, 196.328 mph. 27.505 secs., March 4, 2016

2022 Playoff Race Pole Winner:
Tyler Reddick, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, 184.603 mph, 29.252 secs., October 15, 2022

Track Race Record:
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, 154.849 mph, (02:35:11), March 3, 2019

2022 Playoff Race Winner:
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, 130.480 mph, (03:04:10), October 16, 2022

HISTORY

• The construction to build Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) began in 1995. Speedway Motorsports (SM) acquired the property in 1998.
• The first NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was an ARCA Menards Series West race won by Ken Schrader on November 2, 1996.
• The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was held on March 1, 1998. NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett won the pole for the event driving for Robert Yates Racing, and NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin won the race driving a Ford for RFK Racing.
• In 2006, the track was reconfigured to include progressive banking.
• In total there have been 31 NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile track has hosted one race per season from 1998 to 2017. The 2018 season marked the first time Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted two series events in a single season and joined the Playoffs.

STARTS

• In total 177 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; 144 have competed in more than one.
• Kevin Harvick leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 28 career starts.
• A total of six different drivers have made their NASCAR Cup Series career debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Stanton Barrett (1999), Kyle Busch (2004), Timmy Hill (2012), Jon Wood, Aric Almirola (2007) and Cole Custer (2018).
• Of the six drivers that made their first career NASCAR Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Cole Custer put up the best finish in his series debut with a 25th-place finish in 2018.
• Kyle Larson leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in average starting position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 7.833 in 12 starts.

Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

POLES

• A total of 19 different drivers have won the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; six of thew 19 have won multiple poles at Las Vegas
• Of the 19 NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at Las Vegas Motor Speedway eight at active this weekend:

• Kasey Kahne leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with three (2004, 2007, 2012).
• Kyle Busch (2008, 2009) and Joey Logano (2014, 2023) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with two each.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett won the series’ inaugural pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a speed of 168.224 mph (32.773 secs.) in 1998 driving a Yates Racing Ford.
• Kyle Busch is the only driver to win consecutive Cup Series poles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from 2008-2009.
• Youngest series Las Vegas pole winner: Erik Jones (Sept. 16, 2018 – 22 years, 3 months, 17 days).
• Oldest series LVMS pole winner: Dale Jarrett (March 4, 2001 – 44 years, 3 months, 6 days).
• Two NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted his first career pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Kasey Kahne (March 7, 2004) and Christopher Bell (March 6, 2022).
• A total of nine different organizations have won a pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, led by Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing with six poles each.
  • Team Penske has six poles among five drivers at Las Vegas – Ryan Newman (2005), Kurt Busch (2010), Joey Logano (2014, 2023), Brad Keselowski (2017) and Ryan Blaney (2018).
  • Joe Gibbs Racing has six poles among four drivers at Las Vegas – Bobby Labonte (1998, 2003), Kyle Busch (2008, 2009), Erik Jones (2018), and Christopher Bell (2022)

• In total five different manufacturers have won a pole at Las Vergas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series; led by Ford with 12 poles, and followed by Chevrolet (five poles), Dodge (four), Toyota (four) and Pontiac (one).

WINS

• A total of 18 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and eight different drivers have won more than once at the 1.5-mile track.
• Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with four victories (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010).
• Of the 18 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Las Vegas Motor Speedway nine of them are active this weekend.
• Joey Logano (2019, 2020, 2022) and Brad Keselowski (2014, 2016, 2018) lead all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with three each.

• Youngest LVMS Cup winner: Kyle Busch (March 01, 2009 – 23 years, 9 months, 27 days).
• Oldest LVMS Cup winner: Sterling Marlin (March 03, 2002 – 44 years, 7 months, 32 days).
• Eight drivers (all-time) have multiple NASCAR Cup Series wins at Las Vegas: Jimmie Johnson (four), Matt Kenseth (three), Brad Keselowski (three), Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards (each have two).
• 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 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, he accomplished the feat on March 1, 2009.
• A total of 18 different starting positions in the NASCAR Cup Series events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway have resulted in race wins.
• The second starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field producing more winners (five) than any other starting position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – with a winning percentage of 16.13%.
• Six of the 31 NASCAR Cup Series Las Vegas races (19.35%) 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., 2017 (second starting position); Kevin Harvick, 2018 (second starting position), William Byron, 2023 (second starting position).

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is 25th, by Matt Kenseth in 2004 driving for RFK Racing.
• The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Las Vegas is 24th, by Martin Truex Jr. in 2019 driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Eight of the 18 all-time NASCAR Cup Series winners 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.
• Aric Almirola leads the NASCAR Cup Series among active drivers with the most starts at Las Vegas without visiting Victory Lane at 20 races; followed by Michael McDowell with 19.
• No NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won their first career race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• A total of seven different organizations have won at least one race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.

• Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with eight victories among five drivers: Jeff Gordon (2001), Jimmie Johnson (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010), Kyle Larson (2021), Alex Bowman (2022), William Byron (2023).
• Four manufacturers have visited Victory Lane in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas, led by Ford (14 wins), Chevrolet (11), Toyota (five) and Dodge (one).

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes:

• A total of 20 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished runner-up at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and eight of 20 have finished runner-up multiple times.
• Kyle Larson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes at Las Vegas with four second-place finishes.

Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Top-Five Finishes:

• A total of 47 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished inside the top-five at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 30 of the 47 have multiple top-five finishes.
• Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in top-five finishes at Las Vegas with 11 top fives.

Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Top-10 Finishes:

• A total of 72 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished inside the top-10 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and 49 of the 72 have finished inside the top-10 multiple times.
• Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch lead the NASCAR Cup Series in top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 14 top-10 finishes each.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Average Finish:

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in average finishing position at Las Vegas with a 7.667.
• Joey Logano leads all active drivers in the series in average finish at Las Vegas with an 9.850.

Top Five in Average Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

LAP LEADERS

• A total of 85 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have led at least one lap at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, led by Kevin Harvick with 679 laps led in 28 Cup starts.
• The most laps led in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway by the race winner was 214 of the scheduled 267 laps (80.1%) by Kevin Harvick on March 4, 2018 – he started second.
• The fewest laps led in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway by the race winner was just one lap of the scheduled 270 laps by Jimmie Johnson on March 12, 2006. Johnson passed Matt Kenseth on the final lap in NASCAR Overtime to win – he started third.
• The most laps led in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway by a driver that did not win was 219 of the scheduled 267 laps (82%) by Jeff Gordon on February 28, 2010 – he started second and finished third.

Top 10 Lap Leaders at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

FEMALE COMPETITORS

• Danica Patrick and Shawna Robinson are the only two female drivers to compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.

TRACK SPECIFIC STATS

• The closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was the March 12, 2006 race won by Jimmie Johnson over Matt Kenseth by a margin of 0.045 second.

Top 10 Closest Margins of Victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas

• Twice the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has ended under caution – in 2000 (Jeff Burton won) and in 2020 (Joey Logano won).
• Four times the NASCAR Cup Series race has resulted with a NASCAR Overtime finish at Las Vegas:

• Only one NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas has ended early due to weather:

• Qualifying has only been cancelled five times at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series:

NASCAR IN NEVADA

• There has been a total of 95 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 driving a Chrysler.

NEVADA IN NASCAR

• A total of 30 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Nevada.
• Five drivers with their home state recorded as Nevada have won at least one NASCAR national series race.

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