Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, going into the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube on Sunday, March 15 at 4 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Stats & Tidbits

Season Race #: 5 of 36 (March 15, 2026)
Purse: $11,233,037
Track Size: 1.5-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 20 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 20 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
Banking/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 (Ends on Lap 165)
Final Stage Length: 102 laps (Ends on Lap 267)

QUALIFYING RECORD

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

2025 pole winner (Spring race):
Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, 186.961 mph. 28.883 secs., March 15, 2025

2024 pole winner (Spring race):
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, 184.357 mph. 29.291 secs., March 2, 2024

RACE RECORD

Track race record:
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, 154.849 mph, (2:35:11), March 3, 2019

2025 race winners (Spring):
Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford, 124.368 mph, (3:13:13), March 16, 2025

2024 race winners (Spring):
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 133.192 mph, (3:00:25), March 3, 2024

HISTORY

• The construction to build the facility known today as Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) began in 1995, on a 1,600-acre site located on North Las Vegas Blvd. near Nellis Air Force Base.
• The location had a long racing history dating to a drag strip in 1958.  A road course was added in 1983 and a 3/8-mile paved oval in 1985. The site is now the location of a 1.5-mile speedway, an industrial park, a drag strip (3/00), a 1/2-mile dirt track (11/96), a 3/8-mile paved oval (4/00) and two road courses.
• Speedway Motorsports acquired the Las Vegas property in 1998 for $215 million.
• 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 was held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was on March 1, 1998. NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Jarrett won the pole for the inaugural event and Mark Martin won the race.
• The track underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation project at the beginning of 2006 to include the Neon Garage, track changes (progressive banking added to the turns), relocated pit road and a state-of-the-art media center. The centerpiece of the project was the new garage area for the Cup teams and an interactive fan area.
• In total, there have been 36 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1998-2025).
• The 1.5-mile track hosted one NASCAR Cup Series race per season from 1998 to 2017.
• Starting in 2018, Las Vegas has hosted two NASCAR Cup Series events per year; including a Playoff race.

STARTS

• In total 184 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; 149 have competed in more than one.
• Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch (Las Vegas native) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 29 starts each.
• Top five all-time in Las Vegas starts: Kevin Harvick (29), Kyle Busch (29), Denny Hamlin (28), Martin Truex Jr. (26) and Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano (each have 25).
• A total of seven drivers have made their NASCAR Cup Series career debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; the most recent was Derek Kraus in 2024.

Drivers That Made Their First Career Cup Start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

• Of the seven drivers that have made their first NASCAR Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Cole Custer posted the best finish of the group, putting up a 25th-place finish on March 4, 2018.
• Kyle Larson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 7.3 in 19 starts.

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

POLES

• A total of 21 different drivers have won a pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; seven of the 19 have won multiple poles at Las Vegas.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett won the inaugural pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series with a speed of 168.224 mph (32.773 secs.), driving a Ford for Yates Racing.
• Kasey Kahne (2004, 2007, 2012), Joey Logano (2014, 2023, 2024) and Christopher Bell (2022, 2023, 2024) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with three each.
• This weekend, nine of the 21 NASCAR Cup Series Las Vegas Motor Speedway pole winners are active:

• Kyle Busch is the only driver to win consecutive poles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2008-2009).
• Youngest Las Vegas Cup pole winner: Erik Jones (September 16, 2018 – 22 years, 3 months, 17 days).
• Oldest Las Vegas Cup pole winner: Dale Jarrett (March 4, 2001 – 44 years, 3 months, 6 days).
• Two NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted their first career pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Kasey Kahne (March 7, 2004) and Christopher Bell (March 6, 2022).
• In the NASCAR Cup Series, 10 different organizations have won at least one pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

• Joe Gibbs Racing leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with nine poles among five drivers: Bobby Labonte (1999, 2003), Kyle Busch (2008, 2009), Erik Jones (2018), and Christopher Bell (2022, 2023, 2024), Denny Hamlin (2025).
• Five different manufacturers have won a pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, led by Ford with 13 and followed by Toyota (7), Chevrolet (6), Dodge (4) and Pontiac (1).

WINS

• A total of 19 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; 10 drivers have won multiple times at the 1.5-mile track.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010) and Joey Logano (2019, 2020, 2022, 2024) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with four victories each.
• This weekend, eight of the 19 NASCAR Cup Series Las Vegas Motor Speedway winners are active this weekend.

• Youngest Las Vegas Motor Speedway Cup winner: Kyle Busch (Mar. 01, 2009 – 23 years, 9 months, 27 days).
• Oldest Las Vegas Motor Speedway Cup winner: Sterling Marlin (Mar. 03, 2002 – 44 years, 7 months, 32 days).
• Four drivers have won consecutive races at Las Vegas:
  • Jeff Burton (1999, 2000)
  • Matt Kenseth (2003, 2004)
  • Jimmie Johnson, the only driver to win three consecutive races (2005, 2006 and 2007).
  • Kyle Larson (2023, 2024)
• Josh Berry is the only driver to win his/her first career NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (3/16/25).
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin (1998; inaugural event) is the only driver to win at Las Vegas in his first appearance.
• A total of 18 different starting positions on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway grid have resulted in victories in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Two of the 36 NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway have been won from the pole or first starting position (5.56%): March 1, 2009 race (won by Las Vegas-native Kyle Busch) and October 12, 2025 (won by Denny Hamlin).
• Nine of the 36 Las Vegas Cup races (25%) 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); Kyle Larson 2023 and 2024 (second starting position), Denny Hamlin, 2025 (pole).
• The second starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing the more winners (seven) than any other position (19.4%).
• The deepest in the field that a NASCAR Cup Series race winner has started at Lad Vegas Motor Speedway is 25th, by NASCAR Hall of Famer Matt Kenseth in 2004.
• The deepest in the field that an active NASCAR Cup Series race winner has started at Las Vegas is 13th, by Brad Keselowski in 2018 and Alex Bowman in 2022.

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

• Michael McDowell leads the NASCAR Cup Series among active drivers with the most starts at Las Vegas without visiting Victory Lane at 24 races; followed by Austin Dillon and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with 21 races each.
• Eight different organizations have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

• Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with nine victories among five drivers – Jeff Gordon (2001), Jimmie Johnson (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010), Kyle Larson (2021, 2023), Alex Bowman (2022) and William Byron (2023).
• The most consecutive races won by an organization in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas was three straight by RFK Racing (1998-2000) and Hendrick Motorsports (2005-2007 and 2023 sweep, 2024).
• Four manufacturers have visited Victory Lane in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, led by Ford with 16 victories; followed by Chevrolet (13), Toyota (six) and Dodge (one).
• The most consecutive races won by an organization in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas was three straight by Ford (1998-2000 and 2018 sweep-2019) and Chevrolet (2005-2007 and 2023 sweep-2024).

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Second-Place Finishes:

• A total of 23 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished runner-up at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Kyle Larson (2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2025) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes at Las Vegas with five second-place finishes.

Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (All-time)

Top Fives:

• A total of 52 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished inside the top-five at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Kyle Busch leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top-five finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 12.

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

Top-10 Finishes:

• A total of 77 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished inside the top-10 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Martin Truex Jr. leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top-10 finishes at Las Vegas with 17 top 10s each.
• Kyle Busch leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top-10 finishes at Las Vegas with 16 top 10s.

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

Average Finishing Positions:

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 7.667 in three starts.
• Kyle Larson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with an 9.0 in 19 starts.

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Las Vegas (All-Time and Active)

LAP LEADERS

• At total of 93 different drivers have led laps in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Kyle Larson leads the NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 819 laps out front in 19 starts.
• The most laps led by the race winner in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas is 214 of the scheduled 267 (80.1%) by Kevin Harvick on March 4, 2018; he started second.
• The fewest laps led by the race winner in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas is just one (the last lap) of the scheduled 267 (0.004%) by Jimmie Johnson on March 12, 2006; he started the race third. He passed Matt Kenseth on the final lap to win.
• The most laps led by a driver that didn’t win in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas are 219 of the scheduled 267 (82%) by Jeff Gordon on February 28, 2010; he started second.

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

FEMALE COMPETITORS

• Danica Patrick, Shawna Robinson and Katherine Legge are the three female drivers that have competed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Danica Patrick holds the record for the best finish by a female competitor at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series with a 21st-place finish (twice) in 2014, 2016.

TRACK SPECIFIC STATS

• Four times the NASCAR Cup Series race has resulted with an Overtime finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

• Only one NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas has ended early due to weather; none of the races have been postponed to another date:

• 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 Five Closest Margins of Victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas

 The largest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was the March 2, 2003 race won by

• Last season’s NASCAR Cup Series spring race at Las Vegas produced a Margin of Victory of 1.358-seconds.
• Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather twice at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series:
  • In 2013: As a result, Brad Keselowski started from the first starting position.
  • February 2020: As a result, Kyle Busch started from the first starting position.

• Qualifying has been cancelled due to the pandemic three times at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series: Sept. 2020 and both races in 2021.
• Record for the most leaders in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas is 16 (2007).
• Top three NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas with the most leaders:
  • March 11, 2007 – 16 different leaders.
  • March 6, 2022 and March 3, 2024 – 15 different leaders.
  • March 6, 2011 and September 15, 2019 – 14 different leaders.

• Last season’s NASCAR Cup Series spring race at Las Vegas produced 13 different leaders.
• Record for the most lead changes in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas is 32 (2025).
• Top three NASCAR Cup Series races at Las Vegas with the most lead changes:
  • March 16, 2025 – 32 lead changes.
  • March 11, 2007 – 28 lead changes.
  • March 7, 2021 – 27 lead changes.

NASCAR IN NEVADA

• There has been a total of 107 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 32 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Nevada.
• Six drivers with their home state recorded as Nevada have won at least one NASCAR national series race.
• Kyle Busch from Las Vegas, Nevada is the all-time leader in combined NASCAR national series wins with 233 victories.

Winning Drivers from Nevada

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