LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: LAS VEGAS
EVENT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 3 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 3:30 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, MARCH 8 (FOX/PRN/SIRIUSXM)
No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet SS / Kasey Kahne
Driver Kasey Kahne Hometown Enumclaw, Washington
Age 34 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2015 Season
7th in standings
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
0 laps led
Career
398 starts
17 wins
26 pole positions
83 top-five finishes
147 top-10 finishes
4,541 laps led
Las Vegas Career
11 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
172 laps led
SEASON-TO-DATE: After the first two Sprint Cup Series races this season, Kasey Kahne — driver of the No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet SS — currently ranks first in quality passes (426), fourth in green-flag speed, fourth in laps in top 15 (502), fifth in fastest speed in traffic, fifth in average running position (8.419), fifth in driver rating (101.8), sixth in fastest drivers early in a run, seventh in fastest drivers late in a run and eighth in fastest drivers on restarts.
KAHNE AT LAS VEGAS: In his first Cup start at Las Vegas in 2004, Kahne earned runner-up honors. In 2013, Kahne started fourth, led 114 laps and finished second there. He is the all-time pole winner at Las Vegas with three (2004, 2007 and 2012). In his first year driving for Hendrick Motorsports, Kahne recorded the organization’s first Vegas pole and his most recent at the 1.5-mile track. According to NASCAR loop data, during the last 10 Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas, Kahne ranks third in green-flag passes (609). He also ranks eighth in laps led (129), ninth in speed in traffic (169.415 mph), ninth in laps in the top 15 (1,735), ninth in fastest laps run (94), 10th in driver rating (88.1) and 10th in fastest drivers early in a run (172.161 mph).
INTERMEDIATE STATS: Kahne has collected 10 of his 17 career Cup wins and 15 of his 26 pole positions at oval tracks one-to-two miles in length. In 192 starts on these tracks, he has posted 44 top-five finishes and 75 top-10s.
LAS VEGAS CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew chief Keith Rodden has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-888 for Sunday’s race at Las Vegas. Most notably, in 2014, Kahne led 70 laps and finished sixth driving the chassis at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. He also raced it at Pocono Raceway in August, where he started 12th and finished 10th.
400TH START APPROACHING: Next Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, Kahne will make his 400th career Cup start. In 398 career starts to this point, Kahne has accumulated 17 wins, 83 top-five finishes and 147 top-10 finishes. One of those wins occurred at Phoenix in 2011.
No. 24 3M Chevrolet SS / Jeff Gordon
Driver Jeff Gordon Hometown Pittsboro, Indiana
Age 43 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2015 Season
36th in standings
2 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
87 laps led
Career
763 starts
92 wins
78 pole positions
320 top-five finishes
454 top-10 finishes
24,751 laps led
Las Vegas Career
17 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
457 laps led
Jeff Gordon is scheduled to visit the Las Vegas Motor Speedway media center at 2:30 p.m. local time on Friday, March 6.
VICTORIOUS AT VEGAS: Jeff Gordon’s lone win at Las Vegas occurred in 2001 when he led the final 20 laps en route to Victory Lane. It was the first of six victories during a season in which he won his fourth NASCAR Cup Series championship.
ONLY GORDON: The 43-year-old driver of the No. 24 3M Chevrolet SS is the only competitor to participate in all 17 Sprint Cup events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
MISSING IN LAS VEGAS: Although Gordon ranks third all-time with 78 career pole positions, Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of three tracks where he has yet to win one. Kansas Speedway and Kentucky Speedway are the other venues where Gordon never has set the fastest time on qualifying day.
NOT WORST START TO SEASON: Gordon has been involved in two accidents in two races with finishes of 33rd and 41st to begin the 2015 campaign. In 1996, Gordon started the season with finishes of 42nd and 40th before rallying to earn 10 wins and finish second to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Terry Labonte in the season-long points championship.
LAS VEGAS CHASSIS: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-895 for this Sunday’s Kobalt 400. Gordon raced the chassis to a record-breaking fifth Brickyard 400 victory in July, a win at Michigan International Speedway in August and a 14th-place finish at Kansas Speedway in October in 2014.
No. 48 Kobalt Tools Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 39 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2015 Season
2nd in standings
2 starts
1 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
131 laps led
Career
473 starts
71 wins
33 pole positions
195 top-five finishes
294 top-10 finishes
17,282 laps led
Las Vegas Career
13 starts
4 wins
0 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
455 laps led
Jimmie Johnson will be available to members of the media at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday, March 8, in the media center at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
KOBALT COLORS: Jimmie Johnson will be sporting the event entitlement colors this weekend as he races the black and silver No. 48 Kobalt Tools Chevrolet SS for the first time this season. Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus will both make appearances for a question-and-answer session at the Kobalt Kampout RV Appreciation Party in the Neon Garage at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday evening. Johnson will be there at 6:30 p.m. local time followed by Knaus at 7:15 p.m.
HAULER PARADE: The No. 48 Lowe’s hauler – otherwise known as “Big Blue” – will cruise down the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday, March 5, at 6 p.m. local time as it heads to the racetrack. Truck driver Chad Kohn is piloting the hauler across the country this season. Visit www.lvms.com for more details.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: More than 100 Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers will join Johnson to frame a home on Las Vegas Motor Speedway property this weekend that will be transferred to Henderson, Nevada, and completed in partnership with a local family. Throughout the weekend, Lowe’s and Habitat will give race fans the chance to sign up for a future Habitat build and encourage them to enlist the help of a friend or family member to multiply their impact. Johnson, spotter Earl Barban and No. 48 crew members Calvin Teague, Ryan Patton and R.J. Barnette will be at the build from 6:15 to 7 a.m. local time on Friday, March 6, and then again at 8:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, March 8, to give the keys to the family. Johnson will be available to members of the media at those times as well.
ATLANTA WRAP: Johnson won his fourth race at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend and his Cup win total is now at 71. Johnson is eighth on the all-time win list in his 14th season in the Sprint Cup Series. He now has 40 wins on intermediate tracks.
LAS VEGAS CHASSIS: For the Kobalt 400, Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-922, which is a brand-new car. The backup car is No. 48-824, which last saw action at Pocono in June 2014.
No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS / Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hometown Kannapolis, North Carolina
Age 40 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2015 Season
4th in standings
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
33 laps led
Career
543 starts
23 wins
13 pole positions
129 top-five finishes
226 top-10 finishes
7,880 laps led
Las Vegas Career
27 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
283 laps led
STRONG START: Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season by posting back-to-back third-place finishes at Daytona and Atlanta. Earnhardt’s average finish of 3.0 in the first two races tied for the second best of his 15 previous full Cup seasons. Prior to this year, he had an average finish of 1.5 in the first two races of 2014 and an average finish of 3.0 to open 2004.
AT LAS VEGAS: Earnhardt has an average finish of 7.9 behind the wheel of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet during his seven Cup events for Hendrick Motorsports at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Earnhardt has the most runner-up finishes at the 1.5-mile oval with three.
LAS VEGAS STATS: Among active drivers, Earnhardt ranks fifth in the laps led category with 283 total at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS is also tied for eighth among active, full-time drivers at the 1.5-mile racetrack with three top-five finishes and tied for second with eight top-10s.
CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Greg Ives and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-810. Earnhardt most recently raced the car at Kansas in October 2014. It is the same chassis Earnhardt drove to Victory Lane at Pocono in June and August of last season.
VEGAS DOUBLE: Earnhardt will drive the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet during the 300-mile NASCAR XFINITY Series event on March 7 at Las Vegas. The 1998 and 1999 XFINITY Series champion has scored three top-five finishes and four top-10s in five XFINITY starts at the 1.5-mile track.
Hendrick Motorsports
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT LAS VEGAS: In 17 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has earned five wins, 17 top-five finishes and 30 top-10s. In last season’s event, all four drivers finished inside the top 10, led by Earnhardt’s runner-up result. Johnson leads all drivers at the 1.5-mile oval with four victories, while Gordon is tied for first there with six top-five finishes.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 232 victories, 201 pole positions, 946 top-five finishes and 1,567 top-10 finishes in Sprint Cup competition. Its teams have led 64,092 laps since 1984.
NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED: In time for the new NASCAR season, Hendrick Motorsports has re-launched its official website. HendrickMotorsports.com, which has presenting sponsorship from Bank of America, includes fresh team pages, an updated schedule area, responsive design and a completely revamped content platform. The organization has invested heavily in its digital programs in recent years. In 2013, the team opened a new studio to bolster its in-house video production capabilities and launched the Digital Dashboard social media command center. It also has added dedicated personnel and forged partnerships that support digital efforts with state-of-the-art equipment and advanced analytics.
QUOTABLE /
“I wish we had a better race weekend at Atlanta and a better start to the season, but we’re looking to turn it around in Las Vegas.
“3M is on board again with us this weekend and they are a company that loves technology, loves NASCAR and has been a part of it for a long time. Not only do they bring so many cool products to racing, but they also bring that technology to those at home to make everyday life a little bit better.
“Las Vegas Motor Speedway has a lot of speed and a lot of grip. It’s smooth – until you get to Turn 1. There are a lot of bumps there that you have to deal with. You have to find the best line – whether it’s the low line or the high line – and have your car ‘balanced’ because you are carrying so much speed. It definitely keeps you on your toes.”
Jeff Gordon on racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
“I’m certainly excited about going to Las Vegas. The track itself is tough and we haven’t had a whole lot of success there lately, but I would really like to bring home that cool Kobalt trophy for my sponsor. Driving the Kobalt car for the Kobalt 400 adds some pressure and (crew chief) Chad (Knaus) and I really don’t like to see someone else in Victory Lane with our sponsor. We have an incredible partnership and I’d love to win it for them this weekend. It would be really special.”
Jimmie Johnson on winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
“The Las Vegas track itself is an impressive facility. It has some good character with the bumps going into Turn 1 and it’s got a lot of banking and fast speeds. The groove has widened out quite a bit and makes it really appealing for drivers. It’s a fun track. The track is a lot flatter and has less speed since the reconfigure, but still just as enjoyable to race on.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Las Vegas Motor Speedway
