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 6 (FOX/PRN/SIRIUSXM)
No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS / Kasey Kahne
Driver Kasey Kahne Hometown Enumclaw, Washington
Age 35 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2016 Season
16th in standings
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
Career
434 starts
17 wins
27 pole positions
86 top-five finishes
156 top-10 finishes
4,607 laps led
Track Career
12 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
172 laps led
LAS VEGAS STATS: Kasey Kahne has 12 starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and has earned three pole awards in that span, with his most recent in 2012. Las Vegas is also the site of Kahne’s first career Sprint Cup pole in March 2004. He ranks 10th in all-time lap leaders at Las Vegas with 172 laps led during five races. Statistically, Kahne excels at intermediate tracks with 10 of his 17 career wins earned at venues between one and two miles in length. Kahne, along with his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, will participate in NASCAR’s open test on Thursday at the 1.5-mile speedway.
LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR’s loop data, Kahne ranks fourth in green-flag passes at Las Vegas with a total of 664. He ranks seventh among active drivers for laps spent in the top 15 with 1,949. Kahne has 333 quality passes at the 1.5-mile track, which puts him seventh among current drivers.
KAHNE HEADS WEST: On Thursday, March 10, Kahne will join award-winning YouTube personality Scooter Magruder just outside of Phoenix at Canyon Creek Ranch to participate in “Wild West” activities. Kahne and Magruder will compete against each other throughout the afternoon in everything from a shooting competition to tailgate games.
FARMERS CAR AND POSTER PROGRAM RETURN: Farmers Insurance returns to the No. 5 Chevrolet SS this weekend for its second race of the season. Kahne posted a 13th-place finish in the Daytona 500 while driving the Farmers Chevy. As part of the Farmers Insurance Racing art series, Farmers will be giving away several poster-sized autograph cards signed by Kahne for the second consecutive season. Fans can enter for their chance to win by visiting FarmersRacing.com.
No. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS / Chase Elliott
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 20 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia
2016 Season
21st in standings
2 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
3 laps led
Career
7 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
3 laps led
Track Career
0 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
NAPA AUTO PARTS ON THE NO. 24 CHEVROLET SS: NAPA AUTO PARTS will be the primary partner onboard Rookie of the Year contender Chase Elliott’s No. 24 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and will be the primary sponsor on the car for 22 additional Sprint Cup Series races this year.
TESTING: While Elliott did not drive in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway test in January, he was present and taking notes alongside No. 24 team crew chief Alan Gustafson as teammate Jimmie Johnson logged laps. Elliott will participate in the two testing sessions offered Thursday, March 3, at Las Vegas prior to the regular race weekend.
HOME TRACK SUCCESS: Elliott — a Dawsonville, Georgia, native — is coming off of his career-best NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finish as he heads to a similar track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, this weekend. Elliott earned an eighth-place finish at his home track, Atlanta Motor Speedway, last Sunday. He also took the checkered flag as the highest-finishing rookie driver in the 500-mile race.
TRACK STATS: Elliott has had his share of success in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, owning two top-five finishes at the 1.5-mile oval. In the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 24 Chevy has also recently found speed at the Nevada track as the team, led by crew chief Alan Gustafson, sat on the pole for the 2015 race.
DOUBLE DUTY: Elliott heads into his first full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season in 2016 and the 20-year-old rookie isn’t letting off the gas. In addition to racing the No. 24 for Hendrick Motorsports, Elliott will also run a limited schedule in the NXS, piloting the No. 88 for JR Motorsports. His second NXS race will be Saturday, March 5, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
USAF THUNDERBIRDS: Elliott earned his private pilot’s license in July 2015, but on Tuesday, Feb. 16, the 20-year-old handed over the pilot’s seat to ride along with “America’s Ambassadors in Blue” – the United States Air Force Thunderbirds. Elliott’s ride in the Thunderbirds’ F-16 pulled 9.5 G’s moving at approximately 720 mph. This weekend Elliott will be racing in the Thunderbirds’ home town, a mere four miles from their hangar at Nellis Air Force Base. For footage from Elliott’s flight, please contact Caitlin Barry.
No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 40 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2016 Season
6th in standings
2 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
1 top-10 finish
70 laps led
Career
509 starts
76 wins
34 pole positions
208 top-five finishes
315 top-10 finishes
17,779 laps led
Track Career
14 starts
4 wins
0 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
500 laps led
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet SS, will participate in a Habitat for Humanity build on Las Vegas Motor Speedway property at 6 a.m. local time on Friday. Interested members of the media who wish to cover should contact Amy Walsh.
KOBALT RACE: The black and white colors of Kobalt Tools will adorn Johnson’s Chevrolet this weekend at Las Vegas. In addition, the paint scheme will run at Michigan International Speedway in June, Bristol Motor Speedway in August and Phoenix International Raceway in November.
LOWE’S PARTNERS WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: Johnson will team up with sponsor Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas to raise the walls of a new home Friday on the midway at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before the Kobalt 400. The event will kick off a new nationwide initiative by Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity International to build or repair homes for 1,000 families in time for the holidays. Las Vegas native Jamie Gordon, a single mother of two daughters, will be joined by Johnson and nearly 100 Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers to build the frame of her first Habitat home. Johnson will be back at the midway on Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. local time to hand the keys to a new house over to Gordon and her daughters. Lowe’s has partnered with Habitat for Humanity since 2003, committing more than $63 million toward revitalizing neighborhoods and helping nearly 5,500 families build or improve their homes. Individuals interested in volunteering for future Habitat projects can sign up at the build or visit Habitat.org/lowes.
JOHNSON AND KNAUS AT KOBALT KAMPOUT: Johnson and No. 48 team crew chief Chad Knaus will appear on stage Friday evening at 6:45 p.m. local time for a Q&A at the Kobalt Kampout in the Neon Garage.
VEGAS TIRE TEST: The No. 48 Lowe’s team completed a Goodyear tire test in January at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Johnson and Knaus spent two days testing tires at the 1.5-mile track and were satisfied with the results.
ANOTHER 1.5-MILE TRACK WIN: Johnson currently holds the record for all-time wins on 1.5-mile tracks. He has earned 25 victories, which includes seven at Charlotte Motor Speedway, six at Texas Motor Speedway, five at Atlanta Motor Speedway, four at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and three at Kansas Speedway.
TIED FOR SEVENTH ALL-TIME: The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet SS earned yet another career milestone on Sunday in Atlanta by recording his 76th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win, tying him with Dale Earnhardt Sr. for seventh on the all-time win list. Cale Yarborough is in sixth place with 83 wins. The all-time wins leader is Richard Petty with 200. Johnson’s win Sunday made Atlanta the sixth track where he has won at least five times.
JIMMIE JOHNSON WELLNESS CHALLENGE RETURNS: Registration is open for the 2016 Jimmie Johnson Foundation Wellness Challenge. Register now for early-bird pricing and register for all three events to receive a reduced rate. The first event is May 22, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 5K in Huntersville, North Carolina. Log on to www.jjfwellnesschallenge.org for more details.
No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS / Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hometown Kannapolis, North Carolina
Age 41 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2016 Season
18th in standings
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
1 top-10 finish
15 laps led
Career
579 starts
26 wins
13 pole positions
144 top-five finishes
247 top-10 finishes
8,149 laps led
Track Career
16 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
9 top-10 finishes
287 laps led
LOOKING FOR A WIN: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has yet to score a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS has come close – recording three second-place finishes, most recently in the 2014 event, and finishing inside the top 10 in his last five trips to the 1.5-mile oval.
SHOWING SPEED: Earnhardt ranks at the top of the chart in average speed late in a run at Las Vegas in the last 10 years, according to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, with an average speed of 170.308 mph in the final 25 percent of laps run in a typical green-flag segment. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native is also ranked second-fastest in speed by segment, third-fastest on restarts, fourth in laps spent in the top 15 (2,124) and sixth in green-flag speed, laps led (142) and fastest laps run (124).
VEGAS TEST: Thursday, March 3, will mark the first test session of 2016 for the No. 88 team. Teams will be working on the low-downforce package similar to what was raced last week in Atlanta, where Johnson won and Earnhardt recorded a second-place finish. It marked the 40th one-two finish in Hendrick Motorsports history. Earnhardt heartily approved of the new package, complimenting the rules and the racing after climbing out of his Nationwide Chevy last Sunday.
‘DRIVEN TO GIVE GLOVES’ 2016 PROGRAM ANNOUNCED: The Dale Jr. Foundation (TDJF) announced that the Driven to Give Gloves program will return for 2016 and focus on four Patient Champions from Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH). The program will feature the auctioning of Earnhardt’s race-worn gloves four times during the 2016 NASCAR season. The signature, skeleton-themed design of his gloves will feature a different color for each of the NCH Patient Champions to raise awareness and funds for the hospital’s clinical and research programs. Nationwide Children’s is America’s largest pediatric hospital and research center with all care provided regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Driven to Give Gloves will kick off in April with Earnhardt wearing gloves accented in blue to raise awareness for autism and funds for research. At the end of the month, Earnhardt will sign the gloves for auction at TDJF’s eBay store with all of the proceeds going to benefit care and research. Visit TDJF’s website for more information.
Hendrick Motorsports
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT LAS VEGAS: In 18 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has earned five wins, two pole positions, 18 top-five finishes and 31 top-10s. Johnson leads all drivers at the 1.5-mile oval with four victories, while Earnhardt is tied for first among active drivers with nine top-10 finishes at the track.
WIN STREAK: Johnson’s win last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway made 2016 the 31st consecutive season that Hendrick Motorsports has recorded at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, the longest active streak among Sprint Cup teams.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 241 victories, 207 pole positions, 982 top-five finishes and 1,640 top-10 finishes in Sprint Cup competition. Its teams have led 65,105 laps since 1984.
QUOTABLE /
“I think Vegas will be completely different this year than last year with the new package and I really look forward to racing that car there. We all talked a good bit with Jimmie (Johnson) from their test — I think they learned a lot and they were really fast. When it comes to the race, I hope we see tire wear like we saw at Atlanta. I doubt we see quite as much, but I think we will definitely see some.”
Kasey Kahne on racing at Las Vegas
“I thought Jimmie (Johnson) had a really good test, which I think was encouraging. He was really fast compared to some of the guys that were there. I think that’s good news. He always has really good feedback and I think it’s good to just kind of go and listen to his communication and how they go about their weekend. You can’t do that in other sports, to go and be able to watch that closely with one of your competitors — although he’s a teammate, you’ve still got to compete against him. I tried to learn as much as I could and I’m excited to get out there.”
Chase Elliott on observing Johnson’s test at Las Vegas
“The win in Atlanta was a defining moment in my career. I have so much respect for Dale Earnhardt and to hear Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt-Miller’s comments, it just was an incredible feeling. I’ve said it many times, but I’m so honored to have driven for one team and one partner – Hendrick Motorsports and Lowe’s – for all 76 wins. We will cherish the win but soon have to shift focus to Vegas.”
Jimmie Johnson on winning at Atlanta
“The bottom line from the test is we were just fast – really, really fast. When we took downforce off the car, they’ve lowered the gear ratio, a lot of things to kind of slow the cars down and we’re every bit as fast if not faster than (with) the combination they had last year. Obviously when we come back for the race, the sun will be out and hopefully we’ll get the fall-off we’re looking for. The track will lose some grip and be slick. It’s a partner race for us, so obviously we want to take home the cool Kobalt wrench trophy Lowe’s creates and there is a lot of pride that comes along with that. The pressure is high for this race. We want to do well for all the people in Vegas supporting the No. 48 team.”
Johnson on testing at Las Vegas
“We’re going to Vegas. Jimmie (Johnson) tested there and he liked what he saw, so I’m excited to get out there and practice. We practice Thursday … so we’ll get some laps and see if we can’t dial the car in. Vegas is going to be a lot of fun – a lot of bumps going down into Turn 1. You’ll definitely try to run the high side at some point in the race in Turns 1 and 2. I don’t know if the top will work in (Turns) 3 and 4 – sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t – but we’ll definitely be trying everything we can, running every groove, wherever that car wants to run and be comfortable. Hopefully we have as good a car, as fast a car and as good a day (as we did at Atlanta), and try to put it in Victory Lane. I’ve never won there and I’d love to get that victory at Vegas on my résumé.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on racing at Las Vegas
TRENDING /
Respect.
@JimmieJohnson via Twitter
2/28/16, 4:07 p.m.
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