Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Joey Logano: Logano battled Ross Chastain over the closing laps and got by with three laps to go and held on to win the South Point 400 at Las Vegas.
“I’m beyond thrilled,” Logano said. “I’m on to the championship round, which means I don’t have to worry at all about what happens at Homestead or Martinsville. So, fittingly, I’m going to take a ‘chip’ from Las Vegas and carry it on my shoulder for the next two races.”
2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin came home fifth in the South Point 400, posting his eighth top 5 of the year.
“We didn’t have the car to win at Las Vegas,” Hamlin said. “But I’m confident in our ability at Homestead next week. I like my chances there, especially since it’s not for the Cup championship.”
3. Chase Elliott: Elliott struggled to find speed at Las Vegas and finished a disappointing 21st.
“My No. 9 Hendrick Chevy was adorned with the Hooters paint scheme,” Elliott said. “That’s always a fun paint scheme because I’m always intrigued to see how many kids in the stands can figure out exactly what the owl’s eyes represent.”
4. William Byron: Byron finished 13th at Las Vegas, posting the best finish among Hendrick Motorsports drivers.
“My HMS teammate Kyle Larson had quite the race,” Byron said. “He got side-by-side with Bubba Wallace and forced the issue. Then they wrecked each other and had a confrontation afterward. So, Kyle played ‘chicken’ on and off the track.”
5. Ryan Blaney: Blaney was running strong at Las Vegas until a blown tire caused him to spin and hit the outside wall and then the inside wall.
“When you crash and hit two walls,” Blaney said, “it pretty much tells you what you have to do in the next round: rebound.”
6. Ross Chastain: Chastain took the lead with 16 laps to go at Las Vegas, but couldn’t hold off the charging Joey Logano, who got by Chastain with 3 to go for the win.
“There wasn’t much I could do to stop Logano,” Chastain said. “I guess I could have wrecked him but is winning a race really worth it when I’ll then have to listen to another driver tell me ‘You’re on my list?'”
7. Christopher Bell: Bell was caught up in the Kyle Larson-Bubba Wallace melee early in the race, the damage from which ended his day. Bell finished 34th.
“I guess I was the collateral damage of the Larson-Wallace incident,” Bell said. “And how about their confrontation afterward? Kyle wanted no part of Bubba; Bubba wanted all parts of Kyle.”
8. Chase Briscoe: Briscoe finished fourth at Las Vegas, a solid start to the Round of 8 playoffs for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver.
“If we learned one thing from this race,” Briscoe said, “it’s that when push comes to shove, Kyle Larson will do neither.”
9. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 12th at Las Vegas.
“I think we’re all sad to hear that Kurt Busch is retiring,” Logano said. “That sadness could only be tempered if his brother followed in his footsteps.”
10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished seventh in the South Point 400 at Las Vegas.
“It’s hard to believe Kyle Busch’s hometown fans booed him when his wheel fell off late in the race,” Truex said. “But as someone who’s known Kyle and dealt with him for many years, I can totally understand it.”
