Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Ross Chastain: Chastain started eighth and finished 12th in the Pennzoil 400.
“Kyle Busch won last week in California,” Chastain said. “I wanted to put myself in his place this week and win at Las Vegas. On that note, what would you get if you put Kyle in my car? ‘No. 1 with a bullet.'”
2. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished third in the Pennzoil 400 and Hendrick Motorsports went 1-2-3 at Las Vegas.
“My Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott will miss a few races after breaking his tibia in a snowboarding accident in Colorado,” Bowman said. “Chase had surgery and is recovering. Luckily, it’s all uphill from here.”
3. William Byron: Byron won Stages 1 and 2 on his way to the win at Las Vegas. A quick final pit stop put him ahead of Kyle Larson, and Byron, with two fresh tires, passed Martin Truex Jr. for the lead with two laps to go.
“When I have a car like that,” Byron said, “I feel like I’m pretty much unbeatable. If we can duplicate that on a weekly basis, I don’t think I can be stopped, except possibly by a freak roller skating accident.”
4. Kyle Busch: After winning at California a week ago, Busch was not in contention for the win at Las Vegas and finished 14th.
“I really had nothing good to say about my car,” Busch said. “Last week, people weren’t surprised to see me in Victory Lane. In Vegas, people weren’t surprised to see me complaining. My car owner is also famous for Richard Childress Wine. Now, with me, he’s known for ‘Richard Childress Whine.'”
5. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished ninth in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas.
“This is my last year as a full-time Cup driver,” Harvick said. “If that ends with a championship, that will be great. Whatever the outcome, my plan is to pack my bags, minus guns and ammo, and ride off in the sunset, but definitely not on a snowboard.”
6. Joey Logano: Logano won the Busch Light pole but struggled with grip and handling before a spin ended his day with 88 laps left. He finished last in 36th.
“I took a spin through the infield grass and that ended my day,” Logano said. “Like a few people, I can say I left Vegas with a lot of ‘green.'”
7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 11th at Las Vegas and is sixth in the points standings.
“We race in Phoenix next week,” Hamlin said. “And that will end this season’s ‘West Coast Swing.’ I think I can speak for all drivers and say that none of us like swinging in the West Coast.’ If Tim Richmond were alive today, though, I think he would totally disagree with me.”
8. Kyle Larson: Larson was leading at Las Vegas with 4 laps to go before Aric Almirola’s spin resulted in a caution. In the ensuing pit stops, William Byron’s stop was a bit quicker, allowing Byron to come out ahead. Byron passed Martin Truex Jr. for the win, while Larson settled for the runner-up spot.
“It was an exciting race,” Larson said, “for the final two laps. The other 265 laps certainly lacked any drama whatsoever. In other words, it was a lot like the paint scheme of my No. 5 Chevrolet—-extremely boring.”
9. Daniel Suarez: Suarez finished 10th at Las Vegas, posting his third top 10 of the season.
“First Kyle Busch and his gun incident in Mexico,” Stenhouse said. “Then Chase Elliott breaks his leg in a snowboarding accident. I don’t know what possibly could be next, but it will probably be someone shooting themselves in the foot.”
10. Christopher Bell: Bell finished fifth at Las Vegas, recording his second top-five finish of the year.
“Danica Patrick joined Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer in the Fox broadcasting booth,” Bell said. “I think Danica brings a lot to the booth and makes it better. Ask Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and he’ll tell you she’s what you call the ‘Ex-factor.'”
