Las Vegas Event Info:
Date: Sunday, March 15
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Format: 267 Laps, 400.5 miles, Stages: 80-85-102
TV: FS1
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 2:30 p.m. ET, Cup Practice (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 3:40 p.m. ET, Cup Qualifying (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 4 p.m. ET, Cup Race (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Pace Laps:
- Las Vegas hosts its annual spring race this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series embarks on the fifth points race of the 2026 campaign.
- Las Vegas is a track where Jack Roush has had a bevy of success, including seven wins in the Cup Series alone, and 16 overall.
- Brad Keselowski is one of five drivers all-time with three-or-more wins at LVMS, joining Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Larson.
6 Team Info:
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
Partner: Trimble
17 Team Info:
Driver: Chris Buescher
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Smith’s / Farm Rich
60 Team Info:
Driver: Ryan Preece
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley Partner: Body Guard
Keselowski at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Starts: 25
Wins: 3 (2014, 2016, 2018)
Top-10s: 14
Poles: 2 (2013, 2017)
- Keselowski returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway where he has led a total of 261 laps of his 25 starts at the track, most recently Keselowski brought home another top-10 finish for the No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at the fall LVMS race in 2025.
- Keselowski is a three-time winner at LVMS, one of 12 tracks he has multiple wins at on the circuit. Overall, he has a 12.5 average finish with 14 top-10s and nine finishes inside the top five in 25 starts.
- Keselowski first won in Las Vegas in 2014 after starting from the second position and leading 53 laps. He followed that with wins two years apart in 2016 and 2018.
- The Michigan native has an average starting position of 14.2 with two poles (2013, 2017), and overall, he has nine top-10 qualifying efforts.
- Keselowski also has a win at Vegas in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (2014) with four overall top-10s in 10 NOAPS starts. He also made one truck start back in 2005.
Buescher at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Starts: 18
Wins: —
Top-10s: 2
Poles: —
- After a strong race in Phoenix almost finishing in the top-5 before a late race penalty, Buescher is hunting to carry the same speed into Vegas, “It’s become a good racetrack with a lot of options as a driver, I am excited to see what can shake out for me next week” said Buescher during his media availability in Phoenix.
- Buescher makes his 19th Cup start at Las Vegas this weekend, where he carries an average finish of 17.4 with two top-10s (9th – 2020 & 10th – 2024).
- His best qualifying effort stands as the P5 starting spot in the 2023 fall race. Overall, he has a 19.9 average starting position.
- Buescher made two O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Las Vegas and recorded a best finish of ninth (2014) in the No. 60 entry for Jack Roush.
Preece at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Starts: 12
Wins: —
Top-10s: 2
Poles: —
- “Honestly, Las Vegas has just been really good to me here, as of late, and kind of our group, with everything that we have going on. So, I feel really excited about going there,” said Preece during his media availability in Phoenix. “We’ve been firing on all 8 cylinders when it comes to a mile and a half program and I’m excited about it.”
- Preece makes his 13th Cup start at Las Vegas this weekend, where he holds an average finish of 21.4. He finished inside the top 10 in both races a year ago, finishing 3rd in the Spring and 9th in the Fall.
- The Connecticut native’s best qualifying effort is a P12 starting spot in the spring race last season. Overall, he has a 23.6 average starting position.
RFK Historically at Las Vegas
Cup Wins: 7 (Mark Martin, 1998; Jeff Burton, 1999, 2000; Matt Kenseth, 2003, 2004; Carl Edwards, 2008, 2011)
- Early JACKpot: RFK hit the Vegas jackpot right off the bat, winning the inaugural Cup event at Las Vegas in 1998. Mark Martin led 82 laps in the victory that served as a banner day for RFK.
- Inaugural Sweep: RFK placed all five of its Cup entries inside the top 10 of that inaugural Las Vegas Cup race in 1998, including three inside the top five, four inside the top six, one in the winners circle and the runner up (6 – 1st, 99 – 2nd, 26 – 4th, 16 – 6th and 97 – 10th).
- Continued Success: RFK won the first three Cup races at LVMS from ‘98-’00, with Jeff Burton winning back-to-back events in ’99 and ’00. RFK also took three of the first nine Xfinity Series events at LVMS.
- Victory Lane at Vegas: In addition to the first three Cup races at LVMS, RFK again found the winners’ circle in 2003 and 2004 at the 1.5-mile track with Matt Kenseth. Carl Edwards took the checkered flag at the 2008 and 2011 events to give RFK seven Cup wins at Las Vegas with four different drivers.
- Back to Back at Vegas: RFK has won back-to-back Cup races at LVMS on two separate occasions in ’99-’00 and ’03-04’ and once in the Xfinity Series in ‘99 and ‘00.
RFK Las Vegas Wins
1998 Martin Cup
1999 Burton Cup
2000 Burton Cup
2003 Kenseth Cup
2004 Kenseth Cup
2008 Edwards Cup
2011 Edwards Cup
1999 Martin NOAPS
2000 Burton NOAPS
2002 Burton NOAPS
2005 Martin NOAPS
2009 Biffle NOAPS
2012 Stenhouse NXS
1997 Ruttman NCTS
1999 Biffle NCTS
2007 Kvapil NCTS
Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Phoenix: Phoenix was a thrilling showcase of RFK Racing resilience as Ryan Preece, Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski each mounted inspiring, hard‑charging performances in the desert. Preece led the RFK trio with a well fought for 13th‑place finish, overcoming a mid‑race spin and capitalizing on smart tire strategy to claw back through the field. Buescher showed top‑five speed all afternoon, storming to a fourth-place Stage Two result, before rallying from a late pit‑road penalty to secure 14th. Meanwhile, Keselowski embodied determination once again, driving a backup car from 37th to an impressive 15th place finish despite sustaining damage in a chaotic restart.
Points Standings: Buescher: 9th, Keselowski: 16th, Preece: 18th
