Chase Elliott on beginning the playoffs: “Looking forward to getting to Vegas this weekend – we’ve had some good runs there the last couple of years. I’m excited to get out there and kind of get the deal rolling and hope that we can get off to a good start and see where it all ends up. It’s a long 10 weeks."
For 16 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ drivers, the start of the 2018 NASCAR Playoffs means one thing: it’s all on the line. The raw emotion, intensity and unpredictability of playoff racing will be captured in a new marketing campaign featuring live-action television creative and digital content across all 10 weeks of the NASCAR Playoffs.
Richard Childress Racing's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series History at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ... In 62 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolets have earned 10 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes with eight different drivers - Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Austin Dillon, Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Mike Skinner.
Briscoe on Las Vegas Motor Speedway “I’ve only raced Vegas once, but I really enjoyed the track and felt like I took to it pretty quick. It’s always fun to go to Vegas and hang out and be the big show in town. Hopefully we can go there and continue to build momentum and have another good run.”
Playoff Field Set… The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) Playoff field is set and first up on the postseason schedule is Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Camry drivers Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones and Denny Hamlin will each contend for the title as they look to capture Toyota’s third-consecutive Cup Series manufacturer’s championship. Busch cemented his place in the title hunt when he locked up the regular-season championship earlier this week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
To celebrate the 2018 NASCAR Playoffs™, NASCAR®, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ race teams in collaboration with the Race Team Alliance and Twitter have unveiled customized hashtags and emojis for all 16 drivers competing for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship™.
Las Vegas may not be the best place if you’re looking to change bad luck. But there could be an exception for Furniture Row Racing driver Martin Truex Jr., who will be among the 16 drivers competing in NASCAR’s opening playoff race Sunday at the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS).
Bell on Racing at Las Vegas: “I’ve been looking forward to this race for a long time now,” said Bell. “It’s always fun to get behind the wheel of one of these trucks, and it’s even more special when it’s in front of the home crowd. I think Niece Motorsports has shown that it’s definitely upped its performance this season, and their alliance with GMS Racing is paying dividends. I’m excited to get back on track this week, and am really confident that we can put together a strong run.”
Las Vegas Preview: The Series heads West to Las Vegas for the first of 10 races in this year’s NASCAR playoffs. Hamlin looks to start the Playoffs on a high note, not only improving from his 17th place finish at Vegas in March, and aiming for a repeat of his first round victory at Chicago in 2015. Of his 13 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Denny has finished in the top-five twice and has six top-10 finishes.
“It’s good to know we’re locked into the playoffs heading into the last race of the regular season at Las Vegas. Kevin (Meendering, crew chief) and my guys have worked hard all season long to get us to this point. This weekend, it gives us the opportunity to be aggressive and battle to get our OneMain Financial Chevrolet back in Victory Lane. Hopefully we can get ourselves that solid finish we’re looking for and head into the playoffs with good momentum.” – Elliott Sadler
Corey Heim stepped into Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time Friday. Two days later, he was celebrating on Victory Podium after an impressive drive to victory Sunday in the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG.
Funny Car’s J.R. Todd won for the first time in 2026 on Sunday at Pacific Raceways to finish off a Kalitta Motorsports nitro sweep with teammate Doug Kalitta
The reigning Craftsman Truck Series champion from Marietta, Georgia, led a race-high 58 of 160 laps and outdueled Christopher Bell and Joey Logano through a 34-lap dash to the finish to achieve his first crown jewel victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The two-time ARCA Menards Series West champion from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, outdueled Ryan Blaney by two spots towards the top-25 mark to win the second annual In-Season Challenge tournament and a $1 million bonus at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Toyota Development Driver Corey Heim continued to make history as he won the Brickyard 400, in his first attempt, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday evening.
TODD GILLILAND, No. 34 Grillo’s Pickles Ford Mustang Dark Horse – HOW DOES IT FEEL TO WIN $1 MILLION? “It feels really good. Obviously, we wish we ran a little bit better than 24th today, but we did what we had to do."
