Official Release

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

Fontaine on Racing at Las Vegas: “I’ve been getting excited about going back to Las Vegas now for the past couple of weeks,” said Fontaine. “It was a track I really adapted to and I think a lot of that was the support from my Niece Motorsports team and the good No. 45 ProMATIC Automation Chevrolet truck they brought me.

Self on Racing at Las Vegas: “It felt nice to have a break – but I’ve been itching to get back in the truck,” said Self. “Going back to Las Vegas this weekend, I think we can capitalize on the strength of our intermediate speed from the summer and bring home a top-10 finish.

News and notes: After a long and rainy weekend in Indianapolis, Boyd and team will have a quick turnaround as they shift their focus to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the running of the DC Solar 300. Crew chief Jason Miller will be back on top of the box this weekend for Boyd after serving his three week suspension. This will be Boyd's second trip to sin city. “I am beyond ready to get back on track,” says Boyd. "The last few weeks have been a rough stretch for our team and Vegas is the perfect place to get back to what we know we're capable of. I am thankful for all the support everyone has shown us during this bit of a slump, so I'm definitely ready to give everyone something to cheer about this weekend."

Kasey Kahne will continue to sit out from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition this coming weekend in Las Vegas, as well as the upcoming series events at Richmond International Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. This week the series travels west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway where temperatures for the weekend are projected to be around 100 degrees. The driver of the No. 95 Chevrolet with Leavine Family Racing continues to work with his physicians on a plan for his health.