NASCAR Cup Series

The general consensus is that Atlanta was a boring race. I disagree. Let me share as to why. There is no debate that Kevin Harvick had the best car, that based on performance his was the auto that should have won. However, when drama was needed we had weather and strategy apparently conspiring to beat him. Would it rain? Would Denny Hamlin be in front at the right time when the heavens opened up?

Where Truex’ Championship Campaign Began… It was evident 2017 was Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. and Furniture Row Racing’s season as they dominated Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) competition en route to the championship. The No. 78 Camry team quickly mastered the new stage racing format, becoming the first – and only – team to win both stages and capture the checkered flag in the same event, which they did at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) last March, and again at Kentucky Speedway in July. As last year’s MENCS champion, Truex had more victories (eight), stage wins (19) and stage points (440) than any other driver in the garage and it all began with a win at the 1.5-mile Las Vegas track.

Kasey Kahne and Leavine Family Racing (LFR) are looking forward to racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) just one month after their pre-season test at the 1.5-mile track.

Mark Martin made history when he captured the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 20 years ago. Ford Performance caught up with the NASCAR Hall of Famer earlier this week to relive that inaugural event in which the new Taurus registered its first series win and 13 of the top 14 finishers, including the top 7, were Ford drivers.

This weekend, the famed Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 will carry new colors for one race. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will be the primary sponsor of the team and driver Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr, boasting the luxury property's signature shade, a jewel-toned purple. The No. 43 Cosmopolitan Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will race in the Pennzoil 400 this Sunday, March 4 at the Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway.

1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick dominated at Atlanta, leading 181 laps and winning Stage 1 on his way to the win in the Folds Of Honor Quick Trip 500.

Although Jimmie Johnson is currently 35th in points with back to back finishes of 27th or worse, he is still optimistic about the 2018 season.

NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1: NAPA AUTO PARTS will return to the hood of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Atlanta-based company will serve as majority sponsor for Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team for 26 NASCAR Cup Series races this year.

2018 marks the fourth consecutive year that the NASCAR schedule has taken the series on a ‘West Coast Swing’ visiting Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Auto Club Speedway in succession. Chevrolet has been the most successful manufacturer by earning six of the nine races in the past three seasons that the series has made this mecca. One manufacturer is yet to sweep the “West Coast” swing in its current configuration.

Atlanta Recap: Denny Hamlin finished fourth in Sunday’s 500-mile Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, claiming his second top-five of the season in the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota as a result of a calculated pit strategy championed by Crew Chief Mike Wheeler. The top-five competitors visited pit road on lap 213 for their first green-flag pit stops of Stage 3, while Hamlin stayed out and assumed the race lead.