This week’s changes to qualifying procedures did not hurt Denny Hamlin’s strong start to the 2014 season. In Friday’s qualifying for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Bristol Motor Speedway has caused dramatic finishes and some horrific incidents during its 53-year career in NASCAR. The short half mile track located in Bristol, Tennessee has lived through some of the worst and best moments in NASCAR history – and this weekend they can only further that resume.
This past weekend at Las Vegas, Regan Smith did not have the race that he was looking for. Coming off a pair of solid finishes to start the year and the points lead, Smith had high hopes in possibly contending for the win.
When you can tout an average finish of 1.67, as in the case of Dale Earnhardt Jr, or Brad Keselowski’s 2.33 you know you are doing something right. Each has a win, with Junior having a pair of runner up finishes compared to the two third place runs put in by the 2012 champion.
Another week in the books for this year's talented rookie class - another week met by struggles for each of them to endure. The 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway produced some ill-handling cars that resulted in poor finishes for the class of talented drivers.
Earnhardt’s engine sputtered on the final lap at Las Vegas, allowing Brad Keselowski to pass for the win as fuel mileage cost the No. 88 its second win of the year. Still, Earnhardt has a win and two runner-ups, and leads Keselowski in the points standings by one.
Hendrick Motorsports is the all-time leader in wins (10), top fives (39), stage wins (16) and laps led (2,770) at the 1.5-mile tri-oval and its 67 top 10s are tied for the most.
The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) for the South Point 400, the fifth race of the 10-race Chase, on Sunday, October 4 at 5:30 p.m. ET on USA.
The 2026 ARCA Menards Series East champion from Kannapolis, North Carolina, will compete in an expanded Truck Series schedule with Spire Motorsports in 2027.