The Cup Series and the Xfinity Series will move onto the Round of 8 when they compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. The Xfinity Series always puts on a good show at the 1.5-mile intermediate tracks and the Gen-7 car has created some exciting races for the Cup Series too. There is a lot of pressure on the drivers still alive in the playoffs. It should be fun to see which driver is able to hit the jackpot in Sin City. The South Point 400 can be seen Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
STRATEGY FOR LAS VEGAS
This race Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is not the race to save your allocation with your top drivers. The cream typically rises to the top on the 1.5-mile tracks, so the South Point 400 is the best race to use your final allocations with the drivers you have been saving all season. Kyle Larson won two of the races on the 1.5-mile intermediate tracks (Las Vegas and Kansas), Chase Elliott won at Texas, Christopher Bell won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and Ross Chastain won the playoff race at Kansas last month. There is a good chance that one of the top drivers will be in Victory Lane, holding the trophy with the Show Girls Sunday.
DRIVER GROUP GAME PICKS FOR LAS VEGAS
GROUP A DRIVERS
KYLE LARSON (3): You need to use Larson if you have any allocations left with the No. 5 car. He has momentum after his win at Charlotte and Las Vegas is his best track. Larson qualified on the front row in the last two races in Sin City. He also led the most laps, won every Stage and won both races. Larson has finished 1st or 2nd in five of his last seven races in Las Vegas. There is no need to try and be cute this week and fade Larson because everyone will use him. You need to make sure the No. 5 car is in you lineup Sunday.
WILLIAM BYRON (3): I thought about pairing Denny Hamlin with Kyle Larson, but I just do not trust the No. 11 team right now. Hendrick Motorsports has won three of the five races on the 1.5-mile tracks this year, so I will pair Byron with his teammate (Kyle Larson) this weekend. Byron finished 10th in the first race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He also finished 3rd at Texas, 3rd at Charlotte and 2nd in the playoffs at Kansas. Byron won in Las Vegas last year. He should be battling Larson for the win Sunday.
OTHER PICK: CHRISTOPHER BELL (6): Bell finished 33rd at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, but that was a fluke. Crew Chief Adam Stevens tried to run longer than the new right side tires would allow and the tire popped and sent Bell into the wall. They will not make that same mistake Sunday. Bell won at Charlotte and he led 122 laps and finished 7th in the playoffs at Kansas. Bell should be the best Toyota in the run this weekend.
GROUP A RANKINGS: 1.KYLE LARSON, 2. WILLIAM BYRON, 3. CHRISTOPHER BELL, 4. CHASE ELLIOTT, 5. DENNY HAMLIN, 6. MARTIN TRUEX JR., 7. RYAN BLANEY, 8. KYLE BUSCH
GROUP B DRIVERS
TYLER REDDICK (1): I came so close to pulling the trigger and using my last allocation with Reddick last week at the Charlotte Roval. I am glad I saved the No. 45 car. I cannot decide if I want to use Reddick this week at Las Vegas or next week at Homestead. I expect the No. 45 car to be one of the best cars in both races. I at least need to have Reddick in my lineup this weekend. If the No. 45 car looks fast in practice and qualified in the top-six, I will likely use Reddick in the race. If not, I will save him for next week.
ROSS CHASATAIN (4): Chastain hasn’t been great this year, but he has been good on the 1.5-mile intermediate tracks. Chastain finished 4th at Las Vegas in March and he just won the last intermediate track race at Kansas in September. Chastain in not a playoff driver, but I doubt he is giving up on his season yet. He wants to smash more watermelon in Victory Lane and his car should be fast enough to run up front Sunday.
JOEY LOGANO (2): I only have two allocations left with Logano and I wish I had three. He is really good at Martinsville and Phoenix, but I think I can find another driver for Martinsville, so I will have the No. 22 car in my lineup this week. Logano won in the Gen-7 car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2022. He is tied with Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski for the most wins at this track. Logano won the pole for the race in March at Las Vegas, so he should at least have a good chance to score bonus points for qualifying.
ALEX BOWMAN (4): What are we going to get from the No. 48 team this week? They have been one of the best teams in the playoffs and Bowman was all set to move onto the Round of 8. The No. 48 car did not pass post-race inspection at Charlotte so now Bowman’s run in the playoffs are over. Bowman has scored the most points in Group B in the playoffs this year (if you keep his original finishing spot at Charlotte). He has the 3rd-fastest speed in Group B on the 1.5-mile tracks and the 4th-best average running position. He should be a good pick “if” the No. 48 can put what happened last week behind them.
OTHER PICK: TY GIBBS (0): I am out of allocations with Gibbs. I would have him in my lineup over Brad Keselowski if I could. Gibbs has been at his best on the 1.5-mile tracks this season. He finished 5th at Las Vegas in March, 6th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and 5th in the playoff race at Kansas. Make sure Gibbs is in your lineup this week if you have any allocations left with the No. 54 car.
OTHER PICK: BRAD KESELOWSKI (1): I thought about using Keselowski this week, but I only have one allocation left with the No. 6 car. Keselowski is one of the best drivers in Group B at Homestead and Martinsville, so I need to save him for one of those races. Keselowski has a good chance to be a good pick this week. He finished 13th at Las Vegas in March. Keselowski also finished 2nd at Texas and 2nd at Charlotte. You can use Keselowski over Alex Bowman if you do not trust the No. 48 team this week.
GROUP B RANKINGS: 1. TYLER REDDICK, 2. TY GIBBS, 3. JOEY LOGANO, 4. ROSS CHASTAIN, 5. ALEX BOWMAN, 6. BRAD KESELOWSKI, 7. BUBBA WALLACE, 8. CHRIS BUESCHER, 9. DANIEL SUAREZ 10. AUSTIN CINDRIC
GROUP C DRIVERS
NOAH GRAGSON (3): This is a home race for Gragson this week. He is the type of driver who likes to show off in front of his friends and Gragson will have a lot of fans in the stands this week. He started 30th and finished 6th at Las Vegas in March. It was one of his best races of the season. Gragson also finished 9th at Kansas, so the No. 10 car has had some speed on the 1.5-mile tracks this year. I will take a chance with Gragson in Las Vegas.
CARSON HOCEVAR (6): Hocevar will probably be the driver I start in the race Sunday. He has exceeded expectations all season and there is a good chance that Hocevar will be the top driver in Group C this week. Hocevar finished 15th at Las Vegas in March and 10th at Texas. He has the second-best Driver Rating on the 1.5-mile tracks in Group C (Behind Noah Gragson) and the best Average Running Position. Hocevar could surprise people and finish in the top-10 again Sunday.
OTHER PICK: DANIEL HEMRIC (9): Do you want to gets nuts this weekend? Sometimes it is a good idea to go all in with a long-shot in Las Vegas to try and hit the jackpot. You could do that this week with Henric. He has nothing to lose this week, since he still does not have a ride for the 2025 season. Hemric finished 19th at Las Vegas in March, 20th at Texas, 18th at Charlotte and 20th at Kansas in September. That is the 3rd-best average finishing position from a driver in Group C. I do not have the guts to pull the trigger, but it could work out well if you are willing to take a chance with the No. 31 car Sunday.
GROUP C RANKINGS: 1. CARSON HOCEVAR, 2. NOAH GRAGSON, 3. CHASE BRISCOE, 4. DANIEL HEMRIC, 5. TODD GILLILAND
* Be sure to check back Sunday morning for my starting lineup.
XFINITY SERIES PICKS
Good Luck This Weekend!
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