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Drivers to watch in NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

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Marty Snider, Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton reflect on the standout performances from Auto Club Speedway, including Trackhouse and RFK Racing who continued the strong start to their seasons on the West Coast.

The NASCAR Cup Series early season swing through the West continues Sunday with a 400-mile race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The first of two annual races at the 1.5-mile track finds Chevrolet driver Ross Chastain atop the point standings, trailed by Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick and Daniel Suarez.

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the season opener at Daytona, and Kyle Busch scored last Sunday at Auto Club Speedway.

A look at drivers to watch in Las Vegas:

FRONTRUNNERS

Ross Chastain


  • Points position: 1st
  • Best seasonal finish: 3rd (Auto Club)
  • Past at Las Vegas: Finished top three in both races last year

Chastain has started 2023 where he left off at the end of last season, making noise and racing with the lead pack. He has six top-10 finishes in a row, dating back to last season. That’s tied for his longest streak of top-10 finishes.

Joey Logano


  • Points position: 2nd
  • Best seasonal finish: 2nd (Daytona 500)
  • Past as Las Vegas: Has a win and two top 10s in past five races

Logano came within a few feet of winning the Daytona 500 and led 19 laps Sunday at Auto Club. His three Las Vegas wins have all come in the past eight races.

Kyle Larson


  • Points position: 24th
  • Best seasonal finish: 18th (Daytona 500)
  • Past at Las Vegas: Won in March 2021 and was runner-up last March

Larson has started the season slowly, but Vegas should be a salve. He has finished in the top 10 in eight of his last 10 starts at the track.

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

Tyler Reddick


  • Points position: 38th
  • Best seasonal finish: 34th at Auto Club
  • Past at Las Vegas: Three consecutive finishes of seventh or better

Reddick needs a boost at Las Vegas to bounce back from tough runs at Daytona (39th) and Auto Club (34th). He left both races after accidents.

Ryan Blaney


  • Points position: 12th
  • Best seasonal finish: 8th (Daytona 500)
  • Past at Las Vegas: Best career finish is fifth

Blaney has made 48 starts since his last points win. Over that stretch, he has two seconds and 15 top fives.

Bubba Wallace


  • Points position: 26th
  • Best seasonal finish: 20th (Daytona 500)
  • Past at Las Vegas: Five consecutive finishes of 16th or worse

Wallace has failed to finish both races to date, parking after an accident at Daytona and losing an engine at Auto Club.