A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK’S RACING
NASCAR SPRINT CUP
Shelby 427
Site: Las Vegas
Schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 3:30 p.m.); Sunday, race (FOX, 1:30 p.m.).
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (D-shaped oval, 1.5 miles, 20 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 427.5 miles, 285 laps.
Last race: After going winless in 2008, former champion Matt Kenseth is 2-0 in 2009, adding a victory in the Auto Club 500 at Fontana, Calif., to his win the previous week in the Daytona 500. Kenseth took the lead from Jeff Gordon in the pits under caution with 38 laps to go in the 250-lap race and stayed ahead, pulling away over the last 20 laps.
Last year: Carl Edwards’ second consecutive victory was short-lived: His winning Ford Fusion failed a post-race inspection after NASCAR officials discovered the lid was not on the oil tank box of his car.
Fast facts: Kenseth is the first Cup driver to win the first two races of the season since Gordon did it in 1997 on the way to the second of his four championships. Kenseth, who has won twice at Las Vegas, will try to become the first driver in Cup history to start 3-0. … Gordon, who has 81 career victories, hasn’t won a points race since October of 2007 at Charlotte. … Tony Stewart has started the season with consecutive eighth-place finishes. … Joey Logano, the 18-year-old rookie who replaced Stewart in the No. 20 Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing, finished 26th at Fontana after crashing and finishing last in the Daytona 500. … Jeff Burton is expected to make his 450th consecutive Cup start this weekend.
Next race: Kobalt Tools 500, March 8, Hampton, Ga.
On the Net: www.nascar.com
NASCAR NATIONWIDE
Sam’s Town 300
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 9 a.m.), race (ESPN2, 1:30 p.m.).
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (D-shaped oval, 1.5 miles, 20 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.
Last race: Kyle Busch added a dominating Nationwide Series victory under the lights to an overpowering truck win earlier in the day at Fontana, Calif. The 23-year-old speedster was out front for 143 of 150 laps on the 2-mile oval to earn his 22nd Nationwide victory. That made him the first driver to win races in two NASCAR national touring series in the same day.
Last year: Mark Martin took car owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Victory Lane by winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, then immediately apologized for an accident he started in the closing laps. After a restart with 10 laps to go, Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski were racing side-by-side when Martin quickly closed in on Edwards’ bumper. Slight contact sent Edwards’ car wiggling across the track, and he slid high directly into Keselowski to wreck both cars.
Fast facts: Edwards has finished second and fourth in the first two races. … Four of the last five Nationwide races at Las Vegas had a margin of victory of a half a second or less. … Busch finished second in the 2007 event, but has had an average finish of 19th in his other four Nationwide starts at Las Vegas. … Chevrolets won the last two Nationwide races at Las Vegas and seven times at the track overall.
Next event: Scotts Turf Builder 300, March 21, Bristol, Tenn.
On the Net: www.nascar.com
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS
Last race: Kyle Busch led 95 of 100 laps in capturing his second straight win on the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway oval at Fontana, Calif. It was his 10th series victory.
Next event: Kroger 250, March 28, Martinsville, Va.
On the Net: www.nascar.com
NHRA FULL THROTTLE SERIES
Last event: Ron Capps raced to his second consecutive Funny Car victory of the season at the Lucas Oil Slick Mist Nationals at Firebird International Raceway. Antron Brown earned his first Top Fuel victory of the season in his second straight final round, and Jeg Coughlin Jr. claimed his 42nd career victory in Pro Stock.
Next event: ACDelco Gatornationals, March 15, Gainesville, Fla.
On the Net: www.nhra.com
