Previewing the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 16 for the Pennzoil 400. Who will be the lucky one to take the checkered flag in Sin City, and who will be dealt a bad hand in the fifth race of the season?
Fast Facts: Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas
Date: Sunday, March 16
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Stages: 80/165/267
Defending Winner: Kyle Larson
Weekend Schedule
Date | Time | Session | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
Sat., Mar. 15 | 1:35 p.m. ET | Practice | Prime Video |
Sat., Mar. 15 | 2:40 p.m. ET | Qualifying | Prime Video |
Sun., Mar. 16 | 3:30 p.m. ET | Pennzoil 400 | FS1 |
VIEWING GUIDE: How to Watch the NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas
Can Christopher Bell Make History?
Christopher Bell won his third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series event last Sunday when he took the checkered flag in the Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway. That puts him in rare company, but also gives him the chances to join even rarer company at Las Vegas.
Eight drivers have won four consecutive races since the start of NASCAR's "modern era" in 1972. No one has accomplished the feat since Jimmie Johnson won at Martinsville Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway in 2007.
Seven of those eight drivers (Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough) are NASCAR Hall of Famers. The eighth driver, Harry Gant, earned the nickname "Mr. September" for his four-race streak in 1991, and still holds the record for oldest driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series event.
Can Bell join that list of drivers on Sunday? Stay tuned.
The First True Intermediate Test of 2025
While their presence has lessened on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule in recent years, the 1.5-mile speedway is still the standard venue for the series. However, a shake-up to the calendar for 2025 means this will be the first chance at such a track for the Cup Series this year.
After a pair of superspeedway races, the road course at Circuit of The Americas, and last week's stop at the one-mile Phoenix Raceway, Las Vegas provides more of what to expect for the remainder of the season. A strong run in Sunday's race could spell optimism for the rest of the year, while a lack of speed could indicate more struggles ahead.
With another 1.5-mile venue in Homestead-Miami Speedway just around the corner as well, teams hope to build some momentum over the next two weeks to carry them forward into the spring months.
Racing to the Finish
The first two races of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season both went to overtime. While last week's Shriners Children's 500 ended after its scheduled 312 laps, there was a green-white-checkered finish to determine the outcome of the race.
However, recent trends indicate we could see a long green-flag run to end Sunday's race at Las Vegas. Last October's NASCAR Cup Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ended with a 69-lap green flag run. The 2024 Pennzoil 400 ended with a 27-lap green flag run, while the 2023 fall race at Las Vegas ran 45 laps to the finish.
Thus, it could be a different complexion to the end of Sunday's race compared to what we've seen on the ovals thus far in 2025.
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Zach Evans is the Managing Editor of RacingAmerica.com, with nearly a decade of experience in motorsports. He has been with Racing America since 2017.