NASCAR Preview: Las Vegas 400
With six races left in the season, the Cup Series heads to Las Vegas to find out if anyone can disrupt the momentum of points leader Kyle Larson.
Track Preview
Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile tri-oval located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The track features 20 degrees of banking in the corners and 9 degrees of banking on the straightaways. This track is the second of three consecutive 1.5-mile speedways the Cup Series will compete on in the Chase.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway opened in 1996, and the Cup Series has visited during every year of its operation. Since 2018, the venue has hosted two Cup dates a season. Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano hold the record for most wins at the track, with four each.
Weather Forecast
The weather report indicates sunny skies and temperatures around 35 degrees Celsius. The heat is expected to peak during the second half of the race.
The race is set to include 267 laps. Stage 1 will be 80 laps, Stage 2 will be 85 laps and Stage 3 will be 102 laps.
The race is scheduled to begin on October 4 at 17:30 EST (14:30 PT, 20:30 BST).
The Storylines
Kyle Larson may be hitting his stride at the perfect time. After scoring no victories in the first 27 races, he has now won two of the last three events and boasts an average finish of 2.25 since the Chase began. At Las Vegas, Larson has won three times, most recently in the spring of 2024. In the last 10 Cup races at the track, he has only finished outside the top 10 twice. Propelled by last week’s victory at Kansas, a track with a similar layout to Las Vegas, Larson’s No. 5 car appears the one to beat.
Denny Hamlin has won the two most recent Cup races at Las Vegas and also won in 2021. After ninth- and eighth-place results at Gateway and Bristol, Hamlin finished third last week at Kansas. Larson and Briscoe had dominant cars that day, and Las Vegas is another opportunity for them to shine. Hamlin’s team must be ready and able to match their speed if they want to stay in contention for the title.
Christopher Bell won the first race of the Chase at Darlington and has been one of the most consistent drivers all season, with seven runner-up finishes. Coming off back-to-back top 10s, he remains a threat to the championship, and if Larson and Hamlin have issues, Bell might be able to capitalise. He finished third in this race a year ago and fourth in the spring event.
William Byron finished third in the spring race at Las Vegas and won in 2023. He has finished in the top five in three of the last five races at the track. Recently, Byron has posted results of fourth at Gateway, ninth at Bristol and seventh in Kansas, setting him up for another solid performance this weekend.
Joey Logano has won four times at Las Vegas, tied with Jimmie Johnson for the track record. The most recent of those victories came at this race two years ago, when he went on to claim the 2024 title. Logano has come on strong in the second half of 2026, scoring three wins, although he is lacking in consistency when compared to his closest competitors. Regardless, Logano has a history of performing at his best when it matters most, and he is capable of earning his fifth Las Vegas victory this weekend.
Dark Horse: Tyler Reddick or Chase Briscoe
Chase Briscoe had a strong run at Kansas last weekend and appeared to be the only true challenger for Larson throughout the day, despite winding up fourth. Briscoe has finished eighth and fourth in the last two Vegas events, leading 57 laps last fall.
Tyler Reddick was fifth in this race a year ago and finished second in March 2024. He has been strong on intermediate tracks this season, although the spring race in Las Vegas was his first finish outside the top 10 in 2026, when he notched a 13th-place result.
A Look at The Chase
Kyle Larson’s maximum-points day in Kansas extended his points lead to 26 ahead of Denny Hamlin. Christopher Bell sits third, 50 points behind Larson. Team Penske drivers Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
Weekend Snapshot
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series joins the Cup Series at Las Vegas, with racing set to take place on Saturday. Six races remain in the season. Sheldon Creed is currently first in the standings, with Justin Allgaier 11 points behind. Carson Kvapil is in third. The last time the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series raced at Las Vegas, Kyle Larson won the race, but Sheldon Creed was the highest O’Reilly Series regular, finishing third.
Schedule
Saturday
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice - 14:00 EST (11:00 PT, 19:00 BST)
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying - 15:05 EST (12:05 PT, 20:05 BST)
Cup Series Practice - 16:30 EST (13:30 PT, 21:30 BST)
Cup Series Qualifying - 17:35 EST (14:35 PT, 22:35 BST)
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race - 19:30 EST (16:30 PT, 00:30 BST)
Sunday
Cup Series Race - 17:30 EST (14:30 PT, 20:30 BST)
Edited by Tarun Suresh
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