Defending Sunoco World Series 150 winner Bobby Santos can make it two-in-a-row after taking home the Coors Light Pole Award in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour qualifying Saturday at Thompson Speedway.
Landon Cassill has blown engines in back-to-back races on similarly-configured, 1.5-mile tracks. He retired on lap 134 of the AAA Texas 500 last fall and lap 92 of the Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500 last week at Atlanta.
Travis Kvapil has one of the most consistent last three races to his credit at Las Vegas. He finished 39th in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Twenty-two-year-old up-and-coming driver Brett Moffitt will pilot Front Row Motorsports' No. 34 Ford Fusion for the next three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
Tyler Reddick finishes fifth in Saturday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
In a substitute roll for Brian Vickers this week, Moffitt more than acquitted himself. He finished eighth in the Quik Trip 500 after starting the event 22nd.
Matt Kenseth made the decision to stay out on old tires with 15 laps remaining and the gamble paid off with a fifth-place finish. For most of the day, even tires with only a handful of laps fell off quickly and sent drivers dropping rapidly to the back.
Joey Logano was the class of the field for more than 82 laps at the beginning of the Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500. After a couple of caution flags, the field improved but he remained the same. That cost the No. 22 a victory, but fantasy owners will be happy with points for fourth-place.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third in the first two races of this season. Last week he was third in Daytona and he repeated that effort at Atlanta.
Kevin Harvick finished second to Joey Logano last week at Daytona and he finished runner-up for a second consecutive week at Atlanta—this time to Jimmie Johnson. After blowing an engine in practice, he was forced to come from the back of the pack along with Johnson.
Failing to clear inspection in time to take a qualification lap on Friday, Jimmie Johnson had a lot of ground to make up in the Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500. He started 37th, cracked the top 10 by lap 40, led 92 laps, and scored his 71st Cup win.
Kevin Harvick (engine change), Michael Annett (driver change), and Tony Stewart (missed drivers meeting) will officially drop to the back of the pack at Atlanta to start the Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500.