Qualifying has come and gone at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which now slips as NASCAR’s Xfinity Collection prepares for its 300-mile race Saturday afternoon, shortly after 4:30 Japanese.
Michael McDowell, who’s change into accustomed to successful poles on plate-race tracks, gained one for a non-plate race. His common pace of 186.961 mph was a tick quicker than Joey Logano. How shut was it? McDowell’s journey across the 1.5-mile oval took 28.883 seconds, a hundredth of a second higher than Logano.
McDowell is in his first season driving the No. 71 Chevy for Spire Motorsports.
“I am so happy with all of the women and men at Spire motorsports,” McDowell stated. “Actually happy with everyone.”
Does the successful pole effort bode effectively? It is all the time good to be quick, however when it comes to using that pace all the way in which to Victory Lane in Vegas, think about this: The pole winner’s most up-to-date Las Vegas win got here in 2009, when Kyle Busch gained the pole at practically 186 mph and, the subsequent day, beat Clint Bowyer to the checkers by slightly below a half-second.
CURB NASCAR SCHEMING
For the primary time by means of 5 weeks of the 2025 season, the naked minimal of 36 vehicles are entered for Vegas — all the chartered groups and no “open,” Final season, eight of the 36 races featured the minimal 36 vehicles, whereas six began the utmost of 40.
Lineup for NASCAR’s Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas
Michael McDowell, No. 71
Joey Logano, No. 22
Austin Cindric, No. 71
Kyle Busch, No. 8
Erik Jones, No. 43
Alex Bowman, No. 48
Josh Berry, No. 21
William Byron, No. 24
Zane Smith, No. 38
Kyle Larson, No. 5
Chris Buescher, No. 17
Ryan Preece, No. 60
Christopher Bell, No. 20
Tyler Reddick, No. 45
Denny Hamlin, No. 11
Chase Elliott, No. 9
Ty Dillon, No. 10
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16
Ross Chastain, No. 1
Bubba Wallace, No. 23
Noah Gragson, No. 4
Austin Dillon, No. 3
Daniel Suarez, No. 99
Chase Briscoe, No. 19
Carson Hocevar, No. 77
Cole Custer, No. 41
Brad Keselowski, No. 6
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88
Ty Gibbs, No. 54
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47
Todd Gilliland, No. 34
Justin Haley, No. 7
Riley Herbst, No. 35
Cody Ware, No. 51
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 (didn’t try qualifying lap)
NASCAR TV listings from Vegas for Saturday, Sunday
Saturday: Xfinity Collection race, 4:30 p.m. (CW).
Sunday: Cup Collection race, 3:30 p.m (Fox Sports activities 1).
