Date: Sunday, March 10
Start Time: 3 p.m. ET
Site: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1996) -- Las Vegas, Nev.
Track: 1.5-mile oval - 2,275 feet (Frontstretch); 1,572 feet (Backstretch)
Laps: 267
Miles: 400.5
Capacity: 142,000 (Grandstand Seating)
Total purse:
Payouts:
Year: 16th
On TV: FOX
Announcers:
On Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio
Race record: Mark Martin, 1998 (146.554 mph)
Qualifying record: Kasey Kahne, 2012 (190.456 mph)
2012 Finish
Defending champion: Tony Stewart
Runner up: Jimmie Johnson
Pole winner: Kasey Kahne (190.456 mph)
Top 10:
1. Tony Stewart (Start: 7)
2. Jimmie Johnson (6)
3. Greg Biffle (9)
4. Ryan Newman (18)
5. Carl Edwards (21)
6. Clint Bowyer (5)
7. Paul Menard (26)
8. Jamie McMurray (19)
9. Trevor Bayne (25)
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (4)
Average speed: 137.524 mph
Time of race: 2 hrs., 54 mins., 44 secs.
Margin of victory: 0.461 secs.
Caution flags: 8 for 33 laps
Lead changes: 16 among 11 drivers
Past winners
2012 Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 137.524 mph
2011 Carl Edwards, Ford, 135.508 mph
2010 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 141.450 mph
2009 Kyle Busch, Toyota, 119.513 mph
2008 Carl Edwards, Ford, 127.729 mph
2007 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 128.183 mph
2006 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 133.358 mph
2005 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 121.038 mph
2004 Matt Kenseth, Ford, 128.790 mph
2003 Matt Kenseth, Ford, 132.934 mph
2002 Sterling Marlin, Dodge, 136.747 mph
2001 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 136.377 mph
2000 Jeff Burton, Ford, 119.982 mph
1999 Jeff Burton, Ford, 137.537 mph
1998 Mark Martin, Ford, 146.554 mph (race record)
Last race
Race: Subway Fresh Fit 500 (March 3)
Site: Phoenix International Raceway -- Avondale, Ariz.
Miles: 316
Laps: 316
Finish line order: Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Time of Race: 3 hrs., 0 mins., 15 secs.
Average speed: 105.187 mph
Margin of victory: 1.024 secs.
Caution flags: 8 for 43 laps
Lead changes: 12 among 9 drivers
Lap leaders: M. Martin 1-49; J. Montoya 50-56; G. Biffle 57-64; J. Montoya M. Martin 1-49; J. Montoya 50-56; G. Biffle 57-64; J. Montoya 65-69; G. Biffle 70-100; M. Martin 101-126; B. Keselowski 127-142; D. Ragan 143-145; C. Edwards 146-189; J. Johnson 190; D. Reutimann 191; D. Earnhardt Jr. 192-238; C. Edwards 239-316.
Entry list
#1 Jamie McMurray (Joplin, MO) Chevrolet/McDonald's
#2 Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hills, MI) Ford/Miller Lite
#5 Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA) Chevrolet/Farmers Insurance
#7 Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH) Chevrolet/Sany
#9 Marcos Ambrose (Launceston, Australia) Ford/Stanley
#10 Danica Patrick (Roscoe, IL) Chevrolet/GoDaddy.com
#11 Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield, VA) Toyota/FedEx Office
#13 Casey Mears (Bakersfield, CA) Ford/GEICO
#14 * Tony Stewart (Columbus, IN) Chevrolet/Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1
#15 Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) Toyota/5-Hour Energy
#16 Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA) Ford/American Red Cross
#17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Olive Branch, MS) Ford/Zest
#18 Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Toyota/M&M's
#19 Mike Bliss (Milwaukie, OR) Toyota/Plinker Tactical
#20 Matt Kenseth (Cambridge, WI) Toyota/Dollar General
#21 Trevor Bayne (Knoxville, TN) Ford/Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire
#22 Joey Logano (Middletown, CT) Ford/Shell/Pennzoil
#24 Jeff Gordon (Vallejo, CA) Chevrolet/Drive to End Hunger
#27 Paul Menard (Eau Claire, WI) Chevrolet/Menards/Schrock
#29 Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA) Chevrolet/Rheem
#30 David Stremme (South Bend, IN) Toyota/Swan Racing
#31 Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA) Chevrolet/Caterpillar
#32 Ken Schrader (Fenton, MO) Ford/Federated Auto Parts
#33 Landon Cassill (Fairfax, IA) Chevrolet/TBA
#34 David Ragan (Unadilla, GA) Ford/TBA
#35 Josh Wise (Riverside, CA) Ford/MDS Transport
#36 J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, AZ) Chevrolet/Accell Construction
#38 David Gilliland (Riverside, CA) Ford/Long John Silver's
#39 Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN) Chevrolet/Quicken Loans
#42 Juan Pablo Montoya (Bogota, Colombia) Chevrolet/Axe Apollo
#43 Aric Almirola (Tampa, FL) Ford/Farmland
#47 Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX) Toyota/Kingsford
#48 Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon, CA) Chevrolet/Lowe's/Kobalt Tools
#51 Austin Dillon (Welcome, NC) Chevrolet/Tag Heuer
#55 Mark Martin (Batesville, AR) Toyota/Aaron's Dream Machine
#56 Martin Truex Jr. (Mayetta, NJ) Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts
#78 Kurt Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Chevrolet/Furniture Row
#83 David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL) Toyota/Burger King/Dr. Pepper
#87 Joe Nemechek (Lakeland, FL) Toyota/Maddie's Place
#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Kannapolis, NC) Chevrolet/Amp Energy Orange
#93 Travis Kvapil (Janesville, WI) Toyota/Burger King/Dr. Pepper
#95 Scott Speed (Manteca, CA) Ford/Leavine Family Racing
#98 Michael McDowell (Glendale, AZ) Ford/Ambient Edge HVAC
#99 Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO) Ford/Aflac
Leading contenders
| Name | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Stewart | 3 | 10 | 21 | 7 | 43 | 26 | 7 | 2 | Won |
| Jimmie Johnson | 16 | Won | Won | Won | 29 | 24 | Won | 16 | 2 |
| Greg Biffle | 40 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 28 | 3 |
| Ryan Newman | 27 | 9 | 43 | 8 | 14 | 25 | 18 | 5 | 4 |
| Carl Edwards | 14 | 26 | 6 | Won | 17 | 12 | Won | 5 | |
| Clint Bowyer | 15 | 36 | 28 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 6 | ||
| Dale Earnhardt Jr | 35 | 42 | 27 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 10 |
| Kevin Harvick | 21 | 5 | 11 | 27 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 17 | 11 |
| Jeff Gordon | 15 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 35 | 6 | 3 | 36 | 12 |
| Joey Logano | 13 | 6 | 23 | 16 | |||||
| Martin Truex Jr | 20 | 12 | 15 | 32 | 20 | 6 | 17 | ||
| Mark Martin | 5 | 30 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 40 | 4 | 18 | 18 |
| Kasey Kahne | 2 | 38 | 4 | 35 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 19 |
| Denny Hamlin | 10 | 3 | 9 | 22 | 19 | 7 | 20 | ||
| Matt Kenseth | Won | 8 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 43 | 5 | 11 | 22 |
| Kyle Busch | 41 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 11 | Won | 15 | 38 | 23 |
| Brad Keselowski | 38 | 26 | 26 | 32 |
Notes
Construction of this racetrack, which is known today as Las Vegas Motor Speedway, began in 1995. Speedway Motorsports Inc. acquired the property in 1998.
This track, which is 1.5 miles in length, has 20 degrees of banking in all four of its turns as well as nine degrees of banking on the frontstretch and backstretch. In 2006, it was reconfigured to include progressive banking.
The first NASCAR race held at LVMS was a K&N Pro Series West event won by Ken Schrader on Nov. 2, 1996. Mark Martin won the inaugural Sprint Cup race there on March 1, 1998. The Cup Series has competed at this track once each year since then.
There have been 15 Sprint Cup races held at Las Vegas. Four driver have competed in all of them: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin.
Jimmie Johnson holds the record for most victories at Las Vegas with four. Johnson won three consecutive races there from 2005-07. His other victory at this track came in 2010.
Tony Stewart, Gordon and Martin have the most top-five finishes at Las Vegas with six each. Martin's 10 top-10 finishes is the best among all drivers who have competed there.
Kasey Kahne has the most poles at Las Vegas with three, including one last year. Kahne's first two poles there came in 2004 (his Cup rookie season) and 2007. He has yet to win a Sprint Cup event at this track.
One year ago, Stewart checked off Las Vegas as one of those tracks on the current Sprint Cup schedule where he had yet to win a race. Darlington Raceway and Kentucky Speedway are the only tracks where he is winless. Kentucky hosted its first event in the series in 2011.
The closest margin of victory for a Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas occurred in 2006 when Johnson nipped Matt Kenseth to the finish line by just 0.045 seconds.
Two drivers who are competing in this weekend's race made their first career Cup starts at Las Vegas: Kyle Busch (2004) and Aric Almirola (2007).
Kahne is the only driver who claimed his first career pole in the series at Las Vegas (2004).
No active driver has scored his or her first Cup win at Las Vegas.
The next Sprint Cup Series event is the March 17 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski is the defending race winner.
Alex Zanardi feted by Ganassi at Indianapolis
