The NASCAR Cup Series begins their two-race West Coast swing on Sunday, stopping in Las Vegas for the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube. Sunday’s event will be 267 laps around the 1.5 mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the second intermediate track of the season. Here are three drivers to watch:
Matt DiBenedetto
There’s no other way to say it, but Matt DiBenedetto has gotten off to a horrific start in 2021. DiBenedetto sits 34th in the standings with just 14 points earned through three races.
However, DiBenedetto has a great chance to turn his misfortunes around this weekend. Last season, DiBenedetto finished 2nd in both Las Vegas races, as Fords have run strong there the past few seasons. With DiBenedetto far behind in points and looking for a new ride next season, he must have a strong run this weekend. He also has the chance to win his first race, something that would be career-changing.
Joey Logano
Joey Logano has gotten off to a solid start in 2021. He’s registered 14th, 2nd, and 25th place finishes to open up his 13th full-time season. Logano’s accumulated a lot of stage points in the first two races of the season, putting him 3rd in points.
A win this weekend would be Logano’s third straight in the Las Vegas spring race. He’s placed in the top-5 six times over his career, meaning he’s shown to consistently run up front there. With a victory, Logano would punch his ticket to the playoffs and potentially assume first place in the standings.
Martin Truex Jr.
They don’t call him mile and a half Martin for no reason.
Over the past seven seasons, Martin Truex Jr. has been one of the strongest on the NASCAR circuit at intermediate tracks. 16 of his 27 Cup Series wins have come on intermediate tracks, including two wins at Las Vegas.
Coming into this weekend, Truex Jr. sits ninth in points after a 3rd place finish at Homestead-Miami. After a down year in 2020, Truex Jr. should be a major threat to put up his first victory of the season.