CONCORD, N.C. - This weekend, Hendrick Motorsports returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the first of two 2024 NASCAR Cup Series events in the Nevada desert. The race is also the first of back-to-back West Coast races with next weekend's main event taking place at Phoenix Raceway.
The 1.5-mile layout of Las Vegas was a product of NASCAR's westward expansion in the early 2000s. The track itself closely reflects other 1.5-mile facilities such as Charlotte Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway (before it was reconfigured for the 2022 season). The 400-mile race will be the first non-drafting track the Cup Series will tackle in 2024.
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Dating back to 2001, Rick Hendrick's team has won nine times at Las Vegas. Vice chairman Jeff Gordon won at the venue in 2001 followed by four Jimmie Johnson wins from 2005 to 2010. Kyle Larson would claim his first victory with Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 followed by another win in 2023's playoff event. Alex Bowman (2022) and William Byron (2023) have also won races at the Nevada facility. The team has won the last three spring races in Las Vegas.
Last spring's race was a dominant performance between Larson and Byron at the front of the field as the No. 24 entry won both stages with his teammate in close pursuit. Late in the race, Larson had made his way into the lead before a late-race caution sent the event to overtime. Thanks to a clutch two-tire pit stop, Byron restarted second (the first of the cars that had pitted) and drove to victory during the two-lap sprint to the finish. The team would net its third top-three sweep in history with Larson earning the runner-up spot and Bowman taking third. Josh Berry, stepping in for the injured Chase Elliott, finished 29th in the No. 9 entry.
PHOTOS: See every Hendrick Motorsports winner at Las Vegas
KEY NUMBERS TO KNOW FOR LAS VEGAS
Data provided by Racing Insights
Larson, No. 5 team
The Elk Grove, California, native has an average finish of 9.87 across 15 starts at Las Vegas, the best of any driver with at least four starts. Since coming to Hendrick Motorsports, Larson has led 26% of the laps run (421 of 1,613) at the Nevada venue.
Elliott, No. 9 team
In 13 Las Vegas races, Elliott has scored stage points in 10 events. His best finish came in 2021 as he finished runner-up in 2021's playoff race.
Byron, No. 24 team
The No. 24 team led 176 circuits en route to victory last spring. The win was an indication of what was to come for the year as Byron scored 44 more points than the next-best driver on 1.5-mile tracks last season.
Bowman, No. 48 team
The victory at Las Vegas in 2022 was Bowman's second career win on the West Coast. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet was victorious at Auto Club Speedway in 2020 as well.
Hendrick Motorsports
In both Byron's spring victory and Larson's fall victory at Las Vegas in 2023, the drivers swept stages one and two before ultimately claiming the checkered flag.
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DID YOU KNOW?
In its 2023 season sweep of Las Vegas, Hendrick Motorsports led 375 of 538 (70%) circuits.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND TV COVERAGE
Saturday, March 2
2:05 p.m. ET: Practice - FS1
2:50 p.m. ET: Qualifying - FS1
Larson, Bowman, Byron and Elliott are all in Group B for their practice and qualifying sessions.
Sunday, March 3
3:30 p.m. ET: Las Vegas Race (267 laps/400 miles) - FOX
STAGE LENGTHS
Stage 1: Lap 80
Stage 2: Lap 165
End of Race: Lap 267
WILL THE RACE BE ON THE RADIO?
Yes, listeners can find the event on PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
WHERE CAN I STREAM THE BROADCAST?
Fans can watch all the action with the FOX Sports Live app. For live updates and additional content during the race, head over to X and follow @TeamHendrick for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
HOW CAN I FIND FS1?
The location of this channel may vary depending on location. Enter your zip code and select your television provider at this link for assistance in finding what channel number FS1 is on your provider.