8:40 pm - Friday Good Night - And with that, we'll put Day 1 to rest. Join us tomorrow for Day 2 featuring the Boyd Gaming 300 NASCAR Xfinity Race. Good night!
8:35 pm - Wrapping Up the Strat 200 - Kyle Busch collected his 57th winner's trophy in Truck Series with a dominating run. This was his third victory and fourth top-10 finish in four series starts at LVMS.
Sauter's runner-up performance was his 10th top-10 finish in 14 starts at LVMS. He opens up the 2020 season with a pair of top-10 finishes and leads the point standings by one point over third place finisher Austin Hill.
Daytona winner Grant Enfinger went from the penthouse to the outhouse in one short week. Enfinger qualified ninth, but his day ended on Lap 91 when he was involved in an incident in Turn 2 with Raphael Lessard. Enfinger was the second driver out of the race and left Vegas with a 31st-place finish.
Zane Smith was the highest finishing rookie with a sixth-place finish.
7:50 pm - Busch Wins Strat 200 - Kyle Busch took the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoor Truck Series drivers to school at his home track and really, it wasn't even close. Busch dominated the race, leading 108 of 164 laps and sweeping all three segments. This is the third consecutive year Busch has won this event. He is currently riding a seven-race win streak in the series and goes in the record books as the winner of the 600th event in the series history.
"Pretty cool to come home and have a homecoming win like this at Las Vegas," said Busch. "Anytime you can win, that's great. Anytime you can win in your own stuff with all these KBM boys it means a lot. And it’s cool to get (crew chief, Danny) Stockman his first win."
"I thought I had something for Kyle there," said Sauter, who started on the pole and led twice for eight laps. "I just couldn’t get going on the restarts. Last year, I was bogging it down. This year, I was spinning the tires. So I guess we gotta go somewhere in between that. All in all, a good effort."
Austin Hill, Matt Crafton and Ben Rhodes rounded out the top five.
7:38 pm - Update, Lap 110 - With less than 25 laps to go, Busch has opened up a 2-second lead over Sauter. A. Hill is running third, Crafton is cruising in fourth and Tanner Gray is hanging onto fifth.
7:30 pm - Back to Green, Lap 95 - Busch will hold the lead through that round of pit stops. Running second through fifth: Sauter, Creed, Gilliland, T. Hill. Sixth through 10th for the restart: A. Hill, Crafton, Chastain, Gray, Self.
Those should be the final scheduled pit stops and we'll have just under 40 laps to go to the checkers.
The green flag is in the air on Lap 95.
7:22 pm - Update, Lap 89: Y#5 - Trouble on the track as Lessard breaks loose off Turn 2 and clips the outside wall. Enfinger is also involved.
We're under caution and we are now within the fuel window so we'll see the leaders come down pit road for service.
Busch leads them off the track.
7:15 pm - Back to Green, Lap 79 - There were a handful of drivers at the tail end of the field that came into the pits. But we're still a tad shy of hitting the final fuel window so the leaders stayed out during that short caution.
We're back to green.
And Busch is experiencing his biggest challenge of the race so far as Creed gets a push and takes the lead. The two continue to battle side-by-side while Chastain takes advantage and starts to creep up in third.
7:08 pm - Update, Lap 74: Y#4 - We're under caution after Eckes, who had a strong run going, scrapes the outside wall in Turn 1.
Top 5 with 60 laps to go: Busch, Creed, Gilliland, Sauter, Hill.
7:05 pm - Segment 3, Green Flag - Busch wins the race on pit road and holds onto the lead. Eckes is still running second and Gilliland has clawed his way to third. Moffitt and Crafton will restart third and fourth, respectively.
Boyd is penalized for having a tire get away and will restart at the rear.
Other penalties: Davis - pitting outside the box, Boyd - uncontrolled tire, Poole - improper fueling.
The green flag waves on Lap 67.
6:55 pm - Busch Wins Segment 2 - Busch dominated that segment, finishing 3.8 seconds ahead of Eckes, who dropped back and hung on for the runner-up spot after a spirited battle for the lead with the boss.
3rd-5th: Chastain, Enfinger, Crafton
6th-10th: Moffitt, Rhodes, Lessard, Gilliland, Sauter
We're under caution on Lap 61 and setting up for pit stops.
6:40 pm - Segment 2, Green Flag - Eckes takes the lead after pit stops. He is followed by Busch, Hill, Ankrum, Lessard, Gilliland, Crafton, Moffitt, Rhodes, Enfinger, Smith, Chastain, Creed, Majeski, Sauter, Poole, Davis, Parsons, Roper, Hill, Rohrbaugh, Self, Gray, Friesen, Decker, Anderson, Kraus.
Decker is the beneficiary.
There are 27 trucks on the lead lap.
We're back to green flag racing on Lap 38 for Stage 2
And Busch regains the lead briefly before Eckes (who drives for Busch) battles back ahead. And now mentor and mentee are side by side and Busch finally pulls ahead on Lap 45
6:30 pm - Busch Wins Segment 1 - Busch hangs on to win Segment #1. Busch took the lead and paced the field for the final 19 laps of that first segment. He was more than 3.5 seconds ahead of Eckes, who finished second.
3rd-5th: Sauter, Ankrum, Hill
6th-10th: Lessard, Chastain, Moffitt, Rhodes, Creed
We're under caution and pit stops are coming up.
6:25 pm - Update, Lap 15 - Sauter got the lead back from Creed, but by Lap 12, Busch was there to steal it away.
Top 5 on Lap 15: Busch, Sauter, Eckes, Creed, Ankrum
Meanwhile Crafton has battled from the rear of the field all the way up to 13th.
And we're halfway through Segment 1.
6:14 pm - Update, Lap 3: Y#1 - We are under caution for the first time for a spin involving Derek Kraus. He had some help getting around. His truck has some damage and comes down pit road a couple times under caution for repairs.
Under caution, 1st-5th: Sauter, Creed, Busch, Eckes, Lessard
Back to green on Lap 6
Creed gets the good start this time and pulls out to lead the race for the first time.
2nd-5th: Sauter, Busch, Eckes, Hill
6:10 pm - Strat 200 Green Flag - The pre-race festivities have wrapped up and we are ready to go racing.
Johnny Sauter leads the drivers off pit road to begin their warm-up laps. Tonight's race will be run in three stages - 30 laps/30 laps/74 laps. Points are up for grabs for each segment finish, but only one driver will walk away with the winner's trophy.
Codie Rohrbaugh gives up 27th on the starting grid after an engine change. He'll start last.
Matt Crafton will also start at the rear of the field for a gear change.
Sauter chooses to start on the inside lane, putting Sheldon Creed to his right and Kyle Busch right on his back bumper.
Green Flag!
Sauter gets a good jump and pulls out to a healthy lead.
Sauter leads Lap 1
2nd through 5th: Creed, Eckes, Busch, Hill
5:20 pm - Johnson Fastest on Friday - With the sun setting over the Las Vegas Valley, Jimmie Johnson took advantage of the cooler track temperature to record the fastest lap of the day at 179.432 mph. Johnson's Chevy was followed by five Fords on the speed chart. 2nd-6th: Bowyer, Almirola, Harvick, DiBenedetto, and Ross Chastain in the Roush Racing #6. So far, at least, Ryan Newman can relax, knowing his car is in good hands.
4:35 pm - Cup Cars On Track For Frantic Fifty - The green flag falls for the final Cup Series practice of the weekend. That means 50 minutes to find the secret to getting around this 1.5-mile speedway before tomorrow's qualifying session. Jimmie Johnson jumped out front quickly with a 179.432-mph lap. Currently showing 2nd through 5th are Clint Bowyer, Aric Almirola, Kevin Harvick and Matt DiBenedetto
3:15 pm - Strat 200 Pre-Race Notes - The Truck teams and their drivers are making their final preparations for the Strat 200, which will go down in the record books as the Truck Series' 600th event.
Race fans were introduced to what was then known as the SuperTruck Series in 1995 at Phoenix Raceway. Mike Skinner won the event on February 5. Since then, the series has crowned 25 champions. Matt Crafton is the only driver to ever win back-to-back titles (2013-14) and is the reigning series champion.
Johnny Sauter will start the race from the pole with Sheldon Creed to his right or left, depending on which lane Sauter chooses for the start.
The defending race winner is Kyle Busch, and the Las Vegas native has already bagged one trophy this week. Kyle executed a triumphant return to his old stomping grounds by winning the Star Nursery 100 last night at the Bullring.
Busch won last year's race after starting on the pole and leading 110 of 134 laps. He'll take the green flag from third on the starting grid.
Grant Enfinger won the season opener at Daytona last week in a wild and wooly event that ended in the closest finish in series history at the iconic speedway. Enfinger qualified ninth.
Jordan Anderson raised eyebrows with an outstanding second place finish last week. Anderson, who starts 20th, is a true independent who drives his hauler to the race track in between sponsor searches to keep his racing dream alive. He aptly dedicated his performance to underdogs everywhere, stirring memories of race years past when Alan Kulwicki won the 1992 Cup Series championship by doing it his way.
Natalie Decker is coming off a career-best fifth place finish at Daytona. Decker's best finish in two starts in Vegas was a 13th place finish last March. She qualified 29th.
2:50 pm - Johnny Sauter Wins Strat 200 Pole - Johnny Sauter laid down a fast lap of 177.836 mph to win the pole for this evening's Strat 200. Sheldon Creed will start alongside Sauter on the front row. Rounding out the top five are Kyle Busch, Christian Eckes and Ty Majeski. The green flag is scheduled to fly at 6:00 p.m.
2:06 pm - Cobb Kicks Off Truck Qualifying - Jennifer Jo Cobb is the first driver off pit road for this afternoon's Strat 200 qualifying session. This will be single-vehicle qualifying and one lap for all the marbles.
1:55 pm - Almirola Fastest in Cup Practice #1 - Aric Almirola found a burst of speed in the closing laps of practice to record the fastest circuit of the session at 178.654 mph. Clint Bowyer jumped all the way to second overall, followed by Ty Dillon, Logano and DiBenedetto. The teams will now massage on their cars and get ready for the final practice session at 4:30 pm.
1:10 pm - Cup Teams Take to the Track - The Cup drivers are on track for their first of two practice sessions today. Brad Keselowski was the first driver on the clock but Joey Logano jumps immediately to the top of the leaderboard, followed by Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Aric Almirola.
12:55 pm - Chastain Fastes Xfinity Driver - The Xfinity teams have just wrapped up their practice session. Nobody was able to surpass Chastain's fast lap of 176.881 mph. 2nd through 5th on the time sheet are Brandon Brown, Briscoe, Jones, and Allgaier. 6th through 10 are Cindric, Noah Gragson, Hemric, Justin Haley and Harrison Burton.
12:15 am - Chastain Leading Xfinity Practice - The practice session has resumed after Snider's spin. Ross Chastain has taken the top spot with a 176.881 mph. Behind him it's Briscoe, Brandon Jones, Justin Allgaier, and Cindric
12:10 pm - Breaking the Law, Part 2 - Several teams were assessed penalties that involved the loss of practice time (15 minutes per infraction). The #15 (Brennan Poole) and the #11 (Denny Hamlin) teams were penalized for opening day inspection violations last week at Daytona.
Meanwhile, all four Joe Gibbs Racing teams (Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex, Jr, and Erik Jones) were assessed penalties for using bondo to change the OEM shape of the fender. The double-whammy to Hamlin's team means the Daytona 500 winner will sit out for 30 minutes of the first practice session. Daniel Suarez's team is the only Toyota team that didn't get penalized.
11:55 am - Yellow Flag for Snider Spin - The track is under caution for a single-car incident involving Myatt Snider. Snider lost control of the #21 Chevy coming off Turn 4 and slid down to the infield. Snider is uninjured but even though it missed the outside wall, the car received some damage as it bounces through the infield grass. Snider was 7th on the leaderboard when he spun out.
11:50 am - Xfinity Series Practice Underway - The Xfinity Series drivers are taking their opportunity to put their racecars through their paces around LVMS. Chase Briscoe is the early leader at 176.673 mph. Austin Cindric, Daniel Hemric, Justin Haley, Harrison Burton are currently 2nd-5th. Snider's team is unloading a backup car but they are unlikely to have enough time to get Snider back on the track before the practice session ends.
9:30 am - Christian Eckes Leads Truck Practice - The first practice session of the weekend is in the books and Christian Eckes led the way in the No. 18 Toyota at 177.848 mph. Rounding out the top five were Johnny Sauter, Brett Moffitt, Ty Majeski and Sheldon Creed.
8:40 am - Breaking the Law - Four Truck teams received Level 1 Opening Day Inspection penalties for the following infraction: "Aerodynamic panels not permitted/engine oil reservoir tank mounting brackets/supports."
The teams penalized were ThorSport Racing (Johnny Sauter, #13 Ford; Matt Crafton, #88 Ford; Grant Enfinger, #98 Ford) and GMS Racing (Tyler Ankrum, #26 Chevy).
Each team was assessed with the loss of 10 driver points and 10 owner points.
8:10 am - Trucks on Track - Practice is underway and Brett Moffitt in the #23 Chevy is fastest so far at 177.526. The teams will have 90 minutes to shake down their trucks and get ready for this afternoon's qualifying session.
7:40 am - Good morning, Race Fans! - And welcome to this weekend's live coverage of NASCAR triple-header racing, Las Vegas style. We are all feeling better after hearing that Ryan Newman has been discharged from the hospital following his terrifying crash at Daytona. He will be sitting this one out, but we are all keeping him in our thoughts and and hoping for a speedy recovery. We miss you, Newman!
All three national series will get a chance to feel out the track today with one practice session each for the Truck and Xfinity Series and two sessions for the Cup drivers. This is a one-day show for the Truck teams. Qualifying is scheduled for this afternoon at 2:05 pm and tonight's Strat 200 gets the green flat at 6:00 pm.Nothing beats being here in person, so come join us. If you can't, keep it tuned here because we'll be bringing all the racing action as it happens here at
Here's a closer look at today's schedule:
8:00 am - 9:30 am - Gander RV and Outdoor Truck Series Practice
11:35 am - 12:55 pm - Xfinity Series Practice
1:05 pm -1:55 pm - Cup Series Practice #1
2:05: pm - Strat 200 Qualifying (single vehicle, single lap)
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm - Cup Series Final Practice
6:00 pm - Start of the Strat 200
