Noah Gragson would love to score a South Point 400 win at his hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Photo: Christopher Vargas | The Podium Finish)
With two of the grittiest Playoffs rounds in the books, the NASCAR Cup Series takes to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to kick off the Round of 8 with Sunday’s South Point 400.
Like a majority of the season, it has been anything but predictable in stock car’s premier division. While many Playoffs brackets were busted, the championship hopes for Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe remain alive.
Although Kyle Larson, Austin Cindric and Daniel Suárez were eliminated along with Alex Bowman, who is still recovering from concussion symptoms after a crash at Texas Motor Speedway, the leading trio are focused on finishing the season strong. Given this postseason’s Round of 16 race winners, perhaps the Playoffs Party Crashers’ Committee makes more noise in the Round of 8.
When the Cup Series last visited Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, it was a battle between Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. While it is likely that both teams’ drivers will be in the mix on Sunday, look for Team Penske and Trackhouse Racing to make some noise.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s autumn race date has seen a downward trend in terms of yellow flag periods. Since 2018, the race has averaged about 6.75 cautions, a promising development after the inaugural race’s plethora of yellow flags.
Last year, Denny Hamlin reigned supreme, a feat that the Cup veteran hopes to accomplish on Sunday. Along the way, his Playoffs rivals will be ready to leap into action and anything is possible for those outside of the postseason hunt.
This weekend, Cody Shoppe, Jasmine Sharpe, Kobe Lambeth, Luis Torres, Matt Sisoler, Nathan Solomon and yours truly deliberate on how Kyle Larson bounces back from missing the Round of 8 and what to expect from Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe after their Game 7 moments at the Charlotte ROVAL.
Podium Preview: South Point 400 at Las Vegas
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Question 1
Kyle Larson seeks a strong finish to 2022. (Photo: Landen Ciardullo | The Podium Finish)
Kyle Larson was eliminated from the Playoffs after a Turn 7 crash broke his right rear toe link at the Charlotte ROVAL. How does Larson and his No. 5 team pick up the pieces from here going into 2023?
Sisoler : I don’t think it’ll be that difficult for Larson and the team to recover from what happened at the Roval. What happened to Kyle Larson could have happened to any of the playoff drivers, and it’s something that drivers have to adjust to with the Gen 7 cars. He drives for Hendrick, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him contending for wins from now to the end of the year and be back just as strong next year.
Shoppe : Kyle Larson and the 5 team will be just as strong as they’ve been all year. I expect them to contend for wins among the championship contenders. Larson made a mistake he owned up to when he damaged the car and it cost them. This could have been any playoff driver so don’t expect much panic from the defending champion.
Tiongson : A tough moment like last Sunday at the Charlotte ROVAL may help Kyle Larson retool and refresh his approach during race weekends. While it’s great that he’s the equivalent to a fastball specialist in baseball or a quarterback with a cannon arm, like a pitcher or quarterback, that approach can be his undoing.
To Larson’s credit, he took ownership of his costly mistake at the Charlotte ROVAL. However, it’s not the first time he put his team in such a compromising position this year. Mistakes are bound to happen but when it’s repetitive, that’s when Larson needs to remember an old saying that T. Wayne Robinson said to Jimmy Spencer prior to the former’s passing in 1998.
“Sometimes, you have to go a little bit slower to go a little bit faster.” Additionally, Larson needs to do what the car can do at that moment. If the best he can do is 12th, and anything more may place him in harm’s way, take what’s doable at the moment. Maybe a late race caution comes out and it’ll give his No. 5 team to adjust his car.
I get that Larson was not pushing all that hard, but at the same time, he had such a comfortable margin to make the Round of 8. Drivers are required to give every race and lap a total, 100% effort. That said, it appeared that he was slipping and sliding at times before the incident with the Turn 7 wall.
Larson needs to finish the season strong, pursue victories and take it a bit easier in order for him to be on the attack should the circumstances allow. Perhaps this season motivates him to work smarter, not harder, for the 2023 campaign.
Question 2
Can Bell capitalize on his Game 7 type win at the Charlotte ROVAL? (Photo: Landen Ciardullo | The Podium Finish)
Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell rallied to make their way into the Round of 8. What can we expect from these two starting at Las Vegas against the title favorites?
Sharpe : Just like the other six drivers, I expect the competition to only grow more intense and aggressive. These two might have been lucky to make it into the top 8, but the next three races are going to really test the skills of these racers.
Vegas, Homestead, and Martinsville are each unique in their own right, with Homestead being the past location of the CUP Series Championship races. We’ve already seen the results of what fighting for a spot in the championship can do, with last week’s race ending the championship dreams for four drivers. Emotions were heavy and along with the slew of other issues the sport is currently going through, I have a feeling that this season will end with a bang.
Don’t expect the usual, expect a tough battle between the sport’s best that may be remembered for years to come as this new car has proven to be great in some areas, while lacking in others.
Lambeth : I think Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell will have to step up their game big time if they want to advance to the Championship 4. In order to move on, Bell must perform at the same level as the Round of 16 when he picked up three consecutive top-five finishes. That’s the version of the No. 20 team that can get to Phoenix with a shot to race for a title. However, Bell will want to avoid being put in a must-win situation like he was in before the walk-off victory in Charlotte.
As for Briscoe, the No. 14 team hasn’t performed poorly in the postseason. They’ve had a respectable “underdog” deep playoff run. Of course, Briscoe enters the Round of 8 following the teammate controversy with Cole Custer on the final lap of the last race. This left some questioning if Briscoe truly earned his spot to be here. I believe Briscoe will need to use fuel from the doubters to light a fire inside of him to the rise to the occasion and show everybody why he should be taken seriously as a legitimate title contender.
Torres : The further these two make it into this playoff run, the tougher it’ll get.
Christopher Bell has been one of the better drivers since the playoffs began. Just had some rough patches in the last round which almost knocked him out of the title picture.
If we see the same Bell we saw in the Round of 16, he’ll genuinely become a true title threat. You have a couple tracks that’ll suit his style. In a playoff run that I see no true title favorite. Not even Joey Logano at this rate I can claim as the favorite, Bell could find a way to steal this one. Just as long as he shows flashes of brilliance like he did in the Round of 16 and ROVAL victory.
Chase Briscoe on the other hand, he’ll seriously need to get it together. Yes, he had a top-10 last Sunday. But compared to everyone left in the Round of 8, he has the fewest top-10s with seven. This is the round where Briscoe must step up his game and actually fight for top-fives because I see him as an easy pick for not fighting for the championship at Phoenix.
The only way I see Briscoe finding a way to make the Championship 4 is if other drivers are struggling or fall out of the race. This edition of the Playoffs has rewarded those who haven’t been in trouble which is why Briscoe made it this far than I expected. Such good luck must occur for this to be an unforgettable round.
Two laps around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is pretty swell with a well handling car! Now, let’s rewind to last Sunday’s zany Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte with our race and points reports from Race 32 of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season!
Allmendinger nearly rewarded a quartet of panelists with a win.
The points race closes again.
Next, here’s Sunday’s top 10 starters for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas!
Row 1
Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric (Photo: Landen Ciardullo | The Podium Finish)
Row 2
William Byron and Ryan Blaney (Photo: Christopher Vargas | The Podium Finish)
Row 3
Joey Logano and Daniel Suárez (Photo: Landen Ciardullo | The Podium Finish)
Row 4
Christopher Bell and Harrison Burton (Photo: Christopher Vargas | The Podium Finish)
Row 5
Bubba Wallace and Austin Dillon (Photo: Landen Ciardullo | The Podium Finish)
Lastly, here’s our picks to win Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas!
Roll the dice for a winning pick at Las Vegas. (Photo: Christopher Vargas and Landen Ciardullo | The Podium Finish)
Sisoler : Joey Logano has proven that, when he needs to, he can elevate. He’s won twice at Las Vegas in the past, but it’s always been the early race in the season, not the fall. Until today, because he’s going to convert his fifth-place qualifying effort into a checkered flag and his spot in the Championship 4.
Shoppe : One week after being eliminated from the Playoffs, defending champion Kyle Larson will rebound with a win at Las Vegas!
Lambeth : Given the long list of on-track enemies he has acquired throughout the 2022 season, many people are probably waiting for Ross Chastain to get a taste of his own medicine at Martinsville.
However, I think he’ll be able to avoid that scenario because the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet will show up big time in Sin City and punch their ticket to the Championship 4 by winning at Las Vegas!
Sharpe : The Underdog aka Christopher Buescher may not be in the chase for the championship this year, but has proven to be worthy and great at striking when no one is expecting him to.
Tiongson : Look for William Byron and his No. 24 car to claw their way into the Championship 4 with a victory at Las Vegas.
We’re ready for some racing. How about you? What do you think are the biggest storylines heading into the race? Who are your favorites to win? Tweet us now @ThePodiumFinish and tell us now!
Thanks as always to the TPF team for their amazing efforts this week! While we progress toward a new kind of normal, please do your part to curb the impacts of the pandemic by washing your hands and getting your COVID-19 vaccine or booster. By working together, we can minimize the threat of COVID-19 for ourselves, our loved ones and neighbors.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in Podium Preview are solely of the authors. They do not reflect any organizations affiliated with the participants and author outside of TPF. This weekly feature is strictly for entertainment purposes. Ultimately, they are not indicative of TPF, the organization and its staff.
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