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NASCAR Xfinity Series News & Notes – Las Vegas Motor Speedway

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NASCAR Xfinity Series

Focused Health 302, NASCAR Xfinity Series, Las VegasNext Race: Focused Health 302
The Place: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Track Length: 1.5 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Saturday, October 11
The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,651,939
TV: CW, 7 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 301.5 miles (201 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 201)

Where To Watch NASCAR This Week:

Saturday, Oct. 11

NXS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (CW App at 2 p.m. ET)

NCS Practice & Busch Light Pole Qualifying (truTV, PRN, SiriusXM at 4:30 p.m. ET)

NXS Race: Focused Health 302 (CW, PRN, SiriusXM at 7:30 p.m. ET)

Sunday, Oct. 12

NCS Race: South Point 400 (USA, PRN, SiriusXM at 5:30 p.m. ET)

Las Vegas Motor Speedway Storylines and Insights:Las Vegas Motor Speedway

  • This weekend marks the 37th running of a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Las Vegas was on the Xfinity Series schedule every year since inaugural race in 1997.
  • Las Vegas has hosted a Playoff race every year since 2020.
  • Las Vegas has been the Round of 8 opener every year since 2022.
  • Round of 8 races are Las Vegas, Talladega and Martinsville.
  • Lowest four drivers in points will be eliminated after Martinsville.
  • Any win in Round of 8 by Playoff driver will advance them to Championship 4.
  • At least one driver will advance to Championship 4 on points.
  • Connor Zilisch enters the round with a 57-point lead on the cutoff, the largest gap entering the Round of 8 in Playoff history.
  • Connor Zilisch leads second place by 33 points; the other seven drivers are separated by 35 points.
  • Six drivers, from Brandon Jones in 3rd to Sheldon Creed in 8th, are separated by just 15 points.
  • Justin Allgaier and Sam Mayer are the only remaining Playoff drivers to make Championship 4.
  • Four teams are represented in Round of 8: JR Motorsports (4), Haas Factory Team (2), Joe Gibbs Racing (1) and Richard Childress Racing (1).
  • Two rookies remain in the Playoffs: Connor Zilisch and Carson Kvapil.
  • No driver has won Round of 8 opener and gone on to win championship.
  • Connor Zilisch got his tenth win of season at the Charlotte Roval, he is the sixth driver in series history to win ten races in a season and the first since Kyle Busch in 2016.
  • After winning the Charlotte Roval, Connor Zilisch holds the track record as the youngest winner on 10 different tracks.
  • Connor Zilisch extended his all-time top-5 finish record streak to 17 after winning at the Roval.
  • Connor Zilisch’s 10 wins this season is the record for most wins by a rookie.
  • Connor Zilisch’s 2.1 average finish in the last 17 races is the best in series history in a 17-race span.
  • Connor Zilisch won eight of last 11 races this season, the most in any 11-race span in series history.
  • Connor Zilisch won 34% of his starts, the best win percentage all-time.
  • Connor Zilisch led in his last 18 NXS starts, the record for most consecutive starts leading is 22 by Brad Keselowski.
  • Randall Burnett was announced as Connor Zilisch’s crew chief next season when he moves to Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series.
  • JR Motorsports won 17 races this season with a series-record six different drivers (does not include Parker Kligerman who won in relief role at Daytona).
  • JR Motorsports had at least one car finish top five in a record 31 straight races.
  • Justin Allgaier earned his 299th career top 10 at Charlotte Roval, he will be first driver in series history to reach 300 top 10s.
  • Las Vegas is the sixth and final 1.5-mile race this season.
  • Justin Allgaier won at Las Vegas in March, his only win at the track despite having 19 top-10s in 22 starts there.
  • The last seven Las Vegas races were won by seven different drivers.
  • Justin Allgaier is the all-time leader at Las Vegas in runner-ups (4), Top 5s (12), Top 10s (19) and stage wins (4).
  • Justin Allgaier finished in Top 10 in eight straight Las Vegas races, tied with Noah Gragson for longest top 10 streak at Las Vegas.
  • Six of the eight Playoff drivers finished in Top 10 at Las Vegas in March.
  • JR Motorsports won three of five races on 1.5-mile tracks this season.
  •  Justin Allgaier won or was passed for the win in four of five races on 1.5-mile tracks this season.
  • Austin Hill and Justin Allgaier are the only active drivers to win at Las Vegas in the Xfinity Series.
  • Austin Hill and Christian Eckes also won at Las Vegas in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
  • Connor Zilisch leads the series with 10 wins, 18 top fives, 20 top 10s, 951 laps led, a 7.9 average finish and eight poles this season.
  • Connor Zilisch won Fastest Lap Award six times this season, Justin Allgaier is second with five.
  • Justin Allgaier leads the series with 13 stage wins this season.
  • Justin Allgaier’s 28 career wins are 9th on the all-time wins list and one away from tying Matt Kenseth.
  • Justin Allgaier made his 500th career start at the Roval, the fifth driver in series history to make 500 starts.
  • Chevrolet led 3,492 of 4,569 laps this season (76%).
  • Chevrolet won 24 of 29 races, the most all time by a manufacturer through 29 races in series history.
  • Five crew chiefs got their first NXS win in 2025: Chad Haney at Atlanta, Sam McAulay at Darlington, Adam Wall at Bristol, Cory Shea at Mexico City & Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Pocono.
  • Five races this year ended with a last lap pass.
  • O’Reilly Auto Parts will replace Xfinity as title sponsor starting in 2026 becoming the fifth different title sponsor of the series: Budweiser, Busch, Nationwide, Xfinity & O’Reilly.

NXS Clinch Scenarios for Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Playoff Race #4)

Already Clinched

  • No drivers have clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round.

Can clinch via win

  • The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Brandon Jones, Sam Mayer, Jesse Love, Sammy Smith, Carson Kvapil, Sheldon Creed.

NASCAR & Las Vegas, Etc.

Historical & Significant Events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

  • In 1995, hotel/casino CEO’s Ralph Engelstad (Imperial Palace) and Bill Bennett (Circus Circus & Sahara), both racing enthusiasts, agreed that there was a market for a “state of the art” speedway in Las Vegas. Richie Clyne, an Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino executive who originally had the vision for the development was assigned to manage the project.
  • In April 1995, construction began on a 1600-acre site located on North Las Vegas Blvd. near Nellis Air Force Base.
  • The location had a long racing history dating to a drag strip in 1958. A road course was added in 1983 and a 3/8-mile paved oval in 1985. The site is now the location of a 1.5-mile speedway, an industrial park, a drag strip (3/00), a 1/2-mile dirt track (11/96), a 3/8-mile paved oval (4/00) and two road courses.
  • The speedway was completed in June 1996. The track had 12-degree banking in the turns, three degrees on the backstretch and nine degrees on the frontstretch. Total seating capacity was 130,000.
  • Building of the track was the largest excavation project in Nevada history. More than 600,000 tons of concrete and 10 million linear feet of steel were used to build the $200 million facility.
  • On June 22-25, 1996, the first drivers to test the superspeedway were Tony Stewart and Richie Hearn. Hearn went on to win the Inaugural IRL Las Vegas 500K on September 16, 1996, setting a fast time with a speed of 222.359 mph, a world record (since broken) for 1.5-mile tracks.
  • In December 1998, Speedway Motorsports agreed to purchase the track for $215 million. The purchase included the track for $150 million and $65 million for the real estate and warehouses. Chris Powell has headed the track since the SMI acquisition in early 1999.
  • Speedway Motorsports launched a multimillion-dollar renovation project at the beginning of 2006 to include the Neon Garage, track changes (progressive banking was added to the turns), relocated pit road and a state-of-the-art media center.
  • The centerpiece of the project was the new garage area for the Cup teams and an interactive fan area. The two-level, four-building garage area encompasses 32,000 square feet. A 52,000-square-foot roof deck allows fans to look directly down into the individual garage stalls. Windows on the lower level allow fans to watch the teams work. In addition to the close proximity, the Neon Garage has concession stands and an entertainment area.
  • The most dramatic change was to the track, as the banking was increased, and a new pit road was built. The turns changed from 12-degree banking to 20 degrees and each straight to nine degrees. The new pit road is 150 feet closer to the grandstands. Moving pit road allowed for construction of a quarter-mile oval in front of the main grandstand.
  • The new media center opened in 2007.  It can accommodate more than 500 media members and has room for drivers’ meetings and a full-service spa for the racers and their families. The 58,600-square-foot facility is equipped with meeting rooms, offices, interview rooms and a cafeteria. The Blackjack Club is on the third floor of the building.
  • Different tracks located within the Las Vegas Motor Speedway facility: Superspeedway, Drag Strip, Bull Ring, Dirt Track, Go-Cart Track, Inside Road Course (within the superspeedway), Outside Road Course, Off-Road Course, and Exotics Course.
  • In 2011, the Electric Daisy Carnival moved its flagship location to Las Vegas Motor Speedway from Los Angeles. The track has held the event annually since.
  • In 2012, Enrico Bertaggia, a former Italian Formula Three driver, started running the Dream Racing program at the track, a program where the general public can drive exotic cars around a road course on the track’s complex.
  • In 2013, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted the World Long Drive Championship.
  • 2018 marked the first season where LVMS was part of the Playoffs hosting the first race, this was also the first season where LVMS hosted two Cup races. LVMS has hosted a Playoff race every year since.
  • In 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the track held a graduation ceremony for Faith Lutheran High School, a private Lutheran school based in Summerlin.
  • Since 2023, the track has hosted a Las Vegas branch of the Foodie Land Night Market, a food festival.

Latest News at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

  • The South Point 400 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 12, will feature an electrifying crossover between two worlds of entertainment as WWE Superstar Damian Priest takes the wheel as the official pace car driver for this year’s playoff race.
  • Known to fans worldwide as “The Archer of Infamy,” Priest will bring his trademark intensity, charisma and larger-than-life presence to the NASCAR stage as the former World Heavyweight Champion, setting the tone for one of the most anticipated playoff races of the year. Priest has earned the titles of former 2x Undisputed Tag Team Champion and former Señor Money in the Bank following his reign with Bálor and the Money in the Bank contract in 2023.
  • With magnetic charisma, an accomplished career, and a presence that commands attention beyond the screen, acclaimed actor, producer, and screenwriter Glen Powell has been named grand marshal of this year’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 12.
  • Powell’s career showcases both versatility and determination, establishing him as one of Hollywood’s most diverse talents. He gained international recognition in Top Gun: Maverick, went on to impress audiences in Anyone but You, and received critical acclaim and a Golden Globe® nomination for his performance and writing in Hit Man.
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