The NASCAR Cup Series shifts from consecutive superspeedways to begin the 2024 season to the intermediate speedway rules package at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube.
“I’m curious to see who’s fast, who’s got the aero advantage or disadvantage, and where all that stacks up,” Daytona 500 winner and defending Penzoil 400 champion William Byron said Monday at the Hendrick campus.
“You can do a lot of work in the wind tunnel and all these things, but when you get to the race track, that’s the proof. So, we’ll see. Hopefully, we’re really good. Hopefully, our car drives well.”
The race just north of Sin City begins at 3:30 p.m. ET, and our motor racing experts provide their five best bets to win along with one longshot to consider.
PENNZOIL 400
Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Date: Sunday, March 3, 3:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 400 miles on 1.5-mile track
Defending champion: William Byron
Cup Series leader: Kyle Busch
TV: FOX
Radio: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
5 BEST BETS
Kyle Larson (+450 at BetMGM)
After finishing second to Byron last March, Larson won the playoff race in October by 0.082 seconds over fast-closing Christopher Bell. In 15 Las Vegas starts, Larson boasts two victories, four runner-up finishes and 11 top 10s — for an average result of 9.9. The 2021 series champion should be a contender on Sunday.
Ryan Blaney (+800)
The defending Cup Series champion got his season rolling in earnest with a runner-up at Atlanta following a disappointing 30th at Daytona. Blaney won three times last year. After a sixth place in the summer race at Las Vegas, Blaney was initially disqualified following an inspection. That ruling was later overturned, providing a much-needed result as Blaney charged toward the Cup title.
William Byron (+900)
Last season, Byron swept the first two stages of a Cup race for the first time in his career, led 176 of 271 laps and beat teammate Larson to the finish line by 0.622 seconds in overtime. After his big win at Daytona, Byron finished 17th at Atlanta after starting 11th.
Kyle Busch (+1200)
Busch finds himself atop the standings despite still seeking his first trip to Victory Lane in 2024. He has qualified in the top-5 in three of the first four events and racked up 77 points with a 12th at Daytona followed by a third at Atlanta. Busch is typically popular with the public and this week is no different, as he is the book’s second-biggest liability, leading the field with 8.1 percent of the total bets and 16.3 percent of the money backing him since opening at +1500.
Joey Logano (+1400)
Logano has three victories at the 1.5-mile track — tied with former teammate Brad Keselowski for most among full-time active drivers. Logano won the pole position for the Daytona 500 and qualified second at Atlanta, but he ran 32nd and 28th at Atlanta, leaving him 31st in the Cup standings. Vegas is one of Logano’s best tracks. His average finish there is 10.0 in 21 starts, with seven top fives and 12 top 10s to his credit. That has led to Logano being second among all drivers with 7.7 percent of the total bets and 9.6 percent of the money backing him since opening at +1600.
LONGSHOT PICK
Alex Bowman (+2200)
Bowman is quietly third at BetMGM with 5.6 percent of the total bets backing him to win. Looking to snap a winless drought that dates back to 2022, he followed a runner-up showing at Daytona with a disappointing 27th at Atlanta. The seven-time Cup Series race winner’s most recent trip to Victory Lane? That came in Las Vegas two years ago.
