2023 Pennzoil 400 Race Preview & Best Bets Feature Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series: Pennzoil 400
Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada
Last Week's Race
Last week was the Pala Casino 400, which took place at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
On Lap 180 of the race's 200-lap event, Kyle Busch passed Ross Chastain to enter into the lead.
Kyle Busch did not look back, finishing with a nearly three-second edge over Chase Elliott, who finished in second.
Kyle Busch now sits in second place right behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Shifting our focus to this week's race, one thing that we can count on is that Kyle Busch won't win.
It is statistically unlikely to win back-to-back races, so we can exclude Kyle Busch from our list of candidates to bet on this Sunday.
This Week's Race Info
Sunday's race is the Pennzoil 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
For this race, drivers must complete a total of 267 laps.
As is almost always the case, there will be three stages for this event.
Stage 1 consists in the first 80 laps.
Stage 2 requires drivers to complete 85 more laps.
Stage 3 consists in the remaining 102 laps.
Entry List
The NASCAR Cup Series' entry list for a given week's race gest posted by the middle of the week.
36 drivers/teams are listed for 40 possible spots.
So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we already know which drivers will participate in the race.
We may expect all of the usual suspects.
Starting Lineup
As for the starting lineup, that gets determined via qualifying.
Qualifying for this week's race begins on Saturday, 11:15 a.m. ET, and it is two-group, single-vehicle, one-lap, and two rounds.
Track Info
Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a tri-oval course.
It will be run on an asphalt surface.
Each lap is 1.5 miles long.
So, in completing 267 laps, drivers will have completed 400.5 miles.
The banking was improved on this course a long time ago, allowing for greater speeds because drivers use banking to corral momentum for their vehicles.
At this course, the turns are banked at 20 degrees, the tri-oval at 12 degrees, and the backstretch at nine degrees.
Drivers to Avoid
One driver whom we should avoid investing in is Kevin Harvick.
Harvick has failed to finish in the top 10 in four of his last five races at this track.
Another driver with a negative outlook in Las Vegas is Chase Elliott.
Elliott is very hit-or-miss at this track -- he has finished outside the top 10 in four of his last six tries here.
We can find more consistent drivers to invest in.
My Guys
One driver I find worth investing in here is Martin Truex Jr.
Truex Jr. is reliable at this track because he is consistently good here.
To be exact, he has five straight top-eight finishes.
He has also won in Las Vegas before.
While he might not win on Sunday because winning here is a rare feat for him, we can use his consistency in Las Vegas to our advantage by supporting him in match-up betting opportunities.
Another driver worth backing is Denny Hamlin, who has finished top-five in four of his last five races here.
Betting Recommendations
I recommend that you bet on Truex Jr. to finish ahead of Elliott because Truex Jr. is the much more consistent strong performer at this track.
Also, I recommend you invest in Hamlin to finish ahead of Ryan Blaney because the latter has never finished higher than fifth here, whereas Hamlin does that regularly at this track, where he is consistently solid.
Best Bet: Truex Jr. to finish ahead of Elliott at -120 with Bovada
Best Bet: Hamlin to finish ahead of Blaney at -115 with Bovada
NASCAR Cup Series: Pennzoil 400
Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada
Last Week's Race
Last week was the Pala Casino 400, which took place at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
On Lap 180 of the race's 200-lap event, Kyle Busch passed Ross Chastain to enter into the lead.
Kyle Busch did not look back, finishing with a nearly three-second edge over Chase Elliott, who finished in second.
Kyle Busch now sits in second place right behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Shifting our focus to this week's race, one thing that we can count on is that Kyle Busch won't win.
It is statistically unlikely to win back-to-back races, so we can exclude Kyle Busch from our list of candidates to bet on this Sunday.
This Week's Race Info
Sunday's race is the Pennzoil 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
For this race, drivers must complete a total of 267 laps.
As is almost always the case, there will be three stages for this event.
Stage 1 consists in the first 80 laps.
Stage 2 requires drivers to complete 85 more laps.
Stage 3 consists in the remaining 102 laps.
Entry List
The NASCAR Cup Series' entry list for a given week's race gest posted by the middle of the week.
36 drivers/teams are listed for 40 possible spots.
So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we already know which drivers will participate in the race.
We may expect all of the usual suspects.
Starting Lineup
As for the starting lineup, that gets determined via qualifying.
Qualifying for this week's race begins on Saturday, 11:15 a.m. ET, and it is two-group, single-vehicle, one-lap, and two rounds.
Track Info
Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a tri-oval course.
It will be run on an asphalt surface.
Each lap is 1.5 miles long.
So, in completing 267 laps, drivers will have completed 400.5 miles.
The banking was improved on this course a long time ago, allowing for greater speeds because drivers use banking to corral momentum for their vehicles.
At this course, the turns are banked at 20 degrees, the tri-oval at 12 degrees, and the backstretch at nine degrees.
Drivers to Avoid
One driver whom we should avoid investing in is Kevin Harvick.
Harvick has failed to finish in the top 10 in four of his last five races at this track.
Another driver with a negative outlook in Las Vegas is Chase Elliott.
Elliott is very hit-or-miss at this track -- he has finished outside the top 10 in four of his last six tries here.
We can find more consistent drivers to invest in.
My Guys
One driver I find worth investing in here is Martin Truex Jr.
Truex Jr. is reliable at this track because he is consistently good here.
To be exact, he has five straight top-eight finishes.
He has also won in Las Vegas before.
While he might not win on Sunday because winning here is a rare feat for him, we can use his consistency in Las Vegas to our advantage by supporting him in match-up betting opportunities.
Another driver worth backing is Denny Hamlin, who has finished top-five in four of his last five races here.
Betting Recommendations
I recommend that you bet on Truex Jr. to finish ahead of Elliott because Truex Jr. is the much more consistent strong performer at this track.
Also, I recommend you invest in Hamlin to finish ahead of Ryan Blaney because the latter has never finished higher than fifth here, whereas Hamlin does that regularly at this track, where he is consistently solid.
Best Bet: Truex Jr. to finish ahead of Elliott at -120 with Bovada
Best Bet: Hamlin to finish ahead of Blaney at -115 with Bovada
