TRACK: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
RACE: Boyd Gaming 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, February 22, 2020
TV: 4 p.m. ET on FS1
RADIO: 3:30 p.m. ET on PRN and SiriusXM Ch. 90
Quotes:
Michael Annett: “Our Pilot Flying J/American Heart Association Chevrolet has been very fast on 1.5-mile tracks, and we were very good at Las Vegas last year. We doubled up on stage points in both races and raced in the top 10 all race long. After having a really fast Camaro at Daytona, I am eager to see what it will do out West.”
Justin Allgaier: “We may not have had the finish we wanted last weekend in Daytona, but we had a fast BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevy and that makes me excited for the rest of the season. Las Vegas is a track that has been good to me and this No. 7 team. We’ve led laps and I feel like we have come close to winning, so I’m really looking forward to getting there and seeing what we can do this weekend.”
Daniel Hemric: “I’m really optimistic heading to Las Vegas. I am looking forward to knocking the rust off since it’s been a while since I’ve been in an Xfinity Series car. It’s incredible to see how family-oriented JR Motorsports is and its culture. They’ve welcomed me with open arms, and that gives me a lot of confidence going to Las Vegas. We’ll have South Point Casino on our Chevrolet this weekend, a long-time partner of mine. That’s a lot of things adding up toward a really good weekend.”
Noah Gragson: “I always look forward to coming back to Las Vegas because it allows me to visit with family and friends. It adds a little pressure because I want to perform in front of my hometown crowd, but coming off the win in Daytona and our streak of runs here, I feel like the No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee Camaro could be celebrating in Victory Lane for the second straight week.”
Notes:
• Michael Annett heads back to Las Vegas Motor Speedway with some momentum on the 1.5-mile desert oval. In this race last season, Annett logged a top-five finish that could have been a top-four had JRM teammate Noah Gragson not pipped him at the finish line on the final lap.
• In his last five starts west of the Mississippi River—three on 1.5-mile tracks--Annett has earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 9.4.
• The 1.5-mile tracks on the schedule have seen Annett post six top-five and 21 top-10 finishes in his career. Four of his record-tying six top-five finishes in 2019 came on 1.5-mile speedways.
• Justin Allgaier has 11 NXS starts at Las Vegas, with five top fives and nine top 10s. His average finish of 8.5 at the 1.5- mile facility is his best among all tracks on the circuit, narrowly beating out Phoenix (8.6).
• In 165 starts on tracks measuring 1-2 miles in length, the 33-year-old driver has five wins, 45 top fives and 96 top 10s.
• Allgaier’s most recent victory on a 1.5-mile track came in 2017 at Chicagoland Speedway.
• After the season-opening event, Allgaier is tied for second in playoff points earned after winning Stage Two at Daytona.
• Daniel Hemric makes his JRM debut with the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend in Las Vegas. It’s his first NXS race since 2018.
• In 66 previous starts in the NXS, Hemric earned 23 top fives, 39 top 10s and qualified for the Championship 4 in both 2017 and 2018.
• In seven combined starts across NASCAR’s three major touring series at Las Vegas, Hemric has scored one top five and three top 10s.
• This weekend marks the first primary race of 2020 for South Point Hotel & Casino with the No. 8. South Point also partnered with Hemric during his 2018 NXS campaign.
• Noah Gragson captured his first career NXS win last weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
• Now he heads to his hometown of Las Vegas, where Gragson holds an average finish of 4.5.
• In 2019, Gragson earned a top-three effort in the first event at LVMS and did not finish worse than sixth in either race.
• Gragson notched three top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 10 starts at 1.5-mile facilities in 2019 competition.
• This is the second race for Bass Pro Shops, TrueTimber and Black Rifle Coffee Company on board the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro.