MONSTER
ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
Kobalt
400
Las
Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sunday,
March 12, 2017
Race
Winner: Martin Truex Jr.
Age:
36
Team:
No. 78 – Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER BOATS Toyota
Owner:
Furniture Row Racing
Crew
Chief: Cole Pearn
IN
THE WORDS OF THE WINNER
– “I was out of control and Brad (Keselowski) was really good on the long
run. I hate that he had problems, he was strong and we weren’t going to do
anything with him, but then he lost the brakes or something. A little bit of a
gift, but we have given some away, so it feels good to come out on the good end
for once.” – Martin Truex Jr.
----------------
·
Martin
Truex Jr. won the 20th annual Kobalt 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon. For Truex, it is his
8th victory in 408 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races. It
is his 5th win in the last 27 races dating back to last year.
·
It’s
the earliest win in any of Truex’s 12 full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series seasons (2006-17).
·
For
2017, NASCAR has introduced a new stage format in all three national series
where each race is segmented into three stages. In addition to the points
awarded at the end of a race (Final Stage), points are also awarded to the
top-10 finishers of the first two stages (Stage 1 & Stage 2).
·
In
addition to taking the checkered flag today, Truex also won both Stage 1 and
Stage 2, as he amassed 60 points towards the season standings today (10 for
each Stage win, 40 for the race win).
·
It
is Truex’s first victory and fourth top-10 finish in 12 career Monster Energy
NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
·
Truex
is the 12th different winner in 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
·
Kyle
Larson (second) posted his second top-10 finish in four Monster Energy NASCAR
Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is the second straight race in
which he has finished 2nd, having also done it last week in Atlanta.
·
Chase
Elliott (third) posted his first top-10 finish in two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
·
Erik
Jones (15th) was the highest finishing rookie.
·
Brad
Keselowski (132) leads the point standings by one point over Kyle Larson
(131). They are followed by Chase Elliott (129) and Martin Truex Jr.
(127).
·
With
the win, Martin Truex Jr. becomes the third driver to qualify for the 2017
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, joining Kurt Busch and Brad
Keselowski, winners of the first two races of the season. The Playoffs
culminate with the Ford EcoBoost 400 championship finale on November 19 at
Homestead-Miami Speedway.
·
In
12 career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway,
Martin Truex Jr. has posted seven top-10 finishes, including three top 5s. He
posted a career-best finish of second in 2006. He also was part of the
Championship 4 in the 2015 Ford EcoBoost 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
championship race, where he finished 12th.
NASCAR
XFINITY SERIES
·
Joey
Logano won the 21st annual Boyd Gaming 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series
race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon. It is Logano’s 28th
victory in 160 NASCAR XFINITY Series races. It moved him into 8th
spot on the XFINITY Series all-time wins list.
·
Kyle
Larson (second) posted his second top-10 finish in three XFINITY Series races
at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He now has finished in the top three in each of
the first two XFINITY Series races of 2017.
·
Daniel
Suarez (third) posted his third top-10 finish in as many XFINITY Series races
at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
·
Justin
Allagaier (fourth) was the highest finisher among full-time XFINITY Series
drivers, while Cole Custer (11th) was the highest finishing rookie.
·
Kyle
Busch won Stage 1 and Brad Keselowski won Stage 2 of the Boyd Gaming 300.
·
Elliott
Sadler (99) leads the XFINITY Series points standings by four points over Ryan
Reed (95). They are followed by rookie William Byron (90), the winner of
the 2016 Ford EcoBoost 200 Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami
Speedway.
NASCAR
CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
·
The
Camping World Truck Series was off this weekend. They will resume action
on Saturday, April 1 with the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville
Speedway.
