The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday for Pennzoil 400, third event of the 2022 schedule. Kyle Larson, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion and the recent winner of the WISE Pennzoil 400 betting information, sits at the top of the list of NASCAR drivers to win the race, priced at +350.
That makes perfect sense. He was by far the most dominant driver of 2021 and has a solid record on the Vegas track and other similarly-styled courses.
So not only did Larson win the last race at Fontana, he also claimed the checkered flag in Las Vegas last spring. Moreover, he also won in Kansas, Charlotte, and Texas, all not that different from Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Looking at Larson’s averages at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he finished in the top-10 in seven of his last eight races, his worst a 12th-place effort. He also placed inside the top-10 in four of his last five races in Kansas.
So considering his exceptional form and a very strong track record, it’s hard not to back Larson at +350. He’s a solid bet.
Another driver worth keeping an eye on is Chase Elliott. He comes off a disappointing, 26th-place finish in his last race, but despite his underwhelming showing, you should never underestimate the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion.
Elliott has always delivered when racing on intermediate tracks such as the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and has solid past results. Over 11 starts, Elliott managed a relatively poor 18.7-place average finish, but there’s more to that number than meets the eye.
He has four top-10 finishes in the last nine starts, placing second here last September. Moreover, Elliott consistently does well in NASCAR qualifying, securing a solid starting spot at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He has six top-10s across the last eight starts.
It’s also worth noting that Elliott has led an average of 35.6 laps here across the last five starts, including only one lap in the last race, in which he still ended as runner-up. So, at first glance, Elliott’s performances in Las Vegas aren’t that good, but three of his last four (26th, 22nd, 13th) placements hold hardly any weight.
Priced at the +650 second choice, Elliott is a solid bet and a driver you shouldn’t discount. Admittedly, he might not come off as the best driver heading to Vegas, but following his iffy showing last out, Elliott needs to find a way to catch up with other drivers in the standings.
Lastly, we could mention Joey Logano, who is priced as a +750 proposition for the Pennzoil 400. That seems a bit high, since unlike Elliott, Logano looked very good at Fontana. He finished fifth and was also one of the fastest drivers of the day.
Logano also won the spring race in Las Vegas twice (2019, 2020) and has finished in the top-5 in eight of his last ten races. However, unfortunately, Logano placed ninth or worse in his last three starts here. So, though his past showings here aren’t great, Logano still holds some of the best career averages in Sin City.
Before thinking about Pennzoil 400 betting, here are a few interesting things you should know about the track and the race.
The Pennzoil 400 has been held annually since the inaugural race in 1998, won by Mark Martin. Since, no driver starting outside of the top-25 claimed the checkered flag. Interestingly, over the last 10 races, only one driver has started lower than the top-13.
While the starting spot seems to be very important, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is known for many lead changes. Over the last 10 races, an average of nine drivers have led laps, with an average of 20 lead changes per race. That’s something to keep in mind, especially if you’re someone who watches NASCAR live and places in-play bets.