Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Starting Lineup for the the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Tonight, NASCAR set the grid for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race. Moments ago, MENCS qualifying concluded.
View Las Vegas Motor Speedway qualifying results below.
Ahead of qualifying, NASCAR had a few issues with their new Optical Scanning Station. It wasn’t working. They got the issues resolved and all cars have made it through inspection. Kyle Busch was the last car through, just ahead of the green.
LVMS Menu: MENCS
TV | Prac 1 | Qual | Prac 2 | Prac 3 | Race
The wind is throwing these drivers for a loop. 20-35 gusts of wind are creating in consistencies from lap to lap. Leave it to the wind to make LVMS exciting.
“You gotta be conscious of which direction it’s going and not over blow that corner,” Clint Bowyer tells Fox Sports ahead of qualifying.
Round 1
The top 24 advance to round 2. It’s a 15 minute session
Brad Keselowski turns the first lap in knockout qualifying. His time was 30.575.
5 minutes remain, Cole Custer has just been bumped out of the top 24. He’s making his first MENCS qualifying attempt.
3 minutes remain, Jimmie Johnson is the only car that hasn’t turned a lap. He’s hitting the track now.
Less than a minute, Bubba Wallace hits the track for a second time in a last ditch effort to make the top 24. He doesn’t make it to the line in time to start his lap. Menard wins round 1!
Round 1 Results: 1. Paul Menard (28.394); 2. Brad Keselowski (28.396); 3. Ryan Blaney (28.419); 4. William Byron; 5. Chase Elliott; 6. Daniel Suarez; 7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr; 8. Kyle Busch; 9. Erik Jones; 10. Martin Truex Jr; 11. Denny Hamlin; 12. Kevin Harvick;
Round 2
The inner liner on Martin Truex Jr has broken. The tire isn’t flat but the team is pleading NASCAR to allow them to exchange the inner liner. The tire itself is fine, it’s just the inner part of the tire that’s failed. They could change it without any advantage or disadvantage to the #78.
10 minutes in round 2. The top 12 will transfer.
Green, Blaney to the top of the board early.
7 minutes remain, Harvick to the top.
NASCAR didn’t allow Truex to repair the inner liner. However, he just went out on track, P4.
2 minutes remain, Keselowski is bumped. He was 2nd fastest in round 1. He hits the track, 8th! He puts Kyle Busch on the bubble. Menard to 11th, Kyle Busch is out and now Kurt Busch is on the bubble.
Kevin Harvick wins round 2.
Round 2 Results: 1. Kevin Harvick (28.259); 2. Ryan Blaney (28.271); 3. Erik Jones (28.355); 4. Joey Logano; 5. Martin Truex Jr; 6. Chase Elliott; 7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr; 8. Brad Keselowski; 9. Clint Bowyer; 10. Kyle Larson; 11. Paul Menard; 12. Kurt Busch;
Round 3
5 minutes in round 3. It’s the run for the pole.
The first car on track is Kevin Harvick. He turned a lap of 28.384.
1 minutes and 30 seconds remain, Blaney to the top! Harvick watches from outside the car as he falls to 2nd.
Bowyer is hard on the splitter on the entry to the corner.
Blaney wins qualifying!
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Starting Lineup – MENCS
Pos | Driver | Time
1. Ryan Blaney
28.200
2. Kevin Harvick
28.384
3. Kurt Busch
28.411
4. Martin Truex Jr
28.424
5. Kyle Larson
28.504
6. Chase Elliott
28.545
7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
28.549
8. Brad Keselowski
28.556
9. Erik Jones
28.614
10. Joey Logano
28.626
11. Clint Bowyer
28.652
12. Paul Menard
28.656
13. Kyle Busch
28.596
14. Jimmie Johnson
28.615
15. Michael McDowell
28.631
16. Austin Dillon
28.656
17. William Byron
28.668
18. Daniel Suarez
28.744
19. Denny Hamlin
28.747
20. Alex Bowman
28.809
21. Kasey Kahne
28.830
22. Jamie McMurray
28.839
23. David Ragan
28.852
24. Trevor Bayne
28.968
25. Ryan Newman
28.777
26. Darrell Wallace Jr
28.793
27. AJ Allmendinger
28.980
28. Chris Buescher
28.980
29. Aric Almirola
29.013
30. Cole Custer
29.035
31. Ty Dillon
29.140
32. Matt DiBenedetto
29.185
33. Ross Chastain
29.441
34. Cole Whitt
29.626
35. Gray Gaulding
30.127
36. Jeffrey Earnhardt
30.631
37. Joey Gase
31.101