Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Let the fun begin

1:30 p.m. -- NASCAR Busch Series qualifying (two laps, all positions)

2:30 p.m. -- World of Outlaws pit gates open (LVMS dirt track)

3:10 p.m. -- NASCAR Nextel Cup qualifying (two laps, all positions) followed by NASCAR Busch Series final practice

5 p.m. -- World of Outlaws spectator gates open (dirt track)

6 p.m. -- World of Outlaws racing begins

8 a.m. -- Spectator gates open

9:30-10:15 a.m. -- NASCAR Nextel Cup practice

11:10-11:55 a.m. -- NASCAR Nextel Cup final practice

12:30 p.m. -- NASCAR Busch Series driver introductions

1 p.m. -- Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Busch Series race (200 laps, 300 miles)

6 p.m. -- Las Vegas Showdown (The Bullring at LVMS)

7 a.m. -- Spectator gates open

9:30 a.m. -- Pre-race activities begin

11:30 a.m. -- NASCAR Nextel Cup driver introductions

Noon -- UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race (267 laps, 400 miles)

It is rare when you can get a majority of NASCAR drivers to agree on anything, but most concur that the new Goodyear tire and reduced rear spoiler will be the hot topic of conversation in the Nextel Cup garage this weekend.

Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 will mark the first true test of the new tire-spoiler combination, which NASCAR hopes will improve the caliber of racing on intermediate tracks such as the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Mark Keto, Goodyear's lead engineer for stock-car tire development, said the new tire would all but eliminate two-tire pit stops in Sunday's race.

"Our tire setup has been on the conservative side for the last several years at Las Vegas, so we decided to bring both a softer compound and a softer, more compliant construction this year," Keto said. "During team testing at Las Vegas in January, this new setup was about seven- to eight-tenths of a second quicker (per lap) than last year, with about two seconds of give-up over the course of a long run.

"We've seen the give-up increase over the last several years as the racing surface at Las Vegas has aged, so you won't see many two-tire stops this weekend."

Some drivers, such as veterans Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, like the new tire because they claim it will promote more passing and give the experienced drivers more of an advantage in the race. It also should help eliminate, as Stewart pointed out, the "fuel mileage and track position games" that became prevalent last season.

For some drivers, however, ignorance may prove to be bliss. Brendan Gaughan -- one of three Las Vegas natives and six rookies expected to compete in Sunday's 267-lap race -- said the changes could play into a rookie driver's hands.

"I kind of do," Gaughan said. "Everybody's talking about the spoiler being (shorter) and the tires being this or that ... I think it's definitely an advantage for me because I'm just trying to drive a car to the best of my ability and I have no preconceived notions on what it's supposed to be."

Kurt Busch, another native Las Vegan who will be making his fourth Cup start at LVMS, agreed with Gaughan.

"Coming into the Nextel Cup Series with so many changes, (a rookie driver doesn't) really have a baseline on how to drive a car because he hasn't been on this racetrack with the old configuration," Busch said.

Johnny Benson, who has three top-10 finishes in six starts in the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, said the combination of softer tires and a more season track will make tire management they key to a successful weekend.

"There are different issues this year with the new spoiler rule, the new tire and with the track being a year older," Benson said. "Last year, on the 30th lap (of a run), we were running as fast we had on the fifth or tenth lap.

"Now it looks like there will be a lot of fall off (in the times). The team that does the best job of running fast on old tires will be the winner."

The other big story this weekend, from the media's standpoint, will be the three homegrown drivers competing in Sunday's Nextel Cup race. Kurt Busch is in his fourth full season driving the No. 97 Roush Racing Ford and has eight Nextel Cup victories while Gaughan is a rookie on the circuit and driving the No. 77 Kodak Dodge that is co-owned by Roger Penske.

Kyle Busch, a rookie in the NASCAR Busch Series, will drive in Saturday's Sam's Town 300 Busch Series race and make his Nextel Cup debut in Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 in the No. 84 Carquest Chevrolet owned by Rick Hendrick.

"It's such a unique opportunity for the city, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and for us three being in a Nextel Cup Series race -- all from one city that's not known for its racing community," Kurt Busch said. "We watched the actual Las Vegas Motor Speedway come from the ground up.

"There's a lot of racing history in this town and now we're actually getting our chance to shine in the spotlight."

The race will mark the first time the three local drivers have competed on the same track at the same time and the first time since 1999 -- when they were driving Legends Cars at the 3/8-mile Bullring at LVMS -- that the Busch brothers have raced against each other.

"We all almost ran on the same path (to get here) but we've never come across one another in the same race -- that's what makes this race so big," Kurt Busch said.

Although the Busch brothers have raced against each other on the local short track, Kurt Busch said getting the chance to race side by side with his brother in a Nextel Cup race on their hometown track would be a special moment.

"If there is that chance to race side by side, we'll get caught up in the moment because we haven't raced against each other since '99," Kurt said. "It'll be cool, but if it comes down to it, we'll race each other like any other competitor. Whether it's an 8 on the door or a 20 on the door or an 84, we're going to race each other clean.

"He's a strong competitor and he learned everything from the ground up, like I did with my father."

Kyle Busch said he would race his older brother "like you have everybody else that whole race; you try to make it as clean as you can and not hurt anybody else's points.

"If it comes down to it, I'll probably give him a lot more room than maybe he deserves," Kyle said with a laugh, "but I definitely want to race clean with everybody out there and try not to ruin anybody's day because it's going to be my debut and there is going to be a lot of (attention) on my if I happen to screw up somebody's day."

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