Schedule, TV, Streaming, Tips, Predictions – NBC New York

And then there were eight.

Four drivers were eliminated from the NASCAR playoffs last week as the third round is scheduled to begin Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The stakes have never been higher in Vegas, as a win by one of the eight title contenders automatically advances them to Championship 4.

So who’s racing in Las Vegas? What is the schedule for TV and streaming? And which drivers could fight for victory? Here’s everything you need to know for the 2024 South Point 400:

When is the NASCAR race in Las Vegas?

“South Point 400” is scheduled for Sunday, October 20th at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Before the race, practice and qualifying sessions will take place on Saturday. The 37 riders will be split into two groups (found here), with each group receiving 20 minutes of free practice and then competing against each other in two qualifying rounds. This is how it works:

• Each rider completes one lap on the first lap, with the five fastest riders in each group advancing.
• In the final round, the remaining drivers are each given one lap to determine the starting order of the top 10. The fastest driver in the overall standings starts from pole, the fastest driver in the other group starts second.
• Positions 3 to 10 will be determined based on final round times – Group A will occupy the even numbered positions (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th), Group B will occupy the odd numbered positions (3rd, 5th, 7th). , 9.).
• Positions 11 to 37 will be awarded based on first round times – Group A will occupy the even-numbered positions, Group B will occupy the odd-numbered positions.

What does the NASCAR TV schedule look like this weekend?

Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Jeff Burton (analyst) and Steve Letarte (analyst) will anchor for NBC, with Marty Snider, Kim Coon and Dillon Welch serving as pit reporters. Here is the full TV and streaming schedule:

Saturday, October 19 (USA Network and Streaming)

Sunday, October 20th (NBC and streaming)

NASCAR Las Vegas entry list, drivers

37 drivers will compete in Las Vegas – the 34 full-time drivers plus three others.

The headliner is seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who will drive the No. 84 for his eighth of nine starts this season. Then there are Shane van Gisbergen and Cody Ware, who will continue their part-time schedules for Kaulig Racing and Rick Ware Racing, respectively.

Here is the full list of participants for Las Vegas:

NASCAR Las Vegas predictions, tips, favorites

One organization has dominated this track in recent years: Hendrick Motorsports.

Since 2021 at Las Vegas (seven races), Hendrick’s four drivers have combined for five wins, 10 top-five finishes, 15 top-10 finishes and 878 laps ahead. Larson has three wins during that time, including in the last two races. Byron and Bowman each had a win, while Elliott had a best finish of second.

In addition to the Hendrick quartet, many other playoff drivers are also on the road to success in Las Vegas. Logano averaged a 9.9 in 22 starts and finished in the top 15 in 17 of his last 18 races. There’s also Hamlin, who has led lap times in eight straight races at Las Vegas.

Although Bell and Blaney never won in Vegas, they could be looking for their first victories in Sin City. Bell finished second to Larson in this race last fall and dominated at Kansas (a similar track) a few weeks ago, while Blaney has six top-five finishes in his last 13 starts at Las Vegas.

When you look beyond the playoff field, Busch, Truex and Chastain stand out. Busch, who grew up in Las Vegas, has 12 top-five finishes in 26 starts at his home track. Truex, making his final Las Vegas start before retiring, averaged 9.8 in 25 starts. Chastain, meanwhile, won at Kansas last month and has four top-five finishes in his last five starts at Las Vegas.

NASCAR Las Vegas winners list, racing history

Nine of the 37 drivers in the field are former Las Vegas winners, including five with multiple victories.

Johnson leads all drivers with four wins in Las Vegas, followed by Larson, Logano and Keselowski with three each. Truex has two wins and the one-time winners are Busch (2009), Hamlin (2021), Bowman (2022) and Byron (2023).

NASCAR playoff rankings in Las Vegas

The standings reset for the Round of 8, with each driver receiving 4,000 points plus their playoff points earned in the first 32 races – and Larson leads the way. Blaney, Hamlin, Elliott and Logano are below the cut line, but they still have three races left to either win or finish in the top four.

A full explanation of NASCAR’s playoff format can be found here.

Here are the playoff rankings for Las Vegas: