There were many standout races during the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. The first trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, in particular, was an underrated gem due to its numerous storylines and the role that strategy played in the overtime finish.
We’ll get to the strategy later, but let’s first focus on something else — the caution flags. There were 12 yellows displayed during the race — nine for incidents. Though these were unique in that they were due to drivers spinning out, which surprised those in attendance.
The Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube was only the third race of the year, and the best drivers in NASCAR were still learning how the Next Gen cars handled dirty air and how they should approach each turn. The race for the win became less of a focus as the drivers tried to make adjustments on the fly.
Having numerous caution flags is rarely entertaining for fans in the stands or the viewers at home. However, the Pennzoil 400 had a different tone considering that the drivers were battling with an unfamiliar machine while progressively making improvements.
The race became intriguing as fans tried to figure out which drivers had gained the most knowledge and which ones could put that to use during the final stage.
— No. 1 Las Vegas race in the poll (out of 11) — No. 5 intermediate race in the poll (out of 76) — No. 17 race overall (out of 228) — First time in poll history to have back-to-back 90%+ races (Fontana 91.5% last week)
Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Austin Cindric, Justin Haley, Chase Briscoe, Cole Custer, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and Tyler Reddick were only some examples of drivers that struggled to keep their cars pointed in the right direction.
Some, such as Busch and Larson, were able to save their cars and keep them moving while drawing praise for their skills behind the wheel. These two even contended for the win later in the race. Others hit the wall or ended up in the infield grass.
The Strategy Played a Key Role
GettyKyle Busch (rear) had strong words after Alex Bowman won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
There were two main cars battling for the win with three laps remaining in the Pennzoil 400 — the No. 19 Toyota and the No. 18 Toyota. Busch had the lead, and it appeared that he would capture his first win of the year, but the situation drastically changed.
The caution flag flew as Erik Jones blew a tire and hit the wall in the No. 43 Chevrolet. He initially went down onto the apron, but the stock car spun back up into traffic after hitting the infield grass.
As a result, Bubba Wallace sent his own car into a spin trying to avoid a collision with the No. 43, which led to the No. 23 Toyota hitting the tire barrier and sustaining significant damage.
This late caution sent the race into overtime and led to critical decisions by the top crew chiefs in the sport. Some called for four fresh Goodyear tires while others gambled with only two despite seeing numerous drivers spin out earlier in the race after only taking two tires.
Busch and Truex were among those that took four tires while the Hendrick Motorsports drivers opted for two. The result is that Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson lined up on the front row while Busch and William Byron made up the second row. Ross Chastain and Truex were on the third row.
Once the green flag waved to start overtime, Larson and Bowman turned in a clean, yet ferocious, battle. The teammates ran side-by-side for the final two laps while trying to gain the slightest advantage. This was an intense drag race, and it kept other drivers from moving up to fight for the win.
Bowman ultimately cleared Larson exiting the final turn and took the checkered flag. He captured his first win of the year, as well as his first career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Chastain, Busch, and Byron rounded out the top five while capping off a fascinating day.
“Man, what a call by Greg Ives and the guys to take two there,” Bowman told FOX Sports after climbing from the No. 48. “Obviously, it paid off. Racing Kyle is always fun. Got to race him for a couple wins. We’ve always raced each other super clean and super respectfully.
“Just can’t say enough about these guys. It’s been a pretty awful start to the year, so to come out here and get a win on a last restart deal is pretty special.”
Why The Race Was Special for Trackhouse Racing
GettyRoss Chastain (front) races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
There were several drivers that had strong performances at the intermediate track. Bowman won his first career race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and his first stage since 2020 while Busch scored his first top-five of the year. Aric Almirola also kept his strong start to the season alive with his third consecutive top-10 finish.
The race was equally important for Chastain and Trackhouse Racing. The driver of the No. 1 finished third in what was his first top-five with the organization. It was also his first top-five since the 2021 Southern 500 when he drove for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Along with capturing a top-three finish, Chastain also made history for Trackhouse Racing. He won Stage 2 after holding off Chase Elliott and Larson on the final lap, and he secured the first stage win in Trackhouse Racing history.
As the season progressed, Chastain also scored the first win in team history, as well as its first appearance in the championship four. However, the stage win was special at the time considering that it was only the third race of the year and that it teased the breakout season that would follow.
2022’s Early Schedule Featured an Underrated NASCAR Gem