After three straight weeks of racing in Florida to begin the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, the action shifts out west this weekend. The 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be the site of Sunday’s Pennzoil 400. After three surprising victors in the first three races, including William Byron winning last week’s Dixie Vodka 400, the bar has certainly been set high in terms of excitement.
This article contains all of the vital information necessary to get you ready for the fourth race of the NASCAR Cup Series season. Read on for the Pennzoil 400 starting lineup, start time, fast facts and statistics.
NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
23rd Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube
Date: Sunday, Mar. 7, 2021
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway — Las Vegas, NV
Coverage: FOX
Pole Sitter: Kevin Harvick
Defending Champion: Joey Logano
Pennzoil 400 Race Details
Distance: 400 miles
Laps: 267
Lap Length: 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers)
Stages: Three (Laps 1-80; Laps 81-160; Laps 161-267)
Surface: Asphalt
Turns: 4
Pennzoil 400 Starting Grid
See below for a breakdown of qualifying.
| Starting Position | Driver | Car Number | Team | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 2 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 3 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 4 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 5 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 6 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 7 | Ty Dillon | 42 | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 10 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 11 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 12 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 13 | Kurt Busch | 45 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 14 | Erik Jones | 43 | Petty GMS Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 15 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing | Ford |
| 16 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet |
| 17 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 18 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing | Ford |
| 19 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 20 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 21 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 22 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 23 | Todd Gilliland | 38 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 24 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 25 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 26 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 27 | Justin Allgaier | 77 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 28 | Noah Gragson | 16 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 29 | J.J. Yeley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 30 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 31 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 32 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 33 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 34 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 35 | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 36 | Josh Williams | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports | Ford |
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Overview
Following the virus-caused interruption to racing last season, NASCAR did away with practice and qualifying runs at the majority of races. A combination of grouped draws and a performance-metrics formula were used to determine starting lineups. That same formula remains in place for the majority of races on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, including this weekend’s Pennzoil 400.
So, what exactly is involved in the performance-metrics formula? Well, it draws on a number of factors including individual race performances and seaosn-long results. The following breakdown illustrates the weighted grades associated with each component of NASCAR’s metrics formula:
NASCAR Cup Series Metrics Formula Breakdown
- 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
- 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
- 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
- 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
Pennzoil 400 Stats and NASCAR Betting Facts
- Pole-sitter and race favorite Kevin Harvick has won the Pennzoil 400 twice in his career (2015, 2018).
- Joey Logano has won each of the last two Pennzoil 400 races.
- Jimmie Johnson holds the record for the most career Pennzoil 400 wins all-time with four.
- Among active drivers, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski are all tied with two career Pennzoil 400 wins apiece.
- Joey Logano’s average speed as the 2020 race winner was 134.861 mph. This marked the slowest winning average speed since Kyle Busch in 2009.
- Ford has seen its cars win each of the last three and five of the last seven editions of the race. Ford also has the most all-time wins in the race with 12.
- The Pennzoil 400 is unique from all other NASCAR Cup Series races in that the winner receives a championship belt rather than a trophy.
