The second round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is set to begin this weekend in Sin City. Sunday night’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway sure has a tough act to follow following a thrilling Bristol Night Race last weekend. Four of the 16 playoff drivers have officially been eliminated. That leaves just a dozen remaining to battle it out for the 2021 NASCAR Championship. Kyle Larson will start from the pole position in Sunday’s South Point 400 starting lineup.
The following article contains all kinds of vital information to get you set for Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series action. Read on for the complete South Point 400 starting lineup, start time, race facts and NASCAR stats.
![NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 starting lineup Las Vegas Motor Speedway](https://flurrysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NASCAR-at-Las-Vegas-Motor-Speedway-1024x682.jpg)
NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
4th South Point 400
Date: Sunday, September 26, 2021
Start Time: 7 p.m. EST
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway — Las Vegas, NV
Coverage: NBCSN
Pole Sitter: Kyle Larson
Defending Champion: Kurt Busch
South Point 400 Race Details
Distance: 400.5 miles
Laps: 267
Lap Length: 1.5 miles
Stages: Three (Laps 1-80; 81-160; 161-267)
Surface: Asphalt
Turns: 4
South Point 400 Starting Lineup
See below for a breakdown of the qualifying metrics formula.
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 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 was used to determine starting grids. That same formula remains in place for the majority of races on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, including this Sunday’s South Point 400 starting lineup.
So, what exactly is involved in the performance-metrics formula? Well, it draws on a number of factors including individual race performances and season-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
Note that all drivers currently in the NASCAR Playoffs receive priority starting spots over the rest of the field. Therefore, even if a non-playoff driver scores better in the metrics formula, he will still start behind all of those drivers in the running for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. With this being the Round of 12, the top 12 spots in the South Point 400 starting lineup are all occupied by playoff drivers.
![Brad Keselowski NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 starting lineup stats Las Vegas Motor Speedway](https://flurrysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Brad-Keselowski-9-26-20-1024x536.jpg)
South Point 400 Race History and NASCAR Stats
The following sections offer various NASCAR stats of note and interesting history of the South Point 400.
Race History
- With this only the fourth year of its existence, the South Point 400 is one of the newest events on the current NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
- After only hosting one NASCAR weekend annually, Las Vegas Motor Speedway got this second race date in the fall in 2018. It replaced New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s fall date.
- Since its inception, the event has been run with the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa as its title sponsor. Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Brendan Gaughan’s father owns the South Point.
- In 2019, the race was moved to a prime-time start to make the conditions more comfortable for both the drivers and fans, alike. It marked the first ever nighttime Cup Series race in the speedway’s history.
NASCAR Stats and Race Records
- With the South Point 400 only having been run three times prior to this year, the race stats and records to date are limited. Brad Keselowski took home the win in the first-ever edition back in 2018, driving a Ford Mustang for Team Penske.
- In 2019, Martin Truex Jr. was victorious driving his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry.
- Last year, Kurt Busch pulled off a surprise win as a NASCAR Playoffs underdog in this race to punch his ticket to the round of eight. He was driving a Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing. Interestingly enough, it was the first win ever for the CGR race team at Las Vegas.
- Given the lack of NASCAR stats specific to the South Point 400, we will also briefly consider statistics from the older Las Vegas Motor Speedway spring race. With two additional wins in the spring event, Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers with three total wins at LVMS.
- Among current drivers, Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano are the only ones to win in the Sin City multiple times.
- Roush Fenway Racing and Hendrick Motorsports sit 1-2 in wins by a race team at LVMS with seven and six, respectively.
- Ford has won the most races at Las Vegas among car manufacturers all-time. The 13 total victories include Keselowski’s South Point 400 win in 2018.