Viva Las Vegas! Time for NASCAR’s top series to hit the Las Vegas strip and roll the dice in hopes of victory. Which teams will ante up and gamble it all to come out victorious? There will be those who hit the jackpot and others who leave empty handed. All those Las Vegas cliches and more will be featured this week as the top three series run the same weekend for the first time since Atlanta. For each series, this will be the first true intermediate that the teams will face. While Phoenix gave somewhat of a preview about who will be good this season, Las Vegas Motor Speedway usually is the best early indicator about which teams have the speed for the year. Between the three series, who will be the Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch for the spring Las Vegas races?

While it may seem early to seriously consider the points, there are a few drivers falling behind quickly. For the Cup Series, 4 playoff drivers from last year currently sit 29th or worse in the standings. Meanwhile, there are numerous top Xfinity teams who have drivers sitting behind the current cutline. As for the Truck Series, their only 2 races thus far have been superspeedways to it is difficult to have any proper reading on their points situation. Still, there are numerous fulltime drivers who currently sit behind those who only made one start. That means this weekend’s Las Vegas races are important. Not only to demonstrate who has speed or not, but to give certain teams momentum heading into a normal portion of the schedule.

Pennzoil 400

Kyle Larson

After slogging through the first 4 races of the 2025 season, this next stretch should be massively beneficial to Kyle Larson. Starting with Las Vegas, Larson looks to be the primary antagonist for Christopher Bell’s march to domination. Las Vegas, Homestead, Darlington, and Bristol are all tracks where Larson has been at his best. With how this season has started, Larson could use a run of strong performances out his team. Although he has a pair of third place finishes, Larson has been absent from the front so far this season. Even his result last week at Phoenix lacked the 5 car running upfront. However, Las Vegas should be a different story.

During the Gen7 era in the desert, Larson has been nearly flawless. Through 6 races, Larson’s average finish of 8.67 does not do justice to how well the 5 team has performed here. Removing the playoff 2022 race where Larson was wrecked by Bubba Wallace, his worst finish at Vegas in this car is 11th. In the other 4 races, Larson has either won or finished second. Heading into this weekend, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has led a quarter of the laps ran at the track. That type of consistency is rare for any driver at any track on the schedule in the Gen7. If Christopher Bell is the betting favorite for the Pennzoil 400, then Kyle Larson is a great steal in the odds for race winner.

Chase Briscoe

2024 turned into a bit of tumultuous journey for Chase Briscoe. Stewart-Haas Racing was shutting down as previously established, hurting the positive early momentum the 14 team had. Then, Briscoe signs with Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the 19, which was followed by poor performance on the track. However, Briscoe ended up winning the Southern 500 and advancing through one round of the playoffs. Turning the calendar to 2025 should have left the roller coaster behind. However, Briscoe’s first few weeks of his first year as a JGR driver have continued this trend.

Through the first 4 weeks of this year, Chase Briscoe won the Daytona 500 pole, got slapped with a L2 penalty and docked 100 points, won the appeal against that penalty, and faced poor luck on the track. Prior to the Pennzoil 400, Briscoe sits 19th in points after wrecking out at Phoenix. The hope for the 19 team is that James Small can help Briscoe ease into a steady pace. Las Vegas has been a notoriously good track for Toyotas, something that Briscoe surely looks forward to taking advantage of now that he is a TRD driver. That said, the additional pressure of driving for JGR will be felt more this week. For an early indication of how Briscoe is gelling with the 19 team, watch him this weekend.

The LiUNA!

Christian Eckes

There has been a good amount of fuss around Kaulig Racing’s Xfinity Series program. Dating back to last year, the former top team in NASCAR’s second series lacked their usual performance. Sure, AJ Allmendinger was still solid enough and Shane van Gisbergen dominated the road courses. However, the overall team felt off. So far in 2025, that sentiment has not changed much. During Phoenix, the CW booth constantly chattered about the lack of speed from the Kaulig camp. Despite the noise, Christian Eckes sits 9th in points and has back-to-back Top-10s.

After an impressive Truck Series campaign last year, expectations were high for Eckes as he runs his rookie season with Kaulig’s 16 team. The superspeedways were a bit of struggle, but the rookie bounced back for a Top-5 at COTA and a Top-10 at Phoenix. Las Vegas will now be the test of what speed the 16 team truly has. Last year, Las Vegas was the strongest track for Allmendinger in that car. Leading 102 laps and winning the playoff race, the 16 team will hope that Eckes can continue their success out west. Based on what Eckes has demonstrated in the Truck Series, it should not be unreasonable to think he can capture a Top-5 this weekend. That would be a huge boost of momentum for all of Kaulig Racing.

Carson Kvapil

From one rookie to another, Carson Kvapil has been one to watch on Saturdays. Especially over the past 2 weekends, Kvapil looks to be a serious threat to nab a win here shortly. That is if his equipment can remain healthy under him. Despite solid performances, each of the past 2 races has seen poor finishes for Kvapil due to late race issues. Those issues need to be resolved for Kvapil’s solid outings to mean anything. After 4 races, Kvapil currently sits 17th in the standings. That puts him behind all of his JRM teammates, as well as Harrison Burton, Nick Sanchez, and Aric Almirola (who has only made 2 starts).

Usually, Las Vegas Motor Speedway remains nonchaotic for the Xfinity Series. The strong teams find their way to the front and big wrecks are few. Between the 2 races last season, there was no incident that included more than 2 cars in it. That should be beneficial to Kvapil, who is in need of an uneventful race. With JRM equipment, the 1 team should never be discounted as someone to watch near the front. This will be Kvapil’s first start on a traditional mile-and-a-half track, so the lack of experience might hurt in the initial run. That said, Kvapil seems to be a quick study so do not be surprised if the 1 car forges ahead to the Top-5 by the end of the race.

Ecosave 200

Rajah Caruth

Las Vegas Motor Speedway is arriving for the Craftsman Truck Series at the perfect time for Rajah Caruth. The first 2 races of the season have been unfortunate for the Spire Motorsports driver. Both Daytona and Atlanta saw the 71 truck finish in the garage after being collected in a wreck. Now, Caruth returns to the track where he picked up his first Truck Series win last year. In a thrilling race where Caruth held off challenges from Corey Heim and Kyle Busch, the 71 team will look to rebound from a rough start to the season.

Other than his win last year, Caruth has reasons to be optimistic heading into this weekend. Intermediates have been Caruth’s best track type as a Truck Series regular. Between Las Vegas, Homestead, Kansas, and Nashville, Caruth has racked up 5 Top-10s. Plus, Spire Motorsports has proven to be a top team in the Truck Series. Should you pencil in the 71 to win on Friday night? Probably not, as there are too many drivers who will be in contention. However, expecting a Top-10 should be bare minimum expectations for Rajah Caruth.

Kaden Honeycutt

In limited starts last year, Kaden Honeycutt turned heads by his performances in the 45 Niece truck. Most notably, his best runs were on intermediates such as Kansas and Charlotte. In both races, Honeycutt not only ran well, but looked to be a threat to win each one. If not for pit road issues in Charlotte, Honeycutt might have emerged victorious as it appeared he had the best speed of the night. These runs give optimism for the 45 team as they head to Las Vegas. This will be Honeycutt’s first time at the track since 2023 when he drove for Roper Racing.

Las Vegas will be a measuring stick for how Kaden Honeycutt’s 2025 might turn out. As mentioned above, his part-time starts for Niece last season have brought raised expectations for a Niece team. Other than when Ross Chastain hops into one of the trucks, Honeycutt has been the only driver to bring Niece to the forefront of conversation. Having speed at the non-wild card tracks will be key. If last year is any indication, then the 45 could be a heavy hitter at tracks like Las Vegas. While some may not immediately consider Honeycutt one of the favorites for the Ecosave 200, he certainly could be by the time practice and qualifying is over.

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