LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the 35th running of the Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube on Sunday, March 16, 2025, with a purse of $11,055,250 up for grabs. The 1.5-mile asphalt oval will host a 400-mile race (267 laps), featuring Stage 1 ending on Lap 80, Stage 2 on Lap 165, and the Final Stage on Lap 267. Coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET on FS1, with radio on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90, starting at 3:30 p.m. ET. This fifth race of the 2025 season promises high stakes, highlighted by Christopher Bell’s recent dominance and a star-studded pre-race lineup.
Christopher Bell, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, enters as the favorite after winning three of the first four races, a feat last matched by Kyle Larson in 2021. Bell’s streak marks him as the fourth driver to achieve this in the modern era (since 1972), with only Bill Elliott (1992) winning four of the first five. His three consecutive wins with the Next Gen car, the first since Jimmie Johnson’s four in 2007, give Joe Gibbs Racing its last five Cup victories. Bell, from Norman, Oklahoma, also tied his career-high three wins in a season (2022, 2024) and has secured poles for three of the last five 1.5-mile races, including the most recent Las Vegas event. However, the track’s history shows pole winners rarely convert to victories—only Kyle Busch did so in 2009—and no driver leading the first lap has won in the 34 prior races.
The field features 36 full-time drivers, a first in Cup Series history, with no open cars. Eight active Las Vegas race winners, led by Joey Logano with four wins (2019, 2020, 2022, 2024), and seven pole winners, including Bell and Logano with three each, add depth. Kyle Larson, with three wins in the last three years and 629 laps led (second to Kevin Harvick’s 679), remains a threat, especially with Hendrick Motorsports dominating five of the last eight races. William Byron, the only driver to lead in every 2025 race, boasts a four-race top-10 streak at Las Vegas.
Notable storylines include Morgan Freeman, the Academy Award-winning actor, serving as grand marshal, joining past luminaries like Mark Wahlberg and Dana White. WWE Women’s United States Champion Chelsea Green will drive the Toyota Supra pace car, bringing her flair to the pre-race. Ross Chastain, averaging a 5.5 finish at Las Vegas in the Next Gen car, recently engaged students at Lucille S. Rogers Elementary during Nevada Reading Week, blending community outreach with his racing profile. Milestone starts include Ty Dillon (250th career start), Carson Hocevar (50th), and Zane Smith (50th).
The 2025 season has already seen 142 lead changes and three last-lap passes, with eight different stage winners across eight stages. Four of the last six Las Vegas races featured a pass for the lead in the final six laps, and three of the last five 1.5-mile races ended with late passes, including two on the last lap. Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske are the only teams to win at Las Vegas with the Next Gen car, while Toyota drivers, led by Joe Gibbs Racing, have taken the last five 1.5-mile poles. Despite Joey Logano’s 207 laps led without a top-10 finish, his 46 stage points keep him ninth in standings, behind Byron’s 49.
Fans can expect an action-packed weekend, March 13-16, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and Kubota High Limit Racing Series at The Dirt Track. Pre-race Track Passes offer access to driver introductions and autograph sessions, while the Inner Circle camping area promises concerts and family fun. With 33 different top-15 finishers this season, the Pennzoil 400 could see another unpredictable finish.