The first four NASCAR Cup Series playoff races this year were won by non-playoff drivers. Since then, playoff drivers have picked up wins in the next two races to keep their postseasons alive.
FOLLOW LIVE: Updates from the NASCAR playoff race in Las Vegas
Chase Elliott won the YellaWood 500 at Talladega and Christopher Bell followed that up with a win in the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte. Will that trend continue Sunday?
Last year’s winner of the South Point 400 was Denny Hamlin, who advanced to the Round of 8. The other three drivers to win the race — Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski — are not in contention for the Cup Series title.
The Round of 8 begins with Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Who will lead the drivers to the green flag in the first race of the semifinal round? Here’s what you need to know.
MORE: Watch NASCAR at Las Vegas live with fuboTV (free trial)
South Point 400 qualifying results
Who won the pole for the NASCAR race at Las Vegas?
Tyler Reddick captured the pole for Sunday’s race after qualifying with a top speed of 184.603 mph and a best lap time of 29.252 second. He will be joined on the front row by Austin Cindric, who posted a speed of 184.288 mph and a best time of 29.302 seconds.
Four of the remaining eight playoff drivers qualified in the top 10. No playoff driver finished lower than Hamlin, who had the 31st-best time in qualifying.
Final group results
| Finish | Driver | Lap speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Reddick | 184.603 |
| 2 | Austin Cindric | 184.288 |
| 3 | William Byron | 184.024 |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 183.961 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 183.673 |
| 6 | Daniel Suarez | 183.243 |
| 7 | Christopher Bell | 183.212 |
| 8 | Harrison Burton | 182.908 |
| 9 | Bubba Wallace | 182.033 |
| 10 | Austin Dillon | 181.751 |
Lineup, starting order for Las Vegas playoff race
Reddick will lead the field from the pole Sunday. He’ll be joined on the front row by fellow non-playoff driver Cindric. The top two playoff drivers are both on the second row: William Byron and Ryan Blaney.
| Pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 2 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
| 3 | William Byron (P) | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney (P) | 12 | Team Penske |
| 5 | Joey Logano (P) | 22 | Team Penske |
| 6 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 7 | Christopher Bell (P) | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 8 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 9 | Bubba Wallace | 45 | 23XI Racing |
| 10 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 11 | Ross Chastain (P) | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 12 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing |
| 13 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 14 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 15 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 16 | Chase Briscoe (P) | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 17 | Noah Gragson | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 19 | Ty Gibbs | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 20 | Chase Elliott (P) | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 21 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 22 | Erik Jones | 43 | Petty GMS Motorsports |
| 23 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 24 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 25 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
| 26 | JJ Yeley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 27 | Marin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 28 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
| 29 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 30 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 31 | Denny Hamlin (P) | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 32 | Landon Cassill | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 33 | Ty Dillon | 42 | Petty GMS Motorsports |
| 34 | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 35 | Todd Gilliland | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 36 | BJ McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
(P) Playoff driver
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