NASCAR LATEST: Full qualifying order revealed for Las Vegas playoff race
Following a superspeedway race and a road course event that concluded the round of 12, the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are moving to a more conventional intermediate track in Las Vegas, Nevada, this weekend.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a venue that has held a playoff race annually since 2018, is ready to kick off the semifinal round. This race could potentially decide which of the eight remaining championship contenders will secure a spot in the winner-take-all Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway in three weeks.
Qualifying for the 267-lap South Point 400 at the 1.5-mile oval will feature a single-car session using a group format. The qualifying groups, along with the order, will be determined by a four-variable metric that NASCAR introduced in 2020.
A detailed explanation of this formula can be found here.
Each qualifying group includes four championship contenders, while the eliminated drivers are placed in the order first, followed by those in the round of 8. The fastest five drivers from each group, regardless of playoff status, will advance to the second round.
Unlike NASCAR’s visit to Las Vegas in March, the second round of qualifying is now group-based. This means that a faster driver could potentially qualify behind a slower one.
NASCAR at Las Vegas: Full qualifying order
Group A
Cody Ware, No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Josh Berry, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Zane Smith, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Group B
Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Corey LaJoie, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Noah Gragson, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
NBC will broadcast live coverage of the South Point 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway starting at 2:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, October 20. Last year’s race was won by Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports, who also claimed victory at this track in March. Don’t miss the opening race of the round of 8 in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs—start your free trial of FuboTV now!
