This is the year that for some crazy reason, NASCAR Weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, USA Sevens rugby at Sam Boyd Stadium, UFC 196 at the MGM Grand Garden and the West Coast Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments at the Orleans Arena will be held in Las Vegas, concurrently, or at least within the same 72 hours or thereabouts.
The major theme for today’s Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway was whether Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske would have as big of an edge as they did last season on the two tracks where NASCAR’s new low-downforce package was introduced. After Saturday’s final practice, it appears Chevrolet has closed the gap considerably.
Taking a look at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Georgia.
Jamie Little, the congenial NASCAR pit road reporter who graduated from Green Valley High School and still lives in Las Vegas, couldn’t see John Cena on the starting grid at the Daytona 500.
The Daytona 500 earned a 6.1 overnight rating on FOX, down 16 percent from last year’s overnight rating of 7.3. The 6.1 was the second-lowest overnight rating for the race since 2008, when overnight ratings first became available.
Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 beating Martin Truex Jr. in a photo-finish on Sunday.
Joe Gibbs won three Super Bowl titles in the NFL and has won four NASCAR Sprint Cup championships, but his team hasn’t won a Daytona 500 in 23 years, and his manufacturer, Toyota, never has won the race. But based on recent history in plate races and action during Daytona speedweeks, Gibbs might have his best chance to end the drought today.
Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida; 10:30 a.m. today (KVUU-5); Rating Driver Odds 2015 500* Unlimited** 150s** Practice 7
While NASCAR continues reinventing itself to look like the NFL on wheels, there’s at least one area in which stock car racing seems to have inched ahead of pro football on the high side.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch won the two 60-lap/150-mile Can-Am Duel races at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday.
