This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Course: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile oval
Laps: 267
NASCAR Cup Series Race Preview
Ryan Blaney put an end to Tyler Reddick's hot streak at the start of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, battling through multiple setbacks to claim the checkered flag. The win marked Blaney's second consecutive at the track, following his triumph in last year's season finale. Up next is a swing out to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a venue that's become one of the most thrilling stops on the circuit since the debut of the current generation of cars.
NASCAR's recent rules tweaks injected fresh excitement into the racing at Phoenix, leaving fans eager to see if Las Vegas can deliver even more action. Last season, Josh Berry captured the spring race victory there, while Denny Hamlin took the fall event, becoming the first pole sitter to win at the track since 2009. Both races featured dramatic lead changes in the final 20 laps and were punctuated by multiple crashes that shuffled the running order throughout the day.
As the 2026 season begins to take shape, this trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway could offer the best glimpse yet of what's in store for the weeks ahead.
Key Stats at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 36
- Winners from pole: 2
- Winners from top-5 starters: 15
- Winners from top-10 starters: 23
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 5
- Fastest race: 154.849 mph
Previous 10 Las Vegas Winners
2025 fall - Denny Hamlin
2025 spring - Josh Berry
2024 fall - Joey Logano
2024 spring - Kyle Larson
2023 fall - Kyle Larson
2023 spring - William Byron
2022 fall - Joey Logano
2022 spring - Alex Bowman
2021 fall - Denny Hamlin
2021 spring - Kyle Larson
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval with steep progressive banking and a smooth surface, is renowned for its close racing and multiple grooves, thanks to the current car and track design. While side-by-side racing and passing are the expectation this week, starting near the front is still a clear advantage. Alex Bowman's win from 13th in 2022 marks the furthest back a winner with this car has started, and Denny Hamlin's pole victory last fall was the first since 2009 despite several other victors coming from the front row. Historically, Matt Kenseth holds the overall record, winning from 25th in 2004, but that was before the track's latest configuration.
Cautions are common here, but lengthy green-flag runs also occur, making tire management essential, especially this season with higher horsepower and more delicate tires. Drivers choose their lines based on aggression, but those who can preserve grip have the advantage over long runs. Fuel-saving can be pivotal during long stretches, but track position dominates pit strategy, with some teams gambling on two-tire stops during frequent cautions, similar to what we saw last week at Phoenix. Typically, starting up front leads to finishing up front. Four of the last six Las Vegas races were won from the front row, and only one of the last seven winners started outside the top ten.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Pennzoil 400
Based on Standard $50k Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Larson - $11,000
Christopher Bell - $10,700
Denny Hamlin - $10,500
William Byron - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Tyler Reddick - $9,500
Chase Briscoe - $9,200
Joey Logano - $8,700
Ross Chastain - $8,500
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Chris Buescher - $8,300
Bubba Wallace - $8,200
Kyle Busch - $7,800
Josh Berry - $7,700
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Ryan Preece - $7,500
Ty Gibbs - $7,400
Austin Cindric - $7,200
Daniel Suarez - $6,600
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Pennzoil 400
Kyle Larson - $11,000
Tyler Reddick - $9,500
Bubba Wallace - $8,200
Ty Gibbs - $7,400
Austin Cindric - $7,200
Daniel Suarez - $6,600
Kyle Larson (DK $11,000, FD $14,000) has been climbing up the standings the past two races and has a chance to make up even more ground this week at Las Vegas. This is a great track for him with three victories including two with the current car. His total number of laps led here is arguably the more telling statistic, though. He hasn't failed to lead a lap in his last six starts at the track and boasts a total of 819 laps led in 19 starts, and led more than 100 laps in three of the last six Las Vegas races.
Even though Ryan Blaney ended Tyler Reddick's (DK $9,500, FD $12,500) win streak at Phoenix, the No. 45 is still the only car to have scored stage points and finish in the top 10 in every race so far this season. Reddick isn't bad at Las Vegas either. He finished in the top 10 in half of his 12 series starts and led a combined 35 laps in the two races last season. Fantasy players should expect him to be among the top 10 throughout Sunday's 400 miles, and if he can avoid any mishaps, he should keep his 2026 streak of top-10 finishes alive.
Reddick's teammate, Bubba Wallace (DK $8,200, FD $9,000), hasn't been doing too bad for himself either. He finished off the 2025 season with some of the best racing he produced in his Cup Series career and has brought that momentum straight into 2026. He hasn't finished lower than 11th this season, and that includes at tracks like COTA and Phoenix, which haven't historically been his strongest. Las Vegas also fits that category, but his improvement in qualifying demonstrates his progress with five top-15 starts in the last seven visits after having zero in his first nine. Wallace is a longshot this week, but one that is showing signs of a breakthrough.
Another breakthrough candidate is Ty Gibbs (DK $7,400, FD $7,500). While he hasn't lived up to the expectations he joined the series with quite yet, progress is being made. He is currently 15th in points with back-to-back fourth-place finishes heading into this week's contest. His average Vegas starting spot from seven tries is 12.7, but his average finish is 24.1. Gibbs just needs to deliver a whole race at this track. He did it once before with a fifth-place run in the spring of 2024, though.
A Ford deeper down the price list worth consideration at Las Vegas is Austin Cindric (DK $7,200, FD $6,000). A Ford driver won this race last spring, and Cindric was also in the mix that day. The Team Penske driver led 47 laps en route to a sixth-place finish, which was his second at the circuit. He then followed that up with an 11th-place run in the fall. That fall finish was remarkable considering he started just 31st, too. Don't overlook the No. 2 this week, this could be the race he grabs his first top finish of the season.
Daniel Suarez (DK $6,600, FD $6,200) brings things home with an attractive price. He enters this weekend just two points out of the Chase positions and has had a few really good Las Vegas finishes recently. He finished 20th last fall after being ousted from Trackhouse Racing but had back-to-back top-fives in the two Vegas stops prior. Looking further back, if you throw out the first and latest races at the track with this car, Suarez finished 16th or better in all. That is six finishes of 16th or better from his last eight tries. Not bad for an option priced so low.
NASCAR Best Bets for the Pennzoil 400
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 4:30 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Kyle Larson +450
Top-Five Finish - Ty Gibbs +425
Top-10 Finish - Austin Cindric +300
Even with all the parity Las Vegas Motor Speedway produces, one name continues to rise to the top - Kyle Larson. The defending series champion led a total of 190 laps at the track last season despite not winning, but he did land a runner-up finish in the fall. Larson has been consistently competitive at the track and is likely to be in the hunt for the win again this week. His average Las Vegas start is 7.3 and his average finish is 9.0. Larson is a deserved favorite this week, and wagerers are getting decent odds for a change, too.
One driver showing real upside potential is Ty Gibbs. Back-to-back top-five finishes highlight his early-season consistency, and those strong results have vaulted him into the all-important top 16 in points. While critics may continue to question Gibbs until he finally secures his long-awaited first series win, his string of top-five finishes marks a major step toward that goal. This kind of consistency could pay off at Las Vegas, where he's shown speed with a starting average of 12.7 over seven races, though he's only notched one top-five finish there so far. Another top-10 start would put him in prime position to chase a third straight top-five finish.
Austin Cindric consistently shows off his speed at Las Vegas. Though he's managed just two top-10 finishes in his eight starts, his qualifying performances here has been impressive. All that is lacking is for him to turn that single-lap speed into strong race results on a more frequent basis. Even when Cindric hasn't started near the front, he has proven he can work his way up through the field; last fall, he finished 11th after starting 31st. Much like Gibbs, we want to see Cindric qualify inside the first seven rows and then run a smooth, trouble-free race from start to finish. If he does that, a top-10 finish should be well within reach.
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