All You Need to Know About the NASCAR South Point 400 Race at Las Vegas

The playoff contenders in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series have a tough task ahead in the Round of 12 with challenging race tracks such as the Talladega Superspeedway and The Roval at Charlotte awaiting them. This makes the South Point 400 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway all the more important to score crucial points.

Kevin Harvick goes into the race gunning for his 10th win of the season. With his current form, he would fancy his chances going into the race this Sunday. A 10th win this season will make him the first driver in 13 years to achieve the feat.

When and how to watch the race?

The South Point 400 race begins at 7 pm ET and will be shown on NCBSN, the NBC Sports App, PRN, and the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel.

Weather conditions for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas

The temperatures are expected to be high in Las Vegas this time of the year. The race will begin in the late afternoon/ early evening time slot in Vegas, to negate the heat to some extent. However, it will still play a factor during the race.

Details of the track and history

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile oval track. It opened in 1996 and is a relatively newer track compared to many other tracks on the schedule. The 7-time Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson, has most wins (four) at Las Vegas.

The asphalt racing surface at the track has played host to 25 NASCAR races so far. The banking in the turns are at 20 degrees, while on the straights they are 9 to 12 degrees. The South Point 400 is a 267-lap race. The first two stages will be of 80 laps each.

Changes made to the tires

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Limited practice on the track forced the tire manufacturers to take feedback from drivers and the teams to make changes to the compound at the track. This led to a change in the right-side compound for some of the upcoming tracks. The first of those tracks is Las Vegas.

Drivers also felt that tracks with lower tire wear should have a better grip. Thus the new compound will help with that too. Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials tires will be used for the race.

READ MORE- How will the Tires Affect the NASCAR Cup Series Race in Las Vegas This Weekend?

Starting line-up

Courtesy of the new ranking system for starting line-ups, Harvick starts the race on pole position. Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott start just behind him. Aric Almirola and Joey Logano round off the Top-5.

READ MORE- Kevin Harvick to Start in Pole Position at Las Vegas With Record Win in Sight

What happened in the last NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas?

During the previous race this season at Las Vegas, Logano triumphed as Matt DiBenedetto and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished behind him. Austin Dillon and Jimmie Johnson rounded off the Top-5.

In the last playoff race at Vegas, in 2019, Martin Truex Jr. won ahead of Kevin Harvick in second.