The stakes are higher than ever. With just four races remaining, the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series are making their way to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the opening Round of Eight fixture. The 1.5-mile track is a staple in the postseason calendar, having featured at this crucial playoff juncture for the last two years. After a dramatic disqualification for Alex Bowman at the Charlotte Roval, Rick Hendrick’s team will be looking to get past their latest setback at ‘the diamond in the desert’.

Ahead of the 2024 South Point 400, the Hendrick Motorsports drivers took to social media to reveal their secrets for mastering the 1.5-mile tracks, highlighting how often they change their lines on speedway tracks.

HMS drivers reveal key insights ahead of Las Vegas

It’s now or never. For three out of four drivers competing for Rick Hendrick’s team, the upcoming playoff races could make or break their season. Getting results at Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami, and Martinsville could ensure a spot in the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway, where the winner will lift the Cup Series championship. Given what’s on the line, the likes of Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Chase Elliott will need to use every trick in the book to get a competitive advantage, starting at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Revealing how often they change their lines at a 1.5-mile track, Cup Series leader Kyle Larson shared, “How often you change your line kind of varies on the track that you’re at. For most mile and a half’s, the lanes progress throughout the run, so you’re always being run a little bit.” Chase Elliott also chimed in by saying, “You’re always gonna do something different than the guy in front of you. If he’s running your lane, you’re obviously going to have to run somewhere else. You’re always looking for fresh air regardless of where it is.”

William Byron, who is fourth in the standings, four points ahead of Ryan Blaney and just above the playoff cutline, went on to say, “You change your line every lap really. Small things here and there, a couple of things here and there. Changes in the tire grip going away and you have to adapt to that.” As for Alex Bowman, he might not be competing for the championship anymore, but the No. 48 Chevy driver can still finish the season in fifth place. Rick Hendrick’s team has a good record at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with Kyle Larson entering Victory Lane in his last two appearances on the 1.5-mile track.

As things stand, NASCAR’s most successful team has won a staggering 312 races in the Cup Series so far, and could potentially increase that tally by four by the end of the season. Rick Hendrick will hope that his drivers deliver consistently in the upcoming races to remain in contention for the silverware later this year. Could the likes of Larson, Elliott, and Byron make it into Championship 4 and challenge for the title? Time will tell. However, if there is one team that’s the favorite to make a deep playoff run, it’s Hendrick Motorsports.

Rick Hendrick’s team is keeping its eye on the prize

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No team in NASCAR history has won as many accolades as Hendrick Motorsports. With 16 driver’s championships, Rick Hendrick has cemented his legacy as the sport’s most successful owner of a racing side. Over the last few years, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson secured back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021 respectively, but the team hasn’t lifted the silverware since the Next-Gen car was introduced, with Team Penske dominating the new era. However, with three drivers in contention for the silverware, could the winless streak be broken this season?

During the post-race press conference at the Charlotte Roval, Rick Hendrick revealed that his team was more hungry than ever to achieve success at Phoenix Raceway. The 75-year-old team owner said, “Nothing fuels you more than get to that final race and not being able to close the deal. You go to the offseason thinking about you got two cars there, and you didn’t get to close a deal. So every race this year, the crew chiefs are talking about Phoenix, and they’re talking about wanting to get back and kind of have another shot.”

With three playoff races standing between them and a shot at glory, Hendrick Motorsports has some work to do to reach Championship 4. As the competition is tougher than ever before, Rick Hendrick’s drivers cannot rest on their laurels and will need to treat every race like a final. Chase Elliott, who is nine points below the elimination cutline ahead of the Round of Eight, is in a particularly precarious position and will need to significantly improve his performances to keep his title hopes alive.