Alex Bowman gambled on a two-tire pit stop Sunday afternoon (3/6) to cash in for the win in Las Vegas in NASCAR’s Pennzoil 400.
The NASCAR Cup Series ran their third race in the seventh version of the Next Gen car. This third race of the 2022 season was on a mile-and-a-half track, the size track that holds the most races each season. This could indicate what the rest of the season is going to be like.
If that is indeed the fact, this season will be a fun one for fans, teams and drivers. Much like the first two races, this car provided plenty of racing and excitement from all size teams. While teams did their best to help the handling of the cars; drivers had to use their skill to advance on the track.
There were 15 drivers that were able to advance to the first position during the race. Those drivers exchanged the lead a total of 23 times. Ross Chastain drives for the newly formed, two-car team Trackhouse Racing and led the most laps with 83 laps as the leader Sunday.
Alex Bowman was able to win stage one of the race. Ross Chastain was the winner in stage two.
It looked like Ross was going to the car to beat. However, as clouds moved in to cool down the track and stage three was winding down; it was Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. battling for the lead of the race. It appeared as though Kyle had finally forced Martin to use up his tires and was going to be able to hold on for the win on his home town track.
With three laps to go the 12th and final caution period of the race was issued. That brought the field to pit road to prepare for a NASCAR Overtime of a Green-White-Checkered finish. Leader Kyle Busch decided to take four tires. Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman and William Byron all took two tires and beat Kyle Busch off pit road. That gave the three Hendrick Motorsports teammates the top three positions for what would end up being the final re-start of the race.
When the green flag waived Alex Bowman was on the inside of row one with Kyle Larson on the outside. Kyle Larson was on the inside of row two with William Byron on the outside. Through that first lap of the two-lap shoot-out to end the race the front two cars and the second two cars raced side-by-side with each other. It also gives Alex his entry to the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
The final lap of the race had the front two cars continuing the drag race for the win. The cars behind them began shuffling slightly for the positions behind them. Coming out of the final turn of the last lap Alex Bowman was able to gain the advantage and pull out front enough to capture the win. Alex became the third winner in the three races so far in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. He also gave Hendrick Motorsports back-to-back wins after Kyle Larson’s win in California last week.
Kyle Larson held on for second-place. Ross Chastain was able to race forward on the final lap for a third-place finish. Kyle Larson claimed fourth-place with William Byron in fifth-place. See the complete race results for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway here.
Kyle Larson leaves Las Vegas as the leader in the point standings. Martin Truex Jr. sits in second place. Joey Logano is in third. Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric holds fourth place in the points with Kyle Busch rounding out the top five. See the complete NASCAR Cup Series point standings here.
Next on the schedule for the NASCAR Cup Series is a trip to Phoenix Raceway for the Ruoff Mortgage 500 Sunday afternoon, March 13th.
By: Buck Stevens
