Las Vegas Motor Speedway is home to many different racing disciplines and some of the most exciting racing ever. One of the bigger ticket events on the calendar is the NASCAR playoff race in the fall. Not only does this race play a hand in determining the final round of the NASCAR championships, but it’s also one of the year’s most exciting races.
Below, we’re looking at five of the craziest NASCAR playoff moments in Las Vegas Motor Speedway history. Click here if you want tickets to see the next race in person.
#5 The last time Las Vegas Motor Speedway was used as the playoff opener was in 2019
Think of the last time you saw Dale Earnhardt win a race. Or maybe the last time Brett Favre donned a Green Bay Packers uniform. These last moments all hold special places, and this includes the 2019 playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
This race is so special because it was the last time in NASCAR history that Las Vegas served as the playoff opener in the Cup Series. The whole race had this electric feel to it from the drop of the green flag. The anything-could-happen factor was dangling over the drivers’ heads while they jockeyed for position.
It all came down to the final stages of the race, where Martin Truex Jr. kept it steady to the checkered flag. The end of the race also took place under the moonlight, offering a very unique look. This victory helped punch Truex Jr.’s ticket to the next round of the playoffs and was his fifth win of the season. Only in NACAR do you see stats like that pulled off.
#4 Joey Logano fends off Ross Chastain to punch his ticket to the Championship four
Nothing gets your heart pumping like watching two NASCAR drivers battle for a checkered flag. There is just an intense energy in the air while fans examine every little movement of both cars. Things only get crazier as the laps tick down, and you realize the drivers are running out of opportunities to secure the victory.
This was the case in 2022 when Joey Logano chased down Ross Chastain in the closing laps. At first, Chastain seemed to have the advantage, but Logan quickly flipped the script. Out of nowhere, Logano got alongside Chastain and used the draft to bring their cars level. Logano then beat Chastain to the bottom of the race track and pulled away.
A few laps later, Joey Logano took the checkered flag and secured himself a spot in the final four of the playoffs. Watching Logano chase down Chastain in the closing laps was enough to get anyone out of their seat.
#3 Brad Keselowski takes win number 500 for Team Penske in the 2018 playoffs
NASCAR is a sport with a lot of unique stats. Some will likely stand forever, like Richard Petty’s 200 wins in Cup Series action. Others, however, are just within reach and waiting to be topped. One of these honors belongs to Roger Penske, who raced to 500 victories as a team owner.
Brad Keselowski helped him achieve this honor by holding off the field in the final laps to score the checkered flag in 2018. Of course, Penske’s status includes his IndyCar team and other racing ventures, but it is still quite a piece of history to see. Keselowski celebrated the win epically by doing burnouts while holding the checkered and American flags.
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#2 Bubba Wallace tries to Fight Kyle Larson after on-track incident in 2022
The NASCAR playoffs are an intense time in the sport. One lousy race can destroy your chances of making it to the next round. This sometimes results in fights between drivers, and that’s precisely what happened between Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace in 2022.
The incident started with an innocuous bump between the two drivers. The two made contact, which angered Wallace. He responded by chasing Larson down to the bottom of the track and turning him into the wall. Now, both Larson and Wallace were out of the playoffs for separate reasons, but this wasn’t good for either team.
Wallace wasn’t done and walked to Larson’s car for a conversation. Larson did his best to remain calm, but Wallace started shoving and yelling at him. The crowd was going wild at this point, which seemed to amp Bubba up more. Safety officials finally separated the two, and Wallace was suspended for his actions.
#1 Kurt Busch wins at Las Vegas to punch his ticket to the final four
Las Vegas Motor Speedway has witnessed several unforgettable NASCAR playoff moments over the years, and they all have their special place in history. None of them seem to compare to the 2020 Fall playoff race, however, where Las Vegas native Kurt Busch held off the field for one of the last wins of his career.
It all came down to a restart with two laps to go, and Busch just shot out of the restart zone like a rocket. The rest of the pack, including guys like Denny Hamlin and Matt Dibendetto, tried their best, but there was just no stopping the hometown boy. Busch celebrated the victory with massive burnouts for the fans watching at home during the pandemic.
The victory propelled him to the round of Eight, which turned out to be his best showing under NASCAR’s new version of the playoffs. Unfortunately for Busch, no fans could be in attendance due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
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