The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs continue tonight with the 2021 South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Read on below to see my prediction for who will win the race, as well as my top 10, dark horse, and driver to fade predictions.
Winner: Kyle Larson- Larson has been the man to beat all year, with 6 wins, 16 top 5’s, and 21 top 10’s in 29 races. Larson has 4 wins and a runner-up on mile and a half tracks this year, including the All-Star Race and the spring race in Las Vegas. With a win and 7 top 10’s in 10 career Las Vegas races, Larson comes into tonight with the momentum off of last week’s win at Bristol. It’ll be Lucky 7 tonight for Larson as he finds Victory Lane at Las Vegas!
Top 10: Ryan Blaney- Las Vegas had been kind to Blaney in his career, with 4 top 5’s and 7 top 10’s in 10 career races. Blaney has been rounding into form as the Round of 12 starts, with 2 wins and 6 top 5’s in his last 9 races. Blaney will be in the hunt for a win tonight, but a top 10 is a guarantee tonight.
Dark Horse: Chris Buescher- Although he doesn’t run up front consistently, Las Vegas is one of Buescher’s best tracks, with 1 top 10, 7 top 20’s, and an average finish of 16.89 in 9 career starts. Mile and a half tracks have been Buescher’s strength this season, finishing in the top 10 at Atlanta, Kansas, and Charlotte earlier this year. A win is unlikely, but the trends should hold true with Buescher finishing inside the top 15 tonight.
Driver to Fade: Bubba Wallace- With the exception of a 6th place finish here in Spring 2020, Wallace has finished outside the top 20 in his other 6 starts in Las Vegas. Wallace has shown speed at times this season, but tonight will not be one of those nights, as Wallace will finish outside the top 20.