LAS VEGAS, NV (February 29, 2024) Richard Childress Racing is off to a wild start for the 2024 season, leading in both the owner and driver points between the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series. Now it’s time to buckle up and head out to the wild west. The first stop on the circuit is Las Vegas Motor Speedway; home to driver of the No. 8 BetMGM Chevrolet, Kyle Busch. After Sin City, RCR heads to Phoenix Raceway, where just nine short months from now a champion will be crowned in both series. The fight to stay at the top is already under way.
With two wins under its belts thus far, RCR’s Xfinity program is no stranger to victory lane. NASCAR Xfinity Series driver of the No. 21, Austin Hill, has gone two-for-two this season winning at Daytona and Atlanta. Teammate and driver of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet, Jesse Love, has started on the pole both races, making him the first competitor to win consecutive poles in their first two Xfinity Series starts. Hill qualified right behind Love in Daytona and Atlanta, placing both cars on the front row for the start of each race. RCR came close to sweeping the weekend in Atlanta with one of the most historical race finishes in NASCAR. Busch came .0007 seconds too late to clinching the checkered flag, ultimately finishing third. That did nothing but ignite a fire in him for this weekend’s race in Las Vegas, where he is known to dominate the track having won once there in the NASCAR Cup Series, twice in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and four times in the Craftsman Truck Series. Busch reminisces on those wins, especially his first Cup Series win there, to this day.
“It was huge and such a cool deal. That to me felt like my Daytona 500. I’ve had some big wins. I’ve won Indy. I’ve won the Southern 500. I’ve won the Coke 600, All-Star Race, all that stuff. But the Vegas win, it was just like such a relief, such a monumental win for me because I remember I grew up right down the street watching that place be built,” said Busch.
RCR teammate and driver of the No. 3 BetMGM Chevrolet, Austin Dillon, has also won in the Xfinity Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but is looking to bring home his first Cup Series win from the ‘Diamond in the Desert’ and secure a spot in the playoffs.
“I can’t wait to get to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s one of my favorite racetracks. It’s big, fast, bumpy, and it has a lot of lines that you can choose. It’s going to be a great race weekend for everyone coming to check us out. We’re on a mission on the No. 3 team to turn our luck around and Las Vegas is the perfect place to do that,” said Dillon.
While Busch and Dillon compete for their spot in Vegas’ victory lane, Hill looks to take home another checkered flag from Las Vegas Motor Speedway almost one year to the date of last year’s 300 mile race. Hill won the spring Las Vegas race in 2023 after leading 19 of the 200 laps in the No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet.
“I’ve always had good fortune at, and have loved going to, Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I had success there during my Truck Series career and now I’ve won an Xfinity Series race there as well. Statistically, I have run well there throughout my career. I expect big things when we hit the track. Our Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet should be capable of running up front and the No. 21 team hopefully will have a shot at the win. These first three races to start this season are our cup of tea. We won all three last season, have two already this year, and our goal is to keep the momentum going,” says Hill.
The newest addition to the RCR stable, Love, is looking to take home his first victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series under the RCR banner. Love has started on the pole both races so far this season and was just laps away from winning in thesecond race, but due to a late caution, Love and several other competitors didn’t have enough fuel to make it through the final lap. This only fueled Love’s hunger to win, especially as he heads out west closer to the California native’s home.
“I feel like I know more of what to do and what not to do on an intermediate track than I did on a superspeedway. I have confidence heading to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the fact that I personally have laps at a mile-and-a-half track in an ARCA car and our Whelen Chevrolet should be fast once again. There is a little bit of an unknown in going to a mile-and-a-half for the first time specifically in an Xfinity car, but that’s a more positive than negative unknown. Our No. 2 team has come out of the gate strong and while we wanted the win last week in Atlanta, we can take that strong run and build off of it,” states Love.
Don’t miss a minute of the action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend where Team Chevrolet hopes to continue their winning streak having captured all six wins thus far. Tune in beginning with practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Friday, March 1, at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1. On-track action for the Cup Series will begin Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on FS1, followed by the Xfinity Series race at 5 p.m. ET. Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race will be televised at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.
