Jeff Gordon set a track-record pole, then started from the back after a practice collision, while Kevin Harvick won the race that moved him to the top of the standings.
Harvick's first victory of 2015 came at Las Vegas, where he passed Joey Logano for the points lead. The race was the third of the 2015 Sprint Cup season, and Jeff Gordon's track-record pole could not turn into a front-running race after a practice collision.
Kevin Harvick won the 2015 Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on 8 March 2015, his first win of the season and the 29th of his career. The race was the third of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, and Harvick's victory took him past Joey Logano at the top of the points.
Where did the Kobalt 400 sit in the 2015 season?
Joey Logano entered the weekend one point ahead of Jimmie Johnson, who had won his 71st career race the previous week at Atlanta. Kevin Harvick was in third place, two points adrift of Logano, having led 116 of the race's 325 laps at Atlanta.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fourth in the standings, four points back, while Martin Truex Jr. sat fifth, 13 points behind the leader. That was the order the field carried into a race that would reshape the top of the table.
The track sits in Clark County, Nevada, about 24 km (15 miles) northeast of the Las Vegas Strip. The 490 ha (1,200 acre) complex belongs to Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Harvick's victory took him past Joey Logano at the top of the points.
Who was in the field and who changed cars?
The entry list was released on Monday, 2 March 2015, with 48 drivers entered. Ty Dillon took the wheel of the No. 33 for Hillman-Circle Sport, in a Chevrolet, and David Ragan stepped into the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford for the injured Kyle Busch before Brett Moffitt took over the car on 4 March.
Brian Vickers returned to the No. 55 Toyota after heart surgery in December, missing the season's first two races. Blaney, the No. 21 Wood Brothers car and Dillon had not been entered for the previous week at Atlanta.
How did the practice sessions look?
Kyle Larson was quickest in the first practice session at 28.177 seconds, a speed of 308.424 km/h (191.646 mph). Vickers was 33rd fastest in that session, his first on-track running since surgery, and he described the return as awesome.
Jimmie Johnson led the second session at 28.141 seconds, or 308.819 km/h (191.891 mph). Aric Almirola spun off turn 2 with nine minutes left and drove his car back to the garage. In final practice Johnson was again fastest at 28.779 seconds, or 301.972 km/h (187.637 mph).
The final session also produced the race's biggest weekend setback. Danica Patrick spun exiting turn 2, and Jeff Gordon struck her car, forcing his team to switch to a backup car. David Ragan had hit the turn 1 wall in the same session and also moved to a spare, so both drivers began from the rear.
How fast was Jeff Gordon in qualifying?
Gordon took his 79th career pole, setting a fresh track record of 27.738 seconds, at a speed of 313.305 km/h (194.679 mph). Joey Logano was 0.052 seconds behind, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified fourth.
Gordon said the margin was close and praised his team for keeping their heads up. Logano said his Ford had some speed in it. Brad Keselowski had a brief problem before his first qualifying run, when officials sent his team back to inspection over wheel wells that had been outlawed during the off-season.
Five drivers did not make the field: Sorenson, Bliss, Kvapil, Wallace and DiBenedetto.
Why did Jeff Gordon start from the rear?
Gordon's team switched to a backup car after he was involved in the final-practice collision with Danica Patrick, so he lined up at the back of the field despite his pole. The change meant he started from the rear of a race he had led qualifying for.
Gordon's last race at the track therefore began from the back, and he would never lead a lap there. He worked his way through the field during the first stint and was 21st when the first caution flew, although the pole still showed what the car could do.
How did the race start and the first caution unfold?
The race was scheduled to start at 3:46 pm Eastern time and went green a couple of minutes later, with Kasey Kahne leading the field. Logano took the lead on the second lap and was soon the car to beat at the front.
The first caution flew on lap 26 for a scheduled check of tyre wear, a stop that teams take after overnight showers. Gordon briefly blocked Logano's exit from pit road, and Earnhardt Jr. left as the leader. Alex Bowman led one lap before his engine began to fail, and he took the car to the garage.
How did the lead change hands in the middle?
Jimmie Johnson took the lead from Logano on lap 44, and Earnhardt Jr. could not get past the lapped traffic to reach him. The pit cycle that began around lap 75 reshuffled the front runners, with Johnson giving up the lead on lap 77 and Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Johnson briefly trading the top spot.
A second caution on lap 82 came from debris in turn 1. Harvick took the lead after the restart, while Johnson pitted unexpectedly with a loose wheel and rejoined one lap down in 33rd.
What happened to Jimmie Johnson's tyres?
Johnson blew a right-front tyre on lap 172 and hit the wall in the tri-oval. Joey Logano was then caught speeding on pit road, and David Ragan was also penalised for an uncontrolled tyre.
With 82 laps left, Johnson blew another right-front tyre and hit the turn 4 wall again, bringing the fifth caution. After the first failure his team believed the bead had blown, and after the second Johnson said the tyre had gone soft going into turn 3.
Which incidents shaped the late stages?
Harvick returned to the lead on lap 149 and kept racing near the front, while Keselowski had been forced to serve a drive-through penalty after a tyre rolled out onto the tri-oval grass. That caution, on lap 139, had already reshaped the leaders.
Once the field went green with 75 laps left, Carl Edwards shoved Kasey Kahne into the wall, and Kahne turned down on Edwards in turn 1 in response. Edwards spun, bringing the sixth caution with 74 laps left.
Who led the final laps?
With 69 laps to go Earnhardt Jr. took back the lead, only to lose it to Harvick two laps later. Earnhardt made his final stop with 37 laps left and handed the lead to Ryan Newman, who was followed by Brad Keselowski with 25 laps to go.
Harvick cycled back to the front with 17 laps to go and coasted to the win. He had led 142 laps in total, more than any other driver, and was rewarded with the 3M Lap Leader award.
| Result | Driver | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing; 29th career win, first at this track |
| 2nd | Martin Truex Jr. | Second place finish in the race |
| 3rd | Ryan Newman | Third place finish, one of the late leaders |
| 4th | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Fourth place finish, after leading early in the race |
| 5th | Denny Hamlin | Fifth place finish |
Harvick said it was cool to win at Las Vegas and start the West Coast swing that way, and he was relieved the race ended when it did, for his own good. The race had 18 lead changes among nine drivers, and six cautions for 28 laps.
What did the race statistics show?
The race lasted 2:47:15, at an average speed of 231.226 km/h (143.677 mph). Harvick took home $442,415, and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Leader Bonus added $30,000 for his lead in the standings.
Several awards went to other drivers. Jeff Gordon took the Brake in the Race award, Austin Dillon gained eight positions to win the Power Move award, and Kyle Larson set the fastest lap on lap 2 at 29.285 seconds, or 296.758 km/h (184.397 mph). Jeb Burton was named Rookie of the Race.
Were there penalties after the race?
Two teams were penalised after the race for rules violations found in post-race inspection. The No. 51 team had ballast falling off the car and failed to meet the minimum weight after racing, and crew chief Steve Addington received a $25,000 fine.
The No. 2 team had modified the rear quarter panel wheel openings after qualifying inspection. Paul Wolfe, the crew chief, now sits on NASCAR probation until 31 December, and the team was penalised for actions detrimental to stock car racing.
Harvick's win gave Stewart-Haas Racing its second victory at the track and left him nine points clear of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the standings. Chevrolet extended its manufacturer lead over Ford to eleven points.