Martin Truex Jr. took the checkered flag for the win, Joey Logano & Kyle Busch have a brawl in the pits

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER BOATS Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Starting from 2nd place Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER BOATS Toyota won the 20th Annual Kobalt 400, his 8th win in 408 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races. This is Martin Truex Jr.’s 1st win & 2nd Top 10 finish in 2017. This is Truex’s 1st win, 4th Top 10 finish in 12 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway & he has also won the 2 other stages of the race. 2nd Place Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet, started from 5th place posted his 2nd Top 10 finish in 4 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is his 2nd Top 10 finish in 2017. 3rd Place Car 24 Chase Elliott NAPA Chevrolet, started from 12th place posted his 1st Top 10 finish in 2 races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER BOATS Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

4th Place Car 22 Joey Logano Pennzoil Ford, started from 6th place followed by 5th place Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford, started from pole. 6th Place Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota, started from 15th place followed by 7th place Car 21 Ryan Blaney Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, started from 3rd place. 8th Place Car 1 Jamie McMurray Credit One Bank/Cessna Chevrolet, started from 10th place followed by 9th place Car 20 Matt Kenseth BlueDEF Toyota, started from 4th place. Lastly in the Top 10 Car 14 Clint Bowyer Haas Automation Ford, in 10th place, started from 13th place. Erik Jones (15th) was the highest finishing rookie. Brad Keselowski leads the point standings by 1 point over Kyle Larson.

 

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, and Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER BOATS Toyota, lead the field under caution prior to the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

The race had 6 Cautions for 34 Laps: 1st Caution on lap 19 for Car 83 Corey LaJoie JAS Expeditited Trucking Toyota crash in Turn 2. 2nd Caution on lap 70 for Car 4 Kevin Harvick Mobil 1 Annual Protection Ford crash on the frontstretch. 3rd Caution on lap 82 for Stage 1 Conclusion. 4th Caution on lap 153 for Car 55 Derrike Cope Chevrolet crash in Turn 2. 5th Caution on lap 162 for Stage 2 Conclusion. 6th Caution on lap 253 for Oil on the track from Car 10 Danica Patrick Aspen Dental Ford.

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, and Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER BOATS Toyota, lead the field to the green flag to start the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The race had 14 Lead Changes among 6 drivers. Lap Leaders: B. Keselowski 1-19; M. Truex Jr. 20-24; B. Keselowski 25-70; J. Logano 71-75; M. Truex Jr. 76-124; B. Keselowski 125-126; T. Dillon # 127-128; M. McDowell 129-130; M. Truex Jr. 131-153; J. Johnson 154-156; M. Truex Jr. 157-211; J. Johnson 212-227; M. Truex Jr. 228-243; B. Keselowski 244-265; M. Truex Jr. 266-267. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): M. Truex Jr. 6 times for 150 laps; B. Keselowski 4 times for 89 laps; J. Johnson 2 times for 19 laps; J. Logano 1 time for 5 laps; T. Dillon # 1 time for 2 laps; M. McDowell 1 time for 2 laps.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 78,42,21,2,24,1,48,18,20,88

Stage #2 Top Ten: 78,2,42,24,22,21,88,1,31,48

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, and Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, race off of pit road during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford was not able to keep the lead from Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER BOATS Toyota. Martin Truex Jr. took the lead on lap 266 & was able to hold off for the win with a Margin of Victory of 1.495 Seconds.

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, and Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER BOATS Toyota, lead the field into turn one to start the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Car 22 Joey Logano Pennzoil Ford & Car 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Toyota had contact on the last lap of the race. Kyle Busch was spun causing him hit the inside wall on pit road and limped across the finish line in 22nd place. Busch went to Logano’s pit at the end of the race & a scuffle had taken place, Busch left with a bloody forehead. Turns out what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas.

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER BOATS Toyota, and Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, lead the field during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race Number 3
Unofficial Race Results for the 20Th Annual Kobalt 400 – Sunday, March 12, 2017
Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, NV – 1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 267 Laps – 400.5 Miles

Finish Start Truck Driver Team Laps Status
1. 2. Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER BOATS Toyota 267 Running
2. 5. Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet 267 Running
3. 12. Car 24 Chase Elliott NAPA Chevrolet 267 Running
4. 6. Car 22 Joey Logano Pennzoil Ford 267 Running
5. 1. Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 267 Running
6. 15. Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 267 Running
7. 3. Car 21 Ryan Blaney Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 267 Running
8. 10. Car 1 Jamie McMurray Credit One Bank/Cessna Chevrolet 267 Running
9. 4. Car 20 Matt Kenseth BlueDEF Toyota 267 Running
10. 13. Car 14 Clint Bowyer Haas Automation Ford 267 Running
11. 16. Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Kobalt Chevrolet 267 Running
12. 7. Car 5 Kasey Kahne LiftMaster Chevrolet 267 Running
13. 20. Car 6 Trevor Bayne Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford 267 Running
14. 30. Car 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 267 Running
15. 8. Car 77 Erik Jones # 5-hour Energy Extra Strength Toyota 267 Running
16. 18. Car 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide Chevrolet 267 Running
17. 21. Car 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet 267 Running
18. 26. Car 95 Michael McDowell WRL General Contractors Chevrolet 267 Running
19. 14. Car 27 Paul Menard Valvoline Menards Chevrolet 267 Running
20. 11. Car 19 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota 267 Running
21. 24. Car 13 Ty Dillon # GEICO Chevrolet 267 Running
22. 9. Car 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Toyota 267 Running
23. 25. Car 37 Chris Buescher Natural Light Chevrolet 266 Running
24. 23. Car 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger ClickList Chevrolet 266 Running
25. 22. Car 3 Austin Dillon Lucas Oil Chevrolet 266 Running
26. 31. Car 32 Matt DiBenedetto Can-Am/Kappa Ford 265 Running
27. 27. car 34 Landon Cassill Love’s Travel Stops Ford 264 Running
28. 33. Car 72 Cole Whitt Rinnai Chevrolet 264 Running
29. 32. Car 38 David Ragan Juice Battery Ford 264 Running
30. 17. Car 41 Kurt Busch Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford 263 Running
31. 37. Car 15 Reed Sorenson Toyota 262 Running
32. 36. Car 33 Jeffrey Earnhardt Little Joes Autos/Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet 261 Running
33. 29. Car 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fastenal Ford 261 Running
34. 35. Car 23 Gray Gaulding # Schluter Systems Toyota 260 Running
35. 38. Car 55 * Derrike Cope # Chevrolet 254 Running
36. 28. Car 10 Danica Patrick Aspen Dental Ford 246 Engine
37. 39. Car 51 * Timmy Hill(i) Dashub Chevrolet 135 Suspension
38. 19. Car 4 Kevin Harvick Mobil 1 Annual Protection Ford 68 Accident
39. 34. Car 83 * Corey LaJoie # JAS Expeditited Trucking Toyota 16 Accident

Race Comments: Prior to the start of the race, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field for the reasons indicated: #10 (rear gear), #17 (backup car), #51 (transmission). Failed to Qualify: N/A. Caution Flags: 6 for 34 laps. Lead Changes: 14 among 6 drivers.
American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award: Kyle Busch, #18. Coors Light Pole Award: Brad Keselowski, #2 193.68 mph. Ingersoll Rand Power Move: Kasey Kahne, #5 5 positions. Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Roush-Yates Engines, #2. Mobil 1 Driver of the Race : Kyle Larson, #42. Moog Go the Extra Mile: Denny Hamlin, #11 crew chief Michael Wheeler, 0.047 seconds. Sherwin-Williams Fastest Lap: Kyle Larson, #42. Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Erik Jones, #77.

(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

Next Race: Mar. 19, 2017 – Phoenix Raceway

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