Joe Gibbs Racing Dominates Las Vegas on Saturday, Penske Surprisingly Slow in Practice

What’s Happening?

Christopher Bell won the pole for the 2026 Pennzoil 400 in a qualifying session dominated by Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota, who qualified 1st through 4th after also setting the pace in practice. It’s Bell’s 4th pole at Las Vegas, which breaks a tie with Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne for the most poles of all time at the racetrack.

Practice Results

• Fastest Lap: Christopher Bell [29.338s]
• Best Overall Average: Kyle Larson [30.247s]
• Best 5-Lap Average: Denny Hamlin [29.608s]
• Best 10-Lap Average: Denny Hamlin [29.912s]
• Best 15-Lap Average: Zane Smith [30.052s]
• Best 20-Lap Average: Ty Gibbs [30.210s]
• Best 25-Lap Average: Ty Gibbs [30.308s]
• Best 30-Lap Average: Ty Gibbs [30.398s]

Starting Lineup

Notes

• Christopher Bell earned the pole by over a tenth over his teammate, Denny Hamlin. It’s Bell’s 4th pole at the track, an all-time record.
• Team Penske, usually a contender with multiple cars in Vegas, was surprisingly slow in practice. Though earlier this week, Brad Keselowski noted that practice times may not reflect race day pace.

Ones to Watch

• Joe Gibbs Racing: Recent history at Las Vegas already shows Toyota and JGR have speed and are capable of winning at any given mile-and-a-half track, but this weekend, it seems the organization is on a different level. All the cars are fast on the short run and the long run, and have the track position to start the race. Expect this team up front all day.
• Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick: Larson and Reddick are, of course, different drivers, but they’re both here for the same reason: They are REALLY good on intermediate tracks. They start 5th and 7th, respectively, and are known for their ability to ride the wall, which will be crucial for long-run performance.
• Team Penske: Though they were lackluster, to say the least, in practice, Ryan Blaney still qualified 6th, and they’ve shown their favoritism before. Vegas has been Penske’s ‘playground’ since the Gen 6, and it hasn’t changed much with the Gen 7. The track allows for overtakes, meaning Logano and Cindric could recover from their 21st and 31st starting positions.
• William Byron: Byron has been one of the best drivers at Las Vegas since the introduction of the Gen 7 car, with 4 top 5s, 6 top 10s, and 266 laps led in 8 starts since 2022, including a win in 2023. He usually runs top 5 for most of the day, and it’s not only possible, but also likely, that he challenges for the win once again.

Honorable Mentions:

• Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain

Pit Stall Selections

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