PREVIEW: Only a few new faces arrive in Las Vegas for triple-header weekend
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
PHOTO: Mike Harmon Racing, @MHR_Racing74
Friday, March 14, 2025 (Green Flag 6:22 P.M. ET, FS1)
TRUCKS Race 3 of 25
Ecosave 200 at Las Vegas
2024 Last-Place Finisher: Timmy Hill
ENTRY LIST
There are 32 drivers entered for 36 spots as the series returns for the first time in three weeks. This is already the second of three races run this year with fewer trucks than available starting spots.
DRIVER CHANGE: #2-Reaume Brothers Racing
Stephen Mallozzi makes his first Truck Series start of the year, his first since he finished 35th at Pocono last summer. He again drives for the Reaume effort, this time in the #2 in place of Atlanta last-place finisher Keith McGee. This will be Mallozzi’s first series start at Las Vegas.
DRIVER CHANGE: #7-Spire Motorsports
Corey Day will make the fifth start of his Truck Series career and his first of the 2025 campaign, his first since an 18th-place run last fall at Martinsville. After making his first four start with the McAnally team, Day will this time pilot the Spire #7 entry most recently piloted by Atlanta race winner Kyle Busch. Day’s series-best 16th-place finish came in his most recent 1.5-mile track start last fall in Homestead.
MISSING: #63-Akinori Performance
While Akinori Ogata is not entered this week following the #63 team’s withdrawal from Atlanta, he’s since revealed on social media that he’s looking to debut his team in next week’s race at Homestead.
DRIVER CHANGE: #07-Spire Motorsports
It’s a Cup Series driver swap in the Spire #07 as Justin Haley takes the place of 12th-place Atlanta finisher Michael McDowell. It’s Haley’s second series start of 2025, his first since a 5th-place showing in the Daytona opener.
CUP INVADERS: #07-Justin Haley
Saturday, March 15, 2025 (Green Flag 1:40 P.M. ET, CW)
XFINITY Race 5 of 33
The LiUNA! at Las Vegas
2024 Last-Place Finisher: Sam Mayer
ENTRY LIST
There are 38 drivers for 38 spots, so all will qualify.
MISSING: #17-Hendrick Motorsports
Not among this week’s entrants is the Hendrick #17 with which Alex Bowman nearly won last Saturday in Phoenix before Aric Almirola’s door-slamming conclusion to the race.
RETURNING: #32-Jordan Anderson Racing
As he continues to seek more experience on the oval tracks, Austin Green and the #32 team return to action for the first time since COTA, where the road racer finished an uncharacteristic 26th. Green’s 10th series start will be only his third on an oval and his first since a 29th-place run last fall in Homestead.
TEAM UPDATE: #35-Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen
TEAM UPDATE: #74-Mike Harmon Racing
At first publication, both these entries had “TBA” in the driver’s column, but it’s since been confirmed that Greg Van Alst will run the Gase #35 and Dawson Cram will be in the #74, just as they had in Phoenix. Van Alst finished 31st last week while a crash due to brake failure left Cram 35th. On Thursday came news that Realty.com joined Cram as sponsor for both Las Vegas and next week at Homestead.
DRIVER CHANGE: #70-Cope Family Racing
Leland Honeyman, Jr. returns to the driver’s seat in place of Thomas Annunziata, whose first two attempts of 2025 were snakebit by a DNQ in Cota, then an early mechanical issue at Phoenix that left him 21 laps down in Stage 1. LH Construction sponsors Honeyman, who finished 18th and 37th in his two previous Vegas starts last year.
DRIVER CHANGE: #07-SS-Green Light Racing
Patrick Emerling makes only his second series start of 2025, his first since a 10th-place run in this year’s Daytona opener. He takes the place of 30th-place Phoenix finisher Nick Leitz, whose wreck drew the last caution of the day.
Sunday, March 16, 2025 (Green Flag 3:43 P.M. ET, FS1)
CUP Race 5 of 36
Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas
2024 Last-Place Finisher: Chris Buescher
ENTRY LIST
There are 36 drivers entered for 40 spots, marking the fourth consecutive short field in 2025 and the first without a single “open” entry.
MISSING: #78-Live Fast Motorsports
B.J. McLeod’s team is not among this week’s entrants after Katherine Legge’s Cup Series debut ended with a wreck off Turn 2 that collected Daniel Suarez, leaving Legge in 30th.
TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (March 14, 1965): Wendell Scott picked up the 3rd last-place finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career in a 167-lap race at the 0.9-mile Orange (North Carolina) Speedway when his #34 1963 Ford fell out with overheating issues after 7 laps.
