The 2021 South Point 400 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on September 26, 2021, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas. Contested over 267 laps on the 1.5 mi (2.4 km) asphalt intermediate speedway, it was the 30th race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, the fourth race of the Playoffs, and the first race of the Round of 12.

2021 South Point 400
Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Race 30 of 36 in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series
Date September 26, 2021 (2021-09-26)
Location Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas
Course Permanent racing facility
1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Distance 267 laps, 400.5 mi (640.8 km)
Average speed 144.643 miles per hour (232.780 km/h)
Attendance 43,000[7]
Pole position
Driver Hendrick Motorsports
Grid positions set by competition-based formula
Most laps led
Driver Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing
Laps 137
Winner
No. 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing
Television in the United States
Network NBCSN
Announcers Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Radio in the United States
Radio PRN
Booth Announcers Doug Rice and Mark Garrow
Turn Announcers Rob Albright (1 & 2) and Pat Patterson (3 & 4)

Report

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Background

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Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the track where the race was held.
 
The 2021 South Point 400 program cover.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada outside the Las Vegas city limits and about 15 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a 1,200-acre (490 ha) complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Entry list

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  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
  • (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
No. Driver Team Manufacturer
00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet
1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford
7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford
14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
15 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford
22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota
24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford
37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford
41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet
47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet
52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford
53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
66 J. J. Yeley (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota
77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford
99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
Official entry list

Qualifying

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Kyle Larson was awarded the pole for the race as determined by competition-based formula.[4]

Starting Lineup

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Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer
1 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford
3 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
4 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
5 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
6 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
7 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
8 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
9 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
10 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
11 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
12 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
13 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
14 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford
15 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
16 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet
17 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
18 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
19 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
20 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
21 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota
22 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
23 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford
24 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
25 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford
26 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
27 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
28 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
29 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford
30 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
31 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford
32 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford
33 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
34 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford
35 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet
36 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet
37 15 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
38 66 J. J. Yeley (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota
Official starting lineup

Race

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Kyle Larson started on the pole for the race. Four cars (#10, #19, #24, #66) dropped to the rear for multiple inspection failures. Larson won stage one. Following an incident with Joey Gase only five laps into the run, most cars pitted with the four Hendrick Motorsports cars choosing to stay out. The Hendrick cars thought they were on the outside of the fuel window, but due to an extended caution the cars that pitted were able to make it to stage two. This forced the Hendrick cars to pit under green, forcing them a lap down. Chase Elliott was able to un-lap himself, and William Byron earned the lucky dog pass. Denny Hamlin won stage two and went on to win the race, beating Elliott by 0.442 seconds.

Stage Results

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Stage One Laps: 80

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Points
1 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10
2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 9
3 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 8
4 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 7
5 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6
6 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 5
7 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4
8 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 3
9 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 2
10 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1
Official stage one results

Stage Two Laps: 80

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Points
1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 10
2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 9
3 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 8
4 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 7
5 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 6
6 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 5
7 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 4
8 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 3
9 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 2
10 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 1
Official stage two results

Final Stage Results

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Stage Three Laps: 107

Pos Grid No Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points
1 6 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 267 58
2 11 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 267 40
3 10 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 267 52
4 4 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 267 41
5 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 267 39
6 13 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 267 43
7 8 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 267 35
8 20 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 267 33
9 5 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 267 34
10 1 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 267 37
11 9 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 267 32
12 14 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 267 27
13 15 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 266 26
14 19 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 266 23
15 26 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 266 22
16 21 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 266 22
17 22 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 266 20
18 3 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 266 25
19 17 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 266 18
20 29 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 266 17
21 23 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 266 16
22 7 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 265 15
23 18 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 265 14
24 12 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 265 13
25 25 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 265 12
26 16 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 265 11
27 32 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 265 10
28 24 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 265 9
29 28 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 265 8
30 27 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 264 7
31 35 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 260 0
32 33 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 260 0
33 34 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 257 0
34 36 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 255 3
35 30 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 254 0
36 31 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 252 1
37 37 15 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 84 0
38 38 66 J. J. Yeley (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 76 0
Official race results

Race statistics

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  • Lead changes: 21 among 10 different drivers
  • Cautions/Laps: 4 for 21
  • Red flags: 0
  • Time of race: 2 hours, 46 minutes and 8 seconds
  • Average speed: 144.643 miles per hour (232.780 km/h)

Media

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Television

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NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the race from the broadcast booth. Dave Burns and Kelli Stavast handled the pit road duties from pit lane.

NBCSN
Booth announcers Pit reporters
Lap-by-lap: Rick Allen
Color-commentator: Jeff Burton
Color-commentator: Steve Letarte
Color-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dave Burns
Kelli Stavast

Radio

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PRN had the radio call for the race, which was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice and Mark Garrow called the race from the booth when the field raced through the tri-oval. Rob Albright called the race from a billboard in turn 2 when the field raced through turns 1 and 2 & Pat Patterson called the race from a billboard outside of turn 3 when the field raced through turns 3 and 4. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan and Wendy Venturini handled the duties on pit lane.

PRN
Booth announcers Turn announcers Pit reporters
Lead announcer: Doug Rice
Announcer: Mark Garrow
Turns 1 & 2: Rob Albright
Turns 3 & 4: Pat Patterson
Brad Gillie
Brett McMillan
Wendy Venturini

Standings after the race

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References

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  1. ^ "2021 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  2. ^ "Las Vegas Motor Speedway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  3. ^ "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Starting Lineup". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. September 22, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  5. ^ "South Point 400 Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. September 26, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  6. ^ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. September 26, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  7. ^ "Las Vegas flexes its sports muscle, hosting 4 pro events in one day". Las Vegas Review-Journal. September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.


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