Two of the national NASCAR series are on track Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This day's schedule will feature multiple on-track sessions as drivers focus on the playoffs.
The Xfinity Series teams will kick off the Round of 8 with a Saturday evening race. They practiced and then set the starting lineup during qualifying on Friday evening.
Cup Series teams will practice and qualify in preparation for Sunday's Round of 8 opener. They will set the starting lineup after going through technical inspection.
The Cup Series entry list will feature two guest drivers. Shane van Gisbergen will make his first Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after Derek Kraus drove the No. 16 in the spring race.
Van Gisbergen will work with a different crew chief as Darian Grubb temporarily takes over for the departed Travis Mack.
Jimmie Johnson will be the other guest driver. The seven-time champion will make his eighth start of the season and his first Next Gen start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
This is a track where Johnson won four times in a previous generation of Cup car. He won three straight Las Vegas races between 2005-07 and then he returned to victory lane in 2010.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway forecast and Saturday schedule
Saturday forecast: The forecast calls for sunny skies throughout the day, a high of 75 degrees, and no chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity Series race.
Saturday, Oct. 19, schedule (Eastern Time)
- 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. — Cup Series garage hours
- 3:30 p.m. — Xfinity Series garage hours
- 4:35 - 5:20 p.m. — Cup Series practice (USA Network, streaming on NBC Sports app, radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
- 5:20 - 6:30 p.m. — Cup Series qualifying (USA Network, streaming on NBC Sports app, radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
- 7:30 p.m. — Xfinity Series race (201 laps, 301.5 miles. CW, Radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Pre-race coverage begins with "NASCAR Countdown Live" on CW at 7 p.m.
