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Larry McReynolds

FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 30 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, Daytona 500-winning crew chief and broadcaster. He earned 23 Cup wins as a crew chief, including two victories in the prestigious Daytona 500, as well as a pair of non-points victories in the annual all-star race.

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Updated Feb 28, 2009 10:17 AM ET
     
 
It pretty much takes the whole package to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. You have to have the same elements to win in Vegas like at Auto Club Speedway, which include good horsepower, good handling, good aero, and good strategy. However, I just don't think anybody will simply drive off into the sunset and annihilate the field. There are a few reasons for that:
  • This track is a half-mile shorter than last week's venue.
  • Unlike California, where you had the transition from afternoon to evening racing, it's going to help everyone this weekend because they won't have to factor that in. Sure, the racetrack will still change, but not like it did in Fontana. If you have a good car when the final practice is over and when the race starts, odds are you are going to have a good car all race long.
  • This will be our third year racing on the new banking configuration at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The track has continued to deteriorate from a grip level. I know Goodyear did a tire test out here and I know the results were very, very good that came out of it. After last week's side-by-side racing, I really think we are going to see that continue this weekend.

    Keys to victory

  • We know we will probably get some long green runs on Sunday, so you can bet that fuel mileage can certainly play a roll.
  • LVMS is a lot like California in that the front runners are those that can get their cars handling well on long green runs.
  • The race is 27 miles longer this year, but I don't think that will be a major factor. Sure, it will factor into your fuel mileage plans once you cross the halfway point of the race, but it won't take anybody off their game too much.
  • We probably had more mechanical failures at California more than we have had any other race weekend in a long time. We had engine issues prior to the race that forced some cars to the back of the field and then engine issues during the race with some cars. Two of the Hendrick cars, Kevin Harvick and Scott Speed all had engine failures last weekend. We know that place is hard on engines. There were also people having break problems. I think people are stepping up and getting really aggressive with things, but now they are crossing the line into durability issues. Maybe last Sunday was a wake-up call for some of these teams.

    Road to success

    You hear us talk a lot about how races are won and lost on pit road. Obviously in Daytona you had Dale Earnhardt Jr. dig himself a big hole with his pit road issues. You had another prime example of it on Sunday with the mistakes that Greg Biffle made on pit road. That was the difference that cost him the race. Our focus is always with what goes on the race track, but you simply can't discount what happens on pit road.

    Picking favorites

    Obviously with the way he is performing right now, Matt Kenseth is at the top of the list of who to watch this weekend. Las Vegas historically is also a good racetrack for Mark Martin. Obviously racing on your home track means a lot, so expect Kurt Busch to do well. He just seems to ramp it up even more there. Keep a close watch on Greg Biffle too. I guess I need to also add Carl Edwards into that mix, but last Sunday wasn't what we expected from Carl at a 2- or 1.5-mile track.

    The ones to watch

    Can anybody keep Matt Kenseth from winning his third straight race? Lee Spencer breaks down the field.
    You can say the same thing about Jimmie Johnson. He won three races in a row at California between 2005 to 2007. But after Sunday's race you have to scratch your head because yes, they finished ninth, but it was a weak ninth place finish. One you definitely need to watch is Jeff Gordon. The way that car is running and the way they have their confidence back, I think they are so close to stepping back into Victory Lane.

    Final thought

    I am thrilled with where we are as a sport right now. There's so much gloom and doom out there right now that sometimes you wonder if you should just crawl in a hole and never come out. It was awesome to see the number of teams that came clear across country and showed up in California. We had more than a full field in all three series. We had some great racing. And contrary to what a lot of the so-called pundits were predicting, we had a lot of people in the grandstands on Sunday. I think that just says so much for the strength of NASCAR even in the down times.

    FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 25 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, crew chief and broadcaster. He and his fellow Crew Chief Club members take you behind the wall at www.crewchiefclub.com.

    "How to Become a Winning Crew Chief" is on bookstore shelves, or you may order your own autographed copy from www.DWStore.com.

    • Tagged: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Scott Speed, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin

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