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Qualifying Recap: McDowell Surprises the Field at Las Vegas!

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Hey everyone, Bryan here! Well, qualifying for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is officially in the books, and let me tell you—it didn’t disappoint! We had some shockers, some familiar faces up front, and a few drivers who probably wish they had a mulligan. Let’s break it all down and see who’s starting where on Sunday.

Michael McDowell Stuns the Field with a Pole-Winning Lap

If you had Michael McDowell winning the pole on your bingo card this week, congratulations! The #71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet absolutely flew around the track, locking in the top spot with a lap time of 28.883 seconds (186.961 mph).

Yeah, you read that right. McDowell, who isn’t exactly known as a qualifying ace at intermediate tracks, just put together one of the biggest surprises of the season. This is his first pole of 2025, his first-ever at Las Vegas, and his seventh career pole in the Cup Series. If there’s one thing we know about McDowell, it’s that he thrives when people underestimate him.

Starting Lineup: Top 10 Qualifiers

1️⃣ Michael McDowell (#71 Chevrolet – Spire Motorsports)
2️⃣ Joey Logano (#22 Ford – Team Penske)
3️⃣ Austin Cindric (#2 Ford – Team Penske)
4️⃣ Kyle Busch (#8 Chevrolet – Richard Childress Racing)
5️⃣ Erik Jones (#43 Toyota – Legacy Motor Club)
6️⃣ Alex Bowman (#48 Chevrolet – Hendrick Motorsports)
7️⃣ Josh Berry (#21 Ford – Wood Brothers Racing)
8️⃣ William Byron (#24 Chevrolet – Hendrick Motorsports)
9️⃣ Zane Smith (#38 Ford – Front Row Motorsports)
🔟 Kyle Larson (#5 Chevrolet – Hendrick Motorsports)

What a mix of veterans and rising stars in the top 10!

Qualifying Takeaways: What Stood Out?

Logano and Cindric Give Team Penske a Strong Front-Row Presence

  • Joey Logano starting P2 isn’t much of a shock. The guy is a two-time winner at Vegas (2019 & 2020) and has a history of running up front here.
  • Austin Cindric, on the other hand, may be a little more surprising. He’s got speed, but the question is whether he can translate that to race pace over a long run.

Kyle Busch Has That Hometown Swagger

  • Starting P4, Busch will be hungry to finally win again at his home track. The Las Vegas native has two previous wins here but hasn’t been to Victory Lane at LVMS since 2019.
  • RCR has been hit-or-miss this season, but Busch’s experience here could make him a factor on Sunday.

William Byron and Kyle Larson Looking for More

  • Hendrick Motorsports had a solid showing, but neither Byron nor Larson cracked the front row.
  • Byron won this race last year, and Larson dominated here in 2021, so both will be looking to move up quickly when the green flag drops.

Erik Jones and Josh Berry Sneak Into the Top 10

  • Erik Jones quietly put together a great lap and will roll off P5. Legacy Motor Club has been steadily improving, and this is a great starting spot for him.
  • Josh Berry in P7? Love to see it. The Wood Brothers Racing driver is making the most of his opportunity, and if he can maintain track position, he could make some noise on Sunday.

Notable Drivers Who Missed the Mark

🔻 Denny Hamlin (P15) – Hamlin is usually rock solid at Las Vegas, but qualifying just wasn’t his day. He’ll have to work his way through the field, which isn’t impossible—he won here in 2021 from 14th place.

🔻 Ryan Blaney (P18) – Blaney had a scary moment in practice when he had a tire issue that sent him into the wall. The team made repairs, but he didn’t have the speed he needed in qualifying. Penske will have to dial in that setup before the race.

🔻 Christopher Bell (P22) – After three straight wins, Bell is starting deep in the field. But let’s be honest—he’s been the best car in NASCAR the past few weeks and can easily work his way through traffic.

Practice Results: Who Showed Speed?

Before qualifying, teams hit the track for practice sessions to dial in their setups. Here’s who stood out:

Fastest in Practice: Ross Chastain led the way with a top speed of 187.845 mph, followed by:

  • Bubba Wallace (186.290 mph)
  • William Byron (186.174 mph)

Ryan Blaney’s Scary Moment: Blaney’s tire failure forced him to limp through practice, and unfortunately, it carried over into qualifying.

What’s Next? Race Day Prep!

We’ve got our lineup set, and now it’s time to get ready for the Pennzoil 400 on Sunday, March 16, 2025, at 3:30 PM ET. You can catch the race live on FS1, with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR.

What to Watch For on Race Day:

✅ McDowell vs. the Superteams – Can McDowell hold his own up front against Logano, Busch, and the Hendrick guys?
✅ Penske’s Power – With two cars in the top three (Logano & Cindric), does Penske have an edge this week?
✅ Christopher Bell’s Comeback – Can the hottest driver in NASCAR work his way from P22 to challenge for the win?

It’s shaping up to be a thriller under the Vegas lights, and I can’t wait to see how this one plays out.

Final Thoughts: Who’s My Pick?

After looking at the lineup, I still can’t shake the feeling that William Byron is the guy to beat. He’s starting P8, which isn’t ideal, but he’s got one of the fastest cars on long runs and knows how to win at this track.

If I had to pick a dark horse, I’d go with Kyle Busch (P4). He’s racing in front of his home crowd, and if he gets out front early, he could be tough to beat.

But hey, this is Vegas—anything can happen! Who’s your pick for Sunday? 

Author Profile

Bryan
Hey there race fans, welcome to Driving on Marbles, where I break down NASCAR with real insight, smart strategy, and race by race analysis. This isn’t just race recaps and highlight talk, it’s trends, track history, driver momentum, and the little details that actually make a difference on race day.

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