NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas Motor Speedway — March 8, 2015

Kevin Harvick
Winner
267
Laps
43
Entries
9
Leaders

Kevin Harvick won the 2015 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT LAS VEGAS at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8, 2015, leading 142 of 267 laps. Martin Truex, Jr. finished second; Ryan Newman rounded out the podium. The race featured 9 different leaders.

Race Details
Date
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Season
2015
Winner
Leaders
9 drivers
Pos Start +/- Driver
1 18 +17 Kevin Harvick
2 8 +6 Martin Truex, Jr.
3 7 +4 Ryan Newman
4 4 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
5 19 +14 Denny Hamlin
6 22 +16 A.J. Allmendinger
7 11 +4 Brad Keselowski
8 5 -3 Kyle Larson
9 6 -3 Matt Kenseth
10 2 -8 Joey Logano
11 10 -1 Jamie McMurray
12 24 +12 Paul Menard
13 23 +10 Brian Scott
14 16 +2 Greg Biffle
15 28 +13 Brian Vickers
16 34 +18 Regan Smith
17 3 -14 Kasey Kahne
18 1 -17 Jeff Gordon
19 30 +11 Ryan Blaney
20 25 +5 Austin Dillon
21 20 -1 Clint Bowyer
22 13 -9 David Ragan
23 37 +14 David Gilliland
24 29 +5 Sam Hornish Jr.
25 17 -8 Casey Mears
26 15 -11 Aric Almirola
27 21 -6 Danica Patrick
28 35 +7 Trevor Bayne
29 31 +2 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
30 32 +2 Michael McDowell
31 26 -5 Justin Allgaier
32 38 +6 Cole Whitt
33 12 -21 Tony Stewart
34 39 +5 Josh Wise
35 42 +7 Landon Cassill
36 40 +4 J.J. Yeley
37 36 -1 Brett Moffitt
38 43 +5 Brendan Gaughan
39 33 -6 Michael Annett
40 41 +1 Jeb Burton
41 9 -32 Jimmie Johnson
42 14 -28 Carl Edwards
43 27 -16 Alex Bowman
Model Performance

How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 15 matched drivers, the model averaged 10.4 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average

Pos Driver Predicted Actual Delta
2 Martin Truex, Jr. 15.4 2 +13.4
5 Denny Hamlin 8.2 5 +3.2
6 A.J. Allmendinger 18.3 6 +12.3
7 Brad Keselowski 11.2 7 +4.2
8 Kyle Larson 12.7 8 +4.7
10 Joey Logano 14.7 10 +4.7
19 Ryan Blaney 9.2 19 -9.8
20 Austin Dillon 17.1 20 -2.9
25 Casey Mears 16.9 25 -8.1
29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 19.9 29 -9.1
30 Michael McDowell 17.0 30 -13.0
31 Justin Allgaier 18.3 31 -12.7
36 J.J. Yeley 28.8 36 -7.2
41 Jimmie Johnson 19.9 41 -21.1
43 Alex Bowman 13.5 43 -29.5

Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.

Historical Context

  • Kevin Harvick: has 41 career starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 11.9 avg finish (3 wins) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
  • Denny Hamlin: was the model’s top pick based on 37 career starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 13.2 avg finish (3 wins), finishing P5 on the day.
  • Martin Truex, Jr.: was the biggest surprise, finishing P2 vs predicted P15. Track history: 27 starts, 10.6 avg finish.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the 2015 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT LAS VEGAS?
Kevin Harvick won the 2015 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT LAS VEGAS at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Where was the 2015 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT LAS VEGAS held?
The 2015 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT LAS VEGAS was held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8, 2015.