Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #6 Ford EcoBoost Ford, races Mark Martin, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 10, 2012
Photo – Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

The new crop of Nationwide Series drivers will roll into Las Vegas this weekend to compete in the Sam’s Town 300 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After full-time Cup drivers took the first two wins of the season, the new bunch of Nationwide regulars will look to leave Las Vegas with good performances and possibly a victory. The Cup drivers are always hard to beat but, some of these new Nationwide regulars could have a shot at victory this weekend. Big names like Elliot Sadler, Brian Vickers, Justin Allgaier and Sam Hornish Jr. will attempt to have good performances this weekend and re-claim their spots as the Nationwide Series’ best drivers.

The Sam’s Town 300 will go green on Saturday March 9, 2013 at 4:34 PM EST (1:34 PM PT). The race will feature 200 laps and 300 miles on the largely banked mile and a half track. The weather outlook for Saturday afternoon is partly cloudy with a high temperature of 62 F and a low of 46 F. Perfect race weather. The race will be broadcast on ESPN2 and radio coverage of the race can be heard on MRN.

In the 2012 race, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took the victory after leading for the final 54 laps. Stenhouse Jr. won’t be in Saturday’s race so that leaves the door open for a new driver to come in and claim victory. Last year’s race was pretty calm much like most of the races at Las Vegas and it didn’t feature too much action but, anything could happen in this year’s race and just about everything will. This will be the seventeenth Sam’s Town 300 and we will likely have a first time winner of this race unless Joe Nemechek can be victorious and take the victory like he did in 2003.

After a dominant performance last week in Phoenix, Kyle Busch will be back behind the wheel this weekend in the No.54 car and he will look to win his first race at his home track of Las Vegas. Busch has come close before but, he has never closed the deal. Las Vegas is very high on Busch’s bucket-list of tracks he wants a win and this weekend could be his first win at his home track.

RCR is entering two drivers in this race that have yet to compete in the Nationwide Series this season and they are Brendan Gaughan and Ty Dillon. Reed Sorenson will be the substitute in the No.43 car this weekend and for the next two months while Michael Annett recovers from his injury he suffered at Daytona. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be back in the Nationwide Series this weekend as he attempts to take home a win for his own team of JR Motorsports.

After the second race of the season, Sam Hornish Jr. and Justin Allgaier are tied atop the point’s standings and that tie will be broken in Saturday’s race. Brian Scott and Elliot Sadler will look to take the points lead from Hornish and Allgaier as they lurk in third and fourth in the standings. After problems in the first two races, Trevor Bayne and Brian Vickers will be looking to enter the top ten in the standings. The point’s picture could definitely be a bit shaken up after this race.

The stakes will be high this weekend in Las Vegas for many of the drivers as they all look to bring home the victory in “Sin City.” My pick for this weekend is Kyle Busch who I believe will finally get the elusive win at his home track. Busch has been so close in the past and I believe he will finally get done this weekend. The race will be excellent this weekend with many Nationwide regulars looking to have a great run and move up in the points standings. Anything can happen in Vegas and something spectacular will occur this weekend. Las Vegas always puts on a show and this weekend should be no different.

Event Schedule

9:00-11:50 AM PT (12:00-2:50 PM EST) Friday Nationwide Series Practice, televised on SPEED

1:40-3:30 PM PT (4:40-6:30 PM EST) Friday Nationwide Series Final Practice, televised on SPEED

10:05 AM PT (1:05 PM EST) Saturday Nationwide Series Qualifying, televised on SPEED

1:15 PM PT (4:15 PM EST) Saturday Nationwide Series Sam’s Town 300, televised on ESPN2

Entry List via Jayski.com