The race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday had a tough act to follow. Two, in fact. With an edge-of-your-seat Daytona 500 and old-school feeling Atlanta race in the books, all eyes were on Vegas Sunday afternoon, and the "Entertainment Capital of the World" didn't disappoint, providing one of the most unique viewing spectacles in recent memory.
"It seemed like there were plenty of challenges, whether it was pit road or the weather or cautions," said race winner Brad Keselowski, who passed teammate Joey Logano and hometown favorite Kyle Busch in the closing laps for his second victory in his last three Vegas starts. "They threw everything they had at us today, but this Miller Lite Ford team was too strong and we were able to fight them off and get to victory lane."
The wind blew so wildly at times on Sunday that a dust storm blustered over the track, making the optics simply amazing. It's the desert, after all.
"I guess that's the Wild Wild West, right?" runner-up Joey Logano quipped. "It was just dusty, grainy, windy. Crazy."
It's been an awesome start to the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The first three races have seen three different winners by three different manufacturers. There have been photo-finishes, late-race passes for the lead, and some of the best side-by-side racing we've seen in recent memory.
Through the first three races, there have been 69 lead changes among 34 drivers. Sunday's race saw seven drivers lead the race for at least 10 laps. At Atlanta, five.
There's still 18 weeks before NASCAR returns to New Hampshire. But thanks to a mild winter (for New Englanders, anyway), I took a few minutes this morning to walk over to the fence in Turn 1. I sat about eight rows up and took it all in. The infield was bare and the hill on the backstretch lacked any green. As were the trees and infield grass between Turn 1 and 2. Yet I couldn't help but get chills - and it had nothing to do with the temperature hovering just above freezing.
It won't be long until the best fans in the world are packing this place in; towing your wagons, carrying your coolers, sporting your favorite driver's colors.
We know the passion you have for racing, especially here in New Hampshire. We are proud of the fact that you show the same enthusiasm for the Whelen Modified Tour races on Saturday as you do for the Sprint Cup battles on Sunday.
So far, this has been a season built on excitement. One race after another. It won't be long before that electricity makes its way to the Granite State. We hope you'll be here to live it.
