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© provided by the Associated Press
Martin Truex Jr. gives autographs to fans before a NASCAR Cup Series car race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 15, 2019. (AP Photo / Chase Stevens)
LAS VEGAS (AP) – NASCAR playoff race news at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (all local times):
7:10 p.m.
Martin Truex Jr. won the first NASCAR playoff race to automatically qualify for the second round.
Sunday's Truex victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was his best fifth of the season and further strengthened Joe Gibbs Racing as the team to beat in this 10-race playoff series. JGR has 14 wins this season.
Truex chased down Kevin Harvick, who was slowed down by traffic, to reduce Harvick 's lead and finally make the pass for the win away with 20 laps to go.
Las Vegas paved the way for a handful of title contenders, including Kurt Busch, who crashed when his tire fell flat and finished last in the pack. Erik Jones had a previous mechanical problem and finished four places in 36th position.
© provided by the Associated Press
Martin Truex Jr. (19) drives during a NASCAR Cup Series car race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 15, 2019. (Photo AP / Chase Stevens)
The top nine have all been nominated for the playoffs, followed by Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Kyle Larson and Truev's reigning champion, Joey Logano.
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5:55 p.m.
Martin Truex Jr. won the second leg of the NASCAR playoff race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Truex managed to overtake leader Joey Logano when Logano was trapped in traffic jams near the end of the 80-lap stage.
The second leg was tough for the playoff contenders, Clint Bowyer and Erik Jones. Bowyer had difficulties from pole, was doubled by Logano and finished the stage in 20th position.
Jones went to the garage with a mechanical problem and was at 16 laps of the pace when he returned to the track. He finished second stage in last place.
Kyle Busch also struggled to gain ground and finished the stage in 28th.
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5:05 p.m.
Reigning champion Joey Logano won the first leg of the first round of the NASCAR playoffs.
Logano led four Fords at the end of the stage, followed by Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola and Daniel Suarez by the Stewart-Haas Racing trio, right behind him at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Kyle Busch touched the wall just five laps from the race and dropped to 28th in the running.
Busch finally had to fight for a tire under the green, which put the regular season champion last in the 39 drivers and two laps. Although he took a few positions, he found himself at the bottom of the race in 32nd position at the end of the stage.
While Busch was fixing his problems, Harvick subsequently scratched the wall, telling his team: "It's not like I slapped him, I just scrubbed him." The damage did not hurt him in the first leg and he beat Logano off the pits to take the lead for the start of the second leg.
Brad Keselowski, winner of the title race and teammate of Logano, did not have the same strength as at first in his Ford and finished the stage in the 21st.
Moments after the start of the second leg, Erik Jones, a playoff opponent, has a mechanical problem that has sent him into the garage and it will be very difficult for him to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
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16h
The NASCAR playoffs start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Clint Bowyer leading the four Stewart-Haas Racing Fords to the green flag.
Bowyer won his first pole in 12 years of his last race to win a place at the top of the pack. He is ranked at the bottom of the group of 16 drivers in the playoffs.
Teammates Daniel Suarez, Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola start from behind. Suarez is not eligible for the playoffs, while Harvick is considered one of the favorites.
The surprise surprise of the SHR cars left the other competitors wondering if these Ford were prepared just for qualifying and if they would erase after twenty laps.
Temperatures are expected to peak a full 100 degrees Sunday at the start of the race, and NASCAR this year has shifted the start later in the day to protect fans from the stifling heat.
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