LAS VEGAS (AP) — NASCAR Cup Series leaders Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin are focused primarily on maximizing their performances in an effort to win the season championship.
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leaders → focus → championship
At the same time, they and other drivers competing Sunday in Las Vegas took time to reflect on the loss of Las Vegas native Kyle Busch, the two-time Cup Series champion who died May 21 from sepsis following severe bacterial pneumonia.
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who → compete → pneumonia
“This is a place I know the Busch brothers, especially, took a lot of pride in running and wanting to run well, as it’s their hometown,” Hamlin said.
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Hamlin → know → pride
“I like all the tributes, because in our society we tend to move on to the next thing so easily and it’s easy to forget.
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it → like → thing
When you have these tributes that keep going on throughout the year, it’s a really good reminder to put things in perspective and keep remembering someone who was so big and influential in our sport.”
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who → have → sport
Track organizers scheduled multiple celebrations of Busch’s life leading into the race.
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organizers → schedule → race
Fans and drivers will observe a “Moment of Rowdy” on Lap 8 and the Friday night race at nearby short track was renamed the Kyle Busch Classic.
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race → observe → track
Brother Kurt Busch, also a Cup champion, will lead the field as the pace car driver for Sunday’s race.
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Busch → lead → race
Larson attended the inaugural Kyle Busch Classic and will run a throwback paint scheme honoring Busch’s early career at Hendrick Motorsports.
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Larson → attend → Motorsports
Driver Carson Hocevar said the Busch celebration means more in Las Vegas than at the other tracks on the circuit.
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celebration → say → circuit
“A lot of his fans — probably most of his fans — are here,” Hocevar said.
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Hocevar → say → fans
“So it’s very important.
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it → ’ → ?
Anybody’s home track is going to be their most special place.”
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track → go → ?
Hamlin, Larson’s success at LVMS
Hamlin has the record for most completed laps (7,696) in his 29 races at LVMS.
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Hamlin → have → LVMS
He also is tied for most lead lap finishes with 25 and is the oldest driver to win a race here (March 15, 2026 at age 45 years, 3 month, 25 days) and is the last driver to win the race from the pole position (Oct. 12, 2025).
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He → tie → position
Larson has led the most laps (881) in his 20 races here and has the highest average starting position (7.2) and average finish (8.9)
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Larson → lead → position
Teammate reacts to Keselowski news
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Teammate → react → news
Chris Buescher, teammate to Brad Keselowski at RFK Racing, said he learned of Keselowski’s impending departure during an internal team meeting before the news broke on social media.
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news → say → media
“I’ve built a great friendship with Brad as a teammate, boss and mentor,” said Buescher, who enters the weekend 15th in the Cup Series standings.
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who → build → standings
“I want what’s best for him going forward, whatever that looks like.”
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that → want → whatever
Despite the timing of the announcement regarding Keselowski’s transition from the organization he co-owns, Buescher expects him to remain behind the wheel.
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him → regard → wheel
“I can’t answer that 100%, but Brad is very strategic,” Buescher said.
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Buescher → answer → that
“Brad usually has a plan.”
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Brad → have → plan
New father
Daniel Suárez and wife Julia welcomed their first child, Otto Suárez Piquet, on Sept. 22.
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Suárez → welcome → Sept.
Suárez said he has been most amazed by his newborn son’s feeding schedule.
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he → say → schedule
“He’s eating every two hours,” said Suárez, who enters Sunday’s race ranked 16th in points.
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who → eat → points
“Julia’s breastfeeding, so it’s a lot of work.
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it → breastfeed → work
You spend 45 minutes feeding him and 15 minutes burping him, and then he falls asleep for 30 minutes before it’s time to eat again.
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it → spend → minutes
Odds and Ends
Larson (+350) enters as the betting favorite to win the South Point 400, followed by Hamlin (+400) and Christopher Bell (+500).
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Larson → enter → Hamlin
A non-playoff driver has never won a Cup Series Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where five of the last seven winners have started from the front row.
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winners → win → row
The Aporia
