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Start - 11th | Competitors - 28| High - 3rd | Low - 21st | Finish - 7th
The glitter of the strip is not lost on the Las Vegas Speedway. A mecca for auto racing, the gleaming towers are a stark contrast to the surrounding Nevada desert. Las Vegas is one of those places that hasn't taken on it's character yet but it's getting there. The track is settling in, two grooves are forming, and the 'raceability' quotient is going up each year.
This years race was marred with cautions. One third of the 121 laps distance was run under caution and by nights end it was rumored that the flag man had to be treated at the infield care center for tennis elbow. Fortunately for the AMSOIL Chevy, no major damage occurred from any of the twelve cautions of the race and the team was finally rewarded with the first top ten of the year.
Starting eleventh on the grid, Kevin once again rode conservatively in the beginning and let the race settle in. Unfortunately it would take the better part of the first half for that to occur as the pack would run about five laps on average before a caution flag would wave. Taking evasive actions to avoid another spinning competitor would cause slight damage to the ECI express and require Kevin to duck into the pits for minor repairs on lap six. Dropping to 21st after the restart, Kevin kept his eye on the prize and methodically climbed back to the top ten by lap 28. Hanging on to the tail end of the lead pack, the AMSOIL ride mounted a mid race charge on the longest green flag run and was just outside the top five by the three quarter mark. Patience was the word of the hour as the pain of two poor finishes in a row were fresh on the teams mind in the latter stages.
The single disappointment in the race came on the last restart that occurred with ten to go. The lead pack bottlenecked on start an the accordion effect gave Kevin no choice but to pick a high or low route around the competitor starting in fourth. He chose high as he didn't want to get penalized for passing on the left. By the end of the front straightaway the car running sixth was able to tuck inside and take away the preferred line in turn one. Being conservative, Kevin hung high between one and two and yeilded the bottom.
