Two weeks removed from a rainy Daytona 500, NASCAR’s best drivers headed to the desert for one of the most anticipated races of the year – The Kobalt 400 at the ‘Diamond in the Desert,’ Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With no chance of rain whatsoever, this year’s running of the Kobalt and the Boyd Gaming 300 for the Nationwide boys, afforded drivers and their crews with no excuses (aside from that side of the equation that dictates ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’).

Our Trackside Program was also in South Carolina for the weekend’s Pro All Start Series’ South Carolina Clash 150. Here’s a breakdown of each race:

Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
When: Sunday, March 9
Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, NV
CV Trackside: Access was restricted to drivers, crewmembers and anyone with a Pit Pass

What you need to know: Forty-eight drivers from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series turned laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway late last week to further build upon the 2014 intermediate-track rules package that was formalized late last year. Serving as the first official NASCAR test with the new 2014 rules package in place, the four-hour session allowed teams to prepare for Sunday’s Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – the series’ first visit to a 1.5-mile track in 2014 – and beyond. Fresh off his win at Phoenix International Raceway last Sunday, Kevin Harvick was at the top of the speed charts at the conclusion of the test session (the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet logged a total of 42 laps with a top speed of 190.148 mph). But the winner was Brad Keselowski, who passed a gassed-out Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on the final lap of the race.

Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Series: NASCAR Nationwide Series
When: Saturday, March 8
Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, NV
CV Trackside: Access was restricted to drivers, crewmembers and anyone with a Pit Pass

What you need to know: The last two NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway had seen series regulars celebrate in Victory Lane: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2012) and Sam Hornish Jr. (2013). Saturday’s Boyd Gaming 300 could have continued that streak with a handful of drivers as the most likely to pull the trifecta off. A quick scan of Loop Data from the past nine series races at Las Vegas have a combination of Trevor Bayne, Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan, Elliott Sadler and Brian Scott appearing in the top five in several categories: average driver rating, quality passes, green-flag speed, fastest laps run, fastest on restarts, laps led, laps in top 15 and average running position. In four starts at the “Diamond in the Desert,” Bayne has never finished lower than sixth. He led 21 laps in last year’s race before finishing fourth for the second consecutive season. His best finish at the 1.5-mile speedway is ninth (2012) in three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts. All of that said, Brad Keselowski, who led 144 of the race’s 400 laps, took the checkered flag.

South Carolina Clash 150 at Dillon Motor Speedway

Series: Pro All Stars Series
When: Saturday, March 8
Where: Dillon Motor Speedway – Dillon, South Carolina
Note: CV’s Trackside trailer was in the pit area (pit passes were required for access)

What you need to know: After a strong start to the 2014 season at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, the short track stars of the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) focused their attention on last Saturday night’s 9th Annual South Carolina Clash 150 at Dillon Motor Speedway. The PASS South Super Late Models and PASS Pro Late Models tackled Dillon’s tough egg-shaped lay out along with the Allison Legacy Cars, Legends, and Mini Stock Mayhem 2. The PASS South Super Late Models competed in two thrilling events at Dillon in 2013. Austin Theriault edged out Preston Peltier by .120 seconds for the closest finish in PASS South history in last year’s South Carolina Clash. And, in an October return trip for the series, Daniel Hemric charged to the front in the final 50 laps to win the Wildcat 150. Little wonder then that Hemric went to Victory Lane again this time around!