FYI WIRZ: NASCAR's Top 5 Drivers Won't Be Rolling Dice in Race 3 at Las Vegas

NASCAR rolls into Las Vegas for the third race in a 36-race Sprint Cup season and though some team members might use available spare time at gaming tables, team efforts will focus on placing certainty into their race cars. Luck is never controllable in a 43 car speed-fest, preparation is.

Plus, tumbling dice or spinning roulette wheels are always a lot more predictable.

The Kobalt Tools 400 on the 1.5-mile tri-oval with 20 degree banking at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be televised on FOX at 3 p.m. E.T. for those not fortunate enough to be in fun town.

The thrill and excitement of NASCAR competition will resonate from the hub of spectacular entertainment in the U.S.

NASCAR drivers are always upbeat about the prospects of the next race, but often their select comments can be an indicator of the challenge they face.

Bringing the right explanatory words to fans is the goal of this outlet as that can make their race experience more pleasurable.

The top five quotes from Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. about the next big race in Las Vegas get beyond gambling. They talk the Las Vegas track.

1. Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Toyota)

“I think it’s really kind of a big Phoenix in the sense that the asphalt is kind of getting a little aged now so the racing should be pretty good,” Hamlin said. “It’s a fast track—a lot of load and G’s (G-forces) on the drivers themselves because of the banking there.”

2. Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ford)

“I always enjoy going to Vegas for several reasons,” Biffle said. “I usually get to go to the sand dunes like I did this week when we’re on the west coast. That’s one of my favorite things I get to do away from the track. I also enjoy playing craps if I get a chance while I’m in Vegas. Probably my favorite part of Vegas though is the track. It’s fast and it’s a lot of fun to race there as a driver.”

3. Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Chevrolet)

“When they redid the race track, it’s just a really fast race track,” Harvick said. “There are several bumps in the track and you have to make sure you are pointed in the right direction to go over it straight. It’s a really fast race track and you’ve just got to have a lot of grip in the car to keep the pedal on the floor.

“It hasn’t seemed to change a lot. It seems like it’s still really fast and every time we go out there during that time of the year it’s always pretty cool so the cars seem to grip well. It’s a different race track than most everywhere else we go.”

4. Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Ford)

“I’m looking forward to racing at Las Vegas this weekend because Roush Fenway has a successful history at 1.5-mile tracks,” Kenseth said. “The guys have been doing such a great job setting up our cars each and every week. Las Vegas is a bumpier race track so we will spend time making sure that our balance and shock packages are exactly where we need them to be. Handling is a priority at Las Vegas because if we can get our car into the corners faster, we can run down the straightaway faster.”

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Chevrolet)

“We ran good at Vegas last year and did well on the intermediate tracks so we feel pretty good going in,” Earnhardt said. “The team definitely wants to go there and put on a good run. I like the racetrack, I like racing there, and it’s a good area, too. It’s a fast track and has a lot of bumps, but it’s a fun track.”

FYI WIRZ is the select presentation of topics by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com. Unless otherwise noted, information and all quotes were obtained from official release materials provided by NASCAR and team representatives. Photo credit: Dwight Drum at Racetake.com.