McCumbee Likes His Odds in Vegas

Still looking for that elusive first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory, Green Light Racing driver Chad McCumbee and his No. 08 The GPS Store/Garmin team roll into Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for the Smith's Las Vegas 350.

After last weekend's challenging events at Loudon, where a pre-race transmission change and a late-race flat tire left McCumbee in 20th place as the checkered flag fell, a trip west is a much-needed change of pace. Though McCumbee has never made a start on Sin City's 1.5-mile, he'll still be in familiar territory when he and his No. 08 Chevrolet Silverado take the track on Saturday evening. This season, McCumbee has excelled on intermediate tracks similar to LVMS, and his best finishes (9th and 7th) came on two of those courses (Texas and Nashville, respectively).

"I am excited to be heading back to a hi-speed track like Vegas," said McCumbee. "Another good thing from a rookie standpoint, is when everyone unloads on Friday it's like going to a new a new track on the schedule, with the track be reconfigured."

Green Light Racing co-owner Gene Christensen is also looking forward to having a level playing field with the new Vegas configuration. "It is a good feeling going to a track with a talented rookie driver knowing that the veteran drivers don't have a distinct advantage over you by having thousands of laps on that specific track," stated Christensen.

Aside from seeking his first Truck Series win, McCumbee comes to Vegas with his eye on the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year prize, as well. He remains second in rookie standings behind leader Erik Darnell.

Qualifying for the Smith's Las Vegas 350 is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, with the green flag falling at 9:10 p.m. ET. The event broadcast begins at 9 p.m. ET on SPEED. More information on the race and the rest of the weekend's events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway can be found at www.lvms.com.