NASCAR Barometer: Truex Wins for Toyota in Las Vegas

Martin Truex Jr. ended Ford's early-season domination Sunday in Las Vegas when he took advantage of late mechanical troubles for Brad Keselowski. The Kobalt Tools 400 win was the first for Toyota this season and could signal that the manufacturer is gaining a more solid footing against Ford. While Truex was the only Toyota to finish inside the top five, the engine's competitiveness was apparent throughout Sunday's race. Both Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were within spitting distance of top-five finishes, while Ford secured fourth and fifth positions.

Unfortunately, Sunday's race may be most remembered for the altercation after the checkered flag on pit road when Kyle Busch attempted to confront Joey Logano after hard racing saw the pair come into contact twice on the final lap. Logano held on to finish fourth while Busch lost control (both on and off track) to finish 22nd. Busch's frustration at not being as competitive may be wearing on his patience. Fantasy owners should watch carefully what, if any, actions NASCAR takes as a result of the fracas. Regardless, fantasy players should avoid the pair if tensions continue to simmer and then tempers boil over on track.

UPGRADE

Martin Truex Jr. – Despite Toyota being overshadowed by Ford so far this season, Truex made the manufacturer's presence felt with a win on Sunday. The Furniture Row Racing driver was one of the fastest in practice and won the every stage of Sunday's race, including the most important final segment. It didn't come easy for the No. 78, but constant digging and consistently fast pit stops put him in position to capitalize when Brad Keselowski stumbled in the final laps. The win was Truex and Toyota's first of the season and breaks the early season dominance of Ford. In 22 career Phoenix starts Truex has just one top-five finish and only one top-10 in the last five starts at the desert oval, however.

Chase Elliott – Throughout practice in Las Vegas Elliott was consistently one of the fastest machines. He did not lead any laps in Sunday's race, but was a constant figure inside the top five throughout the afternoon. He confidently navigated his way to the third-place spot in the chaos that was the final laps, which gave him two top-five finishes from the first three races of the season. That type of momentum could pay off in a race victory if he is able to maintain it. He has two top-10 finishes from his two Phoenix starts last season, and fantasy owners should see him as another opportunity to score consistent points each week. He continues to mature in the series and should soon find his way into Victory Lane.

Ryan Blaney – Blaney is another winless driver who continues to make overtures toward Victory Lane. The Wood Brothers Racing driver had one of his best chances at winning in Las Vegas with consistently fast times throughout the weekend. He started inside the top five and ran in the top 10 throughout the entire race. Like Elliott, that type of consistency should eventually turn into race wins. Both of Blaney's 2016 starts at Phoenix resulted in top-10 finishes, and if he continues his Las Vegas form he should be in store for another top 10 this week. His momentum continues to build, and he seems to have all of the pieces that would combine to create race-winning chances this season.

Kyle Larson – The Chip Ganassi Racing team has definitely turned a corner heading into 2017, and both Larson and teammate Jamie McMurray are more competitive than in past years. Larson proved this with a runner-up finish in Las Vegas, his second consecutive runner-up finish. The team has been racing more aggressively than in past seasons, and the 2017 results are showing that so far. Larson won his first race last season and should be in for more trophies this season if they are able to maintain their efforts throughout the season. He scored his first spot Phoenix top-five last fall when he finished third. Fantasy owners may want to make him an early selection this week.

Brad Keselowski – Keselowski lost Sunday's race in much the same fashion as he won two weeks ago in Atlanta. The No. 2 car was a consistent contender throughout the 400 miles and was in the lead when a late mechanical issue dropped him off of the pace and down the order. Chaos behind him meant he was able to salvage a fifth-place finish, but he knows he should have won. Penske Racing is the strongest early this season, and both Keselowski and teammate Logano are looking to build as big of a gap as possible while it lasts. Their next chance is at Phoenix where Keselowski has yet to win. His best finish was third in 2014 and he failed to finish in the top 10 in both visits there last season.

DOWNGRADE

Jimmie Johnson – Johnson had and up and down afternoon in Las Vegas. He has been dominant at the 1.5-mile tracks throughout his career and he came to the front again last week to challenge for another victory. Unfortunately, it all went downhill when his crew failed to get all of the lug nuts secure on his final stop. That simple mistake cost him any chance of winning on what could have been a top day for the No. 48 team. He does have four Phoenix victories, however. Johnson proved that he remains one of the top contenders last week in Las Vegas until a mistake got in the way, and fantasy owners would be foolish to discount him this week in Phoenix.

Kevin Harvick – After being one of the strongest competitors in the opening rounds of the 2017 season, Harvick was out early in Las Vegas when a blown tire put him into the wall and completely out of Sunday's race. His inability to make it to the finish of the first segment of Sunday's race may have been the biggest disappointment of any of the three races so far this season. The second in that running could have been when he gave away the win two weeks ago in Atlanta with a speeding penalty on pit road. However, things will look a bit brighter for him this week. The next race is at Phoenix where he has been the man to beat. He has eight wins at that track, including five of the last seven and six of the last nine.

Kurt Busch – Electrical issues plagued Busch throughout Sunday's race in Las Vegas. The Daytona 500 champion couldn't make inroads on the leaders due to the nagging power issues Sunday afternoon. It wasn't meant to be for the team, but there's still more than enough time to work out the kinks. Busch has one Phoenix win, but finished in the top 10 in six of the last seven races at the circuit. His win at Daytona gives him and his team a margin of cushion throughout the rest of the year, but they will need to overcome the niggling issues of a new manufacturer before the playoffs begin this summer. They have plenty of time to figure out how to be at their best in Miami.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Las Vegas has been a pretty decent venue for Earnhardt to compete on, but Sunday was not his day. The Hendrick Motorsports driver started 18th and wasn't a factor throughout the afternoon. He was never part of the battle for the lead and he only moved forward two spots to finish 16th when the race concluded. He will need to make strides forward as he works his way back into full-time competition in the series. Phoenix could be a good opportunity for him to do that. He has three wins at the circuit and finished fifth there last spring before sitting out the fall race as he recovered from past concussions. Fantasy owners should watch Earnhardt cautiously through practice this week.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Kyle Busch – Busch sullied an otherwise impressive run for a team not currently at its best by returning to his early-career irritability on pit road after the race. He physically confronted Logano after what was a racing incident (which some would argue was started by Busch) and walked away with blood dripping down his face. Busch made contact with Logano on the back straight of the last lap, and then the two tangled again when Logano got loose in the final turn. Fault for the incident was probably best apportioned evenly between the two, but Busch came off worse during and after. His behavior on pit road was unbecoming of a former champion. Fantasy owners will only be hurt by that kind of behavior if Busch is penalized or, worse, suspended. He must rectify that temper quickly.