Four things we learned after Kyle Larson's dominant victory at Las Vegas

This headline is a no-brainer. Larson didn't finish top 10 in either of the first two races, but superspeedway racing has never been his thing. 

Las Vegas was the first race of the season where Larson's full range of talent could be shown to the world, and he took full advantage, leading 181 laps while running as high as possible on the racetrack without hitting the wall. 

While Tyler Reddick proved a formidable foe late in the race, Larson held him off for what should be the first of many wins in 2024. 

Sophomore slump doesn't apply in Sin City

Both Ty Gibbs and Noah Gragson were intriguing stories heading into the season, but for very different reasons. Many pundits predicted Gibbs to make the playoffs after winning Rookie of the Year in 2023, while Gragson's goal was just to start every race after a tumultuous rookie season both on and off the track. 

Both sophomore drivers had fantastic days in Las Vegas, as Gibbs finished fifth and Gragson sixth. It's only one race, but if they can snowball one positive performance into another at Phoenix, they have a shot at avoiding the dreaded sophomore slump. 

Pit road mistakes ruin races

This has been a truth of auto racing since day one, but it rang especially true at Las Vegas on Sunday. Lugnut issues caused Bubba Wallace to finish back in 35th, 13 laps down, while Kyle Busch's top five run was spoiled by a penalty for pitting outside of the pit box, leaving the Las Vegas native to finish 26th. 

While the aforementioned Ty Gibbs finished fifth, a couple of his pit crew members will be taking an unexpected vacation as punishment for the infraction, making the 54 team vulnerable on pit road for the next few races. 

Just like 2024, Byron and Larson reign supreme 

Three weeks into the 2024 season, it looks like Kyle Larson and William Byron once more are the championship favorites. Byron had a huge piece of debris cause his car to overheat early in the race, but bounced back to finish 10th, a solid performance to compliment his Daytona 500 win. 

If last year's spring Phoenix race is anything to go off of, Byron and Larson are the favorites in the desert again next week, and this time, Kevin Harvick won't be on the track to spoil the party. 

Given that one or both of the pair was also in contention to win or won at COTA, Martinsville, Richmond, and Texas last year — all tracks that are on the schedule in March or April this season — the springtime is poised to be their time to shine.