The semifinal round of 8 of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs is scheduled to get underway this Sunday, October 12 with the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. For the first time this season, eight drivers have a chance to punch their tickets directly to the Championship 4 with a win at the track the Cup Series visited back in mid-March.
Back in mid-March, there were no part-time cars on the entry list, and because all 36 full-time cars are driven by full-time drivers this year for the first time in Cup Series history, that March race at the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Las Vegas, Nevada oval was theoretically the first race in the 77-year history of the Cup Series to feature zero part-time drivers.
It's happened just three times since then, but it won't happen again for this weekend's 267-lap race, as there have been a total of three changes made to the entry list between this past weekend's round of 12 cutoff race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and Sunday's South Point 400.
3 driver lineup changes confirmed for Las Vegas race
We'll start with the one and only part-time car that ran at the Charlotte Roval, because that car will not be back this weekend: the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford. Josh Bilicki made his sixth and the team's 14th start of the year and finished 32nd at Charlotte.
They are set to return for each of the season's final three races at Talladega Superspeedway, Martinsville Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway, each time with Casey Mears in the No. 66 car. Mears has made two starts this season.
But there are still two part-time cars on this weekend's entry list, and they are the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet and the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet.
J.J. Yeley is set to make his ninth and NY Racing Team's 13th start of the year in the No. 44 car; he most recently competed at Kansas Speedway two weekends ago.
Katherine Legge is set to make her seventh and Live Fast Motorsports' 11th start of the year in the No. 78 car; she most recently competed at Watkins Glen International in mid-August, while team owner B.J. McLeod made the team's most recent start at Daytona International Speedway later in the month.
She was not initially planning on competing at Las Vegas, but a mid-summer schedule change landed the South Point 400 on her updated agenda.
USA Network is set to provide live coverage of the South Point 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway starting at 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 12, so begin a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action!