Kyle Busch

The NASCAR Cup Series makes its debut at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday.

The new stop on the circuit provides a different type of challenge for the drivers than other tracks because few racers have a history there. The 1.333-mile track has not hosted a NASCAR-sanctioned event since an Xfinity Series race in 2011.

Kyle Larson is the overwhelming favorite to take first place for the Ally 400. The No. 5 car driver is on a remarkable hot streak, and he typically thrives at tracks of this length.

Larson and the other competitors in the field have to wait until Sunday to set the starting grid. Qualifying is set to take place at 11:05 a.m. ET.

                    

Ally 400 Information

Date: Sunday, June 20

Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET 

TV: NBCSN 

Live Stream: NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app

               

Odds

Kyle Larson: +275 (bet $100 to win $275)

Martin Truex Jr.: +650

Chase Elliott: +700

Denny Hamlin: +850

Kyle Busch: +900

William Byron: +1200

Brad Keselowski: +1200

Kevin Harvick: +1300

Joey Logano: +1300

Alex Bowman: +1400

Ryan Blaney: +1600

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

           

Preview

There is no stopping Larson at the moment.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver added the NASCAR All-Star Race to his rapidly expanding trophy case last weekend and is on a three-race winning streak. He also took the checkered flag first at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and the Toyota Save Mart 350 on the Sonoma road course.

Larson's first victory of the season came in early March at Las Vegas, which has a similar-length track to Nashville.

The 28-year-old is known as an ace on 1.5-mile tracks, and he has become the driver to beat for the Cup Series championship. Larson is 47 points behind leader Denny Hamlin the standings entering Nashville, but he has an advantage over Hamlin with three victories to none.

Even though Hamlin is without a victory in 2021, he is in a good position to qualifying for the postseason.

There have been 11 race winners on the Cup Series circuit this season, which leaves five open playoff spots. Every first-place finisher qualifies for the 16-car postseason as long as more than 16 drivers do not win one competition.

With the second half of the season getting underway at Nashville, the playoff focus will become more intense. Hamlin and Kevin Harvick appear to be locks for the field of 16 based off points, but they would feel more secure with a victory.

Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher headline the collection of drivers who need victories to get into the postseason. Those three are 12th, 13th and 14th in the points standings, respectively, but if a few more new race winners emerge, their spots could come under threat.

Dillon produced a pair of top-10 finishes at Nashville when the Xfinity Series last visited in 2011. That history, however short, at the track could help Dillon get into a high position on the track Sunday and contend for a victory.

Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano are the active Cup Series drivers with Xfinity Series wins at Nashville. Although it's been 10 years since any of them raced at the track, that might be enough of an advantage for them to succeed Sunday.

Keselowski, Busch and Logano all have victories this season, so if any of them cross the finish line first, it would make life feel a bit safer at the back end of the points standings.

If Harvick finally breaks through, it would give him the security of a playoff spot while putting much more pressure on Dillon, Reddick, Buescher and others to come up with a win before the playoffs begins.

              

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

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The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race will be run at a new venue with a different format than in previous years.

Some of NASCAR's best drivers will compete for $1 million over 100 laps at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday night. 

Seventeen drivers are already in the field as race winners from the 2020-21 seasons, or previous All-Star Race and Cup Series champions. Four more competitors will be added through the All-Star Open. The three stage winners and a first-place finisher in a fan vote will move on to the main event. 

Chase Elliott is reigning champion of the event. The No. 9 car driver won the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2020. Prior to last year, the All-Star Race was primarily held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

           

NASCAR All-Star Race Info

Date: Sunday, June 13

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET 

TV: FS1

Live Stream: FoxSports.com and Fox Sports app

      

Preview

The 2021 edition of the All-Star Race comes with a handful of tweaks to the format, some of which are confusing to follow. 

The 100-lap race is broken down into six stages. Only green flag laps in every stage will count toward the lap total. 

The first four stages are 15 laps. The original starting lineup will be determined by a random draw. The second, third and fourth stages will have drivers line up through an inverted formula that was used at parts of the 2020 Cup Series season. 

Stage 5 is the longest of the six at 30 laps. The order for that stage will be determined by cumulative finish over the first four segments. 

During the fifth stage, each team must make a green-flag pit stop. The crew with the fastest pit stop will earn $100,000.

The sixth and final stage will be an all-out sprint to the checkered flag over 10 laps. The cars will be aligned for that segment based off Stage 5 finish. 

All of the race winners since the 2020 All-Star Race at Bristol automatically qualified for the field. Michael McDowell, Cole Custer and Christopher Bell are the biggest beneficiaries of that policy. 

Those three drivers were among some of the surprise winners on the NASCAR circuit over the last 12 months. McDowell and Bell won the first two races of the 2021 season at Daytona International Speedway. 

Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch clinched their spots in the All-Star field by winning at Texas. Dillon's win last July came in the first event after the All-Star Race at Bristol. 

Kevin Harvick could be viewed as one of the favorites to win since he owns wins in three of the last seven Cup Series trips to Texas. 

Harvick has not won in 2021 and a victory at the All-Star Race could be a boost into the second part of the season for his team.

The Hendrick Motorsports cars should be at the front as well. Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman are two of the three drivers with multiple victories on the circuit this season, while Elliott and William Byron both have a win and double-digit top-10 finishes. 

Elliott and Larson are the last two victors of the All-Star Race, and based off their 2021 form, it would not be a surprise if they fought for the win on the final laps on Sunday.

        

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com.

The last five NASCAR Cup Series winners at Dover International Speedway top the odds chart for Sunday's Drydene 400.

Martin Truex Jr., who is coming off a win at Darlington Raceway, is the favorite to win at the Monster Mile. The No. 19 car driver owns three victories in 2021.

Truex and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch won the last two races on the circuit, while Denny Hamlin sits atop the points standings for the team.

The Gibbs cars should be leading the pack for a good chunk of Sunday's race since Truex and Hamlin start on the front row. Four of the last seven winners at Dover have come from the top spots on the starting grid.

Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, all of whom have wins at Dover in the past three years, start inside the top eight, so it may be difficult for a long shot to upset the field.

            

Drydene 400 Info

Date: Sunday, May 16

Start Time: 2 p.m. ET 

TV: FS1

Live Stream: Fox Sports app or FoxSports.com

           

Odds

Martin Truex Jr.: +350 (bet $100 to win $350)

Kyle Larson: +450

Denny Hamlin: +600

Kevin Harvick: +750

Kyle Busch: +800

Chase Elliott: +800

Brad Keselowski: +1300

William Byron: +1600

Joey Logano: +1600

Alex Bowman: +1800

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

       

Starting Lineup

All-JGR front row Sunday at Dover with Truex on the pole and Hamlin beside him. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/WhU0y6WCzl

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 12, 2021

          

Preview

Sunday's race is set up for the Gibbs cars to have a ton of success.

Truex owns two victories at the track and took second in both races in Delaware in 2020. Hamlin won one of those competitions, and Busch placed third in the race that the No. 11 car landed in Victory Lane.

In the last two years, the Gibbs team put nine cars in the top 10 and captured a pair of victories at Dover, so it is hard to argue against betting on one of those three drivers to win.

Truex sits at even-money to land in the top three, while Hamlin is +155 and Busch is +210 to land one of those positions.

In addition to their recent success at Dover, the three Gibbs drivers carry plenty of momentum into the race. Busch and Truex are the last two race winners, and Hamlin possesses nine top-five placings.

If you shy away from the Gibbs teammates, Larson and Harvick are the two best options to consider.

Larson won at Dover in October 2019 and drives for a Hendrick Motorsports team that had five top-10 finishes in the past two races at the Monster Mile.

Harvick captured the second of two races in August and was fourth behind the Gibbs train in the first of those two competitions.

Harvick carries more betting value at +750, and you can also get him at +200 to land inside the top three. Larson is +450 to capture the checkered flag and +125 to secure a top-three spot.

William Byron and Alex Bowman are the best wagering options outside of the top five since the Hendrick cars achieved so much success at Dover in 2020.

Byron and Bowman each had a top-five finish in the second Dover race last season, and they both sit above +1600 to win outright.

If you go further than Bowman on the odds chart, it becomes harder to justify an outright winner selection since the Gibbs and Hendrick teams have raced well at Dover.

Cole Custer may not win, but he carries the best value of the long shots to finish inside the top 10. The No. 41 car driver took 10th and 11th at Dover in 2020 and sits at +450 to finish in that spot on Sunday.

            

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com.

       

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

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If anyone was going to win the Buschy McBusch Race 400, why not Kyle Busch?

He did just that—and on his 36th birthday, to boot—at the Kansas Speedway on Sunday, holding off Kevin Harvick to cross the checkered flag first. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROWDY!

Retweet to congratulate @KyleBusch on his WIN and weekend sweep at Kansas Speedway. pic.twitter.com/rcfPzlubS5

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 2, 2021

Kyle Busch wins at Kansas Speedway on his birthday. First win of the season. First win for crew chief Ben Beshore. And 10th different winner in 11 races this season #NASCAR

— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) May 2, 2021

Busch also won the first stage of the Buschy McBusch and led for 20 laps total, while Kyle Larson won the second stage and led for a race-high 132 laps. 

It was a tough finish for Larson, who made contact with Ryan Blaney on the final restart and dropped out of contention:

Y'ALL ... THAT WAS AWESOME. Wow.

Rate Ryan @Blaney's incredible save on a scale of 1-12: pic.twitter.com/Ba4exOgiKf

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 2, 2021

Agony for @KyleLarsonRacin, who led 132 laps before finishing P19 after contact with @Blaney on the final restart. pic.twitter.com/z3LYWvpFnS

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 2, 2021

Brad Keselowski finished third, while Matt DiBenedetto and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five. But it was Busch's day at the Buschy McBusch. 

"Just a great day to be able to put this M&M's Mix Camry up front," he said on the FOX broadcast after the win. "... It's cool to get everyone back in victory lane again, this early in the season, to be able to get some of those points going our way. Hell, I just remembered—the Buschy McBusch Race. The Busch won it. Whaddya know? Right on."

"You just gotta keep digging and persevering."

Talking with @KyleBusch after his Trucks and Cup sweep at @kansasspeedway. pic.twitter.com/bAIYdxB8HU

— Jamie Little (@JamieLittleTV) May 2, 2021

"What's really cool is that we started the race good and we worked our way forward from the start of the race," he added. "We made minor adjustments all day to the car and nothing really did anything. We kept getting tighter as the day went on, even though we were trying to free up."

Busch's win at the Buschy McBusch means he now has at least one win in 17 straight seasons, tying him second all time with David Pearson. The legendary Richard Petty holds the record with a win in 18 straight seasons. 

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Kurt Busch finished 15th at the Buschy McBusch Race. 

The NASCAR Cup Series completes its first run through its circuit of short tracks Sunday at Richmond Raceway.

The Toyota Owners 400 ends a three-race stretch on the shortest tracks in NASCAR. Joey Logano won on dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway and Martin Truex Jr. captured first at Martinsville Speedway.

Truex won two of the past three races at Richmond. Those results landed him the title of betting favorite for Sunday afternoon's competition.

Brad Keselowski is the defending champion at the track. He is one of the many top drivers still looking for his first race victory of 2021.

                      

Toyota Owners 400 Information

Date: Sunday, April 18

Start Time: 3 p.m. ET 

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

               

Starting Lineup

Starting lineup for Cup race Sunday afternoon at Richmond ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/HvwyyFsCXM

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 14, 2021

          

Odds

Martin Truex Jr.: +400 (bet $100 to win $400)

Denny Hamlin: +600

Kyle Larson: +700

Brad Keselowski: +750

Chase Elliott: +850

Joey Logano: +850

Kyle Busch: +900

Kevin Harvick: +1100

Ryan Blaney: +1600

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

                   

Preview

Truex comes into Richmond as the driver to beat.

The Joe Gibbs Racing team member is the only competitor with two Cup Series wins in 2021, and he has been dominant on short tracks recently. Truex has five first-place finishes at Martinsville and Richmond since the start of the 2019 season.

The prolonged success makes Truex one of the best bets for the Sunday's race. The No. 19 car starts on the pole, and he has plenty of experience running up front on short tracks.

Truex has 12 top-10 finishes and six top-five placings at Richmond in 29 starts. He finished second behind Keselowski in September. He does not carry much value outside of a top-three finish prop, but that could be worth the wager since he has two wins and a second-place mark in his previous three trips to Richmond.

Keselowski is among the challengers attempting to dethrone Truex as king of the Virginia short tracks. The No. 2 car driver beat out Truex at Richmond in September, and he boasts similar stats as Truex with 12 top-10 finishes and six spots in the top five.

With seven winners locked into the playoff field, Keselowski and other drivers used to being at the top of the Cup Series need to show a bit of urgency in getting to Victory Lane.

It is not time to panic yet, but if we continue to see variety in race winners, some notable names may not make the 16-driver postseason field through points. Kevin Harvick is among the group of winless drivers, but he has yet to show the winning speed that helped him trade wins with Denny Hamlin in 2020.

Harvick has not finished above ninth in the past three races, and he failed to land in the top three of any competition in 2021. In 2020, Harvick had two wins and two more top-three finishes through the first 10 races of the season.

There is still time for the Stewart-Haas Racing crew to figure things out, but until then, Harvick will be further up the odds chart than he was last season. At +1100 to win and -175 to finish in the top 10, Harvick could be a driver to pinpoint in prop bets.

Kyle Busch is another driver to watch, as he won both Richmond races in 2018 and has four top-10 placings in 2021.

                      

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or call or text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN).

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NASCAR begins its first West Coast swing of the 2021 Cup Series campaign Sunday.

The Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be the first competition held outside the state of Florida this season.

The first three races produced a trio of long-shot winners in Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell and William Byron. With three of the 16 playoff positions already locked up, the pressure is on some of the top drivers to regain control at the front of the pack and avoid any postseason bubble stress at the end of the season.

Some of the most established drivers on the circuit have won at the 1.5-mile track. Kurt Busch captured the previous race in Nevada, and Joey Logano has two wins in the past four Las Vegas races.

                  

Pennzoil 400 Schedule

Date: Sunday, March 7

Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET 

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com and Fox Sports app

              

Odds

Kevin Harvick: +600 (bet $100 to win $600)

Martin Truex Jr.: +600

Brad Keselowski: +800

Joey Logano: +800

Chase Elliott: +900

Denny Hamlin: +900

Kyle Larson: +1000

Ryan Blaney: +1300

Kyle Busch: +1300

Kurt Busch: +1800

William Byron: +1800

via DraftKings Sportsbook.

              

Starting Lineup

Harvick on the pole, Byron on the front row Sunday at Vegas: @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/RWREa8SGq1

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 3, 2021

            

Preview

Although there have been three unexpected winners on the Cup Series circuit, the established names are still at the top of the points standings.

Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, who went back-and-forth with victories in 2020, top the points standings through three races.

Harvick ended up with the pole position for Sunday's race based off the formula NASCAR is using, with no qualifying sessions taking place at most tracks.

The No. 4 car driver will start alongside Byron, with Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. occupying the second row. Hamlin will start on the third row next to McDowell.

Starting position could turn out to be key at Las Vegas since six of the past eight first-place finishers at the track began the race inside the top 10.

Ford has been the dominant manufacturer at the track lately, with Team Penske's Logano and Brad Keselowski leading the charge with five wins since 2014.

Keselowski could be the top driver to watch Sunday. The No. 2 car driver owns three victories at Las Vegas and starts five positions ahead of his Penske teammate.

Truex broke up Ford's dominance with victories in March 2017 and September 2019, and he could cash in on his co-favorite status if a Ford does not reach Victory Lane.

The Joe Gibbs Racing competitor has improved his finishing position in each of the three races and is coming off a third-place mark at the season's first 1.5-mile race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Truex was in the mix for the lead with Byron and Kyle Larson, but he missed out on second after Tyler Reddick shot up the field to take silver.

If another long shot were to take over the race, Chris Buescher could be the man for the job. He led a bulk of the early laps at Homestead and has a pair of top-20 finishes from the past two races.

Buescher drives a Roush Fenway Racing Ford, so he may have the right setup under the hood to make a run at the top.

If another unexpected winner were to come out of Las Vegas, it would cut the list of available playoff spots to 12 and squeeze out some of the more inconsistent top drivers.

Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Ryan Blaney are among the more notable names beneath the top 15 in points. If they do not win, they need to put in more consistent runs to start making moves up the points standings.

                    

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Racing Reference.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or call or text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN).

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Kyle Busch won the Busch Clash at Daytona on Tuesday in dramatic fashion, crossing the finish line first after a late crash involving Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott.  

It looked as though Blaney might get the checkered flag first after a dramatic pass on Elliott with just two laps to go. 

BLANEY GETS BY ELLIOTT FOR THE LEAD.

What a battle. pic.twitter.com/RhZaYrCYyL

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 10, 2021

But the two close friends shockingly wrecked on the final lap, allowing Busch to reap the rewards after a dramatic conclusion. 

Just ... WOW. Chase Elliott sends Ryan Blaney around and Rowdy is there!

RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE KYLE BUSCH ON HIS WIN IN THE BUSCH CLASH AT DAYTONA.

Wow. pic.twitter.com/s5hylL5mlQ

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 10, 2021

Elliott, the reigning Cup Series champion, finished second in the race, with Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and William Byron rounding out the top five. Blaney dropped all the way to 13th. 

Blaney and Elliott are good friends off the track, and it didn't sound like there were any hard feelings after the dustup:

Talking with Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney after a dramatic finish to the 2021 Clash at Daytona. pic.twitter.com/tgRp8lqvqp

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 10, 2021

Not that it matters, but @Blaney is credited with a 13th place finish.

💭 "Am I gonna make the same move if I'm in the same position two weeks from now? Hell yeah."

Said he would do it differently, but going for a win is what they do. pic.twitter.com/Ace8ziDPg2

— Davey Segal (@DaveyCenter) February 10, 2021

Blaney said if he had to do over again, he'd protect a little differently in the final chicane. @dustinlong asks what specifically he'd do. Blaney: "Just block a different way so he couldn't have gotten to a certain point beside my car."

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 10, 2021

"I hate that it happened too. We were just racing hard," says Ryan Blaney. #NASCAR

— PRN (@PRNlive) February 10, 2021

"I feel like I'd be mad at myself for not at least trying," Elliott said of his efforts to get around Blaney at the end of the race in an interview on FS1. "Obviously I don't mean to wreck anybody, much less...especially him. Some guys I wouldn't mind, but he's not one of them. Hopefully he's not too mad at me. Feel like you've gotta go for it here at an event like this."

That wreck might have been the major storyline from the event—an invitational exhibition at the Daytona road course that included 21 drivers and didn't have any points on the line—but there was still the small matter of Busch winning the race. 

"I just knew to keep my head down and keep focused ahead, seeing if I could hit my marks and get close enough to have a shot if something like that were to materialize," Busch, the 2019 champion who won only one race last season, said of the dramatic finish. "Fortunately it did for us. ... It's awesome to start off the year with a win. Non-points win, but would love nothing more than to be right here this Sunday."

First trophy of 2021 goes to Kyle Busch! pic.twitter.com/NWyzuRrJj8

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 10, 2021

The Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on Fox. Qualifying for the race will kick off on Wednesday night, and then the two Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday night. It's a busy week of racing at Daytona, with Busch opening the proceedings in the most eventful way possible. 

After a 73-hour rain delay at the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500, Kyle Busch earned his first win of the season by holding off Martin Truex Jr. in a race that came down to who had the most fuel. 

In the second of three races in NASCAR's Round of 8, only Truex and Alex Bowman among the playoff drivers finished in the top five at Texas Motor Speedway on Wednesday. Bowman placed fifth, followed by Brad Keselowski (sixth), Kurt Busch (seventh), Denny Hamlin (ninth), Joey Logano (10th), Kevin Harvick (16th) and Chase Elliott (20th).

FINALLY for @KyleBusch!

"Rowdy" gets his first win of 2020 at @TXMotorSpeedway! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/YQL9SeQtWi

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 28, 2020

CHECKERED FLAG: BREAK THAT STREAK!@KyleBusch wins in 2020! pic.twitter.com/Z2p8T6Kidj

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 28, 2020

https://twitter.com/MatthewMayerCBS/status/1321604819262623744

When the race resumed Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET, a pair of drivers in their final seasons were at the top of the leaderboard. Clint Bowyer was in the lead, followed by Jimmie Johnson, whose car blew up with 50 laps remaining. 

Bubba Wallace and Matt Kenseth got into a wreck before the 10th lap of the restart, capping off their day early. 

Wrecking off of Turn 4!@dennyhamlin hits @mattkenseth who gets into @BubbaWallace 😱. pic.twitter.com/DOFrBaQv0o

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 28, 2020

It's not Jimmie Johnson's day.

An engine issue as smoke billows out from the exhaust. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/v28ceKpEye

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 28, 2020

At first, Bowyer managed to hold on to the lead that he held at the end of Sunday, blocking Truex with three laps to go to take the Stage 1 victory. Truex also finished second in Stage 2, but this time, it was Kyle Busch who took the stage victory, just the third this year for the reigning Cup Series champion.

Busch took the lead from Truex before the final 10 laps of the stage, holding it through the restart with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate continuing to chase.

WHAT A BLOCK,

Clint Bowyer blocks Martin Truex Jr. and keeps the lead to win Stage 1 at @TXMotorSpeedway. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/wUAEao639W

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 28, 2020

https://twitter.com/MatthewMayerCBS/status/1321585741881872385

Bowyer held the lead with 30 laps to go but still needed to pit for fuel, after Busch had given up the lead with 69 laps left to fill up. Busch regained first with 24 laps left, with Truex and Christopher Bell in pursuit, and ended up taking the victory. Bell, who will join Joe Gibbs Racing next year, finished third.

The elimination race in the Round of 8 takes place Sunday at Martinsville Raceway in Virginia. NASCAR's championship race is scheduled for Nov. 8 at Phoenix Raceway. 

The second stage of the NASCAR Cup Series postseason begins Sunday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Kevin Harvick, who won two of the three races in the round of 16, comes into the round of 12 in first place.

Sunday's South Point 400 may be more competitive than previous races at Las Vegas because of the challenges that lie ahead. After Las Vegas, the NASCAR playoffs head to the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway and the road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Harvick begins the race on the pole, with Kyle Busch next to him on the front row. Joey Logano, who won the season's first event at Las Vegas, starts in fifth.

                      

South Point 400 Information

Date: Sunday, September 27

Start Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app

            

Starting Lineup

Updated Cup lineup with some manufacturer fixes. pic.twitter.com/kCbxn4EWhJ

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 23, 2020

          

Odds

Kevin Harvick: +450 (bet $100 to win $450)

Martin Truex Jr.: +500

Brad Keselowski: +600

Joey Logano: +650

Denny Hamlin: +750

Kyle Busch: +900

Chase Elliott: +900

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

              

Preview

Even though Harvick has won only one of the past seven Las Vegas races, he has to be viewed as Sunday's favorite because of his season-long form. The No. 4 car driver took first in three of the past five races, including Sept. 19's Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Harvick now holds a three-race advantage on Denny Hamlin for most wins (nine) during the 2020 season. And Hamlin may struggle to keep pace with Harvick in that category Sunday since he has never won in Nevada.

Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, who respectively sit third and fourth behind Harvick and Hamlin, have been the most successful set of teammates at Las Vegas recently.

The Team Penske drivers have won three of the past four Las Vegas events, with Logano taking the past two early-season races. Logano led 54 of the 267 laps during the Pennzoil 400. Keselowski landed in seventh in that race.

In fact, the Penske competitors were two of four drivers still alive in the NASCAR postseason to finish in the top 10 in February. Austin Dillon and Harvick were the others. Six of the racers who started in the top 10 in that race finished outside of the those places, including Kyle Busch, who began that competition on the pole.

Busch is one of a few drivers that either need a win in the next three races to clinch a spot in the final eight or a handful of high positions to avoid the cut. Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer and and Kurt Busch are the others on the outside looking in at the top eight playoff spots.

A move into the top eight is possible, as Dillon proved in the first postseason stage by surging up to eighth place. Since Dillon took fourth at Las Vegas in February and had a pair of top-five finishes in the round of 16, he should be considered a dark horse to win and could be worth backing at +4000.

                      

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Racing Reference.

Kevin Harvick outdueled Kyle Busch down the stretch Saturday night to capture the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The two drivers remained neck-and-neck for the final two laps with Harvick holding on to a late lead to grab his ninth win this season.

Are you not entertained? 😎

Another @BMSupdates race came down to the final laps as @KevinHarvick and @KyleBusch dueled for the victory. pic.twitter.com/NVcommaJ4V

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2020

William Byron, Cole Custer, Matt DiBenedetto and Ryan Blaney were each eliminated from the playoff field after the race as the postseason moves onto the Round of 12.

     

Bristol Motor Speedway Results

1. Kevin Harvick

2. Kyle Busch

3. Erik Jones

4. Tyler Reddick

5. Aric Almirola

6. Clint Bowyer

7. Chase Elliott

8. Chris Buescher

9. Ryan Preece

10. Michael McDowell

Full results via NASCAR.com

sums it up pretty well, huh?@KevinHarvick | @BMSupdates pic.twitter.com/D5XfZkRxrJ

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2020

Busch has yet to take a checkered flag this year, but that hasn't stopped him from remaining one of the most competitive drivers on any given track. The driver of the No. 18 car led 159 laps, won Stage 2 and nearly took down Harvick on the final lap.

Instead, he remains the only driver left in the playoff field without a victory this season.

Second once again.@KyleBusch | @BMSupdates pic.twitter.com/OcsRqPd98m

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2020

Joey Logano won Stage 1 to clinch a spot in the Round of 12.

Joining Logano, Harvick and Busch in the next playoff round is Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch.

Dillon advanced after finishing 12th on Saturday despite winning one race this year.

7️⃣ to go.

The #NASCARPlayoffs Round of 12 is set. pic.twitter.com/gsJlcPHU8U

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 20, 2020

William Byron was close to advancing into the next stage of the postseason until he took on too much damage to overcome late in Stage 2. Byron was three points back of the cutline before he collided with Christopher Bell on Lap 232.

"Yeah, I think it's been a great season," Byron told NBC Sports (h/t NASCAR.com). "I think that we've performed well. I think we would have liked to perform better, based on how we ended last year. But we got a win and I feel like really the last five or six weeks, we've had all top-10 runs, besides Richmond, which is our worst track. I don't know—hopefully continue being fast the next few weeks."