Kyle Busch

Before the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season began, the two-race weekend at Pocono Raceway was viewed as the most unique setup on the schedule.

After competing in three midweek races in May and June, running a pair of competitions following four days off is just part of the new normal.

Saturday's Pocono Organics 325 follows the most competitive race of the season to date at Talladega Superspeedway, which was won by Ryan Blaney.

Winning back-to-back races will be tough for Blaney, as he faces stiff competition from Pocono expert Kyle Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates who have dominated the track over the last three years. 

           

Pocono Organics 325 Information

Date: Saturday, June 27

Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

         

Starting Lineup

Cup lineup for Saturday at Pocono. Green flag 3:54pm ET on FOX. Stages 25-52-53 (130 laps). Sunday lineup by Saturday results with top-20 inverted (no lead-lap requirement). Sunday race green 4:24 ET on FS1. Stages 30-55-55 (140 laps). #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/HBE3krdLj3

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 25, 2020

     

Odds

Kyle Busch (+350; bet $100 to win $350)

Kevin Harvick (+500)

Martin Truex Jr. (+600)

Denny Hamlin (+750)

Brad Keselowski (+750)

Chase Elliott (+800)

Joey Logano (+1100)

Ryan Blaney (+1200)

Odds via Caesars Palace

          

Preview

Saturday presents Kyle Busch with the best chance to earn his first victory of the season.

The driver of the No. 18 car conquered Pocono once in each of the last three years. He has a pair of second-place finishes since NASCAR's restart in May, but he also owns three placings beneath 25th, including a 32nd-place mark at Talladega.

Busch credited crew chief Adam Stevens and his teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing for his recent success at the three-turn track, per NBC Sports' Daniel McFadin.

"(Pocono's) evolved with Adam Stevens being the crew chief since 2015," Busch said. "We've run really well there. It's a good track for us. I've learned a lot from my teammate Denny Hamlin who's won there (five times), and certainly working with Martin (Truex Jr., who has two wins) and his guys has also brought on some new, fresh ideas which help."

Hamlin and Truex Jr., who recently picked up their wins, are the only other competitors to capture first in the last five Pocono races. 

All but one of those triumphs came from a top-10 starting position. Truex won from 28th in June 2018. 

Hamlin and Busch start side-by-side on the second row, while Truex was drawn into 11th Thursday. The top 12 positions were determined by a draw from the top 12 teams in owner points. 

Aric Almirola earned the pole position, and Blaney will start next to him on the front row. 

Starting high on the grid has been important for recent Pocono champions. Since 2014, 10 drivers in 12 races have won from a top-10 position.

Blaney may be the best value play on the odds board Saturday since he has a victory from June 2017 at Pocono and has six top-five finishes in the last seven races. 

Kurt Busch could be the other long shot to target at +2000. The driver of the No. 1 car has three Pocono victories and has been a constant fixture in the top 10 since the Coca-Cola 600.

               

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to one of the most difficult tracks on the circuit Sunday.

Talladega Superspeedway is one of two super speedways on the schedule, and it poses challenges for even the most experienced drivers.

Joe Gibbs Racing could have an advantage from the start, as Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were drawn into the first three positions on the starting grid.

Since finding drafting partners can be difficult, those three should be considered the favorites to win at least the first stage while other combinations of racers scramble to link up.

                         

Geico 500 Information

Date: Sunday, June 21

Start Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports app or FoxSports.com.

            

Starting Lineup

Cup lineup for Sunday at Talladega: #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/t9WPOh96V7

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 18, 2020

              

Odds

Denny Hamlin: +900 (bet $100 to win $900)

Joey Logano: +900

Brad Keselowski: +1,000

Ryan Blaney: +1,000 

Kevin Harvick: +1,200

Kyle Busch: +1,200

Kurt Busch: +1,500

Alex Bowman: +1,800

Martin Truex Jr.: +1,800

Jimmie Johnson: +2,000

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook.

                 

Preview

Talladega has lived up to its reputation as one of the most unpredictable tracks recently, as six drivers have won the past six events.

Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney captured the 2019 races in Alabama. Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Aric Almirola and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are the other recent champions.

Of that group, Keselowski has been the most successful driver at the race track, recording five victories.

Even though the No. 2 car driver has a strong history at the track, he believes you have to keep adapting to it, per NBC Sports' Daniel McFadin:

"You have to keep evolving at Talladega. I don't know if there's a track on the circuit where the tactics evolve more rapidly and drastically year over year than Talladega, so you've just got to really try to stay on top of that and it's a hard thing to do. Sometimes you can stay on top of the tactics and it doesn't matter and you end up getting wrecked anyway, but it certainly is a challenging, challenging place."

The Team Penske competitor has to be considered one of the favorites to win along with the Joe Gibbs cars since he begins the race in sixth place. Keselowski may have to wait a few laps for teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney to reach him for drafting help, but he should be able to maneuver through the early stages.

Since they have had success at Talladega, the trio of Penske drivers are expected to challenge the Joe Gibbs racers.

The other combinations to look out for are the Hendrick Motorsports collection of Jimmie Johnson, Alex Bowman and Elliott, as well as the Stewart-Haas Racing cars of Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Almirola.

As the race goes on, you will see members of other teams combine to push forward, but the in-team relationships will be important. The result could come down to something as simple as which team has the most drivers left in a race that could be littered with cautions.

The unpredictability makes it hard to land on a single bet for Sunday, but the most trusted competitors should be those with the most experience and success at Talladega, such as Keselowski

                           

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

NASCAR's second short-track event of the 2020 season could be one of the most grueling races the drivers face.

The competitors have three days rest between the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway Wednesday and Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 in the blistering heat at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which was won by Kevin Harvick.

Harvick is one of four racers with two wins, with Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin the others. 

Each of those drivers will start in top 12 for Wednesday's race after the starting grid was chosen in a draw based off owner points. 

Ryan Blaney was awarded the pole and will start alongside Aric Almirola, while Logano and Clint Bowyer begin on Row 2.

                

NASCAR at Martinsville Information

Date: Wednesday, June 10

Start Time: 7 p.m. ET 

TV: FS1

Live Stream: Fox Sports app or FoxSports.com

       

Starting Lineup

Cup lineup for Wednesday night at Martinsville, 7pm ET on FS1. Based on weighted draw. Pits will be selected in order of Atlanta finish. #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/uC8TbQth3f

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 8, 2020

         

Odds

Kyle Busch (+450; bet $100 to win $450)

Martin Truex Jr. (+550)

Brad Keselowski (+600)

Chase Elliott (+750)

Denny Hamlin (+900)

Joey Logano (+900)

Kevin Harvick (+1,000)

Odds via Vegas Insider

         

Preview

The 500-lap race at Martinsville will be a test of the physical condition the drivers are in. 

The combination of the heat and being inside the car for close to four hours at Atlanta had some effects on the competitors. 

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. revealed he burned 3,150 calories Sunday afternoon, while Bubba Wallace was visibly affected by the conditions once he got out of his car. 

Of course, these are well-trained athletes who will recover to the best of their abilities, but it will be interesting to see how two long races in four days affects the racers. 

Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. won the 2019 races at Martinsville, and the former is the reigning champion of the spring event. 

The No. 2 car driver has five top-10 finishes and two victories since NASCAR returned to competition May 17. 

Truex captured the first two stages at Atlanta and has performed well of late, but he has not found Victory Lane yet this season. 

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has a quintet of top-10 placings and led the most laps of any competitor without a win in 2020. 

However, repeating victories at Martinsville has proved tough, and Kyle Busch is the only competitor to win in back-to-back years at the track since 2013. 

Just like teammate Truex, Busch has been around the top spot in most races, but he hasn't been able to capture a victory. The driver of the No. 18 car has six top-five finishes, which ties him with Harvick for most this season. 

Jimmie Johnson has not placed as high as Truex, Busch and the other pre-race favorites, but he is familiar with Victory Lane at Martinsville. The seven-time Cup Series champion has nine wins at the Virginia venue and placed third in the season's first short-track race at Bristol.

Blaney, Logano, Hamlin and Chase Elliott all have to be considered as contenders given their recent performances. 

Of that quartet, Blaney carries the most favorable odds to win the race. If he gets out in front early from the pole position, the No. 12 car driver should be in contention for most of the competition.

                   

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com

Kevin Harvick won the Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, taking control of the race down the stretch to claim his 51st career win.

RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE @KevinHarvick ON HIS ATLANTA WIN! pic.twitter.com/0yQRxGslxj

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 7, 2020

He held off Kyle Busch, who finished second, and Martin Truex Jr., who finished third after winning the first two stages. Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five.

According to ESPN's Ryan McGee, Harvick now ranks 12th all-time in Cup Series wins, just three behind 11th-placed Lee Petty.

After the win, Harvick paid tribute to the late Dale Earnhardt:

For Dale. pic.twitter.com/PZbzXvJSif

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 7, 2020

Harvick does a Polish victory lap with three fingers out of the window.
Harvick won his first-career race here at AMS, his third race filling-in for the deceased Earnhardt. No fans to see it, but a great tribute.

— 🔥Fireball Turnbull 🏁🎙️ (@DougTurnbull) June 7, 2020

Man. Chills watching Harvick flash the 3 during his victory lap following his 51st career win.
Just like he did following his very first career Cup win.

— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) June 7, 2020

"First win came for me here in Atlanta, and this is just a race track I've taken a liking to," Harvick said after the race on the Fox broadcast. "You always come back and have those memories. And now you want to celebrate everything that Dale Earnhardt did for this sport. And to be able to come here and do that with wins and to go to Victory Lane is pretty special."

.@KevinHarvick talks with @JamieLittleTV after his Atlanta win. pic.twitter.com/5URvi4uHp2

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 7, 2020

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Jimmie Johnson (five) and Kurt Busch (three) are the only active drivers with as many wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway as Harvick.

Before the race, NASCAR drivers released a video talking about the protests happening around the United States and the world regarding racial discrimination and police brutality against the black community.

We will listen and learn!#BlackLivesMattters pic.twitter.com/AYoYdY8IlX

— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 7, 2020

NASCAR President Steve Phelps also addressed the drivers:

NASCAR President Steve Phelps addressed today's competitors prior to today's race at @amsupdates. pic.twitter.com/7fZLUMkWxj

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 7, 2020

As Jeff Gluck of The Athletic tweeted, "For NASCAR, racing in the heart of the South, with all its history and stereotypes, that was an important moment."

The spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway could not have come at a better time for Kyle Busch.

The winner of the past two editions of the Food City 500 is coming off a disappointing 29th-placed finish at the Alsco Uniforms 500 on Thursday night. Busch has experienced mixed results in the four races since NASCAR's return, earning a pair of top-five finishes and two spots outside the top 25.

The driver of the No. 18 car and his older brother, Kurt, possess the most wins at Bristol of any active drivers.

There are nine Food City 500 wins between the brothers, but they will face plenty of challengers Sunday, including Chase Elliott, who has had one of the fastest cars over the past two weeks and won Thursday night at Charlotte.

                                

NASCAR at Bristol Information

Date: Sunday, May 31

Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: FS1

Live Stream: Fox Sports app and FoxSports.com.

                 

Starting Lineup

Starting lineup for Bristol on Sunday: #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/GIsuRzV3QN

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 29, 2020

          

Preview

Kyle Busch will begin his title defense from seventh position after a draw was held for the starting positions Friday afternoon.

Brad Keselowski, who also won the draw for the first of two races at Darlington Raceway, was assigned the pole position. Keselowski is one of four drivers to win since NASCAR's return in mid-May, with Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Elliott being the others.

Before winning Thursday night, Elliott had opportunities to win the prior races at Darlington and Charlotte, but his plans were derailed by a wreck caused by the No. 18 car and failed pit strategy. Despite the recent bad luck, the Hendrick Motorsports racer has five top-10 finishes this season, and he's third in the driver standings.

Harvick, the Cup Series points leader, has found himself in the top 10 on eight occasions. He has also led the most laps of any driver. The No. 4 car driver is one of eight racers to have at least four top-10 placings, and five of those racers have captured at least one victory.

Kurt and Kyle Busch are two of the three competitors in that group who have not reached Victory Lane. The former put together the better performances of the two in the past two weeks, including a fifth-placed mark Thursday night.

The Chip Ganassi Racing team member has finished higher than his starting position in five of the past six races. Those performances, coupled with his five wins at Bristol from 2002 to 2009, make him one of the favorites to win Sunday afternoon.

His brother, Elliott and Keselowski are also among the favorites to win, but there are a few more drivers to consider for the 500-lap contest.

Ryan Blaney is coming off back-to-back third-placed finishes at Charlotte and starts on the second row in fourth place, while Jimmie Johnson has run well since racing resumed and is the only other driver in the field with multiple spring race wins at Bristol.

                       

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

The Alsco Uniforms 500 was postponed due to rain at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday night.

The NASCAR Cup Series race will instead run Thursday beginning at 7 p.m. ET.  

Charlotte hosted the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 24, which Brad Keselowski improbably won after William Byron spun out and forced overtime. Chase Elliott had been leading and appeared to be cruising to victory before Byron's hiccup.

Elliott avenged his second-place Coca-Cola 600 finish, as well as a separate incident with Kyle Busch at the Toyota 500 on May 20, by defeating Busch in a Gander Trucks race Tuesday night:

TAKE A BOW!!! 🔥

By winning the race and beating @KyleBusch, @chaseelliott earns the $100k bounty from @KevinHarvick and @marcuslemonis to be donated to a COVID-19 relief effort of his choice. pic.twitter.com/hjoCuiXJAC

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) May 27, 2020

.@chaseelliott back to the lead with @KyleBusch chasing him down!

If he holds on to beat Rowdy, he will win @KevinHarvick and @marcuslemonis' $100k bounty! Tune in on FS1 and the FOX Sports app. pic.twitter.com/JqKDpQGzNC

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) May 27, 2020

Elliott is the hot name entering the Alsco Uniforms 500, but Martin Truex Jr. is the favorite.

Odds

Martin Truex Jr. (+500)

Chase Elliott (+550)

Alex Bowman (+650)

Kyle Busch (+700)

Kevin Harvick (+800)

Joey Logano (+1000)

Brad Keselowski (+1200)

Full race odds are available at Caesars Sportsbook.

Race Information

Date: Thursday, May 28

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: Fox Sports 1

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app

Starting Lineup 

Starting lineup for Wednesday night's Alsco 500 Cup race at @CLTMotorSpdwy https://t.co/v0H2YJCXAA pic.twitter.com/vch7LMdW0D

— Jayski (@jayski) May 25, 2020

Truex finished sixth in the Coca-Cola 600. The No. 19 car won the event in 2016 and '19, as well as the 2017 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte. Truex has 235 points in the Cup Series standings, tied with Keselowski and 56 points behind Harvick's field-leading 291 points.

Logano, having won two races this season, is second on the leaderboard with 268 points, while Bowman is in third with 266 points.

Bowman captured Stages 1 and 2 in the Coca-Cola 600 before crossing the finish line in a disappointing 19th place. The No. 88 car has only won the Auto Club 400 on March 1.

Busch won last year's Cup Series but sits in ninth place thus far this season. The No. 18 car has only led for 14 laps but has still managed to earn four top-five and four top-10 finishes.

NASCAR announced earlier Wednesday that starting lineups will be decided through a "random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points" until the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on June 21.

Someone other than Kyle Busch won a NASCAR Truck Series race.

Chase Elliott won at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday and snapped Busch's seven-race Truck Series winning streak in the process, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). Elliott also collected a $100,000 bounty for the win that will go toward COVID-19 relief.

Kevin Harvick and Marcus Lemonis, the CEO of Gander RV & Outdoors, announced they would each donate $50,000 to COVID-19 relief if any full-time Cup driver finished ahead of Busch.

It was a welcome turnaround for Elliott, who appeared ready to win Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway before a stunning finish.

With Elliott in control, the race went into caution and overtime after Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron spun out. Elliott's crew chief called for him to pit during the yellow, which opened the door for Brad Keselowski to stay on the track and win.

"It doesn't make up for Sunday but it was still a really good night, and to do some good for the relief efforts for this virus," Elliott said.

Tuesday's win was not without controversy, especially six days after Busch wrecked Elliott in a Cup Series race at Darlington.

Elliott busted out Busch's celebratory bow after the win and said, "Hopefully nobody gets their feelings hurt over it."

TAKE A BOW!!! 🔥

By winning the race and beating @KyleBusch, @chaseelliott earns the $100k bounty from @KevinHarvick and @marcuslemonis to be donated to a COVID-19 relief effort of his choice. pic.twitter.com/hjoCuiXJAC

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) May 27, 2020

Busch tweeted that he did an interview but it wasn't aired:

I did an interview. Wasn’t aired. That is all.

— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) May 27, 2020

Busch also competed in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday and won the Xfinity Series race on Monday, meaning this was his third race in as many nights.

The NASCAR schedule features plenty of changes, but the one race that remained in the same place was the Coca-Cola 600.

The traditional Memorial Day weekend event at Charlotte Motor Speedway is the third race in a week for the NASCAR Cup Series. Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin enter Sunday's competition off wins at Darlington. They are two of four drivers with victories from the season's first six races. Joey Logano and Alex Bowman are the others.

Unlike the two Darlington races, there will be a qualifying session at Charlotte on Sunday afternoon, four hours before the longest event on the NASCAR calendar begins.

                               

Coca-Cola 600 Information

Date: Sunday, May 24

Start Time: 6 p.m. ET 

TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports app or FoxSports.com.

                 

Preview

The Joe Gibbs Racing teams should have the upper hand going into Sunday's race.

The team has won the past two races at Charlotte and three of the previous five, and it placed all four of its cars in the top 10 Wednesday at Darlington.

Denny Hamlin owns the team's two wins this season, while Erik Jones, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. all have multiple top-10 finishes.

Busch is at the center of the sport's top storyline heading into Charlotte. The driver of the No. 18 car wrecked Chase Elliott on the final green flag lap Wednesday, which spurred discussions as to whether it was an intentional move.

Busch told reporters he had a conversation with Elliott to work through the issue, per NASCAR.com's Chase Wilhelm.

"Yes, Chase and I talked and it went really well," Busch said. "He's a class act. We've all seen that. The conversation overall was good."

Elliott addressed the incident Friday and understood Busch made a mistake in their fight for second place, per the Charlotte Observer's Alex Andrejev:

"I get that mistakes happen and that's part of life. I get it. He's just not a guy that makes many mistakes, so for me to be on the poor end of a rare mistake on his end is, at the end of the day, unfortunate for me and my team."

While it looks like tempers have cooled, it will be interesting to see how both drivers react if they are fighting for position at the top of the grid Sunday.

Elliott will try to end Hendrick Motorsports' five-year drought in Victory Lane at the Coca-Cola 600. The driver of the No. 9 car is the top-ranked racer in the points standings without a victory, and teammate Alex Bowman had one of the strongest rides during both Darlington competitions.

Jimmie Johnson can't be counted out since he has won the 600-mile race on four occasions and has run well for most of the season. The 44-year-old, who will retire at the end of the season, earned top-12 finishes in four of the past five races and was at the front Sunday at Darlington before he crashed.

Kurt Busch is another older driver to keep an eye on, as he owns a trio of top-10 finishes this year and won the Coca-Cola 600 in 2010.

                       

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

NASCAR's two-month layoff ends Sunday with the Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway.

Sunday's race is the first of two over a four-day span at the South Carolina track, and it kicks off a 10-day stretch with a quartet of competitions at Darlington and Charlotte. 

Darlington was selected to host the first race since the season was suspended amid the COVID-19 pandemic in part because of its proximity to the race shops in the Charlotte area. 

As part of the sport's health and safety plan, teams will follow social distancing guidelines and only spend Sunday at the track.

Brad Keselowski, who won at Darlington in 2018, was drawn into the pole position and Alex Bowman will start alongside him on the front row.

                       

NASCAR at Darlington Information

Date: Sunday, May 17

Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

         

Starting Lineup

Darlington starting lineup:https://t.co/AoXALdoZqK pic.twitter.com/pA0uCVtBMD

— Jayski (@jayski) May 14, 2020

      

Race Odds

Kyle Busch (+550; bet $100 to win $550)

Denny Hamlin (+600)

Martin Truex Jr. (+650) 

Kevin Harvick (+700)

Chase Elliott (+800)

Joey Logano (+900)

Brad Keselowski (+1000) 

Full list of odds can be found at Caesars Palace

        

Preview

Sunday's 400-mile competition will last 293 laps and is broken up into three stages, which is the format typically used for NASCAR races. 

The first stage will consist of 90 laps and the second stage is set to conclude at Lap 185, which makes the final stage 108 laps.

In addition to being chosen for its proximity to race shops, Darlington is a similar track to Homestead-Miami Speedway, which was supposed to be the next site on the schedule before the season was put on hold. 

The similarities allowed the teams to use intermediate-track cars that were already prepared in March.

The drivers at the front of the field should have an advantage since the previous seven champions at Darlington have started in the top 15.

Keselowski could remain in front for long stretches. He ranks fourth in laps led through four races, and the first stage may serve as an adjustment process for drivers on track for the first time in two months. 

A handful of drivers have participated in iRacing events, but Sunday marks the first time they will be inside a car since March.

Keselowski and Joey Logano, who has two victories in 2020, could have the best betting value among the pre-race favorites at +900 and +1000, respectively.

Logano starts ninth and captured first place at Las Vegas and Phoenix. He is looking for his first triumph at Darlington. 

Kyle Busch has not won at Darlington since 2008, but he led the most laps at the Southern 500 in 2019. The pre-race favorite could carve a path to the front right away from the second row.

Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. have won at Darlington in the last four years, but neither will start as high up as the driver of the No. 18 car. 

Defending champion Erik Jones faces a steep climb from the 20th starting position. He has a single top-10 finish in 2020.

The returns of Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth will also be worth watching Sunday.

Newman is back inside the No. 6 car for the first time since his horrific wreck at the Daytona 500.

Kenseth is making his first start since the 2018 season finale in the No. 42 car as a replacement for Kyle Larson, who was fired by Chip Ganassi Racing for using a racial slur during an iRacing competition in April.

Kenseth could be a dark horse candidate to win, as he starts 10th and is a previous champion at Darlington from 2013.

               

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com  

William Byron went 2-for-2 on Monday night and didn't even have to leave his house.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver won both races on Monday night at a virtual Rockingham Speedway as part of the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge.

Both races were 35 laps, and the second one came down to the final lap with Byron barely edging out Parker Kligerman:

THE BUMP-AND-RUN!@WilliamByron bumps @PKligerman for the Race 2 WIN at Rockingham! @iRacing // #RacingWeekNBCSN pic.twitter.com/A4eFBcA3Sy

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) April 6, 2020

Kyle Busch served as a pseudo play-by-play man from third place behind Byron and Kligerman:

DRiVER to DRiVER chat!@KyleBusch talking to the leaders @PKligerman and @WilliamByron. pic.twitter.com/loOzG0Nqig

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) April 6, 2020

The full lineup on Monday included Busch, Byron, Kligerman, Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace:

The lineup for Race 1 of the eSports @iRacing Challenge on NBCSN. pic.twitter.com/GrlFAxsouR

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) April 6, 2020

Reddick had to issue a Twitter apology for causing Dillon to spin out:

Not the way I intended to start that race off. 😅😅 sorry @austindillon3! https://t.co/OyEyglPTDM

— Tyler Reddick (@TylerReddick) April 6, 2020

Dillon exacted revenge:

.@AustinDillon3 😩@iRacing // #RacingWeekNBCSN pic.twitter.com/dnSM3bB4dQ

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) April 6, 2020

But Byron and Busch emerged as the true winners. Both drivers secured a spot in Thursday night's championship race, which will take place on a virtual Martinsville Speedway. NBC Sports NASCAR commentator Steve Letarte granted a Peacock Provisional to Busch, sending him through to the title round.

.@WilliamByron is moving on to the Championship race at @MartinsvilleSwy on Thursday!

He wins Rockingham Race No. 1! @iRacing pic.twitter.com/sYKHCn1vfj

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) April 6, 2020

NBC Sports' Dustin Long provided the full results for each race:

Race 1

1. William Byron

2. Parker Kligerman

3. Kyle Busch

4. Tyler Reddick

5. Austin Dillon

6. Bubba Wallace

Race 2

1. William Byron

2. Parker Kligerman

3. Kyle Busch

4. Bubba Wallace

5. Austin Dillon

6. Tyler Reddick

There are races scheduled for Tuesday night and Wednesday night before the championship.

Tuesday will take place at virtual Lucas Oil Raceway, while Wednesday will be set at virtual Myrtle Beach Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who retired from full-time racing in 2017, will be competing on Wednesday.

Earnhardt just barely lost out to Denny Hamlin, who will race on Tuesday, in the inaugural eNASCAR race at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 22. Byron won the third eNASCAR iRacing Pro invitational Series race at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday.