Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch coasted to victory in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

This is Busch's second straight win after he captured the checkered flag in the TicketGuardian 500 last week. He also now has 200 career wins across NASCAR's various series.

KYLE BUSCH WINS FONTANA! Retweet to help us congratulate Rowdy on 200 total NASCAR victories. Legendary. pic.twitter.com/0d983fSuj3

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 17, 2019

Busch crossed the finish line 2.354 seconds ahead of Joey Logano and led 134 of the 200 laps, putting in a dominant performance Sunday.

Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top five. Here are the top 10 finishers, with the full leaderboard available on NASCAR.com:

      

Auto Club 400 Leaderboard

1. Kyle Busch

2. Joey Logano

3. Brad Keselowski

4. Kevin Harvick

5. Ryan Blaney

6. Kurt Busch

7. Denny Hamlin

8. Martin Truex Jr.

9. Aric Almirola

10. Austin Dillon

      

Richard Petty is the only other driver with 200 career NASCAR wins, to put Busch's achievement into perspective.

KYLE BUSCH DOES IT.

HE WINS 200 #NASCAR National Series races with a checkered flag in the #AutoClub400 @ACSupdates!

HOW CAN YOU NOT RESPECT A DRIVER (LIKE HIM OR NOT) FOR SUCH AN INCREDIBLE FEAT?

— Chris Knight (@Knighter01) March 17, 2019

200 wins for Kyle Busch. Just wow

— Brian McLaughlin (@BrianMacWriter) March 17, 2019

Just going to say this once: What Kyle Busch has done is mightily impressive and deserves to be celebrated, but there is no comparison between this and Petty's 200.

Two completely different feats. #NASCAR

— Nick DeGroot (@ndegroot89) March 17, 2019

As Sunday's race reached the final stretch, it became clear Logano needed either a caution or a catastrophic error from Busch's No. 18 car in order to climb into first place. The Fox broadcast noted the final caution in Fontana occurred, on average, with 12 laps to go, so the door wasn't closed for Logano.

But Logano didn't get a lifeline, and the clean finish allowed Busch to cruise on the final lap.

Busch's historic win wasn't without drama. He was assessed a penalty for speeding on pit road in the final stage, which knocked him back into the middle of the field. Even his fans seemed to start losing hope.

A Kyle Busch fan reacts to the speeding penalty.#NASCAR #AutoClub400 pic.twitter.com/hJKihElltk

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) March 17, 2019

However, Busch almost immediately moved into the top 10 before the racing gods smiled down upon him. With 37 laps to go, the yellow flag waved after Bubba Wallace blew a tire. Busch was among the drivers who opted against pitting and remained on the track right before the caution. As a result, he surged up the leaderboard.

Official scoring monitor shows only seven cars on the lead lap because of how the caution fell during pit stops. 18-17-2-12-22-4-1. So they’ll be allowed to pit first, then the cars who just pitted will take the wavearound.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 17, 2019

Scoring monitor says: Ryan Blaney stayed out, is the leader. Kyle Busch won the race off pit road, restarts on the front row (but has fresher tires). Then it’s Keselowski-Harvick-Logano-Stenhouse-KuBusch-Hamlin-Almirola-ADillon-Elliott-Jones-Truex.

32 laps to go on restart.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 17, 2019

Keselowski took the lead after the restart but couldn't hold off Busch for too long. Busch was unassailable once he reclaimed the top spot.

Kyle Busch wins at Auto Club Speedway! pic.twitter.com/1N6Ax8LMxL

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 17, 2019

Busch is already assured of a playoff berth based on his two wins. He padded his overall point total by winning each of the first two stages.

Fresh off an 11th-place finish last week, Clint Bowyer had a race to forget at Fontana. Engine trouble forced the No. 14 car to the garage midway through the race, and his team waved the white flag after he completed 130 laps.

Bowyer at least made light of his last-place finish:

Update on how I’m running today.....💩💩💩 pic.twitter.com/1wEfcv8JrI

— Clint Bowyer (@ClintBowyer) March 17, 2019

Jimmie Johnson was largely a nonfactor as well. He finished in 17th place and failed to lead a lap despite starting from the 11th position.

The Monster Energy Series moves on to Martinsville Speedway for the STP 500 on March 24. Bowyer is the defending champion, while Logano won the First Data 500 last year, the fall race in Ridgeway, Virginia.

Kyle Busch earned his first win of the 2019 Monster Energy Cup season with a first-place finish at the TicketGuardian 500 on Sunday.

The No. 18 car led 177 of 312 laps and made his final pass with 15 left to come away with the victory at ISM Raceway in Phoenix. Martin Truex Jr. ended up in second place, 1.259 seconds behind the leader.

Although the season is still less than a month old, Busch has put himself in great shape for the standings with his latest win.

       

Final Results

1. Kyle Busch (18)

2. Martin Truex Jr. (19)

3. Ryan Blaney (12)

4. Aric Almirola (10)

5. Denny Hamlin (11)

6. Kyle Larson (42)

7. Kurt Busch (1)

8. Jimmie Johnson (48)

9. Kevin Harvick (4)

10. Joey Logano (22)

Full results available at NASCAR.com.

Busch earned his 199th career victory with his performance, cruising to the checkered flag in the final lap:

Retweet to congratulate Kyle Busch on his WEEKEND SWEEP in Phoenix! pic.twitter.com/yJSQjT5xd5

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 10, 2019

The hard work came earlier when he went by Ryan Blaney to get into the first position:

The winning pass? @KyleBusch moves past @Blaney late at @ISMRaceway! pic.twitter.com/1zzetaiIn5

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 10, 2019

While Blaney came in third, he and Busch were two of the best drivers on the track Sunday.

The No. 12 car won qualifying and began on the pole before controlling the early action in this race. He led the first 35 laps and stayed in the hunt until coming through with a Stage 1 victory, his second stage win of the season:

Stage 1 goes to Ryan Blaney! pic.twitter.com/5gyoDKaQee

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 10, 2019

The second stage was then owned by Busch, who led every single lap before crossing the finish line for an extra playoff point.

There was little action during this stretch, but strategy was also important:

#NASCAR ... Top 7 cars at the end of stage 2 were the ones that pitted during that caution shortly before Stage 1 and then stayed out during the Stage 1 break.

Good cars but also shows value of track position and strategy. See what happens in last stage.

— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) March 10, 2019

Busch's domination continued throughout the second half of the race, quickly taking back the lead from Jimmie Johnson after a pit stop.

More cautions led to a shake-up with about 90 laps left, with Aric Almirola moving toward the front and Daniel Hemric right behind him. Blaney then moved out in front with about 60 laps to go, but the big story was whether he could hold off Busch quickly climbing up the standings.

Though fuel was a bit of a concern, the No. 18 car flew past the competition before closing out an impressive win, continuing his incredible career across all levels of racing:

4 @nascar wins in the last ten days for @KyleBusch
Many of you struggle to include him among the greatest of all time.
I asssure you, over the next ten years he has the potential of building an undeniable argument of being the most talented wheelman any of us have ever seen 🏁

— Ricky Craven (@RickyCraven32) March 10, 2019

Kyle Busch goes back-to-back at ISM and sweeps the weekend. Win #52 in the Cup Series and 199 across all three NASCAR national series

— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) March 10, 2019

He will look to match Richard Petty with 200 wins next week. The schedule will keep the Monster Energy Cup series on the West Coast, with the Auto Club 400 set for Sunday in Fontana, California.

Ryan Blaney won the pole for the 2019 TicketGuardian 500 after posting the best qualifying time at ISM Raceway on Friday. 

Chase Elliott will join Blaney in the front row, with Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top five.

Below is a glimpse at the starting lineup for Sunday's race as well a look of some of the most noteworthy qualifying performances.

2019 TicketGuardian 500 Lineup

1. Ryan Blaney

2. Chase Elliott

3. Denny Hamlin

4. Kyle Busch

5. Brad Keselowski

6. Alex Bowman

7. William Byron

8. Kevin Harvick

9. Martin Truex Jr.

10. Erik Jones

11. Daniel Hemric

12. Joey Logano

*Full qualifying results available on NASCAR's official website 

Recap

Ryan Blaney has finished no better than 22nd through the first three races of 2019, but he is in prime position to end that skid this week.

The 25-year-old captured his sixth career pole on Friday, thanks to a time of 25.480 seconds. 

YRB in PHX! Retweet to congratulate Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 team on their POLE. pic.twitter.com/hjwngqSRom

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 9, 2019

That put him 0.203 seconds clear of the field, as Elliott finished at 25.683 seconds. The No. 12 car also had the top speed, reaching 141.287 mph at ISM Raceway.

"That was a lot of fun!" 😎@Blaney is all smiles at @ISMRaceway after winning the #BuschPole! pic.twitter.com/l26qe9mNgV

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 9, 2019

"Good way to start the weekend off," Blaney said.

By starting out in front of the pack, Blaney will have the opportunity to try to best last year's 16th-place finish, which followed a 12th-place start.

Even though he'll be starting in the front row, Elliott was disappointed not to win the pole. He did, however, tip his cap to Blaney afterward:

"If I was gonna be second, guess he's not a bad one to qualify second to."

Be still our hearts. @chaseelliott will join his pal @Blaney on the front row! pic.twitter.com/vtYs8JMrxm

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 9, 2019

Last year's TicketGuardian winner, Kevin Harvick, will start in eighth place, and the 2018 pole winner, Martin Truex Jr., will again start near the front of the field in ninth.

While there was plenty of action on the track, there was some drama on pit road as well. Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell were involved in a pit-road altercation as emotions ran high outside of the vehicles:

Punches thrown in Phoenix. Daniel Suárez vs. Michael McDowell. pic.twitter.com/lIIfu9bFXE

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 8, 2019

McDowell blamed the No. 41 car for the scuffle:

"[Daniel Suárez] tried to crash us and I just didn't appreciate it."- Michael McDowell pic.twitter.com/xYlyMYYiUw

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 9, 2019

Meanwhile, Suarez said a "lack of respect" from the No. 34 car during qualifying was the reason:

Daniel Suárez says a "lack of respect" from McDowell caused the fight. pic.twitter.com/Z1BEuNF5YJ

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 9, 2019

Interestingly enough, the two drivers will start near each other on Sunday. McDowell qualified 27th, and Suarez came in 28th.

After a drama-filled qualifying round, the race itself will have a lot to live up to. The 2019 TicketGuardian will get underway at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The 2019 NASCAR season begins its West Coast swing Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

After the first two races of the year took place in the southeast, the Monster Energy Series moves west for three straight races, beginning with the Pennzoil 400.

Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski already have wins to their name from Daytona and Atlanta, respectively, and there's a good chance a third driver moves into Victory Lane Sunday.

Kevin Harvick became the third driver to win the pole for a race this season, as he beat out Hamlin and Kyle Busch during qualifying.

                      

Pennzoil 400 Info

Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET 

TV: Fox

Ticket Info: Tickets for the race can be found on StubHub.

Lineup: Full starting grid can be found on NASCAR.com.

                   

Preview

Harvick and Hamlin start Sunday's race in the front row, while Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon occupy Row 2 and Daniel Hemric and David Ragan reside in Row 3.

Hamlin, who has a win at Daytona and an 11th-place finish at Atlanta, is looking to continue his early-season success by benefiting from the second starting position.

Because of his consistency in the first two competitions of the season, Hamlin is out to an early lead in the points standings.

Harvick is just eight points behind Hamlin, while Kyle Busch is nine points back and Kyle Larson sits 10 out of first place.

Kyle Busch and Erik Jones, who is seventh in points, are the only two drivers on the circuit with a pair of top-10 finishes, and they should be in contention to finish high up the leaderboard Sunday.

Another factor worth taking into consideration when picking a winner is Harvick's recent success at Las Vegas, as he finished first in 2015 and 2018.

Keselowski's also been successful in the past five years at Las Vegas, as he drove into the winner's circle in 2014 and 2016.

The only other driver to win at Las Vegas during that span is Martin Truex Jr., who enters Sunday in 12th place in the points standings.

If you're looking for a not-so-familiar name to take home the checkered flag, Hemric is the best option, as he lines up fifth on the starting grid.

The driver of the No. 8 car put together a solid run on the track during qualifying and is in need of a good finish, as he's 29th in points.

                        

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

The Big One wreaked havoc on the 2019 Daytona 500, but Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing emerged as the winners of a crash-filled finish to the Great American Race on Sunday.

Hamlin―who dedicated the 2019 season to the memory of J.D. Gibbs, a co-founder of the team―crossed the line in front of teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones.

Retweet to congratulate @dennyhamlin on winning the 2019! #DAYTONA500@JoeGibbsRacing | @DISupdates pic.twitter.com/hHIASyPUDM

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 18, 2019

Hamlin reflected on his second career Daytona 500 win with appreciation for the entire Gibbs family.

Denny Hamlin: "The whole family, they've just done so much for me over my career. This is for J.D....his legacy still lives on through Joe Gibbs Racing"

— PRN (@PRNlive) February 18, 2019

But the victory certainly didn't come easily. Not only did Kyle Busch and Joey Logano push Hamlin to the finish, but the final 10 laps also included three major incidents.

The Big One came first.

On Lap 191, Paul Menard clipped Matt DiBenedetto's right rear and caused a 22-car pileup that led to a red flag.

WELP pic.twitter.com/09xqeRkCkC

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 17, 2019

DiBenedetto led a race-high 49 laps but watched his Daytona dreams disappear in the Big One. Still, the No. 95 driver chalked up the unfortunate collision to nothing more than racing.

"It's just a racing deal." - DiBenedetto on the big one which contact from Menard brought out the red flag.#Daytona500 | #NASCAR

— Luis Torres (@TheLTFiles) February 17, 2019

Menard's team, Wood Brothers Racing, sent out an apologetic tweet for the driver's role in the crash.

Just gonna throw this out there and then call it a day. Nobody hates this worse than we do. We were on the receiving end last weekend and it sucked just as bad. Paul races cleaner than anybody and we sure hate to have been all up in this one. Real sorry it ended this way

— Wood Brothers Racing (@woodbrothers21) February 17, 2019

Defending champion Austin Dillon was part of the wreck and eventually crossed the line in 16th. Other notables caught in the carnage included Ryan Newman (14th), Ryan Blaney (31st), Aric Almirola (32nd) and Martin Truex Jr. (35th).

Four laps later, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. unsuccessfully tried to split Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick. The drivers had been eyeing top-10 finishes but only Larson (seventh) managed one.

On the ensuing restart, Clint Bowyer tried to pass Michael McDowell but cut up too soon and turned directly into William Byron and Chase Elliott. The crash also involved Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski and Landon Cassill and sent the race to overtime.

Apparently only top five cars don't have any damage:

1. Denny Hamlin, coming off winless season, looking for second 500 win
2. Kyle Busch, has never won the 500
3. Joey Logano, last year's Cup champ
4. Michael McDowell, no career Cup wins in 285 starts
5. Ryan Preece, rookie

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 18, 2019

Hamlin, Busch and Jones led Logano and McDowell to the checkered flag. Ty Dillon, Larson, Ryan Preece, Jimmie Johnson and Ross Chastain rounded out the top 10.

The wild 10-lap finish trailed a relatively tame 190.

An early crash removed Kurt Busch from contention. Then with 41 laps to go, Cody Ware hooked BJ McLeod―two drivers five laps down―while heading toward pit road and slammed into Tyler Reddick, Stenhouse and Johnson.

Well that was interesting. pic.twitter.com/bMzWjQGU3X

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 17, 2019

Seven laps later, a caution for debris reset the field. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Jones were in front of Hendrick Motorsports drivers William Byron and Alex Bowman.

On the restart, though, Jones lost fuel pressure and cost the Hendrick teammates dearly. Bowman and Byron fell at least 10 spots apiece, and the drop effectively ensured the duo would be trapped in the Big One and other late crashes.

Kyle Busch and Blaney both picked up an additional 10 points by winning Stages 1 and 2, respectively.

The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series continues Sunday, Feb. 24, with the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.

Denny Hamlin won a chaotic Daytona 500 that featured a 22-car wreck amid other crashes at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Sunday. 

No injuries were reported.

Hamlin, who won the Daytona 500 in 2016, held off his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch for the victory. 

Here's a look at the top-10 standings, highlights and reaction from The Great American Race.

          

Standings (Top 10)

1. Denny Hamlin

2. Kyle Busch

3. Erik Jones

4. Joey Logano

5. Michael McDowell

6. Ty Dillon

7. Kyle Larson

8. Ryan Preece

9. Jimmie Johnson

10. Ross Chastain

Full standings can be found on NASCAR.com.

     

Highlights and Reaction

There were three main takeaways from this year's Daytona 500.

First, it was an emotional night for the Gibbs team just a month after J.D. Gibbs, co-owner of the group and the son of former Washington Redskins coach and fellow co-owner Joe Gibbs, died in January at the age of 49 because of a degenerative neurological disease.

The Gibbs team took the top three spots Sunday, with Erik Jones finishing third.

NASCAR on NBC caught Hamlin pointing post-race to a sticker honoring Gibbs, who was a big factor in bringing the two-time Daytona winner to the team:

What a moment.@dennyhamlin points to the JD Gibbs sticker on his car. Gibbs was the one who noticed him, giving his shot to race for @JoeGibbsRacing years ago. #Daytona500 pic.twitter.com/SyiRFFSkOp

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) February 18, 2019

Coach Gibbs also shared remarks on the Fox broadcast:

Coach Gibbs reflects on JD Gibbs as @dennyhamlin wins the #DAYTONA500

@DISupdates | @JoeGibbsRacing pic.twitter.com/Hg2KQ1XyPn

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 18, 2019

Second, numerous crashes marred an otherwise exciting race. Only four cars finished the race unscathed, per racing writer Jeff Gluck:

Apparently only top five cars don't have any damage:

1. Denny Hamlin, coming off winless season, looking for second 500 win
2. Kyle Busch, has never won the 500
3. Joey Logano, last year's Cup champ
4. Michael McDowell, no career Cup wins in 285 starts
5. Ryan Preece, rookie

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 18, 2019

Correction: Logano has some damage.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 18, 2019

The aforementioned 22-car wreck with 10 laps remaining caught more than half the field:

WELP pic.twitter.com/09xqeRkCkC

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 17, 2019

Thankfully, everyone turned out to be OK, per the Fox broadcast.

Matt Weaver of Autoweek revealed the cause:

Menard right reared Dibenedetto and everyone piles in.

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) February 17, 2019

Performance Racing Network listed the drivers involved:

Involved:

Menard
DiBenedetto
Almirola
Newman
Blaney
Suarez
Ty Dillon
Austin Dillon
Ragan
Reddick
Tifft
Gaughan
Buescher
Jones
Truex
Elliott
Larson

List of those not in it might be shorter

— PRN (@PRNlive) February 17, 2019

There were two more wrecks before the end of the race:

.@StenhouseJr runs out of room between @KyleLarsonRacin and @KevinHarvick!#DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/4vOzh6LySP

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 17, 2019

The contact between @ClintBowyer and @Mc_Driver sets off this chain reaction.#DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/JoDtYA4GFP

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 18, 2019

A 50th-lap wreck involving Kurt Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Jamie McMurray and Bubba Wallace was the big story in Stage 1:

Here's what has us under caution toward the end of Stage 1.#DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/irHI2SgUj2

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 17, 2019

Gluck provided a breakdown:

Replay appears to show Kurt Busch cut down in front of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and went for a spin. Bubba Wallace slowed down and then got hit from behind by Tyler Reddick. As Wallace was spinning, Jamie McMurray hit him.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 17, 2019

Nick DeGroot of Motorsport.com tweeted that Stenhouse was not to blame:

Even if there was contact, you can't put this one on Stenhouse. He was holding the yellow line and Kurt was trying to come down. #NASCAR #Daytona500 https://t.co/2njTqVwy0V

— Nick DeGroot (@ndegroot89) February 17, 2019

Matt Willis of ESPN.com noted there were 12 cautions and that just 14 cars were on the lead lap by the end of the race. Per NASCAR.com, there were two overtimes and two red flags as well.

Third, the action was intense, with many drivers taking chances and single-file racing the exception as opposed to the rule.

Jeff Gordon said during the broadcast that this year's Daytona was one of the best he's seen in "quite a while."

Dan Bernstein of Sporting News also offered praise: "This race has been a pleasant surprise to this point given concerns about boring, single-file racing. Drivers are taking more chances, opting to go into the bottom lane more than they did in qualifying."

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will now head to Atlanta for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on Sunday.

When New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, the MVP of Super Bowl LIII, waves the green flag for the Daytona 500 on Sunday afternoon, it will officially mark the beginning of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

William Byron is starting on the pole for the 61st running of the Great American Race. Last year's pole winner, Alex Bowman, is starting on the outside of the front row, while Gander RV Duels at Daytona winners Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano will start third and fourth, respectively.

Daytona Speedweeks has already been eventful, and it will culminate with one of the most exciting races in motorsport.

                  

Daytona 500 Information

Date: Sunday, Feb. 17

Time: 2:30 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

               

Daytona 500 Odds

Brad Keselowski +800 (bet $100 to win $800)

Joey Logano +800

Kevin Harvick +850

Clint Bowyer +1,100

Ryan Blaney +1,100

Denny Hamlin +1,100

Aric Almirola +1,100

Chase Elliott +1,100

Kyle Busch +1,200

Kurt Busch +1,500

Martin Truex Jr. +1,800

Jimmie Johnson +1,800

Daniel Suarez +2,200

Erik Jones +2,500

Alex Bowman +2,500

Kyle Larson +2,800

Austin Dillon +3,000

William Byron +3,000

Jamie McMurray +3,300

Ryan Newman +3,400

Darrell Wallace Jr. +6,000

Daniel Hemric +6,000

Matt DiBenedetto +7,500

Ryan Preece +9,000

Chris Buescher +9,000

David Ragan +9,000

Ty Dillon +9,000

Michael McDowell +10,000

Matt Tifft +12,500

Cody Ware +15,000

Tanner Berryhill +20,000

Odds according to OddsShark.

                

Preview

This will be the final race in which NASCAR will have restrictor plates on the cars' engines, which has been the case at every superspeedway race—those at Daytona and Talladega—in recent years. After the Daytona 500, there will instead be tapered spacers on the engines at those races.

However, the result shouldn't be too different‚ so this may not be the last superspeedway race in which fans see a lot of the action happen in packs.

That will be the case on Sunday, as pack racing has dominated recent Daytona 500 races.

Logano is coming off his first career Cup Series championship after he ended 2018 with a strong stretch, including winning the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He'll start near the front of the field, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him stick around up there for most of the day.

Also near the front of the field will be Harvick (third) and Martin Truex Jr. (11th), who finished second and third, respectively, in last year's final points standings.

There are also some top contenders starting near the back of the field who will need to work their way up, including Kyle Busch (31st) and Brad Keselowski (35th).

Like many past superspeedway races, it will be the drivers who can stay near the front and those who can avoid the inevitable wrecks that will be left to battle for the win in the closing laps.

                

Pick

Although Kyle Busch hasn't won a superspeedway race since 2008, he will navigate through the field and notch his first career Daytona 500 win. He has 51 career Cup Series wins, and come Sunday night, he will finally have a victory in the Great American Race.

On Sunday, we welcome the Daytona 500 and, with it, the official start of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. 

By now, race fans are familiar with the stage format and the playoff point structure.

One important rule change race fans will want to be aware of heading into this season is that drivers who fail inspection after a race will simply be disqualified rather than lose playoff points, which definitely ups the ante. 

The 61st running of the Daytona 500 features a return of the Big Three—or, as they became last season, the Big Four: Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19 Toyota Camry), Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Ford Mustang), Kyle Busch (No. 18 Toyota Camry) and Joey Logano (No. 22 Ford Mustang GT), who came away with the title last November in Homestead, Florida, at the Monster Energy Cup Series Championship. 

It's one of those stars who is projected to take it all: reigning champion Logano, at +800 (bet $100 to win $800), is the favorite heading into the race (tied with Brad Keselowski), according to OddsShark.

Let's take a look at how you can tune in to the action Sunday and then break down the drivers you need to watch. 

      

Daytona 500 Schedule

Date: Sunday, Feb. 17

Time: 2:30 p.m. ET

Location: Daytona International Speedway; Daytona Beach, Florida

TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

     

Here are the latest odds for each driver heading into the race, via OddsShark:

• Brad Keselowski +800
• Joey Logano +800
• Kevin Harvick +850
• Clint Bowyer +1100
• Ryan Blaney +1100
• Denny Hamlin +1100
• Aric Almirola +1100
• Chase Elliott +1100
• Kyle Busch +1200
• Kurt Busch +1500
• Martin Truex Jr. +1800
• Jimmie Johnson +1800
• Daniel Suarez +2200
• Erik Jones +2500
• Alex Bowman +2500
• Kyle Larson +2800
• Austin Dillon +3000
• William Byron +3000
• Jamie McMurray +3300
• Ryan Newman +3400
• Darrell Wallace Jr. +6000
• Daniel Hemric +6000
• Matt DiBenedetto +7500
• Ryan Preece +9000
• Chris Buescher +9000
• David Ragan +9000
• Ty Dillon +9000
• Michael McDowell +10000
• Matt Tifft +12500
• Cody Ware +15000
• Tanner Berryhill +20000

     

Austin Dillon, who drives the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro for his grandfather's Richard Childress Racing, won the Daytona 500 last year, sending Aric Almirola into the outside wall in thrilling fashion on the final lap. He did so despite being a 50/1 underdog, but he now finds himself in the middle of the pack. 

This year, William Byron and Alex Bowman clinched front-row positions, and the rest of the qualifiers went down Thursday at the Gander RV Duel races. Harvick won Duel 1, and Logano won Duel 2.

As a result, the two will start from the second row. 

In all, eight former Daytona 500 winners will race in the field of 40 on Sunday. Even though he's tied as the odds-on favorite to win at Daytona Sunday, Keselowski is not included in that group; he's one of the drivers who has yet to win the Great American Race. 

Keselowski has one career win at Daytona: the 2016 Coke Zero 400. 

Although he's in the middle of the odds, keep an eye on Truex Jr. He had Logano down to the final 10 laps at the Cup Series Championship before Logano took over, and Truex Jr. will be eager to prove himself driving for a new team this year in Joe Gibbs Racing. 

Then, of course, there's always Jimmie Johnson, driving the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports.

Within this year's field of 40 drivers, Johnson is the only one to have multiple victories at Daytona: two in all. If Johnson can win his third Sunday, he'll match Jeff Gordon's total.

NASCAR's most prestigious race announced it has sold out for the fourth consecutive year. Fans tuning in can expect to see some familiar faces across sports and entertainment serving some ceremonial duties.

J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans is the race's grand marshal. Super Bowl champion New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman will wave the green flag as honorary starter. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be the pace truck driver. 

The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season begins in grand fashion on Sunday afternoon, when 40 drivers will take the green flag for the 61st running of the Daytona 500.

William Byron won the Busch Pole Award and will start first, while Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman will start on the outside of the front row. Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano won the Gander RV Duels at Daytona qualifying races and will start in the second row.

After three months without NASCAR, the Daytona 500 will be the first of 36 races this season.

                         

Daytona 500 Information

Date: Sunday, Feb. 17

Time: 2:30 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

                      

Daytona 500 Odds

Brad Keselowski +800 (bet $100 to win $800)

Joey Logano +800

Kevin Harvick +850

Clint Bowyer +1,100

Ryan Blaney +1,100

Denny Hamlin +1,100

Aric Almirola +1,100

Chase Elliott +1,100

Kyle Busch +1,200

Kurt Busch +1,500

Martin Truex Jr. +1,800

Jimmie Johnson +1,800

Daniel Suarez +2,200

Erik Jones +2,500

Alex Bowman +2,500

Kyle Larson +2,800

Austin Dillon +3,000

William Byron +3,000

Jamie McMurray +3,300

Ryan Newman +3,400

Darrell Wallace Jr. +6,000

Daniel Hemric +6,000

Matt DiBenedetto +7,500

Ryan Preece +9,000

Chris Buescher +9,000

David Ragan +9,000

Ty Dillon +9,000

Michael McDowell +10,000

Matt Tifft +12,500

Cody Ware +15,000

Tanner Berryhill +20,000

Odds according to OddsShark.

                   

Drivers to Watch in Daytona 500

Joey Logano

Joey Logano is tied with Brad Keselowski for the best odds to win the Daytona 500, and he has a much better starting position. The reigning Cup Series champion is starting fourth after winning the second qualifying duel race on Thursday night.

Not only is Logano a former Daytona 500 winner—he won the race in 2015—but he's also coming off an impressive finish to the 2018 season. He finished in the top five in five of the last seven races, ending with his win at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the final race to secure his first career Cup Series championship.

What better way to carry that momentum over into 2019 than with another Daytona 500 win? His finishes in the Great American Race over the past seven seasons read ninth, 19th, 11th, first, sixth, sixth and fourth.

Logano knows how to end the Daytona 500 near the front of the pack, and this year may not be any different.

                     

Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch has been one of the most successful drivers in the Cup Series for more than a decade. Although the 2015 Cup Series champion has 51 career Cup Series victories, he has never won the Daytona 500.

In 2016, Busch finished third in the Great American Race. But he finished 38th and 25th the past two years.

Perhaps this will be the year Busch finally breaks through for his first Daytona 500. But he'll have a long path to the front of the field, as he's starting his 14th Great American Race in 31st.

Busch has only two career wins in restrictor-plate races, notching victories at Daytona and Talladega in 2008. The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is certainly due a positive result.

                     

Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson has already had some success during Daytona Speedweeks, as he won the Advance Auto Parts Clash on February 10. However, he's also created some controversy.

The seven-time Cup Series champion made contact with Paul Menard during the Clash, which led to a multi-car wreck as Johnson drove on to victory in the rain-shortened race. Johnson went on to spin Busch during the second duel qualifying race on Thursday night.

"I firmly believe the Clash was a racing incident," Johnson told the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "This one was a mistake on my behalf, and everyone makes mistakes."

It will be interesting to see whether either of those incidents plays on his mind during the Daytona 500. Either way, Johnson could be a contender to win the Great American Race for the third time.

Hendrick Motorsports will start on the front row of the Daytona 500, the first and most popular race of the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series season.

William Byron earned the pole for the Great American Race and will be flanked by teammate Alex Bowman. Hendrick's other drivers, Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott, qualified 17th and 18th.

Austin Dillon won the 2018 Daytona 500 with a last-lap pass of Aric Almirola, and the reigning champion will start 20th.

             

Date: Sunday, Feb. 17

Start Time: 2:30 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

                  

Daytona 500 Starting Lineup

1. William Byron
2. Alex Bowman
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Joey Logano
5. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Paul Menard
8. Aric Almirola
9. Matt DiBenedetto
10. Denny Hamlin
11. Martin Truex Jr.
12. Kurt Busch
13. Bubba Wallace
14. Ryan Blaney
15. Chris Buescher
16. Jamie McMurray
17. Jimmie Johnson
18. Chase Elliott
19. Ryan Newman
20. Austin Dillon

21. Ryan Preece
22. Ty Dillon
23. Daniel Suarez
24. David Ragan
25. Parker Kligerman
26. Kyle Larson
27. Landon Cassill
28. Erik Jones
29. Daniel Hemric
30. Brendan Gaughan
31. Kyle Busch
32. Corey LaJoie
33. Matt Tifft
34. Michael McDowell
35. Brad Keselowski
36. Ross Chastain
37. Cody Ware
38. B.J. McLeod
39. Tyler Reddick
40. Casey Mears

                

Byron and Bowman will begin the Daytona up front, but many viewers will be watching closely for the 11th lap.

At that time, the Fox broadcast will honor J.D. Gibbs, who died in January. Gibbs is the son of team owner Joe Gibbs; his drivers are Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones.

Hamlin has an admirable plan to support the J.D. Gibbs Legacy Fund, and the donations could start Sunday.

Denny Hamlin’s charity will donate $111 to the J.D. Gibbs Legacy fund for every lap that Hamlin leads this season #NASCAR

— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) February 15, 2019

Hamlin rounds out the top 10 of the starting order, which also includes a pair of fellow past Daytona 500 winners.

Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano qualified third and fourth, respectively, thanks to their victories in Thursday's Gander RV Duel races. They'll start behind the young Hendrick teammates who grabbed their front-row spots in last Sunday's qualifying.

Byron will be driving his first race with crew chief Chad Knaus. Interestingly, his outstanding 16-year stint on the headset for Jimmie Johnson began the same way: atop the Daytona order.

Chad Knaus led Jimmie Johnson to his first career pole in their first race together, the 2002 Daytona 500. Chad Knaus led William Byron to his first career pole in their first race together, the 2019 Daytona 500.

— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) February 10, 2019

Johnson wound up 15th during his Daytona debut in 2002. The seven-time series champion has caused quite a stir throughout race week, twice initiating contact in other races. Johnson might have a few more enemies Sunday afternoon.

Kyle Busch, who didn't take kindly to Johnson's maneuver in Duel 1, will start 31st. As Busch makes his way through the field, we'll be monitoring whether anything happens between the No. 18 and No. 48.