Brad Keselowski

Since the start of the 2014 season, only seven active NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Kansas Speedway.

Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. all have multiple wins during that span. Logano and Truex are the only members of the quartet with victories in the 2021 season.

Brad Keselowski, who won at Kansas in May 2019, became the latest driver to win his first race this season at Talladega Superspeedway.

Keselowski will be on the pole for Sunday's Buschy McBusch Race 400, with William Byron alongside him on the front row. Harvick is joined by Michael McDowell on the second row. Logano, Truex and Hamlin will all have to win the race from outside the top 10.

A start outside the top 10 does not make it impossible to win at Kansas, but it is historically more difficult, with only three of the past 10 winners at Kansas beginning the race outside the top 10.

                 

Buschy McBusch Race 400 Information

Date: Sunday, May 2

Start Time: 3 p,m. ET

TV: FS1

Live Stream: Fox Sports app or FoxSports.com

          

Odds

Denny Hamlin: +550 (bet $100 to win $550)

Kyle Larson: +650

Martin Truex Jr.: +650

Brad Keselowski: +850

Chase Elliott: +900

Kevin Harvick: +900

Joey Logano: +900

Ryan Blaney: +1000

Kyle Busch: +1200

William Byron: +1600

Alex Bowman: +1800

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

              

Starting Lineup

Brad Keselowski on the pole for the Cup race Sunday at Kansas. William Byron on front row @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/NMyJGzCGGJ

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 28, 2021

         

Preview

A starting position further back in the field should not bother Hamlin, who won in Kansas from 23rd in October 2019. He followed that up with a victory in July 2020 from the 10th spot on the grid.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been the most consistent racer that does not have a victory this season, but he leads the series in points and owns eight top-five finishes. Hamlin has some work to do from the 20th position, but he is one of two drivers to ever win at Kansas from a spot outside the top 20.

Keselowski was the other driver to achieve that feat in June 2011. He has two career wins at Kansas. The No. 2 car driver took second and fourth at Kansas in 2020, and his position on the pole could aid him in landing another top finish at the track.

At +850, Keselowski carries decent value to win since Hamlin, Truex and Kyle Larson are listed above him.

Harvick could be Keselowski's top competition for the lead in the early phase of the race since he starts fourth and was the only other driver to land two top-five placings at Kansas in 2020. He is coming off one of his best finishes of the season: a fourth-place mark at Talladega.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has a chance to build off that finish at a track where he has two victories in the past nine races. He and Hamlin are the top two drivers in the points standings without a win.

While you can't go wrong with Hamlin, Keselowski and Harvick, there is one driver who could cash in at a higher value.

Alex Bowman took third at Kansas in October and possesses four top-10 finishes this season. At +1800, he has the largest moneyline value of any top contenders.

Most of the drivers listed at +2000 and beyond would be better choices for top-five or top-10 prop bets.

Christopher Bell, Erik Jones and Aric Almirola are the best options from that group to land in the top 10. Each driver had one such finish at Kansas in 2020.

               

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

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Sunday's Geico 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway had it all. A number of crashes. A late-race restart and overtime driving. And a late push from Brad Keselowski that left him the winner in an event NASCAR fans won't soon forget.

Breaking down the finish: pic.twitter.com/0ggvHCha2C

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 25, 2021

To put the chaos into perspective, both stages—won by Matt DiBenedetto and Bubba Wallace, respectively—finished with major wrecks.

End of Stage 2: Chaospic.twitter.com/bKeOvZakl0

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 25, 2021

Another way to describe the mayhem? Keselowski led just one lap the entire race. Hey, if you're only going to lead for one lap, make sure it's the last one.

"What an awesome day today to [reach] Victory Lane," he said after the race on the Fox broadcast. "The whole race, had a couple of opportunities to take the lead but I just kept thinking, 'Man, just keep your car in one piece for the end."

He just wanted to be there at the end. 🏁@keselowski shares more after a huge @TALLADEGA win! pic.twitter.com/0Pds3W7l2m

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 25, 2021

Add Brad @keselowski to the list of SIX-TIME TALLADEGA WINNERS!

He joins @JeffGordonWeb and @DaleJr with his win in the #GEICO500 🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁 pic.twitter.com/SiP2n7HD9s

— Talladega Superspeedway (@TALLADEGA) April 25, 2021

Six times! So proud of my team today! pic.twitter.com/KgHX7OjO4d

— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) April 25, 2021

William Byron, Michael McDowell, Kevin Harvick and DiBenedetto rounded out the top five. DiBenedetto led the most laps of the race, with 28.

Joey Logano was the leader after 10 laps, but he had a huge crash that left his car airborne and flipped on its back, ending his day. Thankfully, he avoided injury.

After the race, however, he questioned the style of racing that the Talladega Superspeedway promotes during an interview on the Fox broadcast:

"I'm one hit away from the same situation Ryan Newman just went through."- Joey Logano pic.twitter.com/3J9uDCc7u3

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 25, 2021

"I guess I don't know exactly what to think. It is a product of this racing. On one hand, I am so proud to drive a Cup car that is safe, and that I can go through a crash like that and get out and speak about it. On one hand, I am mad about being in the crash and on the other, I am happy to be alive.

"On another hand, I am wondering when we are going to stop because this is dangerous doing what we are doing. I got a roll bar in my head. That is not OK. I am one hit away from the same situation Ryan Newman just went through. I just don't feel like that is acceptable.

"A lot of it is the big spoiler and the big runs and all the pushing. It is nobody's fault. Denny [Hamlin] is trying to go and [Ricky Stenhouse] is trying to go. It is a product of this racing. We have to fix it, though. Someone already got hurt and we are still doing it, so that's not real smart."

Our day at Dega ended way too soon. Had a fast @autotrader @Ford just wish we had more of a chance to show it. Thankful for safe race cars and all the messages I just got from the fans #NASCAR

— Joey Logano (@joeylogano) April 25, 2021

Wallace had a front-row view to the Logano crash and somehow managed to avoid hitting him as he swerved past:

Bubba Wallace's view of the Joey Logano flip is incredible. pic.twitter.com/P9RY4ho8OM

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 25, 2021

Wallace also has some damage to his roof after Logano flipped over him ... Wallace: "I'm telling you, my underwear is worse than my car."

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 25, 2021

Another crash on Lap 119 dinged up Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and Byron.

It was, to say the least, a wild day on the track.

Denny Hamlin is in a good spot to replicate his fall victory at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.

The No. 11 car driver won the most recent NASCAR Cup Series race at the Alabama track after starting on the pole. He is back there for the Geico 500 thanks in part to his status as the points leader. Hamlin does not have any wins this season, but he has been one of the most consistent drivers on the circuit. Expect him to run up front, with two of his teammates starting on the inside row.

Joey Logano will join Hamlin on the front row, while Martin Truex Jr. and William Byron will begin the 500-mile race on the second row.

Alex Bowman, who won the Cup Series' latest race at Richmond, will be on Row 3 with Christopher Bell. Last year's Talladega June race winner, Ryan Blaney, starts alongside Chase Elliott on the fourth row.

                      

Geico 500 Information

Date: Sunday, April 25

Start Time: 2 p.m. ET 

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

            

Odds

Denny Hamlin: +650 (bet $100 to win $650)

Joey Logano: +900

Ryan Blaney: +1000

Chase Elliott: +1100

Brad Keselowski: +1100

Aric Almirola: +1600

Kyle Busch: +1800

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: +1800

Kevin Harvick: +2000

Alex Bowman: +2000

William Byron: +2000

Kyle Larson: +2000

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

                         

Starting Lineup

Denny Hamlin on the Cup pole Sunday for Talladega. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/Dk462q9taB

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 21, 2021

               

Preview

The best way to avoid the major wrecks at superspeedways is to remain near the front of the pack.

Hamlin carries the luxury of starting up top thanks to the consistent set of results he put together in the first nine races. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver owns eight top-10 finishes, and he took fifth on the first superspeedway race of the year at the Daytona 500.

He owns 13 top-10 placings in 30 starts at Talladega. His strong finishes at the track and results this season made him the easy choice for pre-race favorite.

Logano is viewed as Hamlin's top competition from an odds perspective. The No. 22 car driver sits at +900, and if he gets off to a fast start on the outside, he could dictate the pace of the race.

If you look past Hamlin and Logano on the odds chart, there is an easy trend to point out. The past six drivers to win at Talladega have the six best odds to take the checkered flag. Blaney won back-to-back Talladega races in October 2019 and June 2020, Keselowski and Aric Almirola won the 2017 and 2018 October races, Elliott was the April champion in 2019 and Logano last won in Alabama in April 2018.

The positioning of the recent Talladega winners allows you to grab more value on the likes of Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr., all of whom are +2000 or above.

Bowman is coming off a win at Richmond and could lead the Hendrick Motorsports train to the front of the field. Byron, Larson and Elliott all start inside the top 12.

If the Hendrick cars push to the front and avoid wrecks, they could be one of the groups to fear in the final stage. That was not the case at Daytona, as Bowman exited early and Byron finished laps behind winner Michael McDowell.

Since Talladega is a superspeedway, you always have to consider the possibility that a long shot wins, as McDowell did in February at Daytona.

Ryan Preece is the top dark horse to watch. He drove the No. 37 car to a pair of top-15 placings at Talladega in 2020 and finished sixth at the Daytona 500.

Erik Jones is another long shot to consider since he landed second behind Hamlin in October and turned in a fifth-place mark in June 2020.

             

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

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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.

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Martin Truex Jr. won his second race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, collecting the checkered flag in the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.

Truex is the first driver to notch two wins this year, which vaults him to the top of the championship playoff standings. He has been dominant on short tracks of late, with Sunday's victory his fifth in his last 11 tries, per DriverAverages.com.

FIRST REPEAT WINNER OF 2021. Retweet to congratulate @MartinTruex_Jr on his Martinsville victory! pic.twitter.com/5xO8wJxlyY

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 12, 2021

The cliche "it's not how you start, it's how you finish" held true Sunday. Truex led just 20 of the 500 laps, but he dominated when it counted the most.

"It was pretty incredible here at the end," he said in his post-race interview on FS1 (via PRN). "We never could quite get it the way we wanted, but at the end it came to life."

Down the final stretch, the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 became a three-horse race between Truex, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott, who were comfortably ahead of the rest of the field. Truex subsequently opened a wide lead on Elliott and Hamlin, leaving them in a fight for second place.

As Truex coasted to the finish line, Elliott edged out Hamlin. Hamlin didn't have a lot to show for leading more than 100 laps (276) than the next closest driver.

     

Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 Leaderboard

1. Martin Truex Jr.

2. Chase Elliott

3. Denny Hamlin

4. William Byron

5. Kyle Larson

6. Joey Logano

7. Christopher Bell

8. Tyler Reddick

9. Kevin Harvick

10. Kyle Busch

Full leaderboard available on NASCAR.com

     

The race officially got underway Saturday, but drivers only managed to get 42 laps completed before steady rainfall hit Ridgeway. Rather than continue to wait things out, NASCAR announced the action would be postponed.

Track officials couldn't have asked for much better conditions Sunday.

Martinsville is the shortest track on the Cup Series and treated fans to plenty of three-wide stretches. Cautions were aplenty as well, and there would've been more than the 15 on the record were it not for some adept driving to avoid danger.

A famous @MartinsvilleSwy h̶o̶t̶ d̶o̶g̶ sandwich!

Now we're wondering if a hot dog is a sandwich... 🤔 🌭 pic.twitter.com/Ip2Yx9O5L4

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 11, 2021

This is NOT what @dennyhamlin wants to see after being shuffled back a few positions thanks to the caution 😧.

📺: FS1 📱: https://t.co/oWWAusOO8X pic.twitter.com/Ukvr4BLuAb

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 11, 2021

Troublesome Turn 2 takes time to tame. @keselowski | @MartinsvilleSwy pic.twitter.com/augPANFltC

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 11, 2021

Brad Keselowski isn't exactly pleased with Ross Chastain after this one.

"That was pretty bad."- Bowyer pic.twitter.com/iR28rg7wlX

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 11, 2021

Things ground to a halt with 113 laps remaining. Chris Buescher and Kyle Busch spun out to set off a chain reaction that impacted multiple drivers. The Nos. 17 and 18 cars effectively formed a blockade, which briefly turned Martinsville Speedway into a parking lot.

The BIG One strikes at NASCAR's shortest track. 😳 pic.twitter.com/HzaFAbWojJ

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) April 11, 2021

When the dust cleared, five drivers were unable to continue and headed for the garage. Brad Keselowski was among those whose race ended early, and he reflected on how every step forward Sunday was accompanied by a step backward even before the crash.

"One of those compounding, frustrating short-track days."

We talk with Brad Keselowski after his long weekend ends early at Martinsville. pic.twitter.com/LNjVbFCl5f

— Jamie Little (@JamieLittleTV) April 11, 2021

The NASCAR Cup Series travels to Richmond Raceway for the Toyota Owners 400 on April 18. It's the first of two races at Richmond, the second of which comes in September following the start of the championship playoffs.

Keselowski was victorious in the last Richmond race, taking the checkered flag in the 2020 Federated Auto Parts 400. The 2012 series champion is still looking for his first victory, so perhaps his luck will turn around this time next week.

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season has produced five different winners in its first five events.

The unpredictability of the first three races has given way to some of the top drivers regaining spots at the front of the field.

Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson won in the past two races to provide some normalcy toward the top of the standings, but with three unexpected drivers in the playoff field already, the pressure is on the leading competitors to produce better results.

Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski should be in the mix to earn their first wins of the season Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. They have two wins each in the past four trips to Georgia, and they have favorable starting positions for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.

The high spots on the starting grid are significant because the winner in Atlanta typically comes from a top-10 position.

                 

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Information

Date: Sunday, March 21

Start Time: 3 p.m. ET 

TV: Fox 

Live Stream: FoxSports.com and Fox Sports app

            

Odds

Kevin Harvick: +550 (bet $100 to win $550)

Kyle Larson: +650

Martin Truex Jr.: +650

Brad Keselowski: +750

Chase Elliott: +800

Denny Hamlin: +800

Joey Logano: +900

Kyle Busch: +1000

Ryan Blaney: +1500

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

          

Starting Lineup

Hamlin on the pole, Truex on the front row Sunday at Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/Q9IUhwS7V5

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 17, 2021

           

Preview

Harvick is once again at the top of the odds chart because he has been so consistent at Atlanta.

The No. 4 car driver won this event in 2020 and owns three victories at the track.

Harvick has been close to earning his first victory of the season. He has four top-10 finishes, including a sixth-place mark at Phoenix Raceway last time out. His strong run of results has allowed Harvick to begin the race in the top 10. NASCAR is aligning its starting lineup at most tracks based off a formula instead of using qualifying sessions to set the field.

Dating back to Harvick's first Atlanta win in 2001, 23 of the 30 champions have started inside the top 10. He will be on the inside of Row 4 next to Christopher Bell. Keselowski will be three positions ahead of him in fourth.

Keselowski has also been close to securing a trip to Victory Lane, as he has three top-five placings, including two in a row from the West Coast swing at Las Vegas and Phoenix. Although he is fourth on the odds chart, he should be considered a co-favorite along with Harvick because of his recent success at the track.

Harvick and Keselowski sandwich Larson and Truex on the odds board. Larson has performed well in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, while Truex has three straight top-six finishes. Their early-season success placed them on the first three rows of the starting grid alongside some of their teammates.

Denny Hamlin is on the pole next to Truex. Joey Logano will accompany Keselowski on the second row. Larson and teammate Chase Elliott are on the third row.

Hamlin and Truex both finished in the top five behind Harvick in Atlanta last year. Elliott, Keselowski and Logano all landed in the top 10. While the winner most likely comes from that group of racers, there is one competitor to consider as a longer shot to win Sunday.

Ryan Blaney took fourth at Atlanta in 2020 and is coming off his first two top-10 marks of the season. The No. 12 car driver starts in the top 10 and should have a chance to gain positions early on in the race.

If he banks off the confidence gained from his past two finishes, Blaney could beat out Harvick, Keselowski and others to earn the win.

                 

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

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What happens in Vegas...is a victory for Kyle Larson. 

The Hendrick Motorsports racer won the Pennzoil 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, finishing ahead of runner-up Brad Keselowski.

Retweet to congratulate @KyleLarsonRacin on his WIN in Vegas!@TeamHendrick | #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/yfDIBBplk0

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 7, 2021

Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top five. 

Larson led an impressive 103 of the 267 laps, topping the field. Keselowski won the first stage, while Larson took the second.

"It was such an awesome race car," he said on the Fox broadcast after his win. "[Crew chief Cliff Daniels] and everybody did a great job preparing this piece. It was so much fun to drive. I could go wherever I wanted to. I knew I had a really good car once we got single-filed out; drafting early in the run was tough."

He added: "Thank you so much [Rick Hendrick], Jeff Gordon, everybody at Hendrick Motorsports for the amazing opportunity I've been gifted. ... This is definitely special."

That's 20 winning Cup drivers for @TeamHendrick!@ReganSmith talks with @KyleLarsonRacin after victory No. 1 with his new team: pic.twitter.com/ikOhOQBtWE

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 7, 2021

First career win for my man @DanielsCliff, I’m so happy for you brother! A big congrats to @KyleLarsonRacin and @Hendrick5Team team!! @TeamHendrick

— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) March 7, 2021

It was Larson's first win for Hendrick Motorsports since joining the organization in October 2020 after he was dropped from Chip Ganassi Racing in April 2020 for using a racist slur during an iRacing streaming event. NASCAR also suspended him indefinitely, and he missed the remainder of the 2020 season.

Larson wrote a public apology afterward, which included the following excerpt:

"Since April, I've done a lot of reflecting. I realized how little I really knew about the African-American experience in this country and racism in general. Educating myself is something I should've done a long time ago, because it would've made me a better person—the kind of person who doesn't casually throw around an awful, racist word. The kind who makes an effort to understand the hate and oppression it symbolizes and the depth of pain it has caused Black people throughout history and still to this day. It was past time for me to shut up, listen and learn.

"The first lesson: The N-word is not mine to use. It cannot be part of my vocabulary."

As for the rest of the race, it was a tough afternoon for a few drivers, including Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola:

Look away, @chaseelliott fans. 🙈

He goes around but escapes major damage. (Via @NASCAR) pic.twitter.com/CIOfnj8TAX

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) March 7, 2021

Here's the trouble for Aric Almirola: https://t.co/382nZH4K1y pic.twitter.com/2iYBn6zfCp

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 7, 2021

While Elliott salvaged a 13th-place finish, Almirola fell to 38th. And issues with power steering hurt Bubba Wallace, dropping him to 28th.

The Cup Series heads to Arizona next week for the Instacart 500 at the Phoenix Raceway on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. 

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.

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Bubba Wallace expressed his disappointment on Twitter after finishing 17th in Sunday's Daytona 500:

Bum end. I bailed out down the back saw the wreck happening and got run over from behind. Should’ve bailed sooner🤷🏾‍♂️

Fast car, can’t have loose wheels.

Onto the right turns

— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) February 15, 2021

Wallace led one lap during the race and was running near the front of the pack before getting caught up on the final-lap wreck started by Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. Michael McDowell earned the win under a caution flag.

It was still enough for Wallace to earn 32 points from the race, putting him in eighth place in the early Cup Series standings.

There are high expectations for him this year after debuting for 23XI Racing team, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. Jordan, a six-time NBA champion, put more pressure on him during a conversation on Fox Sports prior to the race.

"We don't sign checks for losers," Jordan joked.

The team will look for an improved showing next Sunday at the O'Reilly Auto Parts 253 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.