Kevin Harvick

The NASCAR Cup Series returns from a two-week break with its fifth road course race of the season.

Sunday's race takes place at one of the traditional road course homes on the circuit at Watkins Glen International.

In most previous seasons, Watkins Glen would be the second and final road course stop for the Cup Series after Sonoma Raceway. In 2021, there are two more road courses on the docket after the trip to upstate New York.

As is the case for every Cup Series road race, Chase Elliott is the favorite to take the checkered flag. The No. 9 car driver is the two-time defending champion at Watkins Glen and has six wins in his last nine road course starts.

              

Go Bowling at The Glen Info

Date: Sunday, August 8

Start Time: 3 p.m. ET 

TV: NBCSN 

Live Stream: NBC Sports app and NBCSports.com.

           

Odds

Chase Elliott: +200 (bet $100 to win $200)

Kyle Larson: +450

Martin Truex Jr.: +600

Kyle Busch: +750

Denny Hamlin: +1100

Joey Logano: +1200

Christopher Bell: +1500

William Byron: +2000

Kurt Busch: +2000

Ryan Blaney: +2500

Alex Bowman: +2500

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

         

Starting Lineup

Keselowski and Logano on front row as Penske starts 1-2-3 Sunday at Watkins Glen. Lineup: pic.twitter.com/V6ZbiFjzU9

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 4, 2021

          

Preview

Sunday's race at Watkins Glen is the first in two years at the track. The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since Elliott last won there in 2019, he has picked up two victories on the Charlotte Roval and one each at the Daytona road course, Circuit of the Americas and Road America. The reigning Cup Series champion won two of the past three road course races on the Cup Series circuit, and he took second in the other event during that span at Sonoma.

It is hard to pick against Elliott's recent dominance on the road courses, which is why he was assigned a rare low number on the odds board for a Cup Series race.

The road course ace should headline a majority of daily fantasy lineups. That might be the best way to use him from a fantasy or betting perspective on Sunday since he is -250 to finish inside the top three and -650 to land a top-10 finish.

Elliott's Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson is the second-favorite to capture road course glory. He took eighth in NASCAR's last trip to Watkins Glen and has had one of the fastest cars this season. Larson owns a more favorable position on the starting grid than Elliott. He will go off in fourth alongside Ryan Blaney, while Elliott begins the race in 11th.

Each of the past four winners at Watkins Glen have started inside the top 10, so that could be a promising trend for all of Elliott's challengers.

Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano begin the race on the front row. Blaney, who drives the third Team Penske car, is right behind them in third. The Penske cars performed much better in upstate New York in 2019 than 2018. Two years ago, Blaney and Keselowski both finished inside the top 10. Two of the three cars were outside the top 10 in 2018.

Kevin Harvick could be the most intriguing driver to watch at the front of the grid. The No. 4 car driver picked up back-to-back top-10 finishes at Watkins Glen and is still looking for his first victory of the season.

Harvick could use a win to confirm his position in the 16-driver playoff field and, more importantly, to earn some confidence within his team to kick off the stretch run of the regular season. Harvick is not in danger of missing the playoffs. He and Denny Hamlin have significant leads in points and should get into the field without victories.

Aric Almirola's unexpected win at New Hampshire last time out took up one more playoff spot because race winners automatically qualify for the postseason. So the drama over the next four races will come between Richard Childress Racing teammates Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick, who are separated by five points.

Unless one of the two RCR drivers wins one of the next four races, they will be competing for a playoff berth, and every position on the grid will matter.

               

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The NASCAR Cup Series' trip to New Hampshire Motor Speedway comes in the middle of the "Silly Season" drama for next year's seats. 

Brad Keselowski and Matt DiBenedetto will move on from their current rides in 2022. Keselowski is expected to sign a deal with Roush Yates Racing from Penske Racing, while DiBenedetto does not have a car yet for next year. 

That news came a few weeks after Chip Ganassi Racing was bought out by Trackhouse Racing. That sale left either Kurt Busch or Ross Chastain out of a ride for 2022. 

DiBenedetto and Chastain reside on the wrong side of the playoff bubble going into Sunday. A win would cure some of the issues both racers are going through. 

Busch is coming off a victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway that secured his position in the 16-man playoff field. 

Twelve drivers have locked in playoff spots through victories, while Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick are certainties to qualify on points. 

That leaves drivers, like DiBenedetto and Chastain, to look for wins to avoid being on the outside looking in at the end of August. 

          

Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 Info

Date: Sunday, July 18

Start Time: 3 p.m. ET 

TV: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app

     

Odds

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Denny Hamlin (+475; bet $100 to win $475)

Martin Truex Jr. (+500)

Kyle Larson (+550)

Brad Keselowski (+650)

Kyle Busch (+650)

Chase Elliott (+800)

Joey Logano (+1000)

William Byron (+1500)

Kevin Harvick (+1500)

Alex Bowman (+1600)

Ryan Blaney (+1800)

Christopher Bell (+2000)

       

Starting Lineup

Kyle Busch on the pole Sunday at New Hampshire. Lineup: pic.twitter.com/hO2o5y63Y1

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 14, 2021

       

Preview

There will be a handful of different motivators for drivers across the grid on Sunday. 

Plenty of focus will be on DiBenedetto to turn in a strong run to bolster his case to find a seat for 2022. 

The good news for the current No. 21 car driver is he finished sixth at New Hampshire in 2020 in a race won by Keselowski.

DiBenedetto comes into New Hampshire with 425 points, which is 138 points off Tyler Reddick's total on the bubble. 

Winning one of the last five regular-season races is the easiest way for DiBenedetto, or any driver under the projected bubble, to enter the postseason field. 

Chris Buescher is 96 points back of Reddick, DiBenedetto is 138 off the pace and Chastain is seven points back of the No. 21 car. 

DiBenedetto appears to have the best chance of the three to steal a win at New Hampshire since the Penske-powered cars finished first, third and sixth there last year. DiBenedetto drives for Wood Brothers Racing, who have an alliance with Penske. 

Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick could solidify their positions in the playoff grid if either of them come out on top on Sunday.

Hamlin is the pre-race favorite, which is a title that has been hard to snag away from the Hendrick Motorsports cars in 2021. 

Prior to Busch's win at Atlanta, Hendrick cars won seven of eight Cup Series points races dating back to the middle of May. 

Chase Elliott was the only Hendrick driver to finish inside the top 10 at New Hampshire in 2020 with a ninth-place finish. 

Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. took second and third, respectively, behind Keselowski. 

Truex starts on the front row alongside Kyle Busch. Elliott and Kurt Busch follow on the grid in the second row. 

Starting position mattered a bit in last year's New Hampshire race, as the top five finishers came from the first 11 positions on the grid. 

Harvick could be the best betting play since he owns three victories at the track since 2016 and landed inside the top five in 2020.

The No. 4 car driver will have to do some work to get to the front from his 12th starting spot, but his comfort level on the track may help him finally reach the winner's circle for the first time in 2021. 

     

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

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

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

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

                    

Ally 400 Information

Date: Sunday, June 20

Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET 

TV: NBCSN 

Live Stream: NBCSports.com and NBC Sports app

               

Odds

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

Martin Truex Jr.: +650

Chase Elliott: +700

Denny Hamlin: +850

Kyle Busch: +900

William Byron: +1200

Brad Keselowski: +1200

Kevin Harvick: +1300

Joey Logano: +1300

Alex Bowman: +1400

Ryan Blaney: +1600

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

           

Preview

There is no stopping Larson at the moment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

              

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com.

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

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

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

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

           

NASCAR All-Star Race Info

Date: Sunday, June 13

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET 

TV: FS1

Live Stream: FoxSports.com and Fox Sports app

      

Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

        

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com.

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

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

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

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

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

            

Drydene 400 Info

Date: Sunday, May 16

Start Time: 2 p.m. ET 

TV: FS1

Live Stream: Fox Sports app or FoxSports.com

           

Odds

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

Kyle Larson: +450

Denny Hamlin: +600

Kevin Harvick: +750

Kyle Busch: +800

Chase Elliott: +800

Brad Keselowski: +1300

William Byron: +1600

Joey Logano: +1600

Alex Bowman: +1800

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

       

Starting Lineup

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

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 12, 2021

          

Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

            

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

       

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

                      

Toyota Owners 400 Information

Date: Sunday, April 18

Start Time: 3 p.m. ET 

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

               

Starting Lineup

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

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 14, 2021

          

Odds

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

Denny Hamlin: +600

Kyle Larson: +700

Brad Keselowski: +750

Chase Elliott: +850

Joey Logano: +850

Kyle Busch: +900

Kevin Harvick: +1100

Ryan Blaney: +1600

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

                   

Preview

Truex comes into Richmond as the driver to beat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                      

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

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

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

21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. In partnership with Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway will be unlike any other the drivers have participated in.

NASCAR opted to load the famous short track with dirt to provide a new wrinkle into a schedule that looks much different as a whole compared to previous seasons. Most of the competitors in the field have driven on dirt tracks before, but they have not been in stock cars. Typically, dirt races are reserved for smaller cars.

Because of the uniqueness of the dirt race, the odds chart looks different than it does for races on asphalt. Kyle Larson and others with more experience on dirt are favored, while Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and the typical favorites carry more value than usual.

                  

Food City Dirt Race Information

Date: Sunday, March 28

Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET 

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

                       

Odds

Kyle Larson: +325 (bet $100 to win $325)

Christopher Bell: +800

Chase Briscoe: +1000

Alex Bowman: +1100

Chase Elliott: +1200

Ryan Blaney: +1400

Denny Hamlin: +1400

Kyle Busch: +1500

Tyler Reddick: +1800

Joey Logano: +1800

Martin Truex Jr.: +1800

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

                    

Preview

Sunday will be the NASCAR Cup Series' first dirt track race since 1970.

To give the drivers a feel for how the cars will operate on the surface, NASCAR allowed two practice sessions Friday and four qualifying heats Saturday. It is the first time since Daytona that the drivers will compete to fill out the starting order.

Alex Bowman and Ryan Blaney topped the charts for the two practice sessions. Bowman had the fastest time in the first session and was second to Blaney in the final session. Denny Hamlin was the only other driver to finish in the top five during both practice heats, which could make him one of the favored drivers Sunday.

Larson comes in as the heavy favorite because of his extensive background on dirt tracks, but he will start at the back of the field on Sunday because of an engine change. That setback could open the door for drivers with longer odds to take home the trophy.

During a typical Bristol race, Larson would have had 500 laps to navigate through the field, and he could utilize a different pit strategy to gain positions. On Sunday, the drivers are competing over 250 laps, and pit stops for fuel and tires are allowed during stage breaks. The only exceptions are for teams involved in incidents.

The early reviews of the setup have been positive from the drivers, with Harvick making one of the most notable statements during Friday's practice.

Happy is Happy. @KevinHarvick | #ItsDirtBaby pic.twitter.com/6ocnrO9WMb

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 27, 2021

Bowman also admitted that he had fun running through the dirt track for the first time in a stock car, per NASCAR.com:

"I had a blast. I thought it was a lot of fun. The tire wear is a little concerning, but other than that, everything went great I thought. These cars are a lot of fun. They're really drivable on dirt. It got a little rough, but it's just character in the race track. I enjoyed the hell out of it."

It remains to be seen how the drivers will feel about the dirt as the weekend gets more competitive, but upon first glance, it appears NASCAR made the right call to go with an out-of-the-box idea to conclude the first two months of racing.

                 

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

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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.

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

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The buildup to the 2021 Daytona 500 will be more compressed than it has been in recent years.

The entire qualifying process has been moved to the Wednesday and Thursday prior to the February 14 opening to the NASCAR Cup Series season.

All of the drivers entered into the field will race for the two spots on the front row Wednesday during a regular qualifying session. On Thursday, the Duels at Daytona will determine the rest of the starting order. One race will set all of the inside row positions, and the other will align the outside spots.

                    

Daytona 500 Qualifying Schedule

Dates: Wednesday, February 10 and Thursday, February 11

TV: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, Thursday, 7 p.m. ET,  FS1

             

Format and Rules

The only numbers from Wednesday's session that will affect the Daytona 500 starting grid will be the two fastest times.

The drivers with the two best qualifying times will be locked in the front row. They are allowed to compete in the duels, but their finishing positions will not be relevant to setting the grid.

Thursday's duels will determine the inside and outside rows and which competitors will not be in the 40-car field.

                

Preview

A Chevrolet driver has captured the Daytona 500 pole in each of the past eight years.

Hendrick Motorsports had a grip on the position from 2015-19, when Jeff Gordon, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and William Byron combined to win five poles.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ended Hendrick's dominance in 2020, when he beat out Elliott, Bowman and Jimmie Johnson in qualifying.

Byron and Joey Logano won the duels last year, but neither driver finished in the top 10 of The Great American Race. In fact, seven of the top eight finishers at last year's event started the race outside the top 15. Kevin Harvick was the only top-10 starter to earn a top-eight spot.

Last year's race winner, Denny Hamlin, started in 21st place. He was one of four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers that failed to qualify in the top 10.

Starting position is not as important at Daytona as it is at other tracks because competitors can gain track position in a heartbeat. So while drivers do not want to start at the back of the field, there is a path to the front through a proper drafting strategy and following the right line on the track.

It may take some time for drivers to reach the front, but Hamlin proved last year that it does not matter where you start as long as you avoid the wrecks and play your strategy right.

                 

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com.