Kevin Harvick

The Dover International Speedway will host the first race of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 on Sunday.

After a number of drivers battled to make their way into the final 12 last time out in Charlotte, North Carolina, thoughts will begin to turn to winning the title, with just seven races left on the calendar.

Despite a disappointing performance at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch is seeded first, with Joe Gibbs Racing team-mates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin in second and third place, respectively. Defending champion Joey Logano sits in fourth as things stand.

Here are the key details for the race weekend, as well as ticketing information, the broadcast schedule and a preview of what to expect from Delaware.

                   

Schedule (ET)

Saturday, October 5

12:05 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying

1:35 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

3 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series, Use Your Melon Drive Sober 200

          

Sunday, October 6

2:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Drydene 400

        

Tickets are available to buy on Stubhub. 

Broadcast information: In the United States, the race will be available to watch on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM, as well as the NBC Sports app.

             

Preview

The pressure will be starting to build on the drivers, as only 12 remain in the hunt for the NASCAR Cup Series title.

The playoff format has made even the best competitors edgy too. Busch, who has earned the top seeding spot based on his performances throughout the year, finished in 37th last time out. That will be a concern for the Joe Gibbs star, especially on a track that should have suited his style.

In North Carolina, Busch cut a particularly disconsolate figure as he came into the pits under a red flag with seven minutes remaining. After the race, the playoff top seed explained his thinking:

Because of the damage from the incident n turn 1 n the flat tire, we had a broken sway bar. Our race was over b4 the red flag came out. We decided to not risk tearing up our car anymore. Others had more on the line. Better to call it a day n move on to Dover for the round of 12👊🏻

— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) September 30, 2019

Given his inconsistent form, there are some doubts about whether Busch is a serious contender for the title this year, with his average placing at 19.3 through the three postseason races. 

The NASCAR Twitter account noted it's been a long time since the regular-season champion was on the top step of the podium:

It's been 15 races since @KyleBusch last visited Victory Lane.

Will he return to the top at the @MonsterMile? pic.twitter.com/XR4JV3qCrO

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 4, 2019

However, he's proved himself to be a strong competitor when it comes to the clutch moments of a season and has won three times at Dover previously.

Chase Elliott was the man who capitalised on a difficult day for Busch, Truex Jr. and others in Charlotte and has a sixth-place seeding

Kevin Harvick has also started to pick up results at an opportune time, with two podium finishes in the postseason, including a third-placed finish at Charlotte. The Stewart-Haas racing driver said he relishes this rapid racetrack too, per Pete Pistone of Motor Racing Network:

"Dover is the racetrack where you feel the sensation of speed more than anything. It's a place where you drop off into the corner and slam into a lot of banking and then, as you come out of the corner, it's kind of like jumping out of a hole and up onto the straightaway. It's a really fun place to race.

He's seeded fifth, while Brad Keselowski, who has three top-five finishes in a row, is seventh and a potential dark horse for the overall prize.

Truex Jr. may well be the man to beat again, though. Not only has he shown the best form in the playoffs—he won the first two races of the postseason—but he also clinched victory at this circuit in the regular season.

Racing on his hometown track seems to agree with William Byron, who captured the pole position for Sunday's Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Byron (103.198 mph) crossed the finish line 0.094 seconds ahead of Alex Bowman (103.078 mph) to earn the top spot. The Hendrick Motorsports driver's fifth pole of the season ties Kevin Harvick for most on the Monster Energy Cup circuit in 2019.

Here's the full starting grid for the final Round of 16 playoff race, via NASCAR.com:

Row 1: William Byron (Pole Winner), Alex Bowman

Row 2: Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson

Row 3: Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick

Row 4: Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr.

Row 5: Ryan Blaney, Paul Menard

Row 6: Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher

Row 7: Daniel Suarez, Ryan Preece

Row 8: Erik Jones, Aric Almirola

Row 9: Kyle Busch, Matt DiBenedetto

Row 10: Chase Elliott, Daniel Hemric

Row 11: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell

Row 12: Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman

Row 13: Bubba Wallace, Corey LaJoie

Row 14: David Ragan, Denny Hamlin

Row 15: Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon

Row 16: Cody Ware, Landon Cassill

Row 17: Timmy Hill, Josh Bilicki

Row 18: Garrett Smithley, Matt Tifft

Row 19: Ross Chastain, Reed Sorensen

Row 20: Joe Nemechek, Parker Kligerman

Byron took an aggressive approach in qualifying, especially during the final round when a cloud of smoke appeared to form around one of his tires:

Ssssssmokin'!@WilliamByron takes the pole for Sunday's Charlotte Motor Speedway race at the ROVAL! pic.twitter.com/8h4zvYqphm

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 27, 2019

Both times NASCAR has set up shop at Charlotte Motor Speedway have produced good qualifying results for Byron. He also started in the first position at the Coca-Cola 600 in May. The No. 24 driver was unable to capitalize on that during the actual race, ultimately finishing in ninth place. 

"You know, road courses were a big struggle for me when I first started racing and I've progressively gotten better and I really enjoy them now," Byron told NBC Sports (h/t Jim Utter of Motorsport.com) after his qualifying win. "Now, it's all about racing and it's good to have two hometown poles—that's pretty cool."

In fact, Byron has yet to win a race this season despite his five poles. He also finds himself in a precarious playoff position this weekend. The 21-year-old ranks 12th in the standings with 2,053 points. Bowman and Clint Bowyer are both within four points of him in the final race of the first round. 

Based on recent results at this track, Bowman would seem to have an advantage after finishing fourth at last year's Bank of America Roval 400 and seventh at the Coca-Cola 600. 

At the top of the playoff standings, Martin Truex Jr. shows no signs of relinquishing his lead. The 39-year-old will start from the eighth position in search of his third consecutive victory. 

Kevin Harvick, who enters this weekend trailing Truex by 21 points, put himself in a good position to close that gap by qualifying sixth. He's finished inside the top 10 in four of the last five trips to Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

The NASCAR Cup Championship Playoffs continue Saturday at Richmond Raceway in Virginia, the second of three races in the round of 16.

Martin Truex Jr. is coming off a win in Las Vegas and won at this track earlier this season, while defending champion Joey Logano is in need of a big result after disappointing in qualifying, finishing 28th.

NBC will provide coverage of the race, which is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET. Tickets are available via StubHub.

Here is a look at the lineup, shared by NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass:

38 Cup cars Richmond. 27-Houff 51-Theriault 52-Smithley 53-Boyd. #nascar pic.twitter.com/n5FU1KmB7t

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 17, 2019

Brad Keselowski will start from pole position, with Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott his closest rivals in qualifying:

It’s double Penske poles at @RichmondRaceway!

Brad @keselowski to lead the field to green tomorrow night!

15th - Ryan @Blaney / @MenardsRacing
28th - @joeylogano / @ShellMotorsport #NASCAR | #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/WDt1mQuQvm

— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) September 20, 2019

Harvick sits in second place in the playoff standings after the first race of the round of 16, courtesy of his second-placed finish in Las Vegas. He has a three-point deficit to overcome to Truex Jr., while Logano sits third, seven points behind the leader.

The 39-year-old was ecstatic to take the win in Las Vegas to book his spot in the next round:

YES! Awesome way to start the #NASCARPlayoffs!! Unbelievable job by our @BassProShops team! #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/sCyyxPlaOO

— Martin Truex Jr. (@MartinTruex_Jr) September 16, 2019

He will like his chances for repeat success in Richmond after a dominant showing in Las Vegas, where he finished more than four seconds ahead of the pack.

In April, he narrowly beat Logano to the finish line at Richmond, marking his first win on a short track in 81 tries. It was a close call:

He's done it! @MartinTruex_Jr captures his first short-track victory by holding off @joeylogano in Richmond! pic.twitter.com/fwrAol22Lm

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2019

Further down the field, Kurt Busch needs to put together a run after finishing in last place in Las Vegas. He qualified in ninth place for Saturday's race and is ranked 14th and on the outside looking in for the round of 12, which starts in October.

Denny Hamlin will be another one to watch, as he has three career wins at the track:

Pole-sitter Keselowski finished in third place in Las Vegas and seventh in the spring race at Richmond, so he too will be one to keep an eye on.

                 

Prediction: In-form Harvick secures his spot in the next round with a win at Richmond.

The first round-of-16 playoff of the 2019 NASCAR season will take place on Sunday in the South Point 400 in Las Vegas.

The top 16 drivers from the regular season, from Kyle Busch to Ryan Newman, will compete over 267 laps of the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway circuit.

On Saturday, the final race of the Xfinity Series regular season will be held in the DC Solar 300.

Be great, or be gone.

The best racing is now with the #NASCARPlayoffs, and it kicks off Sunday at 7PM ET on NBCSN from @LVMotorSpeedway! pic.twitter.com/zS6SwB6Czj

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 9, 2019

                   

Schedule

Saturday, September 14

2:35 p.m. ET: Xfinity Series Qualifying

4:05 p.m. ET: Cup Series Qualifying

7:30 p.m. ET: DC Solar 300 Race

              

Sunday, September 15

7 p.m. ET: South Point 400 Race

        

TV Info: NBCSN (U.S.)

      

Tickets are available to purchase on StubHub and via the circuit's official website.

 

            

Preview

Here's a look at the 16-driver field after Ryan Newman claimed the last playoff spot with his eighth-place finish in the Big Machine Vodka 400 last time out:

The #NASCARPlayoffs are set.

Join us for more post-race coverage of the #Brickyard400 on NBCSN! Stream here: https://t.co/CAYgs2g5vY pic.twitter.com/rGH8diXjiB

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 8, 2019

Busch hasn't added to his four wins since June, but he's the man to beat having topped the standings in the regular season.

He has a strong record in Las Vegas, too. In his last five appearances there, he's only finished outside the top seven once.

The 34-year-old has also been a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs in recent years, having qualified for the championship race in each of the last four years.

Busch hasn't won the title since 2015, though, and he's eager to put that right. 

He said during media day: 

"I've been asked this question every single year, and yeah, if you don't win a championship it's disappointing. I've been to the Homestead race four years in a row, and I've only won it once.

"I don't know if that is a little LeBron James-esque, but it feels like I can get there but just can't seal the deal. It's kind of crazy that it comes down to one race and one race track."

Team Penske's Joey Logano, who won the championship last year, won the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas in March.

Per Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, he is feeling confident despite a difficult spell at the end of the regular season:

Does Joey Logano and his team have the defending champion swagger or is it in their head that before the second at Indy on Sunday, they had five consecutive finishes of 13th or worse? #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/rw33XoaIIV

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 12, 2019

His teammate Brad Keselowski is the defending champion at the South Point 400, and he has an incredible record in Las Vegas.

Since 2013, Keselowski has picked up three wins there and has never finished lower than seventh.

Another one to watch will be Kevin Harvick, who enters the playoffs with the most momentum of any driver after he picked up three wins and three top-seven finishes in the final seven races of the regular season.

Kevin Harvick held off Joey Logano to win the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Harvick notched his third victory of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in the final race before the playoffs get underway. He led 119 of the race's 160 laps.

Following the final caution, Harvick and Logano were running neck-and-neck after the restart. Harvick opened up a healthy lead by the end, finishing 6.118 seconds ahead of Logano.

.@KevinHarvick WINS the #Brickyard400, while @RyanJNewman grabs the final spot in the #NASCARPlayoffs! pic.twitter.com/sNEzAjDybL

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 8, 2019

Bubba Wallace, William Byron and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top five.

          

Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Leaderboard

1. Kevin Harvick

2. Joey Logano

3. Bubba Wallace

4. William Byron

5. Clint Bowyer

6. Denny Hamlin

7. Ryan Blaney

8. Ryan Newman

9. Chase Elliott

10. Paul Menard

              

With the race officially in the books, the 16-driver playoff field is now set.

Daniel Suarez and Ryan Newman entered Indy deadlocked at 617 points, but the former occupied the final playoff place on a tiebreaker. Newman finished in eighth place, three spots ahead of Suarez, and thus moved into 16th in the overall standings.

Daniel Suarez: "We did a good job, just didn't have enough speed. We've got 10 races to keep racing and get to victory lane."

— PRN (@PRNlive) September 8, 2019

Ryan Newman gets the last #NASCARPlayoffs spot: "We'll just have to keep on going. Proud of everybody at @roushfenway, there's no guarantee over the next 10, we've got to perform over these next 3. The first round's the toughest."

— PRN (@PRNlive) September 8, 2019

Here's where things stand for the final 10 races, per NASCAR.com:

1. Kyle Busch

2. Denny Hamlin 

3. Martin Truex Jr.

4. Joey Logano

5. Brad Keselowski

6. Kevin Harvick

7. Chase Elliott

8. Kurt Busch

9. Kyle Larson

10. Alex Bowman

11. Erik Jones

12. Ryan Blaney

13. William Byron

14. Aric Almirola

15. Clint Bowyer

16. Ryan Newman

Jimmie Johnson entered Sunday trailing Suarez by 18 points for the last playoff spot. While that left him with a lot of work to do, you expected him to somehow close the gap because of his track record. Johnson is a seven-time Cup champion and never missed the playoffs.

That streak ended at the Brickyard.

The No. 48 car got squeezed on the inside while making the second turn and spun out into the wall. When all was said and done, Johnson's rear spoiler was dragging on the track and his day was over.

A stunner: @JimmieJohnson's day is done.#Brickyard400 | @IMS pic.twitter.com/J4oGPl23iT

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 8, 2019

The dream is over.@JimmieJohnson | @TeamHendrick pic.twitter.com/hEejlkYyZc

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 8, 2019

Although Johnson's odds of adding an eighth series title were slim, his absence in the playoff chase will be notable.

You knew it was a longshot for Johnson heading into today, but even then, it’s still hard to believe the streak is really over. Jimmie Johnson, not in the playoffs? Surreal.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) September 8, 2019

The 43-year-old was circumspect about his day:

"We have a lot to be proud of."@JimmieJohnson on not making the #NASCARPlayoffs for the first time in his career, and his focus for the rest of the year. pic.twitter.com/du7SEqsbNX

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 8, 2019

pic.twitter.com/FSvYkVCNDF

— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) September 8, 2019

Johnson wasn't the only prominent driver who headed back to the garage earlier than expected.

Brad Keselowski and Erik Jones wrecked on the 48th lap, which left Keselowski's No. 2 car tipped sideways on the inside wall.

An overheard look at Brad @Keselowski and @Erik_Jones' crash at @IMS. #Brickyard400 pic.twitter.com/IdrYvaZ2La

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 8, 2019

.@keselowski & @erik_jones Involved in Wreck at End of Stage 1 @IMS

STORY & VIDEO: https://t.co/1NiKE3f0MC#AskMRN | #Brickyard400 pic.twitter.com/E77Us0CNxa

— Motor Racing Network (@MRNRadio) September 8, 2019

Standings leader Kyle Busch experienced engine trouble on the 87th lap, rendering his car immobile.

Kyle Busch's day goes up in smoke, and the caution comes out!

Jimmie Johnson is your LEADER in the #Brickyard400 on @NBC: https://t.co/wmwQrlNwAP pic.twitter.com/QzvoYaCwyf

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 8, 2019

Those three drivers were all comfortably in the playoff field, however, after having notched victories earlier in the season. Failing to finish at the Brickyard will be an underwhelming finish to this portion of the year, but Keselowski, Jones and Busch all have bigger fish to fry.

All total, nine cautions were called, leading to what was a stop-and-start affair for long stretches.

The round of 16 will get underway next Sunday in the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Logano edged out Keselowski at the Pennzoil 400 at Vegas in March. A similar outcome would seal Logano passage to the round of eight.

There's no stopping Kevin Harvick at Michigan International Speedway.

Harvick defended his title at Sunday's Consumers Energy 400 in Brooklyn, Michigan, in dramatic fashion. He was trailing a combination of Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and others for extended stretches but charged to the lead with 17 laps and never relinquished it on his way to victory.

Saved enough to get it done. ✅

Retweet to congratulate @KevinHarvick on another victory at @MISpeedway! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/p4SrlUTEWT

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 11, 2019

He defeated second-place finisher Hamlin by 1.054 seconds.

Here is a look at the top finishers, per NASCAR.com:

1. Kevin Harvick

2. Denny Hamlin

3. Kyle Larson

4. Martin Truex Jr.

5. Daniel Suarez

6. Kyle Busch

7. Ryan Preece

8. William Byron

9. Chase Elliott

10. Alex Bowman

Many of the sport's biggest names had momentum entering Sunday's race.

Chase Elliott was coming off a win at the Go Bowling at the Glen at Watkins Glen International, while Truex and Hamlin finished closely behind him in second and third place. What's more, Keselowski won the pole position in Friday's qualifying.

The Michigan native had nothing but open track in front of him as he looked to win at his home track for the first time in his career, but it was Truex who set the tone early.

The No. 19 car found himself at the back of the field in Stage 1 but rallied to the leader's spot, held off Hamlin and seized a playoff point in his 500th career start.

The green flag is out, and @MartinTruex_Jr officially has 500 starts in @NASCAR!

What an accomplishment for the 2017 Cup Series champ. @JoeGibbsRacing pic.twitter.com/PCLmqqgN9b

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 11, 2019

From last to first!

Martin Truex Jr. wins Stage 1 at Michigan, presented by @Kroger #ClickList. pic.twitter.com/54VTjLWmWC

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 11, 2019

It was more of the same for Truex, who is one of nine drivers who arrived at Michigan having already qualified for the playoffs. Hamlin, Elliott, Keselowski, Logano, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Harvick and Alex Bowman were the others.

Truex nearly won the second stage as well but lost in a drama-filled ending.

There was a one-lap shootout following a spin from Keselowski, and Kyle Busch came from right behind the first stage winner to take Stage 2. Daniel Hemric, Austin Dillon and Aric Almirola crashed behind him as he earned a playoff point, and Almirola was held for two laps because he had too many men over the wall under damaged vehicle policy.

Things can happen in a hurry at @MISpeedway.

Take a look at what unfolded coming to the end of Stage 2. pic.twitter.com/iQc6clSAOE

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 11, 2019

Kyle Busch won the stage, but Keselowski's save was the most impressive part of the head-turning stretch:

What a save by Brad @keselowski!

Sparks fly from the @Team_Penske No. 2, but he hangs on to that car at @MISpeedway. Watch @NASCAR on NBCSN or stream here: https://t.co/wmwQrlNwAP pic.twitter.com/nqeZgdaaSl

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 11, 2019

Clint Bowyer was not as fortunate and crashed into the outside wall during the early going of Stage 3. It was a particularly important crash because he is firmly on the NASCAR playoffs bubble entering the race at 15th in the standings.

Correction: Because Clint Bowyer scored two points for finishing ninth in Stage 2, he will earn a total of three points today -- currently a single point more than Johnson, who could still move up in the running order.

— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) August 11, 2019

Elsewhere, Kurt Busch and Logano each took their turn in front of the rest of the field heading into the stretch run. Busch fell back, though, temporarily clearing the way for Logano, Ryan Blaney and Keselowski up front in a dream for Team Penske.

Still, the fuel situation loomed as the primary storyline, which helped Harvick propel his way into second:

Fuel concerns for @Blaney as the laps wind down?

🔊🆙 for the No. 12's team radio. pic.twitter.com/4Pogcv5BZk

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 11, 2019

🔼: @KevinHarvick
🔽: @Blaney

The 4⃣ is on the march once again as he moves into second. pic.twitter.com/Gmr0J9yQ2e

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 11, 2019

When you have no idea who’s gonna make it on fuel...#ConsumersEnergy400 pic.twitter.com/bYbqJXwsCH

— Michigan International Speedway (@MISpeedway) August 11, 2019

Harvick was in control from there, taking the lead with 17 laps remaining and extending the advantage over Logano without any fuel concerns. Logano and Keselowski could not say the same and were forced to pit, but Hamlin attempted to close the gap without stopping.

The decision was enough for second place, but there was no catching Harvick down the stretch.

Harvick was the best on the Michigan International Speedway track once again and will look to keep the momentum rolling as attention turns toward Saturday's Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The 2019 NASCAR season will continue with the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday.

Thirty-eight drivers will compete over 200 laps in the 400-mile race, the 23rd of 26 events in the regular season.

On Saturday, the Truck Series will resume with 100-lap Corrigan Oil 200.

                               

Schedule

Saturday, August 10

9:35 a.m. ET: Truck Series Qualifying

1 p.m. ET: Corrigan Oil 200 Race

        

Sunday, August 11

3 p.m. ET: Consumers Energy 400 Race

                      

TV Info: Fox Sports 1 (Truck Series), NBCSN (Cup Series)

      

The full list of drivers competing at Michigan can be found on the NBC Sports website.

Tickets are available to purchase on StubHub and via the circuit's official website.

                   

Preview

Michigan native Brad Keselowski will begin Sunday's race on pole after a strong performance in qualifying:

It'd be a special win for Brad @Keselowski if he gets it done on Sunday in his home state.

He's off to a good start, winning the pole at @MISpeedway. @Team_Penske pic.twitter.com/rqcerigrX0

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 9, 2019

The Team Penske driver has topped qualifying once before this season, at the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 in New Hampshire, but he only managed to finish 10th in that race.

This time, he's hoping to convert the pole into a victory:

Second fastest in practice. ✅
Fastest in qualifying. ✅

Is Sunday the day @keselowski finally wins in his home state? pic.twitter.com/xIj4kveOV9

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 9, 2019

Keselowski has won three races this season, but he has not managed a podium finish since the Pocono 400 on June 2.

He was runner-up in Michigan last year, his fourth podium finish at his home race, but he is frustrated that he's yet to win there, per NBC Sports' Daniel McFadin:

"It definitely nags on me. The advantage of being the pole-sitter is really dependent on how the yellows fall and the pit strategies fall. It can be a huge advantage if the race has a lot of yellows but if the race doesn’t have many yellows it can be maybe a slight disadvantage with pit stalls and things of that nature. It plays out to how the strategy unfolds as much as anything else."

Among his competitors for the victory on Sunday will be Chase Elliott, who will start sixth on the grid.

He won Go Bowling at The Glen last time out having started on pole and led 80 of 90 laps. He has finished in the top 10 of all three of his Cup Series appearances at Michigan, the first of which was second place.

Kevin Harvick could be Keselowski's biggest rival, though.

The defending champion picked up his second win in Michigan in this race last year, and he'll start the race second on the grid.

In his last six Cup Series appearances on this track, he's only finished outside the top five once, so he's likely to be in contention.  

Kevin Harvick dominated Saturday en route to securing the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series Gander RV 400 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

It's a gnarly pole for @KevinHarvick and the Gen. X Car at @PoconoRaceway!@StewartHaasRcng // @NASCAR pic.twitter.com/PLNRKFgagb

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 27, 2019

With a time of 51.707 seconds, Harvick beat out Joey Logano by more than two-tenths of a second. Here is a full rundown of how they will line up to start Sunday's race, courtesy of NASCAR.com (time in seconds):

1. Kevin Harvick: 51.707

2. Joey Logano: 51.910

3. Aric Almirola: 51.974

4. Erik Jones: 51.990

5. Austin Dillon: 52.126

6. Jimmie Johnson: 52.148

7. Kyle Busch: 52.196

8. William Byron: 52.213

9. Kurt Busch: 52.321

10. Daniel Suarez: 52.346

11. Martin Truex Jr.: 52.365

12. Denny Hamlin: 52.388

13. Matt DiBenedetto: 52.436

14. Brad Keselowski: 52.482

15. Alex Bowman: 52.499

16. Clint Bowyer: 52.545

17. Michael McDowell: 52.597

18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 52.618

19. David Ragan: 52.623

20. Ryan Blaney: 52.638

21. Paul Menard: 52.747

22. Daniel Hemric: 52.800

23. Chase Elliott: 52.848

24. Ryan Newman: 53.002

25. Ryan Preece: 53.048

26. Bubba Wallace: 53.221

27. Matt Tifft: 53.255

28. Chris Buescher: 53.301

29. Kyle Larson: 53.370

30. Corey Lajoie: 53.417

31. Landon Cassill: 53.861

32. Ty Dillon: 53.979

33. Josh Bilicki: 54.800

34. BJ McLeod: 54.809

35. Ross Chastain: 54.890

36. Reed Sorenson: 55.423

37. Quin Houff: 55.539

38. Austin Theriault: 56.011

Harvick has now won four poles on the season, and he credited his team with putting him in position to top the field Saturday:

"Sometimes, it's better to just wing it!"

- #BuschPole winner @KevinHarvick, in true Gen X form, in an incredible hat. 🧢 pic.twitter.com/k8EeYEghdT

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 27, 2019

The 43-year-old veteran is starting to hit his stride, as he won his first race of the season last week at New Hampshire. Wins notwithstanding, Harvick is third in points with 691 behind only Logano and Kyle Busch.

While Harvick is a 46-time race winner and one-time points champion in his NASCAR Cup Series career, he remains in search of his first win at Pocono. Harvick is in ideal position to end the drought Sunday.

Despite lacking a win at Pocono, he has registered 12 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in 37 career starts at the track. Also, his average finish of 12.8 at Pocono is fourth-best among active drivers with at least eight starts there.

Among other top qualifiers, Logano has one win at Pocono in 21 starts there, while Aric Almirola, Erik Jones and Austin Dillon are all winless.

Jones is undoubtedly a driver worth watching Sunday since he has four top-10 finishes in five starts at Pocono. He has yet to win this season and is clinging to the No. 14 spot in the standings, but a win would help lock him into the playoffs.

Veteran Jimmie Johnson is also winless and currently outside the playoffs in 17th place. He qualified sixth and could jump-start his season with a win as well.

The Gander RV 400 will commence Sunday at 3 p.m. ET at Pocono Raceway.

Kevin Harvick earned his first victory of the 2019 Monster Energy Cup season with his finish at the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301.  

The No. 4 car narrowly held off Denny Hamlin, who finished just 0.087 seconds behind the leader Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after a close battle on the final lap.

Hamlin and Kyle Busch combined to lead 231 of the 301 laps, but Harvick took control down the stretch and did just enough to finally secure a victory.

     

Final Results

1. Kevin Harvick (4)

2. Denny Hamlin (11)

3. Erik Jones (20)

4. Ryan Blaney (12)

5. Matt DiBenedetto (95)

6. Martin Truex Jr. (19)

7. Ryan Newman (6)

8. Kyle Busch (18)

9. Joey Logano (22)

10. Brad Keselowski (2)

Full results available at NASCAR.com.

      

Although the first 300 laps featured some quality racing, the final lap was easily the most memorable as Hamlin did everything he could to pass Harvick but fell just short.

You have to see this! @KevinHarvick fights off @dennyhamlin to score the victory at @NHMS! pic.twitter.com/4gWJKl7tpN

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 21, 2019

Fantastic last-lap battle between Harvick and Hamlin. That was great. #NASCAR

— Nick DeGroot (@ndegroot89) July 21, 2019

Holy!! Another incredible finish! @KevinHarvick wins at Loudon!

— Kaitlyn Vincie (@kaitlynvincie) July 21, 2019

Hamlin led much of the day's second half, but the difference in the race came with about 30 laps remaining.

While Hamlin pitted for two fresh tires, Harvick stayed out in an aggressive decision:

.@oreillyauto reporter @BradGillie says Erik Jones told his crew chief what he needed couldn't be fixed, so he stayed out.

As for Harvick, it was simple, reports @Noble_Jim: Why not? They don't think they have the speed to catch Hamlin, so pass him by staying out #Foxwoods301

— PRN (@PRNlive) July 21, 2019

Hamlin passed a few cars to get back into second place but couldn't come away with the win. Fortunately, he has won a race to earn a guaranteed spot in the NASCAR playoffs.

On the other hand, Harvick had been relatively disappointing after dominating much of the 2018 season, but he is in the playoffs with a win.

It looked like Kyle Busch was on his way to another win after quickly taking control away from pole-winner Brad Keselowski.

Busch not only pushed his way to the front, but he also built more than a two-second lead by the time he grabbed the Stage 1 victory:

That was some solid racing in the first stage. #NASCAR

— Nick DeGroot (@ndegroot89) July 21, 2019

The effort helped Busch match Joey Logano with seven stage wins on the season.

After a relatively clean first stage, there was a lot more drama in the second stage with several collisions leading to cautions:

Daaaaaaaannng Daniel(s).

Daniel Suarez and Daniel Hemric get together in turns 1 and 2 at @NHMS! pic.twitter.com/svdyLUyKi3

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 21, 2019

Hard hit for Ricky @StenhouseJr puts the No. 17 essentially in a must-win situation if they're to make the #NASCARPlayoffs.

Tough break for Roush Fenway Racing at @NHMS. pic.twitter.com/Bb4piwGt5M

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 21, 2019

Take a look at what happened between @ClintBowyer and @MartinTruex_Jr late in Stage 2! (📺: NBCSN) pic.twitter.com/jR47lwi9CQ

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 21, 2019

Before the end of Stage 2, contact led to this tire rub on @KyleBusch's No. 18.

He was forced to pit and now runs P10. pic.twitter.com/rc8xX9CCsW

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 21, 2019

Jimmie Johnson also dealt with car damage that caused him to pit for an extended stretch.

Aric Almirola took advantage of the chaos, moving to the front before securing the Stage 2 victory.

Hamlin quickly became the leader at the start of the final stage and stayed there, building his lead with each lap. The No. 11 car led 113 laps until pitting with about 30 remaining, ending his chance at the win.

The drivers will remain in the Northeast for the next few weeks, continuing with the Gander RV 400 next Sunday at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania.

Kyle Busch's quest to earn his 10th top-10 finish of the 2019 NASCAR season got off to a great start Friday. 

The NASCAR Monster Energy Series points leader ended up second in the final practice for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. 

Kevin Harvick led the field with the best lap time of 38.143 seconds at a speed of 188.763 miles per hour. 

Joey Logano, who is Busch's closest competition for the top spot in the points standings, has some work to do during Saturday's qualifying to match the production of the No. 18 car after he placed 12th in final practice. 

                    

FireKeepers Casino 400 Information

Qualifying: Saturday, 12:05 p.m. ET 

Race Start Time: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET

TV: Saturday 12:05 to 1:45 p.m. ET on FS1, Sunday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET on FS1

Ticket Info: Tickets for Sunday's race can be found on StubHub.

                    

Busch comes into Michigan in some of the best recent form of the drivers in the Monster Energy Series. 

After taking 30th in Kansas, Busch placed third at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte and won the Pocono 400 a week ago. 

Although he appears to be in good shape after his strong practice run, Busch has to put together an impressive overall weekend to keep his lead in the standings. 

Logano enters Sunday four points behind the driver of the No. 18 car, while Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Harvick are all within 68 points of Busch. 

Of the drivers in the top five in the standings, Harvick is most in need of a good result at Michigan. 

Harvick, who is the only driver in the top seven of the points standings without a win in 2019, is coming off a 22nd-place finish at Pocono. 

The driver of the No. 4 car has two finishes inside the top five in his last eight races, but that form appears to be turning in a different direction after Friday's practice. 

Michigan seems like the perfect track for Harvick to get back into top-five form, as he won the August race at the track in 2018. 

Harvick's Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Clint Bowyer, who finished third in Friday's practice, is the defending champion of the June race at Michigan. 

Bowyer's win a year ago ended a three-race winning streak by Kyle Larson at the track. Larson landed 14th in Friday's practice. 

Beneath Harvick, Busch and Bowyer on the list of practice times were Daniel Suarez, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch, Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and Alex Bowman. 

What stands out when looking at the practice grid is four of the top five times were recorded by Stewart-Haas Racing cars, with Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota the only car able to break their dominance. 

That is a good sign for Harvick and his teammates heading into qualifying and the race itself. 

If you were to pick a winner now, Harvick and Bowyer seem like the best options because of their 2018 success at the track and early results on race weekend. 

Kyle Busch must be considered in the mix to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 because of his overall season form, but he might not have enough horsepower and help at the front of the field to get past the Stewart-Haas cars Sunday. 

                               

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com.