NASCAR at Martinsville 2021 Results: Alex Bowman Wins; Championship 4 Set
Oct 31, 2021
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA - OCTOBER 31: Alex Bowman, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 31, 2021 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Alex Bowman is going to have mixed feelings about Sunday.
On one hand, he won the Xfinity 500 at the Martinsville Speedway, the final race to qualify for the Championship 4.
On the other hand, it wasn't enough to qualify him for the final round, as Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. will vie for the title.
Kyle Busch finished second, followed by Brad Keselowski, Truex and William Byron.
It was a bittersweet day for Hamlin as well, who took serious umbrage with Bowman spinning him out late in the race as the two battled for the lead. Sparks were flying afterward.
"He's just a hack. He's just an absolute hack," Hamlin said of Bowman after the race. "He gets his ass kicked by his teammates every week. He's just f--king terrible. He's just terrible. He sees one opportunity and he takes it. But obviously, he's got the fastest car every week and he runs 10th."
Bowman—who has four wins on the season to Hamlin's two—said after the race he wasn't trying to spin Hamlin out:
I just got loose in. I got in too deep, knocked him out of the way and literally let him have the lead back. So for anybody that wants to think that I was trying to crash him, it obviously wasn't the case, considering I literally gave up the lead at Martinsville to give it back to him. He's been on the other side of that, he's crashed guys here for wins. I hate doing it. Obviously I don't want to crash somebody. I just got in, got loose underneath him and spun him out.
Larson was the only driver to come into Sunday with a Championship 4 locked. Elliott clinched his berth after winning the second stage at Martinsville, while a fourth-place finish was enough for Truex, and Hamlin's 24th-place finish didn't cost him too dearly.
But the story on the day was the drama between Bowman and Hamlin. Never a dull moment in NASCAR.
NASCAR at Kansas 2021 Results: Kyle Larson Picks Up 9th Win of Season
Oct 24, 2021
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS - OCTOBER 24: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 24, 2021 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Kyle Larson is having a season for the ages.
For the ninth time this season, the Hendrick Motorsports driver crossed the checkered flag first, winning Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at the Kansas Speedway.
"This one's for you, Mr. H."
RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE KYLE LARSON ON HIS NINTH NASCAR CUP SERIES WIN OF 2021! pic.twitter.com/w1ue8yhdKN
Chase Elliott finished second, followed by Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.
Larson has now won three straight races and four of the past six during the playoff period. It's his second three-win streak of the season, the first time that's been done since Dale Earnhardt pulled off the trick in 1987.
He remains the only driver to have clinched a berth in the Championship 4 heading into the final NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 playoff race next Sunday at the Martinsville Speedway (2 p.m. ET on NBC).
The win came 17 years to the day that a Hendrick plane crash killed all 10 people aboard the vessel, including Rick Hendrick's son, Ricky. Larson drives the same No. 5 car that Ricky Hendrick drove during his career.
"I didn't ever get to meet Ricky or the other men and women who lost their lives that day," Larson said after the race. "But I felt the importance of this race. So crazy how it all worked out for me to win. So again, thank you to Rick Hendrick, I know this means a lot to you and I'm glad I could get it done."
Larson has dominated the 550-horsepower races this season, though Sunday was the final race of the season under that classification.
Very little has gotten in Larson's way. That included a 15-minute weather delay Sunday and his teammate Elliott trying to track him down in the waning moments of the race.
That number 5 does it again. It’s 9 wins this season… wow.🏆@KyleLarsonRacin
All that's really left for Larson to do this year is win the NASCAR Cup Series, like Elliott did last year. At this point, who is going to bet against him?
NASCAR at Texas 2021: Odds, TV Schedule, Live Stream and Drivers
Oct 16, 2021
Kyle Busch (18) drives during a NASCAR Cup Series auto racing race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Concord, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
The NASCAR Cup Series postseason field has been cut in half from its original number.
Eight drivers survived the first two stages of the playoffs to reach the final three-race stage of the postseason, which begins on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.
Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski advanced from the round of 12 to the round of eight.
The eight drivers will battle at Texas, Kansas and Martinsville over the next three weeks for four playoff spots.
The top four competitors after Martinsville will battle it out for the playoff crown at Phoenix on November 7.
Larson, Hamlin, Truex and Blaney start the round of eight in the four qualifying positions. Busch is one point back of Blaney, Elliott is two points behind the cut, Logano is 11 points adrift and Keselowski needs to make up a 16-point gap between himself and Blaney.
The NASCAR Cup Series is making its second trip to Texas this season but its first for a points race.
The Cup Series visited Texas back in June for the All-Star Race, which was won by Larson.
Larson has to be viewed as the favorite to capture the postseason title. He has a win in each postseason round and has been the most consistent driver on the circuit all season long.
Larson comes into Texas off a victory on the Charlotte road course. He also won at Bristol in the final race of the round of 16.
Hamlin matched Larson's performance with a win to kick off the round of 16 and round of 12. He won at Darlington and Las Vegas to secure safe passage to the next rounds.
Hamlin landed in ninth place in the Cup Series' last points race at Texas in October 2020. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Busch and Truex went one-two at that event.
Larson and Hamlin are in the best positions possible to advance to the championship round on points. Larson owns a 35-point gap on Hamlin, who is seven points above the cut line.
If the two drivers continue at their current pace, they should make up half of the championship contenders in a few weeks.
All it takes is one win by a driver in the bottom four, or a poor day at the track, to rearrange the postseason picture.
Busch is the reigning champion at Texas. He has four career wins at the track. If he goes back-to-back, or benefits from his strong history at the track, he could leap into the top four.
Since 2017, Busch, Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Austin Dillon and Jimmie Johnson are the only drivers to win points races at Texas. There were multiple races at the track up until this season.
Dillon won the first trip to Texas last season. Busch took fourth in that race behind Dillon, Tyler Reddick and Logano last July.
Logano is the other driver in the bottom four to watch. He has nine top-10 finishes at Texas in his last 10 races at the track. At +1200, Logano carries some of the best value to win the race.
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NASCAR at Talladega 2021: Odds, TV Schedule, Live Stream and Drivers
Oct 2, 2021
Austin Cindric (22) leads a pack of cars pass during the AG-PRO 300 Xfinity Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway Saturday, April 24, 2021 in Talladega, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
The second race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs' Round of 12 will take place Sunday at the Talladega Superspeedway.
Drivers hoping to advance to the next round will take on the largest oval on the circuit for 188 laps of steep banking in the always competitive and challenging YellaWood 500.
Denny Hamlin will be on the pole after his win last time out at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but the Joe Gibbs Racing stalwart is already in the third round of the playoffs, so this race isn't as important to his title hopes as it is to those of Joey Logano (3,045 points), who is in seventh place and a whopping 51 points behind leader Kyle Larson (3,096 points).
Brad Keselowski (3,043 points) and Kevin Harvick (3,036 points) are in eighth and 10th place, respectively, so they should have vastly different strategies heading into Sunday, hoping to close the gap in the standings.
Here's a quick look at the lineup of top drivers, schedule and odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Not all drivers are best suited for the superspeedway, so Talladega can be a bit tricky, but it's always entertaining because it's downright Darwinian on the track.
Hamlin is the favorite going into Sunday's race, but he's got some stiff competition from drivers who like to shine in Alabama.
Of all the drivers taking the track, Keselowski has the most wins at Talladega (six), followed by teammate Logano, who has three. The Team Penske duo are both trying to remain in the top eight, so they will be pushing hard to cross the finish line first.
The third member of the Penske trio, Ryan Blaney, is in fifth place in the standings (3,063 points) and oddsmakers have him as the fourth-favorite.
And even though Keselowski has one foot out of the door with Team Penske, bettors still aren't counting him out this Sunday.
"Maybe [you would overlook him] if he wasn't racing for a championship or [was] leaving on bad terms. Or if the team was folding," professional sports bettor Zack White told Marcus DiNitto of NASCAR.com. "Everyone still wants to win in this case, so no change for me."
Looking to shake things up is Hendrick Motorsports driver and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott. Sitting in sixth place with 3,061 points, Elliott will try to draw on his first and only win at Talladega (April 2019) to make good on his third-ranked odds and race to victory.
No matter what, it's going to be an unpredictable but must-see race Sunday.
NASCAR at Las Vegas 2021 Results: Denny Hamlin Wins, Secures Spot in Round of 8
Sep 27, 2021
Denny Hamlin drives during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Denny Hamlin punched his ticket to the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with a victory Sunday in the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Hamlin held off Chase Elliott for the checkered flag, and Kyle Busch was a distant third place. Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top five.
It was a dominant display from Hamlin. He led 137 of the race's 267 laps.
Less than two seconds separated Hamlin and Elliott as the final stage neared its conclusion, but the gap was far wider than that time would indicate.
With two laps remaining, Elliott had chipped away at Hamlin's lead a bit to raise some hope that a dramatic closing sequence was in store. Instead, Hamlin comfortably cruised to the finish line.
The round of 12 began as the round of 16 did. Hamlin won the Cook Out Southern 500 to earn passage to the next stage, and he pulled it off again.
There's still something to gain over the next two weeks since he can earn valuable points to remain at the top of the standings. But Sunday's outcome will have removed a major weight from his shoulders.
One mistake can be all it takes for a driver to watch his title hopes go up in smoke at this stage of the season. There isn't much time to recover from a poor finish.
That's the situation Christopher Bell is facing after winding up 24th on Sunday.
Bell experienced some issues with the No. 20 car midway through the race that required work on pit road. The stage break allowed for a little more time to address the damage, but Bell was still unable to beat the caution car. As a result, he fell a lap down and was unable to fight his way back.
Kevin Harvick's day would've gone far worse if he hadn't managed to regain control when he began sliding a bit in the second stage.
For the 11 drivers other than Hamlin still in the hunt for the round of eight, two races remain to either earn a critical victory or secure the necessary points to advance. The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway for the YellaWood 500 on Oct. 3.
The unpredictability of Talladega could be the perfect thing to upend the current order.
NASCAR at Bristol 2021: Odds, TV Schedule, Live Stream and Drivers
Sep 17, 2021
Driver Daniel Suarez (99) leads Joey Logano (22), and Martin Truex Jr. (19) during an NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Monday, March 29, 2021, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Thirteen drivers will fight for nine spots in the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. advanced out of the round of 16 through victories in the first two playoff races. Kyle Larson got into the round of 12 off his points total.
Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Kevin Harvick sit in the best positions possible to move on to the next three-race postseason round.
If any of the 13 drivers from fourth to 16th place win at Bristol, they will automatically qualify for the round of 12.
All of the clinching scenarios to reach the round of 12 can be found here on NASCAR.com.
Kyle Busch is listed as the pre-race favorite because of his stellar history at Bristol.
The No. 18 car driver won three of the last seven races at the Tennessee track. He finished inside the top five for both of the races on the Bristol concrete in 2020.
The Cup Series visited Bristol earlier in the season, but that event took place on dirt.
Busch comes into Bristol in 10th place in the playoff standings with an eight-point edge over Alex Bowman in 13th place.
The other Busch brother, Kurt, had a pair of top-15 finishes at Bristol in 2020. He needs points more than Kyle Busch since he is in 12th in a tie with Bowman.
Bowman, Tyler Reddick, William Byron and Michael McDowell suffered setbacks in the first two playoff races that forced them beneath the cut line.
McDowell, who won the Daytona 500, is in the most trouble of being eliminated. He is 38 points adrift of Kurt Busch. Byron is within 18 points of Busch, while Reddick sits five points behind the No. 1 car driver.
The best-case scenario for any of those four drivers is to win the race, but that will be difficult among a field of drivers with past success at Bristol.
Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski, who both won in 2020, reside in the top 10 in points, and they have some comfort with their respective places in the standings.
Chase Elliott, Aric Almirola and Christopher Bell are among the drivers inside the top 12 who placed in the top 10 at Bristol last season.
Larson, Hamlin and Truex are already into the round of 12, but they could win the race and take away the automatic advancement spot.
Each of those three drivers are in strong form, and they could use the Bristol race to fine-tune things ahead of the next leg of races.
Truex and Hamlin begin the race on the front row. The last three winners on the Bristol concrete came from the first four starting positions.
NASCAR at Richmond 2021: Odds, TV Schedule, Live Stream and Drivers
Sep 10, 2021
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 05: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Bass Pro Toyota, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 05, 2021 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The 16 drivers involved in the NASCAR Cup Series postseason experienced a mixed bag of results in the first of three round-of-16 races last weekend.
The early exits of certain drivers put more pressure on them to succeed on Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.
Denny Hamlin secured his spot in the round of 12 with his victory at Darlington Raceway. Kyle Larson is in the best position to advance on points from Richmond.
Alex Bowman, who won at Richmond earlier this season, Kyle Busch, William Byron and Michael McDowell sit beneath the cut line after they went through troubles at Darlington.
The desperation of the drivers beneath the 12th-place cut line combined with the motivation of top playoff drivers to lock up round-of-12 spots should produce plenty of fireworks under the lights in Virginia.
Kyle Larson is on the pole for Saturday night's Cup Series playoff race at Richmond. Denny Hamlin starts second, Martin Truex Jr. third, Kurt Busch fourth and Kevin Harvick fifth. pic.twitter.com/vh5EVkfZYq
The easiest way for a driver to secure safe passage into the round of 12 is to win at Richmond.
Hamlin has the opportunity to fine-tune things over the next two weeks because he is not under the pressure to advance.
Larson is in the best position to join Hamlin if he does not win. NASCAR.com outlined all of the potential clinching scenarios with Larson at the forefront.
Larson produced one of his worst results of the 2021 season at Richmond in April. He earned an 18th-place finish in a race won by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Bowman.
Bowman will try to replicate the magic he found at Richmond to dig out of the early playoff hole he set for himself at Darlington.
The No. 48 car driver sits in 13th place, and he is level on points with Tyler Reddick, who finished two spots behind Larson in April on the Virginia short track.
Kyle Busch should also be in a good spot to leap above the cut line. He won both races at the track in 2018 and he took an eighth-place finish in April.
William Byron landed a seventh-place finish in April, so that should boost his prospects of moving out of 15th place to a more comfortable spot ahead of next week's trip to Bristol Motor Speedway.
The top eight positions from the April Richmond race were occupied by playoff qualifiers. Pre-race favorite Martin Truex Jr. started on the pole and finished fifth in that race. Hamlin, Joey Logano and Christopher Bell were second, third and fourth, respectively.
Truex completed the Richmond sweep in 2019, and he took second behind Brad Keselowski in the lone race at the circuit in 2020.
Larson can't be ignored as a pick to win since he has been the most consistent Cup Series this season. The No. 5 car driver has a chance to get out in front early from the pole position.
Starting up top does not guarantee success at Richmond since three of the last six winners won from starting spots outside the top 10.
However, the pole position should at least give Larson a chance to run in clean air to start and try to create some separation between himself and the rest of the pack.
Aric Almirola, who got into the playoffs with an unexpected win at New Hampshire, could be the best sleeper pick for prop bets on Saturday. He took sixth in April and carries some of the longest odds to win among the playoff drivers at +2500. A bet on Almirola to finish inside the top 10 at +350 carries plenty of value.
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NASCAR at Darlington 2021: Denny Hamlin Holds Off Kyle Larson to Win Playoff Opener
Sep 6, 2021
Ryan Blaney, front right, and Denny Hamlin, front left, lead the start of a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021, in Darlington, S.C. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Denny Hamlin took a step toward a Cup Series championship Sunday with a victory in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Hamlin outpaced Kyle Larson and the rest of the field in the Cup Series playoff opener and clinched a spot in the Round of 12.
He won the first stage and then retook the lead in the third stage before holding off any late charges from arguably the best driver in the field this year. It was also Hamlin's third career Southern 500 victory.
The biggest storyline heading to Darlington Raceway was the start of the 16-team, 10-race playoff.
The format is fairly simple, as the first round consists of three races and cuts the field from 16 to 12, the second round consists of three races and cuts the field from 12 to eight, and the third round consists of three races and cuts the field from eight to four. From there, the champion is the highest finisher of the four remaining in the final race.
Winning any of the three races per round automatically clinches a spot into the next round, soHamlin won't have much to worry about until the Round of 12 begins.
Ryan Blaney started Sunday's race from the pole position, which figured to be a problem for the rest of the field. After all, he was coming off back-to-back wins at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and FireKeepers Casino 400 and was on the short list of realistic contenders.
So was Larson, who was dominant this season with victories at the Pennzoil 400, Coca-Cola 600, Toyota Save Mart 350, NASCAR All-Star Race, Ally 400 and Go Bowling at The Glen race.
Yet it was Hamlin who won the caution-filled first stage that was defined by trouble elsewhere from his own impressive driving.
Alex Bowman ran into plenty of trouble by hitting the wall, getting clipped by William Byron and then working through a small fire on pit road. Elsewhere, Michael McDowell's day ended early when he hit the inside wall, and Chase Elliott's car had front-end damage that knocked him further back in the field.
The chaos continued in the second stage, as Kyle Busch's race came to an end after a crash with Austin Dillon. Busch also turned heads when he told reporters, "We were running like s--t. We got wrecked. It's what you get when you run like s--t."
Byron's disappointing day also ended with a crash in the second stage, but Larson avoided the trouble and won a second stage he largely controlled.
Fittingly, the third stage was also an exercise in attrition, as Blaney spun out after he was penalized for an uncontrolled tire. Martin Truex Jr. also went to the back of the field after he was caught speeding on pit road, and Elliott's race came to an end when he hit the wall.
Even with all that, there was plenty of drama with Hamlin seizing the lead and attempting to hold off Larson and Ross Chastain on the final stretch.
He was able to do so and prevailed in an eventful playoff opener.
NASCAR at Daytona 2021: Odds, TV Schedule, Live Stream and Drivers
Aug 27, 2021
Tyler Reddick (8) leaves the pit area with heavy damage after being involved in an incident on the track during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
The NASCAR Cup Series regular season ends Saturday where it started in February.
Last time the Cup Series took to the Daytona International Speedway oval, Michael McDowell emerged as the surprise winner. That set off a string of unexpected wins to put some lesser-known drivers in the 16-car playoff field. Christopher Bell was also victorious at Daytona in February, but his win came on the track's road course.
The drivers on the postseason bubble would love to produce a surprise win Saturday to automatically qualify for the playoffs.
Entering the Coke Zero Sugar 400, 15 racers are locked into the playoff field. McDowell, Bell and 11 others qualified as race winners, while Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick are in on points.
Tyler Reddick holds the edge over Austin Dillon and Matt DiBenedetto for the final playoff spot. If one of the 15 qualifiers or a non-points team wins at Daytona, Reddick will be entered into the postseason.
The playoff picture could not be more simple for the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
If Reddick wins, he will qualify and not have to worry about the points battle with Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon.
Were someone who is a full-time points driver beneath the top 16 in the standings to win, they would earn the final playoff berth.
And if a driver already locked into the playoff field wins on Saturday night, Reddick needs to keep his advantage over Dillon to get in on points. Reddick has a 25-point lead on the No. 3 car driver.
There could be cause for concern within Reddick's camp, however, because Daytona is one of the most unpredictable tracks on the Cup Series circuit and Dillon is a previous champion on the oval.
Dillon took first at the Daytona 500 in 2018, and he finished third behind McDowell and Chase Elliott in the latest edition of The Great American Race in February.
Reddick had the last-placed running car on the course in February. He landed in 27th, 12 laps behind McDowell.
Dillon owns eight top-10 finishes in 16 appearances on the Daytona oval, while Reddick has not landed in the top 10 in any of his four starts there.
As long as Dillon or someone else beneath him does not win, though, Reddick just needs to avoid one of the major accidents that regularly happen at Daytona.
The drivers who finish from 28th-40th are the only ones who receive single-digit point totals from races. A handful of those positions are typically filled by single-car teams and regular back-of-the-pack cars.
Even if Reddick finishes in 27th place, which pays out 10 points, it would make Dillon's margin for error slim. The full NASCAR points breakdown can be found here.
Since the race is at Daytona, there is always the chance that something weird happens and wrecks the playoff plan. For example, DiBenedetto could upset both of the RCR cars and move into the playoff field with a win. The No. 21 car driver finished in the top 11 in each of his past six races. He also has a trio of top-10 finishes in 12 Daytona oval starts.
DiBenedetto's recent form could help him run toward the front, steal a victory and dash the playoff hopes of Reddick and Dillon.
Outside of the playoff hunt, Hamlin is the one to watch. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is still searching for his first victory of the season and is a three-time champion on the oval, making him the favorite to win Saturday's race.
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NASCAR at New Hampshire 2021: Odds, TV Schedule, Live Stream and Drivers
Jul 17, 2021
Kyle Busch, left, and Denny Hamlin (11) run in front after a release from the first caution during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, July, 11, 2021, in Hampton, Ga. (AP Photo/John Amis)
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.
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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