Ryan Blaney

Kyle Busch won the Busch Clash at Daytona on Tuesday in dramatic fashion, crossing the finish line first after a late crash involving Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott.  

It looked as though Blaney might get the checkered flag first after a dramatic pass on Elliott with just two laps to go. 

BLANEY GETS BY ELLIOTT FOR THE LEAD.

What a battle. pic.twitter.com/RhZaYrCYyL

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 10, 2021

But the two close friends shockingly wrecked on the final lap, allowing Busch to reap the rewards after a dramatic conclusion. 

Just ... WOW. Chase Elliott sends Ryan Blaney around and Rowdy is there!

RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE KYLE BUSCH ON HIS WIN IN THE BUSCH CLASH AT DAYTONA.

Wow. pic.twitter.com/s5hylL5mlQ

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 10, 2021

Elliott, the reigning Cup Series champion, finished second in the race, with Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and William Byron rounding out the top five. Blaney dropped all the way to 13th. 

Blaney and Elliott are good friends off the track, and it didn't sound like there were any hard feelings after the dustup:

Talking with Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney after a dramatic finish to the 2021 Clash at Daytona. pic.twitter.com/tgRp8lqvqp

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 10, 2021

Not that it matters, but @Blaney is credited with a 13th place finish.

💭 "Am I gonna make the same move if I'm in the same position two weeks from now? Hell yeah."

Said he would do it differently, but going for a win is what they do. pic.twitter.com/Ace8ziDPg2

— Davey Segal (@DaveyCenter) February 10, 2021

Blaney said if he had to do over again, he'd protect a little differently in the final chicane. @dustinlong asks what specifically he'd do. Blaney: "Just block a different way so he couldn't have gotten to a certain point beside my car."

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 10, 2021

"I hate that it happened too. We were just racing hard," says Ryan Blaney. #NASCAR

— PRN (@PRNlive) February 10, 2021

"I feel like I'd be mad at myself for not at least trying," Elliott said of his efforts to get around Blaney at the end of the race in an interview on FS1. "Obviously I don't mean to wreck anybody, much less...especially him. Some guys I wouldn't mind, but he's not one of them. Hopefully he's not too mad at me. Feel like you've gotta go for it here at an event like this."

That wreck might have been the major storyline from the event—an invitational exhibition at the Daytona road course that included 21 drivers and didn't have any points on the line—but there was still the small matter of Busch winning the race. 

"I just knew to keep my head down and keep focused ahead, seeing if I could hit my marks and get close enough to have a shot if something like that were to materialize," Busch, the 2019 champion who won only one race last season, said of the dramatic finish. "Fortunately it did for us. ... It's awesome to start off the year with a win. Non-points win, but would love nothing more than to be right here this Sunday."

First trophy of 2021 goes to Kyle Busch! pic.twitter.com/NWyzuRrJj8

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 10, 2021

The Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on Fox. Qualifying for the race will kick off on Wednesday night, and then the two Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday night. It's a busy week of racing at Daytona, with Busch opening the proceedings in the most eventful way possible. 

Kevin Harvick could take his dominance of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season to another level Sunday during the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The points leader, who has four victories this year, has won in each of the past three seasons at the 1.5-mile track.

Harvick could find himself up front early on, as he starts fifth on the grid. Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola drew the pole position.

Ryan Blaney will line up on the front row alongside Almirola, while Kurt and Kyle Busch, who are both looking for their first wins of 2020, were slotted into the second row.

                     

O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 Information

Date: Sunday, July 19

Start Time: 3 p,m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBCSports.com or NBC Sports app

            

Odds

Kevin Harvick +350 (bet $100 to win $350)

Denny Hamlin +600

Kyle Busch +600

Chase Elliott +700

Martin Truex Jr. +700

Ryan Blaney +900

Joey Logano +1,000

Brad Keselowski +1,000

Odds via Caesars Palace.

           

Starting Lineup

Cup starting lineup and pit stalls for Sunday: #nascar pic.twitter.com/13oX25mYNA

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 16, 2020

           

Preview

Harvick is the safe bet to capture another title at Texas.

The No. 4 car driver owns 22 top-10 finishes and 11 top-five placings at the track, and he is one of two competitors to win three years in a row in Fort Worth in the past decade. The other is Jimmie Johnson, who took first five times between 2012 and 2015.

Harvick's main competition could be championship rival Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin won the first of the two races at Texas in 2019. His other triumphs at the track came during a 2010 season sweep.

The two drivers battled for the win in three of the past four points races. They split the weekend victories at Pocono Raceway, and Harvick benefited from Hamlin's flat tire to come out on top at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 5.

Hamlin will be behind Harvick at the start of the race from the No. 7 starting position, and the familiar sight of them running one-two could once against emerge over the 334 laps at Texas.

Kyle Busch is the only driver not named Harvick or Hamlin to win at Texas in the past five races at the track.

The No. 18 car driver has not performed well enough to earn his first victory of the 2020 season, but he will feel as comfortable as possible on the course after running the Truck Series and Xfinity Series races Saturday.

Busch opened up about his failure to reach Victory Lane in conversation with MRN's Jeff Wackerlin:

"It's on your mind that we don't have that win and haven't really been in contention to get that win a whole lot this year. It's just a matter of a lot of circumstances that it's been the way it has been for us so far. Hoping we can start the races close to where we need to be on Sunday and have a good run with our Interstate Batteries Toyota."

Wins are even more valuable at this juncture because it would secure automatic passage into the playoffs. Cole Custer achieved that with his surprise win at Kentucky Speedway last time out.

Going into Texas, William Byron, Jimmie Johnson and Austin Dillon sit 14th-16th in the points standings, while Tyler Reddick and Erik Jones are close behind in 17th and 18th.

Since 2011, 16 of the 18 winners at Texas have started in the top 10, and four of the past five champions came from sixth or better on the starting grid.

One of the two exceptions to that trend was Johnson, who captured the spring race in 2017 after starting in 24th.

                 

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

A member of Ryan Blaney's pit crew was injured during Sunday's Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  

Zach Price was working on Blaney's No. 12 car when he was inadvertently struck. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital:

Brave people that climb over the wall on pit road.

Happy to see the @Blaney pit crew member smiling with a thumbs up after a crash in the early goings of the #Brickyard400 on @NBC. pic.twitter.com/CCAak9kCCO

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 5, 2020

"He'll be alright, just needs time to recover," a member of Blaney's team said over the radio, per CBS Sports' Matt Mayer. "It could have been a lot worse."

Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass provided an update:

Zach Price, the rear tire change for Blaney, has been transported to the hospital for further evaluation. He was smiling when being put into the ambulance after the pit-road incident.

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 5, 2020

The pit road at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is unique in that it is both the longest and narrowest in the NASCAR series.

The pitfalls were obvious during a pileup early in Sunday's race. Brennan Poole was attempting to navigate around the congestion when he veered left and accidentally made contact with Price.

It's a PILEUP on pit road at @IMS!

The #Brickyard400 is underway on @NBC: https://t.co/wKDI0aNMYn #NBCRacingWeekend pic.twitter.com/FrOHnH0Rkd

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 5, 2020

Per MotorSportsTalk's Dustin Long, Curtis Thompson moved over from Corey LaJoie's team to serve as Blaney's rear tire-changer for the duration of the day. Blaney and LaJoie are teammates on Team Penske, and LaJoie was knocked out in the aforementioned pit-road wreck.

The NASCAR Cup Series' busy weekend at Pocono Raceway concludes Sunday with the Pocono 350. 

Sunday's competition is 25 miles and 10 laps longer than Saturday's Pocono Organics 325. 

When the race finishes, most of the drivers in the 40-man field will have run in 11 competitions since May 17.

Kyle Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates should be at the front of the field all weekend, even if they have to work from a deeper starting position Sunday. 

The top 20 on the starting grid will be inverted from Saturday's results, which means the winner will start 20th. 

             

Pocono 350 Information

Date: Sunday, June 28

Start Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: FS1

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

Odds: Race odds can be found on Caesars Palace

            

Preview

The NASCAR drivers are used to racing at Pocono twice a year, but they have never done so in back-to-back days. 

Unlike the races in the same week at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, the pair of Pocono races were on the initial 2020 schedule. 

In previous years, the Pocono race weekends were split up in June and July, but NASCAR announced the new format last year. 

Busch has a Pocono victory in each of the last three seasons, while his teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. have one win each since 2017.

Hamlin broke down the mentality teams should have if Saturday produces a disappointing finish, per Racer.com's Kelly Crandall.

"If it’s (Saturday) a bad day, you can essentially overhaul your car and put a new setup in and come up with new ideas, and you’ll be starting upfront. I think you can really bounce back. You could have flip-flop days between the two races," Hamlin said. 

In addition to having success at Pocono, Hamlin and Truex recently visited Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, respectively.

They make up a group of eight racers locked into the playoff field by way of a victory. Busch has a good chance to add his name to that list this weekend based off his previous Pocono success.

The security of already being in the playoffs could allow Hamlin, Truex, Kevin Harvick and Talladega winner Ryan Blaney to drive with more risk toward the end of Sunday's race. 

Those drivers may be forced to take more risks since starting position matters at Pocono. Since 2014, 10 of the 12 winners began the race in the top 10.

The recent trend could also allow an unlikely racer to take first since the inverted starting lineup will be in place.

           

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com

Before the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season began, the two-race weekend at Pocono Raceway was viewed as the most unique setup on the schedule.

After competing in three midweek races in May and June, running a pair of competitions following four days off is just part of the new normal.

Saturday's Pocono Organics 325 follows the most competitive race of the season to date at Talladega Superspeedway, which was won by Ryan Blaney.

Winning back-to-back races will be tough for Blaney, as he faces stiff competition from Pocono expert Kyle Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates who have dominated the track over the last three years. 

           

Pocono Organics 325 Information

Date: Saturday, June 27

Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

         

Starting Lineup

Cup lineup for Saturday at Pocono. Green flag 3:54pm ET on FOX. Stages 25-52-53 (130 laps). Sunday lineup by Saturday results with top-20 inverted (no lead-lap requirement). Sunday race green 4:24 ET on FS1. Stages 30-55-55 (140 laps). #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/HBE3krdLj3

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 25, 2020

     

Odds

Kyle Busch (+350; bet $100 to win $350)

Kevin Harvick (+500)

Martin Truex Jr. (+600)

Denny Hamlin (+750)

Brad Keselowski (+750)

Chase Elliott (+800)

Joey Logano (+1100)

Ryan Blaney (+1200)

Odds via Caesars Palace

          

Preview

Saturday presents Kyle Busch with the best chance to earn his first victory of the season.

The driver of the No. 18 car conquered Pocono once in each of the last three years. He has a pair of second-place finishes since NASCAR's restart in May, but he also owns three placings beneath 25th, including a 32nd-place mark at Talladega.

Busch credited crew chief Adam Stevens and his teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing for his recent success at the three-turn track, per NBC Sports' Daniel McFadin.

"(Pocono's) evolved with Adam Stevens being the crew chief since 2015," Busch said. "We've run really well there. It's a good track for us. I've learned a lot from my teammate Denny Hamlin who's won there (five times), and certainly working with Martin (Truex Jr., who has two wins) and his guys has also brought on some new, fresh ideas which help."

Hamlin and Truex Jr., who recently picked up their wins, are the only other competitors to capture first in the last five Pocono races. 

All but one of those triumphs came from a top-10 starting position. Truex won from 28th in June 2018. 

Hamlin and Busch start side-by-side on the second row, while Truex was drawn into 11th Thursday. The top 12 positions were determined by a draw from the top 12 teams in owner points. 

Aric Almirola earned the pole position, and Blaney will start next to him on the front row. 

Starting high on the grid has been important for recent Pocono champions. Since 2014, 10 drivers in 12 races have won from a top-10 position.

Blaney may be the best value play on the odds board Saturday since he has a victory from June 2017 at Pocono and has six top-five finishes in the last seven races. 

Kurt Busch could be the other long shot to target at +2000. The driver of the No. 1 car has three Pocono victories and has been a constant fixture in the top 10 since the Coca-Cola 600.

               

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com

Bubba Wallace isn't going to let racism and acts of hate stop him from smiling or fighting. 

NASCAR's only Black full-time driver embraced some of his supporters following Monday's Geico 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway and said, "The sport is changing ... Whoever it was, you're not gonna take away my smile" in reference to the noose that was found in his garage stall at the track Sunday.

"The sport is changing ... Whoever it was, you're not gonna take away my smile."- @BubbaWallace

What a moment. #IStandWithBubba pic.twitter.com/Z3YajMuBBJ

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 23, 2020

It was not the only powerful moment involving Wallace on Monday.

The entire field of drivers who participated in the race pushed his No. 43 car to the front of the pack prior to the race in a message of unity and solidarity:

We rally around @BubbaWallace. Fellow drivers push his No. 43 car to the front in Talladega.#IStandWithBubba pic.twitter.com/n0YwN1qq5l

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 22, 2020

Together pic.twitter.com/D4zW3jA5y5

— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 22, 2020

This comes after NASCAR released a statement Sunday saying it was investigating after a noose was found in his driver stall at Talladega. U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town also said the U.S. Attorney's office for the Northern District of Alabama, FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are investigating.

"We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act," NASCAR's statement read. "We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport."

Wallace released a statement saying, in part, "We will not be deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who seek to spread hate":

pic.twitter.com/koL655AJB9

— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 22, 2020

The 26-year-old has made national headlines of late as he fights against systemic racism and leads his sport forward. He told CNN's Don Lemon that NASCAR needed to ban Confederate flags, and the sport responded by doing that two days later.

"No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. It starts with Confederate flags," Wallace said. "Get them out of here. They have no place for them."

He also raced in a car with a Black Lives Matter paint scheme and has earned the support of many, including NBA star LeBron James:

BIG S/O @BubbaWallace!! 🤜🏻🤛🏾👑 https://t.co/0zIlidbQOi

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 10, 2020

Sickening! @BubbaWallace my brother! Know you don’t stand alone! I’m right here with you as well as every other athlete. I just want to continue to say how proud I am of you for continuing to take a stand for change here in America and sports! @NASCAR I salute you as well! 🙏🏾✊🏾👑 https://t.co/1TwkjVHai5

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 22, 2020

As for Monday's race, Wallace finished 14th after hanging with the leaders before overtime, and Ryan Blaney defeated Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in a photo finish in overtime to clinch the win in dramatic fashion.

Ryan Blaney was victorious in the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Monday. 

Blaney held off Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Aric Almirola in overtime to claim his first win of the 2020 NASCAR Cup season. Mere feet separated Blaney and Stenhouse Jr. as they crossed the finish line, while Almirola's rear bumper was the first piece of the No. 10 car to hit the line as he spun out on the inside of the track. 

THAT close. pic.twitter.com/sMS6l3hynY

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 23, 2020

It was a dramatic overtime period as Blaney surrendered the lead to Kevin Harvick and slipped into third, only to work his way back into first place. Running in second, Erik Jones looked for whatever opening he could find to move to the top of the field. Jones slammed into the wall, however, and wound up in fifth.

WHAT. A. FINISH. Retweet to congratulate Ryan @Blaney on his WIN at Talladega! pic.twitter.com/GfNSc7g7mB

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 22, 2020

         

GEICO 500 Leaderboad

1. Ryan Blaney

2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

3. Aric Almirola

4. Denny Hamlin

5. Erik Jones

6. Chris Buescher

7. Alex Bowman

8. John Hunter Nemechek

9. Kurt Busch

10. Kevin Harvick

Full standings are available at NASCAR.com

          

Inclement weather forced officials to postpone the race on Sunday. That wasn't the end of the weather-related issues, either, as a brief rain shower halted the proceedings after 57 laps.

Prior to the race, the focus was firmly centered on Bubba Wallace.

NASCAR announced Sunday that a noose was found in the garage of the No. 43 car. The organization said it was "angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act."

Wallace had advocated for the banning of the Confederate flag at all NASCAR events, a step the organization promptly took.

In addition to an investigation by NASCAR, the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice have involved themselves in the matter as well, per the Associated Press' Jenna Fryer.

As a show of solidarity with Wallace, his racing colleagues helped push his car to the front of pit road.

We rally around @BubbaWallace. Fellow drivers push his No. 43 car to the front in Talladega.#IStandWithBubba pic.twitter.com/n0YwN1qq5l

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 22, 2020

Together pic.twitter.com/D4zW3jA5y5

— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 22, 2020

Wallace was running near the top of the pack prior to overtime but had to slow down when it became clear he was short on fuel. A 14th-place finish didn't dampen his enthusiasm, though.

Talladega officials allowed up to 5,000 fans to attend the GEICO 500. After the race ended, Wallace walked up to the catchfence to salute some of his supporters who made the trip.

"The sport is changing ... Whoever it was, you're not gonna take away my smile."- @BubbaWallace

What a moment. #IStandWithBubba pic.twitter.com/Z3YajMuBBJ

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 23, 2020

Jimmie Johnson remains winless in his final season. The No. 48 car was running in second place down the final stretch before getting bumped by Harvick.

Let the drama begin.@JimmieJohnson goes for a slide off the nose of @KevinHarvick to bring out a caution to set up overtime in the #GEICO500. pic.twitter.com/u8RrVf52L2

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 22, 2020

Johnson's adventure set the stage for the action-packed overtime period.

The race included nine cautions, most of which proved relatively minor while still disrupting the leaderboard. 

Matt Kenseth was the first driver to hit the garage early. While the point of auto racing is to drive the fastest and finish in the shortest amount of time, brakes are a necessary feature.

"Something's definitely broke. I don't have any brakes."- Matt Kenseth pic.twitter.com/gVl108J6rQ

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 22, 2020

Chase Elliott completed 135 laps before getting wedged between Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. A push from Keselowski sent him into Logano and he had nowhere to go.

A push from Brad Keselowski sends Chase Elliott around! Heavy damage for the No. 9 machine. pic.twitter.com/OEgH7FZ8iv

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 22, 2020

Drivers will head to Long Pond, Pennsylvania, for what's shaping up to be a physical demanding weekend. Pocono Raceway will stage the Pocono Organics 325 at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and then the Pocono 350 just over 24 hours later on Sunday.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to one of the most difficult tracks on the circuit Sunday.

Talladega Superspeedway is one of two super speedways on the schedule, and it poses challenges for even the most experienced drivers.

Joe Gibbs Racing could have an advantage from the start, as Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were drawn into the first three positions on the starting grid.

Since finding drafting partners can be difficult, those three should be considered the favorites to win at least the first stage while other combinations of racers scramble to link up.

                         

Geico 500 Information

Date: Sunday, June 21

Start Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports app or FoxSports.com.

            

Starting Lineup

Cup lineup for Sunday at Talladega: #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/t9WPOh96V7

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 18, 2020

              

Odds

Denny Hamlin: +900 (bet $100 to win $900)

Joey Logano: +900

Brad Keselowski: +1,000

Ryan Blaney: +1,000 

Kevin Harvick: +1,200

Kyle Busch: +1,200

Kurt Busch: +1,500

Alex Bowman: +1,800

Martin Truex Jr.: +1,800

Jimmie Johnson: +2,000

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook.

                 

Preview

Talladega has lived up to its reputation as one of the most unpredictable tracks recently, as six drivers have won the past six events.

Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney captured the 2019 races in Alabama. Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Aric Almirola and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are the other recent champions.

Of that group, Keselowski has been the most successful driver at the race track, recording five victories.

Even though the No. 2 car driver has a strong history at the track, he believes you have to keep adapting to it, per NBC Sports' Daniel McFadin:

"You have to keep evolving at Talladega. I don't know if there's a track on the circuit where the tactics evolve more rapidly and drastically year over year than Talladega, so you've just got to really try to stay on top of that and it's a hard thing to do. Sometimes you can stay on top of the tactics and it doesn't matter and you end up getting wrecked anyway, but it certainly is a challenging, challenging place."

The Team Penske competitor has to be considered one of the favorites to win along with the Joe Gibbs cars since he begins the race in sixth place. Keselowski may have to wait a few laps for teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney to reach him for drafting help, but he should be able to maneuver through the early stages.

Since they have had success at Talladega, the trio of Penske drivers are expected to challenge the Joe Gibbs racers.

The other combinations to look out for are the Hendrick Motorsports collection of Jimmie Johnson, Alex Bowman and Elliott, as well as the Stewart-Haas Racing cars of Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Almirola.

As the race goes on, you will see members of other teams combine to push forward, but the in-team relationships will be important. The result could come down to something as simple as which team has the most drivers left in a race that could be littered with cautions.

The unpredictability makes it hard to land on a single bet for Sunday, but the most trusted competitors should be those with the most experience and success at Talladega, such as Keselowski

                           

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

NASCAR's second short-track event of the 2020 season could be one of the most grueling races the drivers face.

The competitors have three days rest between the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway Wednesday and Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 in the blistering heat at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which was won by Kevin Harvick.

Harvick is one of four racers with two wins, with Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin the others. 

Each of those drivers will start in top 12 for Wednesday's race after the starting grid was chosen in a draw based off owner points. 

Ryan Blaney was awarded the pole and will start alongside Aric Almirola, while Logano and Clint Bowyer begin on Row 2.

                

NASCAR at Martinsville Information

Date: Wednesday, June 10

Start Time: 7 p.m. ET 

TV: FS1

Live Stream: Fox Sports app or FoxSports.com

       

Starting Lineup

Cup lineup for Wednesday night at Martinsville, 7pm ET on FS1. Based on weighted draw. Pits will be selected in order of Atlanta finish. #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/uC8TbQth3f

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 8, 2020

         

Odds

Kyle Busch (+450; bet $100 to win $450)

Martin Truex Jr. (+550)

Brad Keselowski (+600)

Chase Elliott (+750)

Denny Hamlin (+900)

Joey Logano (+900)

Kevin Harvick (+1,000)

Odds via Vegas Insider

         

Preview

The 500-lap race at Martinsville will be a test of the physical condition the drivers are in. 

The combination of the heat and being inside the car for close to four hours at Atlanta had some effects on the competitors. 

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. revealed he burned 3,150 calories Sunday afternoon, while Bubba Wallace was visibly affected by the conditions once he got out of his car. 

Of course, these are well-trained athletes who will recover to the best of their abilities, but it will be interesting to see how two long races in four days affects the racers. 

Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. won the 2019 races at Martinsville, and the former is the reigning champion of the spring event. 

The No. 2 car driver has five top-10 finishes and two victories since NASCAR returned to competition May 17. 

Truex captured the first two stages at Atlanta and has performed well of late, but he has not found Victory Lane yet this season. 

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has a quintet of top-10 placings and led the most laps of any competitor without a win in 2020. 

However, repeating victories at Martinsville has proved tough, and Kyle Busch is the only competitor to win in back-to-back years at the track since 2013. 

Just like teammate Truex, Busch has been around the top spot in most races, but he hasn't been able to capture a victory. The driver of the No. 18 car has six top-five finishes, which ties him with Harvick for most this season. 

Jimmie Johnson has not placed as high as Truex, Busch and the other pre-race favorites, but he is familiar with Victory Lane at Martinsville. The seven-time Cup Series champion has nine wins at the Virginia venue and placed third in the season's first short-track race at Bristol.

Blaney, Logano, Hamlin and Chase Elliott all have to be considered as contenders given their recent performances. 

Of that quartet, Blaney carries the most favorable odds to win the race. If he gets out in front early from the pole position, the No. 12 car driver should be in contention for most of the competition.

                   

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com

Brad Keselowski is in an ideal position to become the first back-to-back winner of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The driver of the No. 2 car is the defending champion of the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, and he has reached Victory Lane in two of the last three years at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

Keselowski is also the only competitor to win multiple races since the NASCAR season resumed May 17. 

The top competition for the Team Penske driver should be points leader Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott, who has had one of the best cars over the last five events.

            

NASCAR at Atlanta Information

Date: Sunday, June 7

Start Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

       

Starting Lineup

Cup lineup for Sunday at Atlanta: #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/qj82KEdbMk

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 4, 2020

       

Odds

Kevin Harvick (+500; bet $100 to win $500)

Chase Elliott (+600)

Kyle Busch (+600)

Brad Keselowski (+700)

Alex Bowman (+700)

Joey Logano (+800)

Martin Truex Jr. (+800)

Denny Hamlin (+1000)

Odds via Caesars Palace

           

Preview

Even though he is not the odds-on favorite, Keselowski has to be considered as the pick to win this event. 

The No. 2 car found Victory Lane at the Coca-Cola 600 and Supermarket Heroes 500, and it is placed in a favorable position on the starting grid.

Keselowski was drawn into the No. 6 starting position, while Elliott nabbed the pole in a draw that determined the first 12 positions off the top 12 teams in owner points. 

The same format was followed to fill out positions No. 13-24 and No. 25-36, while the final four spots on the starting grid went to non-chartered NASCAR teams. 

Elliott will not relinquish the top spot easily, as he has been near, or at, the lead for most of the last five races. 

Unfortunately, the final results have not reflected that, as the No. 9 car was involved in two late-race accidents and dropped down the field after a failed pit-stop decision during the Coca-Cola 600.

It would not come as a surprise to see Elliott and Keselowski batting for the lead for most of the race, with Harvick likely in the mix once he moves up from the No. 9 starting spot. 

Harvick has been the most consistent driver in the Cup Series with eight top 10 finishes and an 11th-place result from Bristol.

Harvick is one of five active drivers with wins at Atlanta in the last decade. Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson are the only ones with multiple victories. 

Johnson, who is retiring at the end of the season, is one of a few competitors with longer odds that could be worth a bet. 

The No. 48 car driver is coming off a third-place finish and has a trio top 12 placings in the last five events. 

Ryan Blaney should be considered as a sleeper to take the checkered flag. Before he wrecked and finished last at Bristol, he earned two consecutive third-place finishes and placed in the top five on 11 occasions in 2019.

If you are looking for a long shot, Austin Dillon is at +7500. The No. 3 car driver has improved his finish in each of the last three races and starts in the top half of the grid in 16th.

                 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com