Alex Bowman

The starting order for the 2020 Daytona 500 will be set on Thursday ahead of Sunday's showpiece opener to the NASCAR season.

The field already took part in the first qualifying event last Sunday, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. securing pole for the Great American Race.

For the second year running, Alex Bowman will start the race in second at Daytona International Speedway.

              

Qualifying Results

1. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (46.253 seconds, 194.582 mph)

2. Alex Bowman (46.305 seconds, 194.363 mph)

                   

The front row is set, and the remainder of the field will earn their place in Thursday's Bluegreen Vacations Duels.

The starting order for Duel 1, which begins at 7 p.m. ET, can be found here. The starting order for Duel 2, which starts at 8:45 p.m. ET, is here.

Each duel is a 60-lap, 150-mile race in which the finishing order will determine where drivers start on Sunday. Stenhouse Jr. and those who finished last Sunday's qualifying in odd-numbered positions will take part in Duel 1, while Bowman and the even-numbered qualifying finishers in Duel 2.

Those in Duel 1 will also take the odd-numbered positions on the final grid, and likewise, the competitors in Duel 2 will begin the Daytona 500 from the even-numbered positions.

Ahead of the duels, here are some of the latest odds for the race, courtesy of Caesars Palace:

• Denny Hamlin, 10-1
• Brad Keselowski, 10-1
• Joey Logano, 10-1
• Kyle Busch, 10-1
• Kevin Harvick, 10-1
• Chase Elliott, 12-1
• Martin Truex Jr., 12-1
• Ryan Blaney, 15-1
• William Byron, 18-1
• Alex Bowman, 18-1
• Kurt Busch, 18-1
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 30-1

                    

Bowman will be starting the Daytona 500 on the front row for the third year running after he secured second last Sunday.

His battle with Stenhouse Jr. for pole was incredibly close:

https://twitter.com/steveluvender/status/1226578764605411328

The 26-year-old thanked his team at Hendricks Motorsports for their work in fine-tuning his car in the offseason, and he's hoping to take victory on Sunday:

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Alex Bowman are on the front row for the 2020 Daytona 500. pic.twitter.com/EwaUjzEtxe

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 10, 2020

Bowman started on pole in 2018 but only managed to finish 17th. Last year, he finished 11th having started in second, so his performances have been improving.

He's coming into the 2020 season on the back of the best year of his career, too.

In 2019, he won his first Cup Series race in the Camping World 400 in Illinois, as well as making five further podium finishes.

Overall, he finished in the top 10 on 12 occasions. The previous season he earned 11 top-10 finishes but only one podium place.

As reflected in the odds, Bowman is still perhaps an outsider to win the Daytona 500 this year despite his excellent qualifying record, but he's on an upward trajectory and looks set to produce his best performance yet in the Great American Race.

Qualifying for the 2020 Daytona 500 starts to get serious on Thursday when the Bluegreen Vacations Duels decide the starting order ahead of the first race of this year's NASCAR Cup Series.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. recorded the fastest lap on Sunday to lock down pole position for this year's race, while Alex Bowman finished second-quickest to take outside pole.

Stenhouse finished seventh at the 2014 Daytona 500 and hopes to secure victory for his new team, JTG Daugherty Racing, while Hendrick Motorsports star Bowman is looking to finish in the top 10 for the first time.

Chase Elliott will line up on the front row of the first Duel grid, with Jimmie Johnson—a Hendrick team-mate and two-time winner of the Daytona 500—second in Duel 2. 

The Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, while the second instalment is set for 8:45 p.m. ET.

       

Duels Starting Grid

Duel 1

1. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 

2. Chase Elliott

3. Denny Hamlin

4. Aric Almirola

5. Christopher Bell

6. Joey Logano

7. Clint Bowyer

8. Ryan Newman 

9. Ryan Preece

10. Chris Buescher

11. Martin Truex Jr.

12. Brad Keselowski

13. John Hunter Nemechek

14. Ryan Blaney

15. Austin Dillon

16. Justin Haley

17. Bubba Wallace

18. Reed Sorenson

19. Daniel Suarez 

20. Quin Houff

21. Chad Finchum

22. Joey Gase

           

Duel 2

1. Alex Bowman 

2. Jimmie Johnson

3. Kyle Busch

4. William Byron 

5. Erik Jones

6. Kevin Harvick 

7. Cole Custer

8. Matt DiBenedetto

9. Tyler Reddick

10. Kyle Larson

11. Kurt Busch 

12. Michael McDowell

13. David Ragan

14. Ross Chastain

15. Ty Dillon

16. Brendan Gaughan

17. Timmy Hill

18. Corey Lajoie

19. JJ Yelev

20. Brennan Poole

21. BJ McLeod 

        

Drivers will venture out on a pair of 150-mile races on Thursday to determine the full starting lineup at Daytona International Speedway, with a mix of new faces in among more established names.

One of those emerging stars looking to make a statement is Erik Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing, who won a chaotic 2020 Busch Clash to attract some early attention as a possible contender in Daytona, Florida:

So much carnage. Relive every crash from the 2020 #BuschClash. pic.twitter.com/shdEqEaZxw

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 9, 2020

Five stoppages were called in an invitational exhibition race finished by only six of the 18 cars that started it, and Jones' crumpled front end served as testament to the level of ferocious competition:

This car was absolutely destroyed, but that didn't stop @Erik_Jones from driving it to the win at @DISUpdates.#BuschClash // #NASCAR // @NASCARonNBC pic.twitter.com/uoGSDy1gXi

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) February 9, 2020

Jones, 23, moved to Joe Gibbs for the 2018 season and finished third in the Daytona 500 the following year. He will be looking to continue that development and win the whole thing in 2020.

He'll have to wrest the title from a Joe Gibbs team-mate in Denny Hamlin if he is to come out on top, although the champion will be a tough figure to beat after winning two of the past four Daytona 500 races.

Hamlin, 39, has finished fourth or higher in six of the past eight Daytona 500 races and claimed his second crown with clear daylight between him and the field last year:

He'll start No. 3 in Duel 1 and has every chance of tying up an advantageous grid position ahead of Sunday, although the veteran has shown in the past he has the tenacity to contend from further back if necessary.

Kurt Busch and Austin Dillon were the other drivers who won Daytona titles between Hamlin's triumphs—2017 and 2018, respectively—while Johnson is the other multiple-time winner in the Duels field.

Elliott's father, Bill, started on pole four times at the Daytona 500 during his career and won twice, an honour Chase will be hoping to match in his budding career.

The 24-year-old took pole for Hendrick in each of his first two runnings at Daytona, and though he won't reclaim top spot on the grid in 2020, a fine performance in Duel 1 could ease his task come Sunday. 

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will start in front at the Daytona 500 after winning the pole in Sunday's qualifier.

Per NASCAR.com, the No. 47 car reached 194.582 miles per hour while finishing the lap in 46.253 seconds. Alex Bowman finished second in qualifying with a time of 46.305 seconds, putting him on the front line for the season-opening race on Feb. 16.

Unlike most other events during the year, only the first two spots were decided by qualifying. The rest of the order will be determined in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday.

It's a big moment for Stenhouse, who was making his debut with JTG-Daugherty Racing after being fired by Roush Fenway Racing.

He didn't earn any wins in either 2018 or 2019, finishing just 23rd in the Cup series last year.

However, he's already found success in his Chevrolet Camaro with the top time of the day:

RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE RICKY STENHOUSE JR. ON HIS DAYTONA 500 POLE! pic.twitter.com/mUGKSsWluy

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 9, 2020

Stenhouse last won a pole in 2017 at Talladega, eventually winning the Geico 500 that weekend. He also won the Coke Zero 400 that season at Daytona International Speedway, showing he can have success on this track even if he hasn't won the Dayton 500.

The former Rookie of the Year has only one top-10 in his career in this event, but he's put himself in good position to succeed this time around.

Denny Hamlin won the 2019 Daytona 500 but only finished fifth in qualifying.

NASCAR's Bubba Wallace was left so frustrated by Alex Bowman after Sunday's Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway that he called him a "b---h" and threw a drink in his face:

Oh.

@AlexBowman88 | @BubbaWallace pic.twitter.com/KadVc9rRSI

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 29, 2019

The two drivers tangled a couple of times throughout the race. Bowman hit Wallace on the first lap, which resulted in the pair receiving penalties for missing the backstretch chicane.   

Per TMZ Sports, Wallace reportedly flipped Bowman the middle finger for a few laps before the two rubbed paint again on Lap 42, with Bowman hitting Wallace and causing him to spin into the outside wall.

Wallace then sought his fellow driver out after the race with his water bottle.

The driver of the No. 88 car explained afterward he felt the need to stand up for himself:

"I'm just over it."

@AlexBowman88 explains his incident with @BubbaWallace during today's #NASCARPlayoffs race at @CLTMotorSpdwy. pic.twitter.com/qNLeRqBti5

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 30, 2019

Bowman finished second and secured a place in the round of 12 of the NASCAR playoffs after winning a tiebreak over Aric Almirola, while Wallace came in 24th.

NASCAR is set to investigate the situation between the two drivers. 

Chase Elliott earned the checkered flag in the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Elliott led the most laps (35) of any driver en route to his third victory of the season. Although he was already safely through to the next round of the 2019 NASCAR playoffs, Elliott added five playoff points to his overall total with the win.

CHECKERED FLAG: @chaseelliott takes the lead late and wins the #NASCARPlayoffs race at @CLTMotorSpdwy!

Results: https://t.co/o4igTGlFAI pic.twitter.com/ZB6mO9xkwu

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 29, 2019

Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five, with the full leaderboard available on NASCAR.com.

         

Bank of America Roval 400 Leaderboard

1. Chase Elliott

2. Alex Bowman

3. Kevin Harvick

4. Clint Bowyer

5. Brad Keselowski

6. William Byron

7. Martin Truex Jr.

8. Ryan Blaney

9. Jimmie Johnson

10. Joey Logano

As expected, the Roval design made it hard for any one driver to build a massive head of steam and coast out in front of the pack. There were also 11 cautions over the 109 laps.

Elliott was responsible for one of those cautions as his hopes of winning appeared to be gone. Sitting in first place ahead of a restart with 45 laps to go, he missed Turn 1 and drove directly into the barrier.

The leader goes into the wall! @chaseelliott can't make the first turn on the restart! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/YYKTPiRR8z

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 29, 2019

The same thing happened to Keselowski during last year's inaugural Roval. On that occasion, Keselowski took multiple cars with him. The rest of the field lapped Elliott, who fell to 37th.

At that point, the 23-year-old could've packed it in. Aside from the playoff points, the Hendrick Motorsports driver had little else to gain, already having enough points to advance in the playoffs. Instead, the Georgia native slowly worked his way back up into first place, aided by a few cautions, including a red flag with seven laps to go.

Elliott rammed into the barrier at Turn 1 again, only this time he was celebrating his imminent trip to Victory Lane.

Best celebration of the year? @chaseelliott | #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/3cPofP2sqD

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 29, 2019

Ryan Newman represented the opposite end of the spectrum.

Newman entered Sunday with a 14-point gap on Bowman in 13th place as the playoff field would be trimmed from 16 to 12 drivers. By the end of the day, he slipped out of the postseason picture altogether.

The No. 6 car encountered a pair of massive setbacks down the final stretch that resulted in a 32nd-place finish.

First, Newman stalled on pit road with 19 laps to go.

A moment ago, Ryan Newman was in position to make the #NASCARPlayoffs.

That changed when the No. 6 car stalled on pit road. Watch the final 18 laps on @NBC! #BofAROVAL pic.twitter.com/4BC6gG5uFp

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 29, 2019

Then he incurred a pass-through penalty with two laps remaining for missing the chicane in the Roval.

NEWMAN MISSES THE CHICANE!

He has to to serve a penalty and this could keep him from advancing in the #NASCARPlayoffs! pic.twitter.com/Mcr99cXsSy

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 29, 2019

Newman reflected on his frustrating day:

Ryan Newman says cutting the chicane was just one of many mistakes that ultimately kept him from advancing into the Round of 12. pic.twitter.com/5sMXHBMhn3

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) September 29, 2019

That opened the door for Bowman to slide into the last playoff after his runner-up finish.

Newman joined Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch and Erik Jones as the four drivers eliminated from championship contention. Almirola didn't encounter too much trouble en route to winding up in 14th, yet his exit from the postseason races shows how slim the margins become at this point in the year.

The Monster Energy Cup series shifts to Dover International Speedway for the Drydene 400 on Oct. 6. Martin Truex Jr. was the victor during the spring race at Dover.

An early rain delay didn't stop Alex Bowman from prevailing at NASCAR's TheHouse.com 400 event from Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday. 

The victory is the first of Bowman's career after 134 races on the Monster Energy circuit. He moved into the top spot on Lap 170 and looked virtually unstoppable for a brief period. The 26-year-old built up a lead of 3.5 seconds at one point.  

Kyle Larson did his best to push Bowman to the limit, even taking the lead with 10 laps to go before relinquishing it for good four laps later. 

Here's how the rest of the top 10 looked behind Bowman:

1. Alex Bowman

2. Kyle Larson

3. Joey Logano

4. Jimmie Johnson

5. Brad Keselowski

6. Ryan Blaney

7. Erik Jones

8. William Byron

9. Martin Truex Jr. 

10. Austin Dillon

Full results via NASCAR.com

Here is how the final battle between Bowman and Larson on the 261st lap played out:

Relive the pass that gave @AlexBowman88 his first!@ChicagolndSpdwy | #CampingWorld400 pic.twitter.com/WKvw6N9Ztf

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 1, 2019

After his win, Bowman said he has thought a lot about wanting to capture the checkered flag before this moment. 

"I was just tired of running second," Bowman told NBC Sports Network. "I just didn't want to do that anymore. This was the last box I had to check off. This is all I hear, about me not winning a race. Now everybody can stop giving me crap, we finally did it."

Massive rainfall and heavy thunderstorms forced everyone off the track after just 11 laps.

Meteorologist Brian Neudorff questioned NASCAR's decision to start the race when it was scheduled to begin given what was on the horizon:

Radar as if 1:50 pm CDT - I don’t know what NASCAR is doing but if you’re a fan @ChicagolndSpdwy - find shelter now - there are severe warnings & lightning with in 10 miles and the main cells are around 20 miles moves at 35 mph - be safe #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/4ZKEgmGrBf

— Brian Neudorff (@NASCAR_WXMAN) June 30, 2019

It turned out to be prophetic because the race was delayed for three hours as a result before resuming at 5:35 p.m. local time.

One benefit of the inclement weather was the change in temperature, with the Associated Press noting it went from 93 degrees when the delay started to 72 when drivers got back on the track. 

There was an amusing moment after the race caused by the rain. Bowman, apparently forgetting the infield grass was covered in water, got his car stuck in the mud and needed the assistance of a tow truck to get it out. 

"I'm the dumb guy that won the race and then got stuck in the mud," Bowman said on NBC Sports Network.

Congrats to @AlexBowman88 There is nothing like your 1st win. He damn sure earned it!

— Jeff Burton (@JeffBurton) July 1, 2019

A moment @AlexBowman88 will never forget.#CampingWorld400 pic.twitter.com/kWv1g3AIMY

— Chicagoland Speedway (@ChicagolndSpdwy) July 1, 2019

Beyond thrilled for my friends tonight. #88

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 1, 2019

Denny Hamlin capitalized on car problems for Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch at the end of the first stage to earn an important playoff point, despite leading just five laps total in the race. 

DRAMA AT THE END OF STAGE ONE.

Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch have tire trouble, and Denny Hamlin wins Stage 1, presented by @Kroger #ClickList. pic.twitter.com/3FbLErnfib

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 30, 2019

Bowyer was unable to continue in the race after 172 laps when his car appeared to catch fire. This marks the second time in three races that the No. 14 car has finished outside the top 30. He's also fallen to 12th place in the playoff standings. 

Kevin Harvick, who started the day in the second position next to pole-sitter Austin Dillon, dominated the field for most of the day with a race-high 132 laps led and won the second stage. 

Joey Logano's third-place finish in Chicago was good enough to move him into sole possession of first place in the playoff standings. He has a 643-642 lead over Kyle Busch, whose 22nd-place finish was his second-worst of the season. 

After an eventful run for the Monster Energy Cup Series in Chicago, the drivers will return to Daytona International Speedway to race under the lights on Saturday at the Coke Zero Sugar 400.  

Kyle Larson may not have qualified for the NASCAR Monster Energy All-Star Race outright, but he'll be headed to the signature event after winning the NASCAR Monster Open on Saturday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Kyle Larson transfers to the All-Star Race!@CocaColaRacing | #OrangeVanilla pic.twitter.com/73s8TMrM2X

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 18, 2019

He'll be joined by William Byron and Bubba Wallace, who won the first and second stages, respectively. Alex Bowman will also participate in the All-Star festivities after winning the fan vote.

The fans have spoken! 🗣️

Your #AllStarRace Fan Vote winner is @AlexBowman88! pic.twitter.com/a0PlhRNH0B

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 18, 2019

Byron's opening-stage win was tight, as he and Wallace battled in overtime after a yellow took the stage to 27 laps, rather than the scheduled 20.

Let's hear from the 4️⃣ drivers who advanced to tonight's #AllStarRace at @CLTMotorSpdwy! 🗣️

First up, All-Star Open Stage 1 winner @WilliamByron! pic.twitter.com/e1crhSyyxD

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 18, 2019

Wallace was not to be deterred, however, besting Daniel Suarez in a two-lap overtime session in the second stage to earn his place in the All-Star race.

For Wallace, it was an emotional moment:

THAT. WAS. ALSO. AWESOME.@CocaColaRacing's Bubba Wallace and the No. 43 team transfer to the All-Star Race. #OrangeVanilla pic.twitter.com/7KAP2ZK1I6

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 18, 2019

"I've been feeling like a failure for a really long time." An emotional Bubba Wallace on what this means for him and his team. pic.twitter.com/jFBwCZfxk1

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 18, 2019

With both Byron and Wallace done for the day after their stage wins, Larson was primed to take the race. He surpassed Ty Dillon with five laps remaining and never looked back.

Drivers automatically qualified for Saturday night's All-Star race by winning points races throughout the 2018 or 2019 seasons, though four spots in the race were still open coming into Saturday evening. With those now decided after the NASCAR Monster Open, all eyes in the racing world turn to the All-Star race to be held shortly.

And Larson will be looking to make it two races in a row, with a $1 million grand prize hanging in the balance.

Brad Keselowski's first win at Kansas Speedway was eight years ago, and the Team Penske driver won again on the track at the 2019 NASCAR Monster Energy Series Digital Ally 400 on Saturday night in a highly contested event that had to be decided in overtime.

"I'm a little biased [because] I'm gonna go park this thing in Victory Lane," Keselowski said on the Fox Sports 1 broadcast after the race, which marked hisi 30th career Monster Energy series win, "but this was an awesome race today."

Retweet to congratulate @keselowski on his third win of the 2019 season! 🏁🏁🏁 pic.twitter.com/hLYcdSxscn

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 12, 2019

Alex Bowman, seeking his first career victory, found the checkered flag in second after leading for 63 laps. Bowman explained how what at some points felt like a sure victory fell apart, per Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass:

Alex Bowman on a potential win slipping away ... #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/ugTsO8tppT

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 12, 2019

.@AlexBowman88 is the first driver to finish runner-up in three consecutive races since @KyleLarsonRacin in 2017.

No driver has ever logged three consecutive runner-up finishes prior to getting their first Monster Energy Series win. pic.twitter.com/B886cEBNh7

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 12, 2019

Erik Jones, Chase Elliott, Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 10.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who has never had a top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway, claimed 11th.

For the majority of the race's first half, pole winner Kevin Harvick was in control. Harvick led for 105 laps—more than any other driver—including a Stage 1 win, but a trip to pit road under false pretenses sidetracked him. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver finished in 13th.

Getting stage points in Stage 1:

1. Harvick
2. Elliott
3. Stenhouse Jr.
4. Larson
5. KuBusch
6. Buescher
7. Keselowski
8. Bowyer
9. Jones
10. Logano

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 12, 2019

Harvick team changed tires and pulled a tear-off off the grille that had become attached. Big moment in the race there, as Harvick had such a strong race going and is now -1 lap down.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 12, 2019

"We didn't find anything with the tires at all," @RodneyChilders4 tells @KevinHarvick "Just the tear off on the front." Harvick replies, "It's just wouldn't turn."Adds he's chattering the front tires really bad. Happy drops to P27 #NASCAR

— Lee Spencer (@CandiceSpencer) May 12, 2019

Unforeseen circumstances also derailed Kyle Busch, the Monster Energy circuit overall points leader entering the night, as he was penalized for driving through too many pit boxes and had to restart at the rear. He never recovered and finished 30th, breaking his streak of top-10 finishes in 11 races—which was tied for most all-time to start a season.

Kyle Busch: "I swear, any time you say anything, you get your ass handed to you. You see others doing it and nothing."

Adam Stevens: "I counted the boxes, bud. We damn sure drove through 4 of them"

— PRN (@PRNlive) May 12, 2019

Even while putting together that streak, Busch has somewhat struggled, as this marks his fourth straight finish outside of the top five.

With the win, Keselowski ties Busch for three Monster Energy wins each this season. Keselowski's Team Penske entered the race in second to Joe Gibbs Racing on the owner leaderboard.

Seventh-place Hendrick Motorsports had a decent evening with Bowman's third consecutive second-place finish along with Elliott, who recovered after starting the race in 32nd position because of a failed pre-race inspection. Five out of eight top qualifiers failed their inspections.

Controversy reappeared at the end when Bowyer, a Kansas native, made contact with Jones. After the finish, Bowyer was fuming but joked, per Pockrass, "If that was the Kentucky Derby, I would be finishing in front of him."

Tempers after the checkered flag! @ClintBowyer is not happy with @erik_jones! pic.twitter.com/2Gme2Hn2wB

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 12, 2019

"I should have just wrecked him." - @ClintBowyer on @erik_jones pic.twitter.com/L1uOtEatMx

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 12, 2019

Did @erik_jones do anything wrong?

Listen in as he explains what happened between him and @ClintBowyer. pic.twitter.com/KXAjrjpaZn

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 12, 2019

Jones' frustration was directed elsewhere at Keselowski, who he claimed jumped the restart "20 f--king feet early," according to Jeff Gluck (NSFW language).

Everybody will have just a week to calm down before the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race on Saturday, May 18, at 6 p.m. ET from Charlotte Motor Speedway. In the meantime, visit NASCAR's official website to catch up on the full circuit leaderboard.

Martin Truex Jr. won the Gander RV 400 at Dover International Speedway on Monday, following Sunday's weather postponement. 

Retweet to congratulate @MartinTruex_Jr on winning the #GanderRV400 at the @MonsterMile! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/47TkAyjAnG

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 6, 2019

MTJ! Retweet to congratulate the No. 19 team on their WIN in Dover. pic.twitter.com/93jBCmCu0S

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 6, 2019

It was his 21st NASCAR Cup win, second in the past three races and third at the Delaware concrete track. 

The New Jersey native held off a stiff challenge from Alex Bowman, who also finished just behind Truex in the second stage and now has been the runner-up in consecutive races.

This was fun!

Watch as @MartinTruex_Jr and @AlexBowman88 battle it out for the stage victory at the @MonsterMile. #GanderRV400 pic.twitter.com/75SwqB3M28

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 6, 2019

Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Joey Logano, William Byron, Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch rounded out the top 10 finishers.

Logano, the defending Cup series champion, won the first stage.

Truex made quite the comeback Monday, starting from the back of the field after failing his pre-race inspection twice Sunday, per Jim Utter of Motorsport.com.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver said on Fox Sports 1 after his victory (h/t Jerry Bonkowski of NBC Sports):

"It feels incredible. What a race car we had today. We've got one hell of a team. We came here with a new setup this time. We had been good, but not good enough.

"Thanks to all these fans for coming out here today. This is awesome. I promise, it wasn't easy. It was a lot of work, it was tough, but this race car, man, was incredible. Without Talladega (finished 20th), we would have won two in a row."

They'll definitely keep that setup. 😉@MartinTruex_Jr looks back on how his team got it done today at the @MonsterMile. pic.twitter.com/xMxvli6yyx

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 6, 2019

Truex is cooking right now. He was excellent on Monday, winning by 9.5 seconds, though Bowman has been putting together some nice races of late himself, particularly in his past two. 

"I'm worn out," the second-year Richard Childress Racing driver said after the race. "This is the physically hardest race of the year for me, for sure. Things went Martin's way today. I wish I was in Martin's way at the end of the race, but we had a shot at it and that's all you can ask for. ... It'd be better if we had a trophy, but we needed this one, for sure."

Larson was pleased with his third-place finish:

.@KyleLarsonRacin (P3) got the solid day he needed.

This is his eighth top-10 finish in 11 races at the @MonsterMile! pic.twitter.com/ogHCqSo3cy

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 6, 2019

Not everyone was happy after the race. A few folks weren't pleased with the new rules package in place, which, according to Autoweek.com, "features a horsepower target of 550 for tracks larger than 1.3 miles. That means Dover features 2018 level horsepower with the added downforce of the 2019 regulations."

Kyle Busch, in particular, wasn't pleased, though he wasn't alone (WARNING: NSFW LANGUAGE).

Let me second @KyleBusch statement, this package sucks. Has nothing to do with where he finished https://t.co/2lQXukinFq

— Bob Leavine (@BLeavine) May 6, 2019

.@KevinHarvick post-race (P4) 👇🏼

"Here's the hard thing about the package. I think that NASCAR's tried to accomplish a lot of things with one particular package, but you look at how the cars drive behind each other & from a driver's standpoint, it's hard to race them. Anywhere."

— Davey Segal (@DaveyCenter) May 6, 2019

Busch—who tied Morgan Stewart's 1990 record for the most top-10 finishes to start a season (11) and sits atop the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup leaderboard with 430 points, 15 points clear of Logano—hasn't been shy about his misgivings with the current rules package.

"You pretty much know as a driver what too fast is," he added last week. "If you (crash here) with the speeds we are carrying into the corner, it is going to hurt. The faster you go, the harder you are going to hit the wall.

Chase Elliott won the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, holding off teammate Alex Bowman and Ryan Preece.

The race ended in a caution following a wreck midway through the final lap. As a result, Elliott could cruise to the finish line to claim the checkered flag.

RT TO CONGRATULATE CHASE ELLIOTT ON HIS WIN AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY! pic.twitter.com/6XahWJchiv

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 28, 2019

Sunday was a good day for Chevrolet, which had the top four finishers and six of the top 10. The full results are available on NASCAR's official site.

      

Geico 500 Leaderboard

1. Chase Elliott

2. Alex Bowman

3. Ryan Preece

4. Joey Logano

5. Daniel Hemric

6. Kurt Busch

7. Ryan Newman

8. Brendan Gaughan

9. Aric Almirola

10. Kyle Busch

       

Elliott's victory was a team effort. He passed Joey Logano with three laps to go thanks to a helping hand from Bowman. Bowman's push allowed the No. 9 car to surge into the lead. From there, Bowman was pivotal toward ensuring Elliott remained in the top spot.

The caution was somewhat fortuitous for Elliott, as Logano lurked on the outside.

Elliott: "We just had a plan and executed really well. Could've gone both ways but fortunately everybody stayed together and stayed the course."

— PRN (@PRNlive) April 28, 2019

Bowman: "There was no plan coming off turn 4, but unfortunately we didn't get there before the caution came out...Showed a lot of speed and we all stuck to our plans. Props to everybody back at @TeamHendrick"

— PRN (@PRNlive) April 28, 2019

When the race ended, the focus quickly turned to the health of the drivers involved in the wreck. The concern largely centered around Kyle Larson in particular after the No. 42 car rolled multiple times.

Wow. pic.twitter.com/yqpIecTbmk

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 28, 2019

Larson fortunately exited his car under his own power.

Ragan and Larson are out of the care center as is Stenhouse

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 28, 2019

After interview, Larson said he still hadn’t seen a good replay of his wreck. @bobpockrass showed him a video of the flips. Larson just shrugged and walked away. pic.twitter.com/gQls0R4DcA

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) April 28, 2019

Elliott now has his first win of the season, which simultaneously punches his ticket to the championship playoffs. The 23-year-old is halfway to his father Bill's career win total at Talladega as well.

Elliott hadn't gotten off to a great start this year, posting two top-10 finishes in his first nine races. By getting to Victory Lane, he could kick-start his 2019 campaign.

Talladega Superspeedway has long held a reputation for making drivers' lives a nightmare. Seemingly every race is bound to produce an eye-popping crash that knocks multiple stars out of the event.

Sunday's edition required just 10 laps before the first multi-car accident. Bubba Wallace made contact with Ryan Blaney and then lost control. When all was said and done, Wallace, Michael McDowell, Kevin Harvick and Matt Tifft were done for the day.

A number of contenders crash early at @TalladegaSuperS! 😱#GEICO500 | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/4yxUiavg3p

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 28, 2019

Another look at the contact that set off that crash.

@TalladegaSuperS | #GEICO500 pic.twitter.com/DN55Xut76j

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 28, 2019

This is Wallace's second season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on a full-time basis. Harvick seemed to direct a sharp critique toward the 25-year-old:

#NASCAR ... Kevin Harvick’s sharp comment after exiting the care center pic.twitter.com/wTeIGpKcyZ

— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) April 28, 2019

Denny Hamlin absorbed some contact from the No. 43 car yet remained in the race. He only completed 80 laps, though, before hitting the wall and heading for the garage. Hamlin already has two wins this season to guarantee himself a playoff berth. Perhaps because of that, he and his crew decided to call it a day rather than fix the No. 11 car.

For the most part, Sunday's race was pretty clean until the 182nd lap.

Chris Buescher hit the wall and immediately rolled up onto the hood of Matt DiBenedetto's No. 95 car. Justin Haley and Martin Truex Jr. were included, too. Truex was at least able to stay in the race following a lengthy caution to clear the debris from the track.

Chris Buescher hits the wall hard. Matt DiBenedetto, Justin Haley and Martin Truex Jr. also involved. pic.twitter.com/K0K7c67KJn

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 28, 2019

The final lap then delivered more of the destruction fans associate with Talladega.

The series moves to Dover International Speedway for the Gander RV 400 on May 5. Elliott won the most recent Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event at Dover last October.