Martin Truex Jr.

The NASCAR Cup Series regular season ends with one of the most difficult tasks on the circuit, when the 40-driver field will attempt to conquer Daytona International Speedway under the lights Saturday night. 

Thirteen competitors head into the Coke Zero Sugar 400 with a playoff spot assured, while Clint Bowyer is essentially certain of a postseason position. 

That leaves four drivers to fight for two positions on a track that is known to produce some unpredictable results.

            

Coke Zero Sugar 400 Information

Date: Saturday, August 29

Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com

         

Starting Lineup

Cup lineup for Saturday at Daytona. Harvick on the pole with Truex on the front row. #nascar pic.twitter.com/vj05DeWbVy

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 26, 2020

             

Odds

Denny Hamlin (+700; bet $100 to win $700)

Brad Keselowski (+1000)

Joey Logano (+1000)

Kevin Harvick (+1000)

Ryan Blaney (+1200)

Chase Elliott (+1400)

Kyle Busch (+1500)

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook.

          

Preview

Most of Saturday's spotlight will be focused on Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron, Jimmie Johnson and Erik Jones in the fight for the final two playoff positions.

DiBenedetto holds a five-point lead over Byron, who owns five more points than Johnson for the 16th and final postseason spot. 

Jones has the most work to do of the quartet since he is 46 points back of Johnson in 18th place.

Racing at Daytona, where teammates typically work together to get to the front of the field, will throw a wrench into the playoff hunt. 

The teams of Hendrick Motorsports teammates Byron and Johnson have said they are going to try to work together to get both drivers past DiBenedetto in the standings, per The Athletic's Jeff Gluck: 

NASCAR media just had an interesting Zoom call with @DanielsCliff. He was honest about the No. 48 team's strategy for Daytona: They need to work with the No. 24 (and other Chevys) all race to give themselves the best shot, rather than trying to do their own strategy.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) August 27, 2020

On Zoom calls with William Byron and Chad Knaus, both echo the sentiment they’re trying to get all the Hendrick cars into the playoffs and knock out the No. 21 team. So that’s why they feel they can work together. It’s not necessarily 48 vs. 24 to them.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) August 27, 2020

Byron and Johnson did not fare well at the Daytona 500, where they finished in the bottom six positions due to accidents. 

Byron did come out on top in the second of two qualifying duels, but that was with half the usual field on the track. 

A year ago, the No. 24 and No. 48 cars took second and third behind Justin Haley in a weather-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400, which took place during the first weekend of July. 

If Byron and Johnson avoid early wrecks and meet up with teammates Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman, they could partner to land in the front of the field. 

DiBenedetto and Jones could also benefit from long trains of teammates to go for the victory, or the highest position possible. 

DiBenedetto is the lone Wood Brothers Racing driver, but he typically teams with the Team Penske cars at the superspeedways. 

Jones can benefit from the push out of Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. 

The No. 20 car driver may be best suited going for the victory, which clinches an automatic playoff spot if the champion is a first-time winner this season. 

Hamlin won the Daytona 500 in February and is one of three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers to start in the top 12. Jones will have some work to do to reach them from 20th. 

One of the four Joe Gibbs Toyotas could be in the best position to win since the team owns three of the last four victories on the Daytona oval. 

Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and the top drivers in the series should be in the mix at the front, but they do not have as good of a recent history as the Joe Gibbs cars. 

Harvick has not won on the Daytona oval since 2010, Keselowski has a four-year win drought at the track, and Blaney has a pair of top-five finishes in 10 races there.

       

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com.

Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin have matched accomplishments for most of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.

However, there is one thing Harvick has done that Hamlin has not: sweep two races in the same weekend at one track. Hamlin will try to match Harvick in that category Sunday in the second of two Drydene 311 races at Dover International Speedway.

The No. 11 car driver finished on top Saturday, with two of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates directly behind him. Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch need to climb through the field Sunday to contend for the victory again since the top 20 starting positions were inverted based off Saturday's final grid.

                

Drydene 311 Information

Date: Sunday, August 23

Start Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: NBCSN 

Live Stream: NBCSports.com or NBC Sports app

           

Starting Lineup

Cup lineup for Sunday. Top-20 invert and 21-40 based on lineup formula. #nascar pic.twitter.com/DPGNtEYkY3

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 23, 2020

          

Odds

Kevin Harvick: +370 (wager $100 to win $370)

Martin Truex Jr.: +390

Denny Hamlin: +450

Chase Elliott: +600

Kyle Busch: +850

Odds via Oddschecker.

             

Preview

The Joe Gibbs Racing trio may extend their control of the field into Sunday, even though it may take them a few laps to get to the front.

Hamlin, Truex and Busch led 206 of the 311 laps at the Monster Mile on Saturday, while the former pair battled for the victory in the final stage.

Hamlin's victory was his first at Dover in 28 attempts. He acknowledged that unwanted record after the race in conversation with Dan Gelston of the Associated Press: "People always ask what your least favorite track is, and I say Dover just because I'm not that good. I love the track. I just haven't been very good here."

The victory tied Hamlin with Harvick for the most victories this season with six. If Hamlin replicates Harvick's back-to-back wins from Michigan, he will take the advantage in that column with one regular-season race remaining.

The top contenders to win Sunday's race are either locked into the playoff field through a victory or have enough points to feel secure through the final two races, like Kyle Busch.

Jimmie Johnson and William Byron switched spots on the playoff bubble Saturday. Johnson now holds a three-point advantage over his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.

Since only the top 20 finishers from Saturday were inverted in the starting lineup, Byron, who placed 23rd, will begin nine spots behind Johnson on Sunday.

Byron not only has to claw back up the field to beat out Johnson but also has to fend off Erik Jones, who starts Sunday 19 points back of the No. 24 car driver and is positioned ninth on the starting grid.

Matt DiBenedetto resides directly above the fight for the final playoff spot. He was handed the pole position after finishing 20th Saturday. There is a small chance one of the drivers without a win starting beneath DiBenedetto could throw off the playoff plans of Johnson, Byron or Jones.

Ryan Newman, Ty Dillon, Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick all start in the top eight and sit under Jones in the standings.

If one of those drivers steals a win, it would put DiBenedetto on the bubble going into the final race of the regular season at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.

                 

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

The NASCAR Cup Series is scheduled to run its fifth set of back-to-back races at the same track Saturday and Sunday at Dover International Speedway in Delaware. 

The racing weekend kicks off Saturday with the first of two 311-mile races at the Monster Mile.

Chase Elliott, who won Sunday at the Daytona road course, starts on the pole and will be accompanied by Denny Hamlin on the front row. 

Elliott, Hamlin and eight others are already locked into the NASCAR playoff field. The order of the final six positions will be determined by the two Dover races and the regular-season finale on the Daytona oval August 29.

Jimmie Johnson has the best starting position of the drivers—sixth—fighting to get into the playoff. The No. 48 car driver needs a victory in one of the final three races or has to make up a 25-point gap on William Byron to qualify for the playoffs in his final season as a full-time Cup driver. 

            

Drydene 311 Information

Date: Saturday, August 22

Start Time: 4 p.m. ET 

TV: NBCSN 

Live Stream: NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com

         

Starting Lineup

Saturday's Dover Cup race starting lineup. pic.twitter.com/p5reoOZZ8g

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) August 19, 2020

      

Odds

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

Martin Truex Jr. (+350)

Chase Elliott (+550)

Denny Hamlin (+600)

Ryan Blaney (+1100)

Kyle Busch (+1300)

Brad Keselowski (+1400)

Joey Logano (+1600)

Aric Almirola (+1800)

Odds via Caesars Palace

         

Preview

Johnson's best remaining chance to automatically qualify for the playoffs with a victory comes at Dover. 

The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has 11 victories at the mile-long course, with the last one coming in 2017. 

In addition to his 11 Dover wins, Johnson owns the most top-10 finishes and laps led at the track and is tied with Matt Kenseth with the highest total of top-five placings. 

Johnson comes to Delaware off a fourth-place finish at the Daytona road course, where he finished four positions ahead of Byron, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate. 

If he does not win, the 44-year-old needs more than four spots of separation between himself and the No. 24 driver to gain significant ground in the hunt for the final playoff position. 

Byron and Matt DiBenedetto are the only drivers who could face a serious risk of losing their respective positions, whether it be through a win from a competitor underneath them or a loss in points. 

Aric Almirola, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch are in comfortable positions as the three best drivers without a victory, while Clint Bowyer owns a 22-point advantage over DiBenedetto and has a 66-point gap on Johnson. 

If there is not a new winner Saturday, those four drivers would feel much safer about their playoff prospects. Even if two new victors emerge Sunday at Dover and at Daytona next week, they would not be overtaken as long as they have more points than DiBenedetto. 

The normal cast of potential winners should be in the mix to take the checkered flag Saturday, as Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. are the co-favorites. 

Truex is the only driver in the field with a 2019 victory at Dover, and Harvick most recently won there in 2018. 

If Harvick, Truex and Hamlin are not up front, they should be around the lead, as they have 48 top-10 finishes this season between them. 

The other driver with the most top-10 finishes is Brad Keselowski, with 16, has longer odds to win at Dover than Harvick, Truex and Hamlin. Among that quartet, he has the fewest top-10s in the last 10 Dovers with four.

Keselowski has three wins this season, and his Penske team has not been shy to try different pit strategies to get around the competitors for the lead. 

In terms of betting value, Keselowski and his teammate Ryan Blaney, who has eight top-five finishes, carry the best prices for how much success they have had this season.

         

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from Racing Reference

Denny Hamlin won his fifth race of the 2020 season after passing Kevin Harvick with 13 laps remaining and holding off Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. to win the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City on Thursday.

🏁 @dennyhamlin WINS at @kansasspeedway!

His fifth #NASCAR win of 2020! pic.twitter.com/4E15ffOdIl

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

Hamlin, who entered the night sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, is now alone in first in 2020 season wins this year, edging Harvick and his four. Hamlin also registered his 11th top-five finish.

Keselowski, Truex, Harvick and Erik Jones rounded out the top five. Other notables include Stage 1 winner Kyle Busch, who took 11th. Ryan Blaney, who entered Thursday second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, finished 20th.

The NASCAR Cup Series will now move to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday, August 2, but before then, here's a look at stage-by-stage highlights and results.

      

Stage 1

Joe Gibbs Racing dominated the first stage, with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. finishing first through third. They held off Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski, who rounded out the top five.

Keselowski gave it his best effort and lived dangerously while passing Truex on the inside:

This racing, though ... pic.twitter.com/4xrc0nL76T

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 24, 2020

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s night ended before the first stage concluded due to a mechanical issue that caused a fire in the cockpit, per Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass.

Well, that's not good. Ricky is done for the day. pic.twitter.com/mfS7C0xtH1

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 24, 2020

His evening ended early after 58 laps, continuing a rough stretch for JTG Daugherty Racing.

It's been a frustrating stretch for @JTGRacing.

After three straight last-place finishes for Ryan Preece, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. reports an electrical fire and climbs out of his car in stage 1 at @KansasSpeedway. His day is done and he'll finish last. pic.twitter.com/4Lz0iLsGwH

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

It was anything but rough for Joe Gibbs' team, however, after a dominant opening run that earned Busch a total of 10 stage points.

                    

Stage 2

The battle between Gibbs cars continued in the second stage as Truex passed Hamlin for the lead:

NEW LEADER: @MartinTruex_Jr takes the lead away from Denny Hamlin.

Cruising right along in Stage 2 at @KansasSpeedway on NBCSN. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/AiAXcJXMwt

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

Later in the race, Chris Buescher averted a near disaster when his No. 17 car slid into the wall. Thankfully, his car grazed the wall as opposed to a hard impact:

SLIIIIIIIIDEWAYS

📺: NBCSN 📱: https://t.co/BHXvTwJmNc pic.twitter.com/Xvt3Bj0Fia

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 24, 2020

Fitting on the night @taylorswift13 drops her new album that we see sparks fly.

Courtesy of @Chris_Buescher. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/HyE7s8jt6v

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

The end of the second stage saw Penske take the win over Gibbs with Keselowski finishing first.

                

Stage 3

All hell broke loose in the final stage with multiple crashes marring the action.

Matt Kenseth and Bubba Wallace got into an accident:

Trouble for Matt Kenseth and Bubba Wallace!@NASCAR is on NBCSN. pic.twitter.com/hdiIajH63c

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

That preceded a massive crash involving even more drivers:

BIG WRECK!

Multiple drivers involved in this one late at @KansasSpeedway on NBCSN! Matt Dibenedetto, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and more! pic.twitter.com/SYfDnV0B6M

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) July 24, 2020

Not long afterward, Ryan Preece's No. 37 car suffered a horrific crash, although Preece thankfully appeared OK and talked to his crew immediately afterward. He was able to walk away.

A vicious hit for @RyanPreece_. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/8ooOdoEEEe

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

He spoke with reporters afterward:

"I'm alright. Just ready for this year to turn around."

Great to hear from @RyanPreece_ after this hard crash. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/ENOT6b6Diw

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

The crashes eventually stopped long enough for some intense racing down the stretch with Keselowski and William Byron going back and forth:

Less than 50 to go and we've got a Brad Keselowski/William Byron battle for the lead at @KansasSpeedway!

Get to NBCSN now if you're not already there! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/FiftXysOr7

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

Byron held the lead going into a caution after Corey Lajoie's smoking No. 32 car needed attention:

CAUTION for Corey LaJoie.

That's just what race leader William Byron needed. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/Msto5cXQL9

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

But Kevin Harvick later stormed into the lead off a restart:

WHAT A MOVE.@KevinHarvick to the lead on the restart! Now less than 20 laps remain on NBCSN from @KansasSpeedway! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/oOfhqNb5n8

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

However, it was Hamlin who eventually took home the win, passing Harvick and holding off Keselowski for the victory.

.@DennyHamlin has his FIFTH WIN of 2020!

He kicks off the second half of the @NASCAR season in victory lane at @KansasSpeedway! pic.twitter.com/y18K0Masob

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

Hamlin celebrated with his family afterward:

This is awesome!@DennyHamlin's kids can't travel to the track with him, so we brought Taylor and Molly in through video chat to help them celebrate with dad. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/9l1A9Pf4n0

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

The 39-year-old is looking for his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series victory. He has finished as high as second and in the top 10 a total of 11 times. 

The annual NASCAR All-Star Race is typically held in mid-May and has historically been held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. But as with all sports in 2020, NASCAR has had to make changes to its schedule as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In June, NASCAR announced the All-Star Race would be held in mid-July, and shortly thereafter revealed an important change to this year's event: it would be held at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, rather than its typical home of Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

If the race had remained in Charlotte, it would have gone off without spectators due to stricter social distancing measures against large gatherings there. In Bristol, however, Tennessee governor Bill Lee will allow up to 30,000 spectators to attend the race at the 155,000 capacity Bristol Motor Speedway.

"While Charlotte will always be recognized as the birthplace and traditional home for the All-Star Race, the current data surrounding the pandemic in North Carolina makes Bristol a better option for fan access this summer," Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith said in a June 15 press release.

Per Natalie Neysa Alund and Brinley Hineman of The Tennessean, as of Sunday the state has had more than 61,000 coronavirus cases in all and has more than 25,000 active cases. 

"We know that hosting this event comes with tremendous responsibility," Bristol Motor Speedway general manager Jerry Caldwell told USA TODAY. "We are the first major sporting event to have a significant crowd. We don't take that responsibility lightly."

Sixteen drivers have already qualified for the All-Star Race, with three more hoping to make it in via the All-Star Open and one driver to be voted in by fans. 

All the information you need to know to tune in to the race, as well as predictions and odds for who will win, is below. 

         

NASCAR All-Star Race TV Schedule

Date: July 15

Location: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET (All-Star Open 7:30 p.m.)

TV: FS1

Live Stream: Fox Sports app

           

NASCAR All-Star Race Odds and Predictions

Odds

Kevin Harvick 9-2

Chase Elliott 5-1

Denny Hamlin 11-2

Kyle Busch 7-1

Joey Logano 7-1

Brad Keselowski 8-1

Ryan Blaney 10-1

Kurt Busch 12-1

Martin Truex Jr. 13-1

Alex Bowman 20-1

Jimmie Johnson 20-1

Erik Jones 20-1

Matt Kenseth 28-1

Ryan Newman 40-1

Cole Custer 66-1

Justin Haley 80-1

           

The starting lineups for both the All-Star Race and the All-Star Open have been set and can be viewed in their entirety on NASCAR.com. 

The 16 drivers who have already qualified for the 140-lap, four-stage All-Star Race, with $1 million on the line for the winner, are Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Cole Custer, Chase Elliott, Justin Haley, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Erik Jones, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr.

Truex Jr., who is looking for his first All-Star win, will start on pole in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, and Bowman will join him in the front row. 

The drivers attempting to qualify through the All-Star Open—an 85-lap, three-stage race—include Michael McDowell, who will start on pole in the No. 34 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports, Aric Almirola, Bubba Wallace and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 

Fans can vote for one of 22 otherwise ineligible drivers through the All-Star Fan Vote, with results announced on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday. 

At 9-2, Harvick is the odds-on favorite to win the All-Star Race odds, according to CBS Sports/SportsLine, followed by Chase Elliott (5-1) and Denny Hamlin (11-2).

Although Harvick is the Vegas favorite, if he's your favorite driver, you may not get what you're rooting for on Wednesday night. Though he sits atop the Cup Series standings with 675 points, the No. 4 Ford Mustang hasn't always been kind to him at Bristol. Though he has won there twice, in 2005 and 2016, he hasn't finished in the top five since 2017.

Keselowski is second in the standings and won at this short track in May (and came in third last fall), and he will be a betting favorite to win on Wednesday. 

Though Busch is a mediocre 11th in points heading into the All-Star Race, it's worth noting that no active driver has bested his eight wins at Bristol. 

The Choose Rule, which allows each driver to select to restart in the outside or inside lane, will be in effect in the All-Star Race, and though Bowyer thinks it's being "oversold," per USA Today, it's another strategy to factor into your prediction. 

Prediction: Keselowski wins

How about a rookie winning at Kentucky?

After the literal tire smoke cleared from a wild finish, it was rookie Cole Custer who led the pack and won the Quaker State 400 at the Kentucky Speedway, holding off Martin Truex Jr., Matt DiBenedetto and Kevin Harvick. Custer stole the win after a late stretch that saw a number of restarts and a four-wide battle on the last lap.

What a finish! Retweet to congratulate rookie @ColeCuster on his first NASCAR Cup Series victory. pic.twitter.com/7XJxR9pvlI

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 12, 2020

It was Custer's first win in the Cup Series. 

That finish had the racing world both stunned by the result and impressed by Custer's performance:

Folks, Cole Custer lined up third on the outside line. He got a great push from DiBenedetto and shot to the outside three-wide. Had a huge run, but got blocked by Truex initially. Then coming to the white, he went outside of four-wide (!), got the lead and WON the race.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 12, 2020

Cole Custer was 25th in points coming into this race. Now he is in the NASCAR playoffs!

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 12, 2020

Dunno if I've ever seen a four-wide pass for the win on the white flag lap of a non-superspeedway. That was nuts.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 12, 2020

Mad respect @ColeCuster You earned that the hard way 🏁

— Mark Martin (@markmartin) July 12, 2020

Love when a rookie wins. And Kentucky has typically been a veterans playground. Restart of his life. Congrats @ColeCuster !!!

— Danielle Trotta (@DanielleTrotta) July 12, 2020

"We were so good all day, our car was so good. ... That was the best car I've ever driven in my life," Custer said after the race on the FS1 broadcast.

"It's not easy. You kinda have to adapt as much as you can," he added of being a rookie in the Cup Series. "I think we've gotten better and better at that. But it's just unbelievable. I didn't think we were coming here to win. Now we're going to be in the All-Star race."

"That was the best car I've ever driven in my life."

I talk with rookie @ColeCuster after an incredible finish and his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory. pic.twitter.com/5ABYPIyo5t

— Jamie Little (@JamieLittleTV) July 12, 2020

We did it! What a car what a race...we got our first Cup win! @StewartHaasRcng #NASCAR

— Cole Custer (@ColeCuster) July 12, 2020

As for the rest of the race, Aric Almirola won the first stage while Brad Keselowski took the second. The race featured 13 lead changes, nine different leaders and eight cautions. Almirola led the most laps (128), followed by Truex Jr. (57). Custer led just five laps. 

The race also included the return of Jimmie Johnson, who was the first NASCAR driver to record a positive test case of COVID-19. He was cleared to return Sunday after two negative tests and finished 18th. 

Up next in the Cup Series is the NASCAR All-Star Race (Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1), followed by the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway (Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN). 

The NASCAR Cup Series has only had five drivers win at Kentucky Speedway.

Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch all have multiple victories at the venue, while Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth have one win each. Keselowski is the only member of that quintet with more than one triumph in the 2020 season, while the other four have one victory between them from Truex.

With the way the season is going, we could see a first-time Cup Series winner at Kentucky, like points leader Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin or Joey Logano.

                    

NASCAR at Kentucky Information

Date: Sunday, July 12

Start Time: 2:30 p.m. ET

TV: FS1

Live Stream: FoxSports.com and Fox Sports app.

                    

Odds

Kevin Harvick +400 (bet $100 to win $400)

Kyle Busch +450

Martin Truex Jr. +600

Denny Hamlin +600

Chase Elliott +700

Brad Keselowski +900

Joey Logano +900

Odds via Caesars Palace.

               

Preview

Kyle Busch has appeared to be in a good position to win his first race of 2020 at other tracks, but Sunday may be his best opportunity yet.

The driver of the No. 18 car owns the most top-five finishes at Kentucky of any Cup Series competitor (seven) and has won a pair of races. Busch also landed the pole position from the random draw that determined the first 12 spots on the starting grid.

In the past five races, Busch has alternated top-10 marks with finishes toward the back of the field. He is coming off a sixth-placed finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He should put himself in a position to at least win the first stage if he gets out in front at the green flag. Busch has led the most Cup Series laps at Kentucky with 621.

Holding to the lead could be difficult with Harvick starting directly behind the No. 18 car in third position.

Harvick has won two of the past three races and finished second in the other competition in that span. The driver of the No. 4 car is considered the favorite, even though he does not have a victory at Kentucky, since he has 13 top-10 finishes in 16 races this year.

Keselowski and Truex start sixth and ninth, respectively, and they could bank on their experience to surge forward early in the first stage.

Kenseth owns the deepest starting position of the past winners at Kentucky in 17th, and he may be considered a dark horse after he earned a season-best second-placed finish at the Brickyard last time out. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver needs a high finish to start working his way up the standings, which will come into focus more in the coming weeks as the playoffs draw closer.

Austin Dillon holds the 16th and final playoff spot. Erik Jones and Tyler Reddick are six and 16 points, respectively, behind him going into Kentucky.

Unless one of the fringe playoff contenders earns an automatic playoff spot through a victory, they need to record as many points as possible, which should lead to intriguing competitions away from the battle to come out on top.

                         

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

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

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.