Joey Logano

This preview includes schedule and ticket information, with links to StubHub. Bleacher Report has an affiliate marketing relationship with StubHub. We will receive revenue from your purchase.

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Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia, hosts the first of three races in the Round of 8 in the 2019 NASCAR season on Sunday.

A victory for any of the play-off drivers in the First Data 500 would put them into the Championship 4.

Martinsville is the shortest track on the NASCAR circuit, which invariably makes for intense and exciting action.

                       

Date: Sunday, October 27

Start Time: 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST

TV Info: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports App

Tickets: StubHub

                   

Denny Hamlin has the momentum going into the First Data 500 after triumphing last time out in Kansas for his fifth win of the season.

He has a fine record in Martinsville, winning five times at the track in his career, although his most recent victory at the track was back in 2015.

In last year's corresponding race, Hamlin came second, and he was fifth at the STP 500 in March. The 38-year-old is a firm contender for his first championship win, and he will be relishing the opportunity of booking his spot in the Championship 4 by winning the First Data 500 again.

Reigning champion Joey Logano, meanwhile, is battling for form:

The "War Room" is going with Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott in the Championship 4. Discuss. pic.twitter.com/VaZkQcgqUY

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) October 24, 2019

He won last year's race in a stunning finish, but he is without a podium place since early September, a run of six races, and he has finished outside the top 10 in the past three.

A win on Sunday for the Team Penske driver is far from out of the question, though, and it would propel him back into contention for another title win.

Among Logano's key rivals will be Kyle Busch, who is on a good run.

The 34-year-old was third in Kansas, has three top-10 finishes in the past five races and has not finished outside of the top five at Martinsville in 10 starts since 2015.

Daniel Hemric and Kevin Harvick will be among those chasing precious points to aid qualification in the 2019 NASCAR playoff picture when they compete in Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Kyle Larson has already qualified, along with Ryan Blaney, but it's still up in the air for many in the standings, particularly defending champion Joey Logano, who faces a challenge just to avoid elimination. It's a similar story for Chase Elliott, who thrived on this track 12 months ago and needs a repeat performance to avoid the cull as the Round of 12 concludes.

                 

Schedule

Busch Pole Qualifying

Date: Saturday, October 19

Time: 1:35 p.m. ET/6:35 p.m. BST

TV Info: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBC Sports App.

         

Date: Sunday, October 20

Time: 2:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. BST

TV Info: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports App.

Tickets: KansasSpeedway.com, StubHub.

             

Lineup

• 00 Landon Cassill
• 1 Kurt Busch
• 2 Brad Keselowski
• 3 Austin Dillon
• 4 Kevin Harvick
• 6 Ryan Newman
• 8 Daniel Hemric
• 9 Chase Elliott
• 10 Aric Almirola
• 11 Denny Hamlin
• 12 Ryan Blaney
• 13 Ty Dillon
• 14 Clint Bowyer
• 15 Ross Chastain
• 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
• 18 Kyle Busch
• 19 Martin Truex Jr.
• 20 Erik Jones
• 21 Paul Menard
• 22 Joey Logano
• 24 William Byron
• 27 Reed Sorenson
• 32 Corey Lajoie
• 34 Michael McDowell
• 36 Matt Tifft
• 37 Chris Buescher
• 38 David Ragan
• 41 Daniel Suarez
• 42 Kyle Larson
• 43 Bubba Wallace
• 47 Ryan Preece
• 48 Jimmie Johnson
• 51 JJ Yeley
• 52 Austin Theriault
• 53 Josh Bilicki
• 66 Joey Gase
• 77 Timmy Hill
• 88 Alex Bowman
• 95 Matt DiBenedetto
• 96 Parker Kligerman

Pre-qualifying, per the NASCAR website.

         

Logano is seemingly in jeopardy, residing in the final Round of 8 spot in the standings.

Take a look at where the #NASCARPlayoffs drivers ended up in final practice from @KansasSpeedway!

Tune in Saturday at 1:30PM ET for Cup Series qualifying on NBCSN. pic.twitter.com/HL9Bucsi9s

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 19, 2019

However, as USA Today's Bob Pockrass pointed out, the Cup champion is 18 points ahead of Alex Bowman and is thus above the cut line. Even so, Pockrass noted how a win on Sunday from any driver below the line would vault them into the next round.

Yet Pockrass also pointed out how Logano knows what it takes to triumph at Kansas Speedway, having crossed the line first in 2015. Elliott did the same thing in 2018, when the Hendrick Motorsports star led for 44 laps. More of the same is will be the target for Elliott, who resides on the wrong side of the cut line and faces elimination.

He's won at @kansasspeedway before.

Can @chaseelliott (-22) do it again with his playoff hopes on the line? (📺: NBCSN) pic.twitter.com/omEuyT7Zbf

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 18, 2019

Matching those exploits won't be easy in such a loaded fielded that includes Harvick. The 43-year-old has a storied history in Kansas City, with a hat-trick of victories to his credit.

Meanwhile, Blaney is the driver with momentum, having won at the 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway earlier in October. Both Blaney and Harvick showcased their skills during the final practice session Friday.

Harvick clocked the second quickest lap at 177.096 mph, while Blaney was fifth-fastest with a lap time of 176.725 mph, according to the NASCAR website. However, Richard Childress Racing ace Hemric topped the board at 177.830 mph.

Any member of that trio could finish ahead of Larson, who was second here in 2014, while Denny Hamlin hasn't won in Kansas since 2012.

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

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

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

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

Row 2: Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson

Row 3: Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick

Row 4: Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr.

Row 5: Ryan Blaney, Paul Menard

Row 6: Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher

Row 7: Daniel Suarez, Ryan Preece

Row 8: Erik Jones, Aric Almirola

Row 9: Kyle Busch, Matt DiBenedetto

Row 10: Chase Elliott, Daniel Hemric

Row 11: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell

Row 12: Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman

Row 13: Bubba Wallace, Corey LaJoie

Row 14: David Ragan, Denny Hamlin

Row 15: Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon

Row 16: Cody Ware, Landon Cassill

Row 17: Timmy Hill, Josh Bilicki

Row 18: Garrett Smithley, Matt Tifft

Row 19: Ross Chastain, Reed Sorensen

Row 20: Joe Nemechek, Parker Kligerman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be great, or be gone.

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

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

                   

Schedule

Saturday, September 14

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

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

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

              

Sunday, September 15

7 p.m. ET: South Point 400 Race

        

TV Info: NBCSN (U.S.)

      

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

 

            

Preview

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

The #NASCARPlayoffs are set.

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

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

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

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

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

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

He said during media day: 

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

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

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

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

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

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 12, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

          

Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Leaderboard

1. Kevin Harvick

2. Joey Logano

3. Bubba Wallace

4. William Byron

5. Clint Bowyer

6. Denny Hamlin

7. Ryan Blaney

8. Ryan Newman

9. Chase Elliott

10. Paul Menard

              

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

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

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

— PRN (@PRNlive) September 8, 2019

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

— PRN (@PRNlive) September 8, 2019

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

1. Kyle Busch

2. Denny Hamlin 

3. Martin Truex Jr.

4. Joey Logano

5. Brad Keselowski

6. Kevin Harvick

7. Chase Elliott

8. Kurt Busch

9. Kyle Larson

10. Alex Bowman

11. Erik Jones

12. Ryan Blaney

13. William Byron

14. Aric Almirola

15. Clint Bowyer

16. Ryan Newman

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

That streak ended at the Brickyard.

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

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

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 8, 2019

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

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 8, 2019

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

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

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) September 8, 2019

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

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

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

pic.twitter.com/FSvYkVCNDF

— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) September 8, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 2019 NASCAR Cup Series rolls on to the historic Darlington Raceway this weekend, with Kyle Busch seeking to consolidate his advantage at the top of the standings with the postseason in sight.

Busch has been able to extend his lead at the top of the rankings to 39 points in recent weeks, with defending champion Joey Logano, his nearest challenger, finishing no higher than 13th in his past four races.

The man in form going into the race is Denny Hamlin, who won the most recent race in Bristol. He's finished in the top three in each of the past five races and will be seeking to further chop down the gap to the top two with a strong performance in South Carolina.

There will also be an eye on the playoff battle, with three of the 16 spots still up for grabs with two races left in the regular season.

                    

Race Date: Sunday, September 1

TV Info: NBCSN (U.S.)

Live Stream: fuboTV (U.S.)

Tickets: StubHub

             

Weekend Schedule  

Saturday, August 31

2:05 p.m. (ET): Cup Series qualifying

         

Sunday, September 1

6:15 p.m. (ET): Southern 500 race

       

A full list of drivers taking part can be found on the NASCAR website.

            

Preview

For long spells of the 2019 season, the race for top spot appeared set to be a battle between Logano and Busch. However, Hamlin has made matters interesting with an excellent purple patch in recent weeks.

His win at Bristol in the previous race was arguably the best performance of the season from the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, as he was impressive in practice, topped the timesheets in qualifying and then overcame challenges to triumph on raceday.

He produced this slick overtake on Matt DiBenedetto late in the race to win, having previously been two laps down:

The Bristol Motor Speedway account noted there was plenty of sportsmanship on show between the pair after their battle:

https://twitter.com/BMSupdates/status/1162928472018341894

Hamlin will consider himself a serious challenger for this season's title and is undoubtedly the man to watch going into the Darlington spectacle.

Busch has been able to remain consistent in recent weeks despite not getting podium finishes, and that's ensured he's pulled away from Logano, who has endured a few challenging rounds.

In the past three races, Logano has finished 23rd, 17th and 16th, seeing him lose ground on his rival and start to look over his shoulder nervously at the scorching Hamlin. Busch will know a win at Darlington will guarantee him top spot in the regular season, with September 8's race at the Brickyard the final event before the playoffs.

In 2018, Brad Keselowski was the winner at Darlington, with this crucial pitstop move from his team vital in his taking the chequered flag:

Of the 16 playoff spots available, nine have been filled by race winners, while four more are secured by racers who have already accrued enough points. It means the drivers occupying spots 14, 15 and 16—Erik Jones, Ryan Newman and Daniel Suarez, respectively—need big showings on Sunday.

The Darlington race is one of the most prestigious on the NASCAR calendar and also provides the drivers with a unique challenge. The circuit is egg-shaped and unsymmetrical, meaning it's tough to settle into a rhythm on race day.

Ahead of qualifying, Kurt Busch topped the first practice runs, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was quickest in final practice.

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

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

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

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

1. Kevin Harvick: 51.707

2. Joey Logano: 51.910

3. Aric Almirola: 51.974

4. Erik Jones: 51.990

5. Austin Dillon: 52.126

6. Jimmie Johnson: 52.148

7. Kyle Busch: 52.196

8. William Byron: 52.213

9. Kurt Busch: 52.321

10. Daniel Suarez: 52.346

11. Martin Truex Jr.: 52.365

12. Denny Hamlin: 52.388

13. Matt DiBenedetto: 52.436

14. Brad Keselowski: 52.482

15. Alex Bowman: 52.499

16. Clint Bowyer: 52.545

17. Michael McDowell: 52.597

18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 52.618

19. David Ragan: 52.623

20. Ryan Blaney: 52.638

21. Paul Menard: 52.747

22. Daniel Hemric: 52.800

23. Chase Elliott: 52.848

24. Ryan Newman: 53.002

25. Ryan Preece: 53.048

26. Bubba Wallace: 53.221

27. Matt Tifft: 53.255

28. Chris Buescher: 53.301

29. Kyle Larson: 53.370

30. Corey Lajoie: 53.417

31. Landon Cassill: 53.861

32. Ty Dillon: 53.979

33. Josh Bilicki: 54.800

34. BJ McLeod: 54.809

35. Ross Chastain: 54.890

36. Reed Sorenson: 55.423

37. Quin Houff: 55.539

38. Austin Theriault: 56.011

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

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

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

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 27, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A thrilling overtime finish resulted in Kurt Busch holding off brother his brother Kyle and taking down the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky on Saturday. 

The caution flag came out with just a handful of laps remaining after Bubba Wallace encountered trouble:

Here's what happened to @BubbaWallace to bring out this latest caution.

NBCSN | @KySpeedway pic.twitter.com/SiuHIK8TM0

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 14, 2019

At the time, Joey Logano held a comfortable lead over Kyle Busch and looked headed toward his third Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win of the season.

However, the restart altered that seemingly inevitable ending and the Busch brothers stormed to the front when the caution lifted. That, in turn, led to an unbelievable finish:

WHAT A FINISH!@KurtBusch holds off @KyleBusch to WIN at @KYSpeedway! #QS400 pic.twitter.com/0kbLBJUxMA

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 14, 2019

It will be hard for any remaining race this season to top Quaker State 400's drama. Here's a look at the Quaker State 400 results and race highlights and reaction. 

           

Top 15 Finishers

1. Kurt Busch

2. Kyle Busch

3. Erik Jones

4. Kyle Larson

5. Denny Hamlin

6. Clint Bowyer

7. Joey Logano

8. Daniel Suarez

9. Ryan Newman

10. Chris Buescher

11. Paul Menard

12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

13. Ryan Blaney

14. Aric Almirola

15. Chase Elliott

Full standings can be found on NASCAR.com.

            

Highlights and Reaction

Kurt Busch took Stage 1 after grabbing the lead from Brad Keselowski off a restart:

How 'bout that restart, though? 👀@KurtBusch was able to wrestle the lead away from @keselowski in Stage 1! @KySpeedway | NBCSN pic.twitter.com/YBmjmZKMoR

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 14, 2019

And he held off Logano for the win and the points:

Lightning isn't stopping Kurt Busch today.

He wins Stage 1 at Kentucky, presented by @Kroger #ClickList. pic.twitter.com/io8FsHkO7k

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 14, 2019

Keselowski wasn't done, however, and forced Kyle Busch off the throttle in Stage 2:

Brad Keselowski slides in front of Kyle Busch, forcing the leader to lift off the throttle! #QS400 pic.twitter.com/gqjNkuZJI5

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 14, 2019

However, Kyle Busch's aggressiveness took hold as he went three-wide following a restart and also made a nice move around Austin Dillon:

Who else but @KyleBusch to take it three-wide right after a restart? 😬@KySpeedway | NBCSN pic.twitter.com/69JcGghyXg

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 14, 2019

A power move indeed. 💪@KyleBusch takes the long way around @austindillon3 to claim another spot.

📺: NBCSN // 📱: https://t.co/BHXvTwJmNc pic.twitter.com/7cp4oZZYt5

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 14, 2019

Keselowski retook the lead and tried to hold off Kyle Busch:

The 2⃣ of @keselowski isn't going down without a fight trying to stay on the lead lap ahead of @KyleBusch! 👀

NBCSN | @KySpeedway pic.twitter.com/AyDx8jLDAY

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 14, 2019

However, the younger Busch brother ended up winning Stage 2.

The final stage saw Clint Bowyer make a charge for the lead against Kurt Busch, impressing racing legend and color commentator Dale Earnhardt Jr.:

"I'm loving this! This is awesome!"@DaleJr is having fun watching Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch battle for the lead. Join us live on NBCSN. pic.twitter.com/Rh0EMUsu8k

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 14, 2019

But Logano used a crossover move to get by Kyle Busch in the final stage:

WHAT A BATTLE!

Joey Logano gets by Kyle Busch for what will be the race lead when pit stops cycle through! Could it be for the race win at @KYSpeedway? pic.twitter.com/Zcic4zyGXQ

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 14, 2019

That edge didn't last long, though, as the restart allowed Kurt Busch to hold off his brother and win his first race of the year.

NASCAR writer Jeff Gluck summed it up well:

Well that was an exciting finish. Apparently tires mattered more than we thought! Great driving by Kurt Busch. I don’t know if it makes up for last week, but it’s got to feel good.

First-ever win for crew chief Matt McCall, too.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 14, 2019

Jim Utter of Motorsport.com certainly enjoyed the finish:

It. Don't. Get. Better. Than. That.#TakeyourFullThrottleandShoveIt

— Jim Utter (@jim_utter) July 14, 2019

Matt Weaver of Autoweek pointed out what it meant for Matt McCall, Kurt Busch's crew chief who won his first-ever NASCAR race leading a team:

The redemption arc for @Matt_McCall is real. He took a beating on Sunday night and Monday morning. Even read the tweets second-guessing his strategy, even one from @MeredithMcCall.

He gets to stick his chest out this week.

I hope he gets to read some more tweets on Tuesday.

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) July 14, 2019

The @Matt_McCall victory is cool on a short track standpoint too. Late Model Stock veteran, who still races each November at Southern National in the Thanksgiving Classic.

He was so well-regarded that RCR pursued litigation to keep him in the fold when he took the CC job at CGR.

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) July 14, 2019

As Weaver referenced, McCall was taken to task by fans last week after he told Kurt Busch to pit during a rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Busch, who was in the lead before the pit stop, never got back onto the track as lightning delays ended the race. The criticism was so loud that McCall even addressed fans on Twitter:

.@Matt_McCall responds to fan tweets regarding his call to bring @KurtBusch down pit road near the end of Sunday's race in Daytona 😂 #NASCAR | #TuesdayTweets pic.twitter.com/R9rxnZSUw1

— Chip Ganassi Racing (@CGRTeams) July 9, 2019

McCall got the last laugh, though.

Kyle Busch, who has the most top-10 and top-15 finishes this season, led for a race-high 72 laps. He and Martin Truex Jr. are tied for first with four wins apiece.

Daniel Suarez, who started in the pole position and led 53 laps, finished eighth. Logano, who entered Saturday first in the Monster Energy Series standings, took seventh.

Daniel Suarez had an excellent qualifying run at Kentucky Speedway on Friday and won the pole for Saturday's Quaker State 400. 

This will be Suarez's second career start from the front of the pack. He'll be joined in the front row by Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola. 

Second career pole for @Daniel_SuarezG!

He'll lead the field to green Saturday night at @KYSpeedway on NBCSN. pic.twitter.com/pZI9DdSdQh

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 12, 2019

Here's how the entire field will lineup for the race, via NASCAR.com:

Row 1: Daniel Suarez (pole), Aric Almirola

Row 2: Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch

Row 3: Kevin Harvick, Daniel Hemric

Row 4: Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. 

Row 5: Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch

Row 6: Joey Logano, William Byron

Row 7: Jimmie Johnson, Paul Menard

Row 8: Ryan Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 

Row 9: Michael McDowell, Denny Hamlin

Row 10: Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott

Row 11: Erik Jones, Alex Bowman

Row 12: Ryan Newman, Matt DiBenedetto

Row 13: David Ragan, Chris Buescher

Row 14: Ty Dillon, Bubba Wallace

Row 15: Corey LaJoie, Ryan Preece

Row 16: Matt Tifft, Bayley Currey

Row 17: Ross Chastain, Landon Cassill

Row 18: B.J. McLeod, Quin Houff

Suarez, 27, is still seeking his first win on the Monster Energy circuit. He's been inconsistent this season with a 40th-place finish last week at Daytona and just two top-10 finishes in the past 10 races. The Mexico native started from the pole at Pocono last July and registered his best-ever finish (second).  

Getting into the winner's circle is very much on Suarez's mind after he won the pole:

"I really want to win so bad."@Daniel_SuarezG is staying motivated, and looks to win his first @NASCAR Cup Series race Saturday on NBCSN for @StewartHaasRcng. pic.twitter.com/S5NxCGj7mf

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 12, 2019

Almirola was right on Suarez's heels for the top spot. The No. 10 Ford finished his qualifying lap in 29.380 seconds, just 0.126 seconds off the pace. 

Based on the point standings, reigning series champion Joey Logano left the door open for Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski to narrow their deficit. Harvick trails Logano by 75 points, with Keselowski 87 off the lead. 

Logano will start from the 11th position, marking the second time in the past five races he's qualified outside the top 10. Keselowski, his Penske Racing teammate, will start right behind Suarez and Almirola from the third position, while Harvick, another SHR driver, will begin in the fifth spot. 

Defending Kentucky champion Martin Truex Jr. is also in a good spot to make noise in the race. The Joe Gibbs Racing star will be on the outside of the fourth row. The Toyota driver won the pole and led the most laps last year en route to taking home the checkered flag. 

All 36 drivers in the field will have a chance to leave their mark in prime time on Saturday night when the Quaker State 400 begins at 7:30 p.m. 

The 2019 NASCAR season continues Saturday with the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.

The event is the 19th race of the regular season and will see 36 drivers compete over 400.5 miles.

In Friday's Xfinity Series race, 38 drivers will battle it out over 200 laps in the Alsco 300.

                       

Schedule

Friday, July 12

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

6:05 p.m. ET: Cup Series Qualifying

7:30 p.m. ET: Alsco 300 Race

             

Saturday, July 13

7:30 p.m. ET: Quaker State 400 Race

        

TV Info: NBCSN (U.S.)

      

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

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

                   

Preview

The drivers will be hoping for normal service to resume after a hectic race weekend in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway last time out.

The race, which had to be delayed because of rain and was cut short by 33 laps by lightning, was won by Justin Haley.

Haley, a 20-year-old, 500-1 outsider, was making just his third Cup start and is ineligible to receive Cup points.

Joey Logano remains atop the standings, 18 points ahead of closest rival Kyle Busch. The pair were among the 18 drivers who crashed prior to the weather interruption.

Austin Dillon and Clint Bowyer came together at Turn 1 and collected almost half the field with their collision:

As the laps wound down, the intensity picked up at @DISupdates.
And then — it happened.

See and hear how the chaos of The Big One unfolded from on board several top contenders. pic.twitter.com/EWvnwMbRFa

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 9, 2019

Martin Truex Jr. was also among those caught up in the crash. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is fifth in the standings and 103 points behind Logano despite having won four races and finished second twice this season.

He will be hoping to reduce that gap with a fifth win of 2019, having won there two years running:

Three's a magic number at @KYSpeedway. @MartinTruex_Jr is going for three wins in a row there, but knows Turn 3 is one of the most intimidating corners in @NASCAR. pic.twitter.com/k0G3DiEbJ2

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

Busch has also won the Quaker State 400 twice, in the inaugural race in 2011 and most recently in 2015. He's also secured a top-10 finish in Sparta on five further occasions.

Brad Keselowski, fourth in the standings, also has an excellent record in Kentucky, with three wins and a further three top-10 finishes.

If the trio enjoy similar success Saturday, Logano's position atop the standings will be far less comfortable.