DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 06: Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Throwback Ford, crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 06, 2020, in Darlington, South Carolina. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Harvick kicks-off playoffs with a victory in the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 on Saturday, September 6th at Darlington Raceway.
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are officially underway. The first Round of 16 is running at three extremely different tracks. They begin this past Sunday night at Darlington Raceway, then the series is heading to Richmond Raceway, before ending at Bristol Motor Speedway. When these three races are complete, four drivers at the bottom of the standings are put below the cutline and no longer eligible for championship contention.
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 06: Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Throwback Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 06, 2020, in Darlington, South Carolina. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Harvick wins playoff opener in the NASCAR Cup Series, Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday night at Darlington Raceway.
Kevin Harvick was in the right place at the right time to take the lead, then put on an impressive show of tenacity to hold off a hard-charging Austin Dillon to earn his second career Cook Out Southern 500 win at Darlington Raceway in Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoff opener.
Cash or Pass: Darlington is the first in a series for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. This guide is for fantasy ‘cash-ins’ and ‘pass-on’ with best and worst bets, sleepers, and wild cards.DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – MAY 20: Cars race during the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 20, 2020, in Darlington, South Carolina. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Cash or Pass: Darlington is the first in a series for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. This guide is for fantasy ‘cash-ins’ and ‘pass-on’ with best and worst bets, sleepers, and wild cards.
With the NASCAR playoffs getting underway, it’s only fair that the pressure ramps up on the track. That pressure also gets higher in the sportsbooks, well, for everyone except Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin that is. Harvick (+325) and Hamlin (+350) have far and away the best odds to win the CookOut Southern 500 at Darlington.
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – AUGUST 29: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, leads William Byron, driver of the #24 Liberty University Chevrolet, and Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the #21 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford, during the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 29, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
NASCAR 2020 Playoff Predictions for the Cup Series is presented prior to the first race of the ten-race playoff season. These are the point standings going into the Round of 16.
Cook Out Southern 500 (Darlington)
Race Breakdown: Chase Elliott was oh-so-close to claiming victory at Darlington earlier in the season, but was involved in a pretty well-known wreck with Kyle Busch. Elliott sits on the pole for the first playoff race, and he’ll get his vengeance by starting the Round of 16 with his third win of the season. Harvick, Hamlin, and Kurt Busch all put together solid top-five finishes, with Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, and Kyle Busch all finishing in the top-ten. Ryan Blaney loses his engine early and does not finish the race.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11, and Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 in the NASCAR Cup Series earn victories in the Drydene 311 doubleheader at Dover International Speedway on August 22nd and 23rd, 2020. Photos by Getty Images
Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick make gains to their wins total in the doubleheader Drydene 311 this weekend at Dover International Speedway.
The NASCAR Cup Series have their last doubleheader weekend at Dover International Speedway this weekend. Before the weekend, there are three races left in the regular season, with two races at Dover, and the last race of the season at Daytona International Speedway next weekend. For drivers on the cusp of the playoff bubble, many look to Dover as the place to secure their spot. However, after Dover, the playoff competition is tighter than anyone expected.
