After two months off as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action Sunday at Darlington Raceway for The Real Heroes 400. Brad Keselowski will the first race back on the pole as a result of a random draw on Thursday.
Sunday will mark Keselowski’s second pole start at Darlington.
“And for the record. . . Second Darlington pole. First one won from my living room,” Keselowski [@Keselowski] tweeted Thursday.
Alex Bowman, one of three race winners in the only four 2020 races completed prior to the hiatus, will join Keselowski on the front row for Sunday’s green flag.
Matt DiBenedetto and Kyle Busch will start the race in the second row, and Aric Almirola will round out the top-five on the started grid.
The third row will be a Stewart-Haas Racing row, with Kevin Harvick in sixth to start alongside teammate Aric Almirola. Ryan Blaney and Jimmie Johnson will be in the fourth row in the seventh and eighth positions. The other two 2020 race winners, to date, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, started ninth and 10th.
Matt Kenseth, returning to NASCAR action as the replacement for the fired Kyle Larson at Chip Ganassi Racing, will start 12th in his first race of the season.
“Nobody has been in a car in a while; certainly, it’s been longer for me,” Kenseth said. “I think the biggest difference for me, also, is that I haven’t driven these race cars or for this team. So, there are a few more unknowns. I’m not sure how exactly everything is going to feel and all that kind of stuff. There is, certainly, a little bit of anxiety for those first few corners to kind of get rolling and get used to things. At the same time, everybody is going to be ready to pounce.”
Ryan Newman, back after his recovery from his head injury in the season-opening Daytona 500, will start 21st.
“I’m so excited and thankful to be healthy to get back into the race car,” Newman said. “I am thankful for all the people and support that have prayed for me and given me a multitude of miracles. I cannot think of a better track to start back at than Darlington, my favorite track and one we feel confident in. I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of the Oscar Mayer Ford.”
