Battling Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick for the lead last Sunday at Darlington Raceway, Brad Keselowski utilized patience to break his prolonged winless streak.
The co-owner of RFK Racing waited for Reddick and Buescher to take each other out and Keselowski cruised to the Goodyear 400 title, his first in 110 outings.
“We were able to capitalize this time,” Keselowski told Fox Sports. “We laid it all on the line there.”
At the midway point of the NASCAR Cup Series’ regular season, Keselowski enters the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway with a playoff position secured.
The win was Keselowski’s 36th of his Cup career and first as a principal owner. He finished 1.214 seconds ahead of runner-up Ty Gibbs.
Below, we’ll preview the top storylines heading into Sunday’s All-Star Race and All-Star Open, go over the odds, and give our best bets for the exhibition race at the revitalized 0.625-mile oval, which started staging stock car racing events in 1947.
#NASCARThrowback? Count us in. #NewProfilePic | @TooToughToTame pic.twitter.com/yLqYEaYQt7
— North Wilkesboro Speedway (@NWBSpeedway) May 6, 2024
All-Star Race Storylines
- Tyler Reddick started on the pole and dominated at Darlington, leading an event-high 174 laps, but finished P32 after a Stage 3 incident. Resetting, Reddick placed third in the 2023 exhibition.
- Joey Logano’s season keeps getting longer. The 2022 Cup champion found a place among the lead pack at Darlington, but incurred a speeding penalty on Lap 255. With one top-five finish this season, Logano ranks No. 17 in the points standings, 194 behind leader Kyle Larson.
- Justin Haley secured Rick Ware Racing team’s first top-10 finish this season, earning a P9 at Darlington. The No. 51 Ford has only led four laps and has yet to earn any stage points, but Haley could prove to be an All-Star Open challenger.
Justin Haley has earned Rick Ware Racing their first ever top 10 finish in a non-superspeedway race (9th) pic.twitter.com/gDZ8a7yWEw
— Trey Ryan (@TreyRyan99) May 12, 2024
All-Star Race Driver Odds
Here is an early look at the drivers’ odds for the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, according to BetOnline Sportsbook:
| Driver | NASCAR Cup Series’ All-Star Race Odds |
Play |
|---|---|---|
| Denny Hamlin | +500 |  |
| William Byron | +600 | |
| Christopher Bell | +750 | |
| Kyle Larson | +850 | |
| Ryan Blaney | +900 | |
| Joey Logano | +900 | |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +1000 | |
| Chase Elliott | +1000 | |
| Tyler Reddick | +1200 | |
| Brad Keselowski | +1200 | |
| Chris Buescher | +1400 | |
| Kyle Busch | +1600 | |
| Ross Chastain | +2000 | |
| Daniel Suarez | +3300 | |
| Michael McDowell | +6600 | |
| AJ Allmendinger | +10000 | |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | +15000 | |
All-Star Open Driver Odds
Here is an early look at the drivers’ odds for the All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway, according to BetOnline Sportsbook:
| Driver | NASCAR Cup Series’ All-Star Open Odds |
Play |
|---|---|---|
| Ty Gibbs | +260 | |
| Bubba Wallace | +600 | |
| Noah Gragson | +700 | |
| Alex Bowman | +700 | |
| Josh Berry | +700 | |
| Chase Briscoe | +775 | |
| Ryan Preece | +850 | |
| Erik Jones | +1100 | |
| Todd Gilliland | +2800 | |
| Carson Hocevar | +2800 | |
| John Hunter Nemechek | +4000 | |
| Zane Smith | +5000 | |
| Corey LaJoie | +5000 | |
| Austin Dillon | +5000 | |
| Austin Cindric | +5000 | |
| Justin Haley | +8000 | |
| Harrison Burton | +10000 | |
| Daniel Hemric | +15000 | |
| Kaz Grala | +20000 | |
| Timmy Hill | +50000 | |
*Odds current at time of publication
All-Star Race Predictions and Picks
Here are our best NASCAR bets for the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway:
Ty Gibbs (+260, All-Star Open)
A trip to Victory Lane is approaching – quickly. Gibbs recorded a career-best P2 at Darlington, compiling a 4.05 average running position. Last year, Gibbs claimed the pole for the All-Star Open.
Josh Berry (+700, All-Star Open)
A short track specialist, Berry turned a P33 start into a third-place finish at Darlington, the rookie’s first top-five finish for Stewart-Haas Racing. Serving as a replacement driver for Alex Bowman last season, Berry claimed the All-Star Open and will once again be forced to qualify for the main event.
Chris Buescher (+1400, All-Star Race)
Does anyone on the Cup circuit deserve a trip to Victory Lane more?
One more look at what happened on pit road between @Chris_Buescher and @TylerReddick. pic.twitter.com/PBYHV62dgc
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 13, 2024
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