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Former Cup Series driver and NASCAR analyst Clint Bowyer returned to the Fox Sports airwaves on New Year’s Day. Bowyer reviewed offseason personnel changes, made a few predictions, and shared his views on NASCAR’s most successful team, Hendrick Motorsports. Clint Bowyer stated that he doesn’t want to take anything away from Hendrick Motorsports’ other two drivers, Alex Bowman and William Byron, but noted that Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are the two best drivers in NASCAR....

Ryan Blaney is coming off of a dramatic win at the Charlotte Roval and he will be happy to head back to Dover as he finished eighth there earlier this season. Kevin Harvick, a seven-time winner this year, also dominated the race there in May when he finished in second — barely in the final turn as he was crossing the finish line. Clint Bowyer, who came in third this past weekend, was coming off of his first win of the season a few weeks before, and also has a good track record in Delaware finishing in the top six in each of his last two trips there....

Despite leading 263 of 400 laps and boasting NASCAR’s highest average finish at the track (7.4) all time, he could not pull off a victory; that went to Alex Bowman, who led the final 98 laps to earn his second win of the season. It seemed as if Larson — who finished in the top two for the fifth straight race at Dover — would enjoy his first win on the track since October 2019....

Despite winning two races earlier in the playoffs, Kyle Busch is in danger of not advancing as he sits ninth on the playoff grid, seven points behind Jimmie Johnson on the cutoff line. Currently Busch, who has finished no worse than fifth at the previous five Kansas races, teammate Matt Kenseth, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Jamie McMurray would be eliminated and have plenty of work to do. Earlier this season, Truex won at Kansas in a race marred by a scary wreck involving Aric Almirola, who had to be cut from his racecar after a fiery crash....

Mother nature had other ideas, though. Due to severe weather, Sunday’s race at Talladega was postponed to Monday. It will begin at 3 p.m. ET on Fox. When it does run, the race at Talladega will mark the first Cup Series event at a 2.5-mile superspeedway since the Daytona 500, which ended with Ryan Newman’s terrifying crash on the last lap. That accident led to some superspeedway-specific rule changes that are being implemented for the first time this week at Talladega....

More on Pocono: Odds breakdown | Practice speeds at Jayski While there were several complaints on Friday about a nasty bump in Turn 2, driving slower cars also changes the drivers’ approach and exit out of the three turns, which a few drivers had some difficulties with. Sam Hornish Jr. spun out, but didn’t have any damage. Tony Stewart wasn’t so lucky, as he spun through the Tunnel Turn 2 and hit the wall....

So when Stewart stepped before NASCAR media members on Friday at Talladega, he fired this shot across the bow of stock car racing’s mother ship: “I’ve been trying to figure out how many more $35,000 rule changes I want to make.” MORE: 10 drivers to watch at Talladega | Junior plans to repeat | Last spring revisited Wah-wah! He’s here all weekend, folks (if not in the car full time)....

Should it penalize Keselowski for hitting three different cars after the race and igniting two near brawls in the NASCAR garage? Should it penalize Denny Hamlin for having to be restrained from going after Keselowski? And should the crewmen involved in both incidents be fined and placed on probation? Absolutely not. MORE: Tempers flare at Charlotte | Harvick celebrates as fights break out | Winners & Losers NASCAR got exactly what it hoped for when it created the new pressure-packed Chase....

The Westgate SuperBook’s favorite both before and after practice is Kevin Harvick, currently sitting at 9-to-2 odds. The points leader has finished 10th or better in every race but three this season, though he has not taken the checkered flag first since March in Phoenix. Both Penske drivers figure to challenge as well with Joey Logano sitting on the pole, and Brad Keselowski starting from the second row in third....

And even through Hamlin ran well in both Michigan races, he was jumped by Harvick in both championship points and wins in the span of one weekend. MORE: Complete results, highlights from Sunday’s race Harvick’s sweep of the Michigan races padded what was already an impressive playoff resume. Other drivers who entered the weekend on the NASCAR Cup Series playoff bubble weren’t as fortunate. Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson and Tyler Reddick are close but still on the outside looking into the NASCAR playoff picture after the Michigan races....

Sporting News breaks down the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, including the drivers, format and dates for the 10 races that will decide a series champion for 2021. Watch NASCAR racing live with fuboTV (7-day free trial) Who made the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in 2021? Sixteen drivers advanced to the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Kyle Larson won the regular-season points championship and earned the No. 1 seed in the playoff field....

Busch, listed as the odds-on favorite by FanDuel before Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 race, had dominated the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings to this point. But after a big crash pushed Busch back in the standings, Jones took the lead with Kyle Larson in second. Before too long, Busch was back in second and after a pit stop among all the leaders, it became all about the pair before Larson rejoined the two leaders to make it close....

After the two split the first two stages of the race, Kurt Busch held off his younger brother, Kyle, by less than a car length in overtime to win the Quaker State 400. It was Kurt Busch’s first win of the NASCAR Monster Energy Series Cup season, and it made him the eighth driver to qualify for the playoffs. The race was scheduled for 267 laps around the 1.5-mile track, but a caution flag with five laps to go for Bubba Wallace Jr....

Harvick took home the checkered flag at the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 and led for the final 41 laps. “It’s been a minute,” Harvick said after the race. “I didn’t think we had the best chance to win today. … “We had a good car all day, we just never could get track position and stayed out there, ran a couple of good laps. I didn’t want to see that traffic there at the end....

On Sunday, Aug. 7, Chris Buescher’s No. 17 car will feature numerous references to James’ humanitarian efforts, including the logo for the LeBron James Family Foundation and multiple mentions of James’ I PROMISE School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Following the reveal of the new look of the No. 17 car, James took to Twitter to share his excitement, sharing that it’s “for the love of my kids and families....

Keselowski, who was the final driver to go out in qualifying at Michigan International Speedway, turned the fastest lap of the afternoon to claim the pole for Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400. He posted a speed of 190.471 mph. It’s Keselowski’s second pole of the season and 16th of his career. The Team Penske driver, who hails from Rochester Hills, Michigan, about 100 miles away, is still seeking his first career win at his home-state track....

The 5-9 point guard was waived by the Pelicans all of two games into the season and hasn’t found an NBA home since. The only three-time slam dunk contest champion in NBA history has not been effective in the past two seasons, though, and he appears ready to move on from the NBA. MORE: Looking back at the greatest 2-sport athletes ever The path is football, the sport that originally brought Robinson to the University of Washington....

The most famous competitive eater in American history will once again set his sights — and jaws — on the premier eating competition this Fourth of July, looking again to break the world record. He was able to accomplish the feat in 2021 with 76 hot dogs eaten; could he do the same or better in 2022? Of course, Chestnut’s biggest competition — 2021 runner-up Geoffrey Esper — will aim to take the mustard belt home in 2022....

The annual competition returns for another year to its iconic Coney Island location in New York, where a competitors stuff their faces with dozens of hot dogs and buns in a 10-minute span. MORE: Joey Chestnut net worth and career earnings Joey “Jaws” Chestnut is seeking his 13th Mustard Belt. He won again in 2019 a year after setting a new record in the 2018 contest by eating 74 hot dogs, a full 10 more than the next best competitor....

Still, it was somewhat fitting that a player who might just be the biggest name playing in MLS today kick-started that tournament and, ultimately provided a memorable moment to give this competition life. Wednesday night’s tournament-opening clash between Orlando City and Inter Miami, a match that was overshadowed by everything that was going on off the field, was won by a late winner from Nani, who fired home in the seventh minute of stoppage time for the hosts....