Kevin Harvick hasn’t been as competitive as typically expected through the first six races of the season in NASCAR’s new car.

Defending champ Michael McDowell hoping to prove last year’s win wasn’t a fluke is just one of many story lines entering Sunday’s race.

Sunday is the first of the three races that will determine the drivers that make up the NASCAR Cup championship four in the season finale at Phoenix.

Commentary: Bubba Wallace, who earned his first NASCAR Cup win Monday, has been victimized since becoming vocal in social justice matters and calling on NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag.