Gentlemen, start your engines.

After a two-month shutdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, NASCAR will make its highly anticipated return this Sunday with The Real Heroes 400 from Darlington Raceway.

It will be the first of seven races over 11 days as part of a revised schedule that features Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander Truck Series events.

While NASCAR is prepared to make up for lost time, it’s important to keep in mind all of the changes off the track that could impact what happens on the track for Sunday’s race at Darlington, which will run without fans in attendance.

Watch The Real Heroes 400 LIVE Sunday at 3:30pm et/12:30pm pt on TSN1/4, TSN Direct, and streaming on TSN.ca.

Each team will be limited to 16 members, including their driver.

There will be no practice.

There will be no qualifying.

Brad Keselowski just celebrated his first pole win of the year, without even needing to get behind the wheel as the winner of NASCAR’s random draw for position.

Darlington is a very challenging track.

So the fact that the field won’t have any practice or qualifying following a two-month layoff could make this race even more unpredictable.

Nonetheless, sports books have had the betting odds for The Real Heroes 400 posted since the event was first announced.

Here is a closer look at the latest updated odds from Bodog.

The Favourite

Kyle Busch +525

It’s been 12 years since Busch’s lone win at Darlington in 2008.

However, he’s finished in the top-10 in eight of the last 10 Cup Series races at this track.

In fact, the driver of the No. 18 Toyota has led a total of 716 laps at Darlington in his career – most among active drivers.

Busch is still looking for his first win of the season.

Considering he’s registered at least one Cup Series victory in each of the last 15 consecutive seasons, it seems inevitable that he will eventually extend that streak.

He didn’t win the pole, but the No. 4 spot isn’t a bad starting position by any means.

After a long layoff, perhaps this is the week Busch finally gets on the board with his first win of 2020.

Next In Line

Kevin Harvick +700

The current Cup Series points leader will look to pick up from where he left off after averaging a sixth-place finish through the first four races of the season.

Harvick is the only Cup Series driver to finish in the top-10 in each of his last seven races at Darlington.

In fact, he has placed fifth or better in six of his last seven appearances at this track.

Harvick should be on the short list of contenders once again this weekend.

Chase Elliott +700

Listed as high as +1200 by at least one sports book over the last week, Elliott has settled in with Harvick and Denny Hamlin at +700 to win The Real Heroes 400 outright on Bodog right now.

Elliott, Harvick and Hamlin are also each listed at -110 to produce a top-five finish.

Entering this weekend in third in the overall Cup Series point race, Elliott placed fourth at California and seventh at Phoenix before the shutdown.

As long as he picks up from where he left off, the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet should be in the mix again this Sunday.

Denny Hamlin +700

Hamlin’s average finish at Darlington is 7.8 – the second-best mark all-time at the track behind only Kyle Larson (6.7) among drivers with at least five starts here.

With Busch, Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. all listed among the top-five favourites to win this race outright, it won’t be a surprise if Joe Gibbs Racing registers its second victory of 2020 this weekend after Hamlin won the Daytona 500.

Don’t Sleep On

Joey Logano +1100

Logano has never won a race at Darlington.

However, he did win two of the last three Cup Series races - at Las Vegas and Phoenix - before the shutdown.

He also has three top-five finishes in his last five starts at this track.

That’s pretty good for a driver currently listed at +150 to produce a top-five result on Sunday.

Don’t sleep on Logano at +1100 odds to win outright this weekend.

Erik Jones +1500

No driver has won back-to-back races at Darlington since Greg Biffle did it in 2005-06.

However, Jones has placed in the top-10 in each of his three Cup Series starts at this track including a win here last year.

Being listed at +1500 is excellent value for a driver that has had some success here before, albeit a small sample size.

He’s also currently available at +205 to finish in the top-five.

Ryan Newman +8800

Sunday’s race will mark exactly three months since Newman’s devastating crash on the final lap of the Daytona 500.

All things considered, it’s pretty remarkable that he will even race this weekend.

Newman has never won in 21 starts at Darlington.

However, his 13 top-10 finishes at the track are the most among active Cup Series drivers.

He’s still a long shot to contend this weekend at +8800.

However, the fact that Newman is listed at +1200 to finish in the top-five makes him another intriguing value pick for The Real Heroes 400 this Sunday.

*All Betting Information appears as listed by Bodog on Friday, May 15, 2020.