Our experts weigh in on four of the biggest questions in NASCAR as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series preps for Sunday's race at Phoenix International Raceway:

Turn 1: In just three races, both young drivers Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have two top-5 finishes this season in the Cup series. Who will get to Victory Lane first and why?

Ricky Craven, ESPN NASCAR analyst: Larson has the advantage of having won a Cup race already and that matters most in the closing laps of an event. Elliott is absolutely destined for Victory Lane this year. I can see the two settling a race between them. I give the edge to Larson, but barely.

Ryan McGee, ESPN.com: I feel like it'll be Larson. His hot streak dates back to before the end of last year and that team now knows how to win. I had a long talk with Larson in January and he admitted that the stress of getting that first victory out of the way had been way more than he realized at the time.

Bob Pockrass, ESPN.com: Larson. He is great at Auto Club Speedway and will win next week. Elliott will win a race by Talladega in May.

Turn 2: Should crew members be prevented from entering pit road immediately following the race to allow officials (only) to govern driver disputes?

Craven: Pit road should be occupied by drivers and officials only for roughly five-to-10 minutes postrace. Among other things, by having pit road vacant it allows officials to quickly get to, and between drivers before a confrontation escalates. It's healthy for drivers to express their dissatisfaction and disappointment in front of the world, rather than the Monday morning text or Tuesday morning apology.

McGee: No. They've got work to do. Only occasionally does that work include separating angry race car drivers. If a guy goes over the line he's gonna get caught and receive the due punishment.

Pockrass: That doesn't seem practical. They need to check air pressures. The driver might need help getting out of the car. They know if they are seen getting involved in a fight other than to break it up that they will get suspended. That's enough.

Turn 3: Should NASCAR have fined Kyle Busch for the swing at Joey Logano? Penalized him points? Suspended him? Given him a medal?

Craven: I expected a monetary fine for Busch, but I would've been disappointed with anything beyond that. Neither driver needs to be fined to solve anything. While I do not advocate a brawl each week, one has to appreciate the pure emotion and the message it sends about how driven and determined both drivers are around race competition. The sport needs that and there's absolutely no reason to suffocate it. Off the record, I've been buying M&M's and Pennzoil in bulk all week, ya know, as a show of appreciation.

McGee: Busch should receive a round of applause at the next drivers meeting from Fox Sports and the Phoenix ticket office.

Pockrass: Busch should be fined. A suspension is too harsh a penalty when looking at what it could mean for a driver and team relationship with a sponsor, what it would mean in the playoffs, and the loss for the fan -- who often goes to just a race or two a year -- from not seeing the driver compete. But NASCAR needs to issue fines for punches for two simple reasons: There can't be incentive for weekly misbehavior, and the potential of injury to the driver punched can't be discounted. While a racing incident can produce injury, that is the essence of the sport. Fighting is not the essence of racing, and allowing drivers to punch each other sets a poor example for society that it is a proper way to deal with problems. Something is wrong when a driver gets fined for calling officials "muppets" (as Darrell Wallace Jr. did last year) but not for punching another driver in the face.

With eight Cup victories at Phoenix International Raceway, Kevin Harvick is among the favorites to win this weekend. Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

Turn 4: Kevin Harvick has eight career Cup wins at Phoenix. What makes him so good at this track and will he get No. 9?

Craven: Harvick is so good because he understands the track, identifies its limits and knows better than any other driver what he can and cannot get away with at the track in the desert. Along with this, Harvick is in the best condition of his life, and he does it quietly without a lot of attention. He is as dedicated toward winning as anybody in this sport.

McGee: One of most fascinating aspects of driver success is the effect of comfort level at a certain place. Harvick's comfort level at Phoenix goes way back, like to his days of racing out of Bakersfield. David Pearson was one of the first guys to tell me about this, in relation to his success at Darlington. "I could run that place in cars in the 1960s and I could run it in the cars now. I'm convinced I could run it in that damn golf cart over there. That's gotta be worth something."

Pockrass: He's great at Phoenix because he knows what he needs to feel in the car to go fast and his team can find that sweet spot. He won't get win No. 9 this weekend. That will go to Kyle Busch, who has a pair of fourths and a second in his last three races at Phoenix. And he has a little incentive. Like as if someone already punched him in the mouth.