Brad Keselowski celebrated his first pole win of the season – and perhaps the most memorable of his career – from afar.

After waiting nearly a full hour Thursday evening, the Team Penske driver watched NASCAR’s chief scorer Kyle McKinney finally pluck the No.1 ball out of a random draw – giving the 2012 series champion the top starting position when the Cup season resumes Sunday at Darlington Raceway.

“1st. Woooooo,” Keselowski wrote on Twitter.

For some, NASCAR’s revised system worked like a dream. Keselowski, jumped from 10th in the standings to first on the 36-car starting grid, while points leader Kevin Harvick drew the No.6 slot.

NASCAR has now set plans for 20 races – all of them without fans – as it returns to the tracks after being shut down for more than two months by concerns about coronavirus.

“As we prepare for our return to racing at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, the industry has been diligent in building the return-to-racing schedule,” Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said in a statement.

“We thank the many government officials for their guidance, as we share the same goal in our return – the safety for our competitors and the communities in which we race.”

After Darlington, the Cup Series then continues at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, Atlanta Motor Speedway in Georgia, Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida and Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

Each car will carry the name of a front-line worker during the COVID-19 pandemic, and after weeks of waiting to race, the drivers are understandably excited.

“Heck yeah, let’s go,” said Austin Dillon, who will start 16th.

“Just happy to be getting back out on the track.”