Betting NASCAR: Two solid selections for the Pepsi 400

Stewart needs a good result

With a run of bad luck in '06 Stewart could use a strong showing in Daytona. 

Stewart has led in seven of his 15 Daytona races, including the last five. Along with his victory he owns 4 Daytona top-5's and 8 top-ten finishes.

Last week, Stewart entered Sonoma as a strong favorite to win even after qualifying a disappointing 12th. He had won the previous three road-course events on the Nextel Cup schedule, and his car was the best in the field over long runs early in the event. However, he finished a dismal 28th following engine problems. The 28th-place finish was the fifth finish of 12th or worse in the last six races for Stewart, as he dropped a spot in the standings to now be 7th in points.

The 2.5 miled oval in Daytona has been good to Stewart, and it's a good bet the defending champ will rebound nicely Saturday night.

Another driver to watch in this race is the '04 Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch. The driver of Penske Racing South's #2 Miller Lite Dodge has had recent success to become a legit contender in the chase for the cup. Busch has finished in the top 10 each of the last three weeks.

Coming into Saturday night's race, Busch over the last four races has cut his margin to 10th place in the standings from 19th position and 234 points behind after the Coca-Cola 600 to 14th position and is only 165 points away from the 10th position. 

10th is the final guaranteed spot for the '06 Chase for the Nextel Cup, and Busch has 10 races to get there, so it should come as no surprise if he maintains solid runs including this weekend.

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