Chevy Rock & Roll 400 from Richmond International Raceway
by BetUS Staff
NASCAR betting hits Richmond International Raceway this weekend. The Sprint Cup Series' last chance to dance is the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, which will determine the top 12 drivers qualifying for the Chase for the Championship. With plenty of room in the standings for shuffling, drivers who are in and out will be putting the pedal to the metal this Saturday.
Oddsmakers have priced Jimmie Johnson as a +450 race favorite. The three-time defending Cup champ has won three of the past five events at Richmond but finished his most recent run there in 35th place after starting in 15th. Despite his recent success Johnson posts an average finish of just 19th place but will be running with the No. 461 chassis, which led him to a second-place showing at New Hampshire – another short, tight oval track – last September. Johnson is coming off a 36th-place showing at Atlanta last weekend.
Right behind Johnson on the NASCAR betting board is Kyle Busch, who is currently in 14th place in the points standing – just two spots out of making the cut for the Chase. Busch started in fifth last weekend but dropped to a 13th-place finish. He needs a big day at Richmond, where he boasts an average finish of 6.1 in nine career starts. He already has one win at Richmond this season, taking the checkered flag at the Crown Royal Presents the Russ Friedman 400 back in May.
Points leader Tony Stewart is listed at +600 for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. He has an impressive record at Richmond, finishing as runner up in three of the last five races there. He has three wins and 15 Top-10 finishes in 21 starts at the 3/4-mile oval. Since clinching his spot in the Chase a while ago, the No. 14 car has been on cruise control. Stewart has finished outside the Top 10 in his last three events after finishing outside the Top 10 in just three races all season. Last week, Smoke placed 11th after starting in 12th spot.
Veteran driver Mark Martin has a target on him this weekend. Priced at +650, Martin could have one of his best seasons spoiled if he gets bumped from the Top 12. He currently sits 10th in the standings but is only 69 points ahead of Brian Vickers in the 13th spot. Martin has four wins on the year but hasn't won a race at Richmond since 1990. He has, however, finished inside the Top 5 in his last three runs there. Martin is coming off back-to-back Top 5 finishes and has finished among the five fastest in five of his last seven races.
Two drivers are listed at +700 for this Saturday night's contest. Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin are on the right side of the standings heading into the weekend. Hamlin, a native of Virginia, is currently fourth and hits the ground running at his home track. In just seven career starts at Richmond, the No. 11 team boasts three Top-5 showings and an average finish of ninth place. Hamlin is rolling into the Chase section of the schedule - he has ended up inside the Top 10 in five straight races.
Gordon has 33 career starts at Virginia and has flourished in his recent outings at the short oval. He has placed inside the Top 10 in five straight events at Richmond, most recently an eighth-place showing back in May. The No. 24 team is sitting in second in the standings and is 237 points behind Stewart. Gordon has been inconsistent lately, finishing eighth, 23rd, second, 37th, and eighth in his last five races. That up-and-down driving could have something to do with Gordon's nagging back injury.
