Sprint Cup Series - Sharpie 500 Preview from Bristol
by BetUS Staff
Sprint Cup drivers paid a visit to the Commander-In-Chief this past week with a trip to the White House. Whether those drivers grabbed some inspiration from President Obama heading into this Saturday's race in Bristol remains to be seen on the track when NASCAR betting heats up at the Sharpie 500.
Oddsmakers have three drivers priced as co-favorites for the weekend. Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and Sprint Cup points leader Tony Stewart are all listed at +700 to win the Sharpie 500.
Stewart posted his first finish outside the Top 10 last weekend at Michigan when he settled for a 17th-place showing. The man known as Smoke has already qualified for the Chase for the Championship and can put the pedal to the metal in his upcoming races. At the quick half-mile oval, Stewart has 21 career starts with one win and an average finish of 13th place.
Edwards is the reigning champ at the Sharpie 500. He has yet to win a race this season but is currently rolling with back-to-back Top-5 finishes including a fourth-place showing at Michigan. Bristol is one of his better tracks, owning two wins and four Top-10 finishes in 10 career starts there. Edwards is currently fourth in the points standings and is more focused on consistency than taking checkered flags.
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Busch is adding to his bad boy image with his recent tirade following last week's Nationwide event. When it comes to NASCAR's big league, the volatile driver is coming off a 23rd-place performance at Michigan. He has just two Top 10 finishes in his past 11 races and is currently 15th in points – sitting outside the Chase cutoff. Busch, who won the truck series race at Bristol this week, will be going for broke this weekend.
NASCAR's other most-hated driver, Jeff Gordon, is listed at +800 to win the Sharpie 500. The No. 24 team put together a great race at Michigan, moving from 21st to a second-place showing. Gordon has taken the track at Bristol 33 times and has five wins and 20 Top-10 placings. He can clinch a spot in the Chase for the Championship with a finish of sixth or better this weekend.
Two drivers are set at +900 this Saturday. Denny Hamlin and Mark Martin are at opposite ends of their careers. Hamlin has made just seven starts at Bristol while Martin has started his engine at the half-mile track 41 times. Martin is currently clinging to the coveted 12th spot in the points standings despite winning four races this season. His most recent trip to Tennessee produced a pole position and a sixth-place finish in the Food City 400 this March.
Hamlin finished second in that race, which was his third straight Top 10 showing at Bristol. In those seven career starts at Tennessee he has an average finish of 20th, with a 43rd-place disappointment in 2007 inflating that number. This season the No. 11 ride has one win and 11 Top 10 placings, and currently sits fifth in the standings.
Other race notables are Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch at +1000, Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle at +1400, and Kevin Harvick +1800.
