2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup
Business is about to pick up in the NASCAR garage and your sportsbook. If you enjoy betting on sports, you know there are only 10 races left until the “Chase for the Sprint Cup” begins, starting with this Sunday's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, site of the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. Here is a look at the top drivers who need to get in gear quickly if they want to earn a place in the top 12 to decide the championship.
Kevin Harvick is only two points behind Matt Kenseth at 13th in the point standings, but the No.29 driver has not had a top-ten since Richmond, and he has three finishes of 30th or lower since then. Last week at Infineon Raceway was especially irritating, as he was in line for a top-five before spinning out and collecting the likes of Tony Stewart and Jamie McMurray. Harvick has not won a points race since the Daytona 500 last year, and it appears as though his late-season slide is starting early this year.
Ryan Newman finally thought this was going to be his year after his thrilling victory in the Daytona 500, but as Harvick could tell him, a win in the 500 does not equate to a good season. Newman has threatened to leave Roger Penske's team if his cars are not better, but a seventh-place run at Infineon may have scaled back his frustration a bit. That was Newman's first top-ten finish since Richmond, and he had notched a disappointing 26.4 finishing average in his five previous points races.
Martin Truex Jr. became DEI's main driver once Dale Earnhardt Jr. chose to leave his late father;s company, and the No.1 driver has been mired in midpack for most of the season. Truex Jr. has only a pair of top-tens since Richmond and his cars have been generally getting worse as the race goes on, which is not the sign of a driver looking for a repeat appearance in the Chase.
2004 champion Kurt Busch is 288 points out of 12th place, and the No.2 driver has only one top-ten since pushing teammate Newman to the win at Daytona. Busch has been qualifying well with an average start of 9.2 over his last six races, but like Truex Jr., his cars are falling off throughout the race and his finish of 21.8 over those same six races leaves a lot to be desired.
For all of your NASCAR props and odds concerning the season-long "Chase for the Sprint Cup", visit BetOnline.com for the most entertaining experience in the sports betting industry.
Born in the betting capital of Las Vegas, Lee-Roy has grown to appreciate the likes of IndyCar and Formula 1 racing, but his first love is the high-speed ovals of NASCAR and he is a HUGE Tony Stewart fan. When it comes to motorsports handicapping, Buckles takes the checkered flag. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
