NASCAR: Upcoming race
With the Pep Boys 500 behind us (and Kasey Kahne chalking one up in the winner’s column), all eyes on the Sprint chase for the cup series turns to race 26 of 36, the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway – set for Saturday at 7 p.m., and you can watch it on NBC.
Kahne’s victory puts him at 11th in the point standings, but he’s still looking up at Tony Stewart on down through Mark Martin, even if he is currently above the cutoff for the playoffs. Kahne may have built up a bit of a reputation of choking over the last couple seasons (although many think it was just a case of him not getting the right car), but it looks like he might be hitting a stride here at just the right time. If he keeps his wits on the race track, I’d bet him in a one-on-one against anyone besides Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon. Yes, I’d take him over Tony Stewart and both Busch men on any track through the rest of the season.
Can he win again? That, of course, waits to be seen, but I wouldn’t do any heavy nascar betting on it. So few races left in the regular Cup season, and Sunday was Kasey’s first win. I can see him pulling out a couple more Top 5 finishes with ease, but to take the checkered flag again might be a bit of a long shot.
So who’s the favorite heading into Saturday? I like Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards. They both run these tracks well, and are due for another top finish. Head-to-head, if you’re looking for that action, Gordon over Stewart, Stewart over Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman over Denny Hamlin and the aforementioned matchups involving Kahne. Just watch the lines on those matchups, though. If someone’s coming in an overwhelming favorite, like a nascar betting odds of -160 or higher, it’s always a red flag. That’s too much to put up vs. the risk that something will go wrong and they’ll fall back in the pack, or at least further back than the guy you’ve got him pitted up against.
All I know is if we get more races like Sunday’s beauty, we’ll be in for a treat the rest of the season. Always good to see racing instead of the typical follow-the-leader that springs up over the year.