2011 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Predictions
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
Last week Kyle Busch found his way back on top, winning the Quaker State 400. Busch now has three wins on the season, and is the new points leader. While Busch is all but a lock to make it to the Chase for the Championship, there are a number of drivers who have a lot of work to do over the final eight races of the regular season. This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the 2011 Lenox Industrial Tools 301. The race is scheduled for Sunday at at 1:00pm ET and will be televised nationally on TNT.
This is the first of two races that are held at New Hampshire, the other is the Sylvania 300 which is the second race of the Chase. Jimmie Johnson won this event for the second time in his career last season, but the other win came back in 2003. No single drivers has really dominated this race of late, as there has been a different driver win in each of the last six years.
This has been a difficult season to predict the Sprint Cup Series. When you think the favorites are ready to start dominating the tracks, someone comes up out of nowhere for a surprise checkered flag finish. While the parity is great for the sport, it makes life miserable for those trying to make some money betting the races. For those of you looking to lay down a bet on the race this weekend, here is a look at the three drivers I feel have the best shot at making their way to victory lane.
Denny Hamlin (+600) – Hamlin seems to always race well at New Hampshire. His 7.6 average finish on this track is the best of any driver in the field. In the last two seasons Hamlin has two runner-up finishes at this track, and is in desperate need of a strong finish this week. Hamlin hasn’t exactly had the 2011 season that many expected. He has just one win and three top five finishes, and hasn’t finished better than 11th since winning the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400. Still he is one of the favorites this week for a reason, and my money is on the No.11 car to find a way to win this race.
Jeff Gordon (+800) – After failing to win a single race last season, Gordon has won twice already this season. one of those wins came at the Subway Fresh Fit 500 in Phoenix, which is a very similar track to what the drivers will be facing this week. Gordon has finished in the top 10 in three straight starts at this event, and has three career wins at New Hampshire in his career. I really think Gordon is trying to send a message that he is still one of the top drivers in the game, and I look for him to come out and really put together a fine race this weekend.
Tony Stewart (+1200) – With no wins in 2011, Stewart is another driver that really needs a strong showing this week. He is currently 11th in the points standings, and unless he gets things going over the next eight races, he will likely be out of the Chase. There’s a good chance that Stewart will put an ease to his worries with win this week. He has won twice at New Hampshire in his career with 12 top 10 finishes. At +1200 his odds are simply too good to pass up.
Complete Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Odds
| AJ Allmendinger | +7000 |
| Bobby Labonte | +8000 |
| Brad Keselowski | +3500 |
| Brian Vickers | +8000 |
| Carl Edwards | +800 |
| Clint Bowyer | +1500 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr | +1800 |
| David Ragan | +6000 |
| David Reutimann | +7000 |
| Denny Hamlin | +600 |
| Greg Biffle | +2500 |
| Jamie McMurray | +5000 |
| Jeff Burton | +3000 |
| Jeff Gordon | +800 |
| Jimmie Johnson | +500 |
| Joey Logano | +4000 |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | +4000 |
| Kasey Kahne | +4000 |
| Kevin Harvick | +800 |
| Kurt Busch | +1000 |
| Kyle Busch | +800 |
| Marcos Ambrose | +8000 |
| Mark Martin | +4000 |
| Martin Truex Jr | +4000 |
| Matt Kenseth | +2500 |
| Paul Menard | +7000 |
| Regan Smith | +8000 |
| Ryan Newman | +2500 |
| Tony Stewart | +1200 |
| Field (Any Other Driver) | +8000 |
More NASCAR Predictions
Got something to say?