2011 Quaker State 400 Predictions
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be making its first ever stop at Kentucky Speedway this week as drivers gear up for the 2011 Quaker State 400. While many of the Sprint Cup drivers have little knowledge of this track, those that also race on the Nationwide and Truck series have likely raced on this track at some point. The race is scheduled to get underway at 7:30 ET on Saturday night, and with this being the inaugural Sprint Cup race there figures to be a huge crowd on hand.
With no previous races to go off of, it really makes it difficult to figure out which drivers will excel on this track. The track that resembles Kentucky Speedway the most is Kansas Speedway. Brad Keselowski earned the checkered flag at Kansas, but that race came down to who could manage their fuel the best, something you can’t expect to happen this week.
As you might have guessed, handicapping this race was not easy, but there are a few drivers who appear to have an advantage. For those of you looking to place a bet on the race this week, here is a look at the three drivers I feel have the best shot at making their way to victory lane.
Carl Edwards (+700) – For a second straight week I will put my money on Edwards to walk away with a win. Edwards finished a disappointing 37th last week at the Coke Zero 400, which ended up costing him the lead in the point standings. When you consider all the tracks that have a similar feel to that of Kentucky Speedway, Edwards has been as consistent as they come. In the six tracks we looked at (Vegas, Fontana, Texas, Richmond, Kansas, and Michigan), Edwards finished no worse than sixth and was the winner in two of them. He also has previous experience with Kentucky Raceway on the Nationwide and Truck series, with two career wins in nine starts.
Matt Kenseth (+1200) – The next guy that really stuck out this week is Edwards’ teammate Matt Kenseth, who has also raced well on the tracks that we ranked highly for this race. Kenseth has two wins this season at Texas and Dover, and will be using the same car he won with at Texas this week. Kenseth had a solid sixth place finish at Kansas earlier this season, and has raced well on that track over the years. If you are looking for a driver with a great chance to win with decent odds for your money, lock in Kenseth at +1200.
Denny Hamlin (+1000) – My final pick this week goes on Denny Hamlin, who has finally got things going in the right direction in 2011. Hamlin won his first race of the season three weeks ago at the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400, and appears primed to run well at Kentucky Raceway. His third place finish at Kansas earlier this season is what really got things going in the right direction, and you simply can’t keep a driver that is this good down for long. With Hamlin 11th in the standings, racing well this weekend is crucial for his chances of making the Chase, which is a big reason why I think he is worth a shot at +1000.
Good luck with your picks this week, and be sure to stop back each week for Steve’s NASCAR predictions.
Complete Quaker State 400 Odds
| Jimmie Johnson | +800 |
| Kyle Busch | +800 |
| AJ Allmendinger | +7500 |
| Marcos Ambrose | +7500 |
| Paul Menard | +7500 |
| Carl Edwards | +700 |
| Kurt Busch | +700 |
| Brad Keselowski | +6000 |
| David Reutimann | +6000 |
| Jamie McMurray | +6000 |
| David Ragan | +5000 |
| zx Field (Any Other Driver) | +5000 |
| Brian Vickers | +4000 |
| Jeff Burton | +4000 |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | +4000 |
| Mark Martin | +4000 |
| Martin Truex Jr | +4000 |
| Ryan Newman | +3000 |
| Joey Logano | +2500 |
| Kasey Kahne | +2500 |
| Clint Bowyer | +2000 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr | +1500 |
| Greg Biffle | +1200 |
| Kevin Harvick | +1200 |
| Matt Kenseth | +1200 |
| Tony Stewart | +1200 |
| Bobby Labonte | +10000 |
| Regan Smith | +10000 |
| Denny Hamlin | +1000 |
| Jeff Gordon | +1000 |
More NASCAR Predictions
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