NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
MyAfibStory.com 400Sunday, September 14 – 2:00 p.m. EDT
Chicagoland Speedway – Joliet, ILThe Chase for the Cup, a 10-race circuit to determine this year’s points champion, opens in Chicago on Sunday. Chicagoland Speedway is an intermediate track that was completed in 2000. Its configuration is a 1˝-mile, tri-oval shaped track with 18-degree banking on the turns, 11-degree banking on the 2,400-foot frontstretch and five-degree banking on the backstretch, which measures 1,700 feet. Matt Kenseth is the defending champion of this race. Odds to Win Race| Driver | Odds | | Brad Keselowski | 5-to-1 | | Kevin Harvick | 5-to-1 | | Jeff Gordon | 5-to-1 | | Jimmie Johnson | 6-to-1 | | Joey Logano | 8-to-1 | | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 10-to-1 | | Kyle Busch | 12-to-1 | | Matt Kenseth | 12-to-1 | | Kasey Kahne | 15-to-1 | | Denny Hamlin | 15-to-1 | | Tony Stewart | 20-to-1 | | Kurt Busch | 20-to-1 | | Kyle Larson | 30-to-1 | | Carl Edwards | 30-to-1 | | Clint Bowyer | 40-to-1 | | Greg Biffle | 40-to-1 | | Ryan Newman | 40-to-1 | | Jamie McMurray | 50-to-1 | | Brian Vickers | 50-to-1 | | Paul Menard | 60-to-1 | | Martin Truex Jr. | 200-to-1 | | Austin Dillon | 200-to-1 | | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 200-to-1 | | Aric Almirola | 300-to-1 | | Marcos Ambrose | 300-to-1 | | A.J. Allmendinger | 300-to-1 | | Danica Patrick | 300-to-1 | | Casey Mears | 500-to-1 | | Justin Allgaier | 500-to-1 | | FIELD (Any other driver) | 500-to-1 |
Drivers to WatchMatt Kenseth (12/1) - It's stunning that a driver that won this race with 6-to-1 odds will go off at twice that much this time around. Kenseth is a 1.5-mile track specialist who has top-5 showings in three straight tracks measuring this distance, placing 3rd at Charlotte, 4th at Kentucky and 2nd in Atlanta. And with his win here last year, he now has five top-7 finishes in Chicago, including runner-ups in 2005 and 2007. Kenseth is also entering the Chase on a nice roll, placing fourth or better in five of the past 10 starts.Brad Keselowski (5/1) - The best chalk on the board is Keselowski, who has the eighth-best average finish (12.6) in Chicagoland among active drivers. This includes three straight top-7's including a victory in 2012. The current leader in the point standings has finished 1st or 2nd in six of his past 14 races, and has picked up victories on two 1.5-mile tracks this season (Las Vegas in March and Kentucky on June 28). The odds aren't great, but Keselowski is still worthy of a small wager. Clint Bowyer (40/1) - In eight career races at Chicago, Bowyer has finished outside the top-10 only once, which was back in 2008 when he placed 22nd. Somehow he's getting borderline longshot odds though, as his 40-to-1 price climbed nicely for bettors since he went off at 15-to-1 last year. These odds may reflect Bowyer's poor showing on six 1.5-mile tracks this season (17th or worse five times), but he has raced well enough in his past eight starts (four top-6 finishes) to warrant a one-unit bet on Sunday. Carl Edwards (30/1) - Another darkhorse value to consider is Edwards, whose odds have tripled from the 10-to-1 price he went off at last year. His average finish this decade in Chicago is 9.0, as Edwards has led at least a lap in three of these four starts. In terms of 1.5-mile tracks this season, he placed 5th at Las Vegas, 6th at Kansas, 4th at Charlotte and 5th at Atlanta. Edwards is also hitting his stride entering the Chase for the Cup with his win in Sonoma being the first of four top-7 finishes in his past 11 starts. Like Bowyer, Edwards too is worthy of a one-unit wager. Martin Truex Jr. (200/1) - Truex has not raced well all season with zero top-5 finishes, but you can't totally ignore him on Sunday with such unbelievable odds. Recall that Truex had 15-to-1 odds in last year's Chicagoland race, which is more than 13 times lower than his current price of 200-to-1. He also has a strong 13.5 average finish in his past six starts at Chicagoland. If you're feeling lucky, go for the huge payoff with Truex.
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