Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
STP 500

Odds to Win Race

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Ridgeway for the STP 500 on Sunday. Last week, the drivers competed in the Auto Club 400 in California. Kyle Larson won that race, and it was much deserved for the 24-year-old. He had finished in second place in three consecutive events, so it’s only right that he was finally able to break through and win. This race, meanwhile, is one that guys like Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin will be looking forward to. Both guys have won this race three times in their careers, and they have a ton of work to do if they want to catch Richard Petty for most wins all-time in the STP 500. Petty is currently sitting on a ridiculous nine wins here, and it’s likely nobody will touch that mark ever again. Both Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace are tied for second-most wins here, as each of them has won this race five times in their careers. Due to Petty’s dominance on this track, it’s not surprising to find that Petty Enterprises is the team with the most wins here all-time. Petty Enterprises has 12 wins in this race, and Hendrick Motorsports is next with eight. Chevrolet, meanwhile, is the most successful manufacturer, as a Chevy driver has won this race 26 times. With that out of the way, here’s a look at some of the best plays for Sunday’s race:

Denny Hamlin (11-to-2) - Denny Hamlin is the favorite to win Sunday’s race and it is for good reason. Hamlin has been dominant at this event in his career, as he won this race in 2008, 2010 and 2015. Last year, Hamlin lost control on Turn 1 and ended up wrecking. He finished in 39th place, but he’ll be back to compete for another victory on Sunday. He’ll be hungrier than ever, as he’ll want to get the bad taste from last year’s result out of his mouth and also needs to earn his first victory of the season before it’s too late.

Jimmie Johnson (7-to-1) - Jimmie Johnson is coming off of a lousy 21st finish at the Auto Club 400, and he can really use a win on Sunday. Johnson was last year’s Series champion and has not yet won a race this season. The clock is starting to tick and he will definitely race with a sense of urgency on Sunday. It also helps that Johnson has been pretty good here in his career. Johnson won this race back in 2007, 2009 and 2013. He has also finished inside the top-10 twice since that victory in 2013. He’s worth a shot at 7-to-1.

Kevin Harvick (10-to-1) - Kevin Harvick is getting some favorable odds on Sunday at 10-to-1, and he definitely has a chance of entering victory lane after this one. Harvick won this race back in 2011, and he has been solid here since then. He has two other top-10 finishes in Virginia, and there’s a pretty good shot he’ll be competing for the top spot on Sunday. It also helps that he has two top-10 finishes this season, as it shows he is driving pretty well heading into this weekend.

Ryan Blaney (55-to-1) - When looking for this week’s potential dark horse winner, Ryan Blaney is somebody that stands out. Blaney has been driving extremely well this season and it appears the oddsmakers haven’t caught on. Heading into this race, Blaney has finished inside the top-10 at two of the past three events. He also finished in second place at the Daytona 500 in the first race of the year. His break could be coming, much like Larson’s.