Tag: Alex Bowman

See Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s, Jeff Gordon’s dueling paint schemes for Alex Bowman’s Nashville car

Fans can vote for Dale Jr.’s or Jeff Gordon’s paint scheme to be on the No. 48 car at Nashville Superspeedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon retired from full-time NASCAR racing in 2017 and 2015, respectively. But the two former Hendrick Motorsports drivers are back to competing against each other, this time in an internet contest.

And current HMS driver Alex Bowman will be the real winner no matter what.

Earnhardt and Gordon each designed their own paint scheme specifically for the No. 48 Chevrolet, which Bowman now pilots, taking over this season after another Hendrick legend, Jimmie Johnson, retired from NASCAR at the end of the 2020 season.

Fans can vote on Twitter for their favorite of the dueling paint schemes — Neon Lights versus Music Row — and Bowman will race with the winning look in the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 20. (Ally Racing is also the primary sponsor for the No. 48 car.)

(Courtesy of Ally Racing)

However, this is a blind vote, so fans won’t know if they’re voting for Earnhardt’s or Gordon’s design until the winner is ultimately revealed.

But the options are fabulous regardless.

“The tough part right out of the gate is trying to improve on something that’s already really good, and the Ally paint scheme that Jimmie ran in the past has always been really good,” Dale Jr. said in a video about the contest.

“I had to get out of my comfort zone a little bit and be a little more brave and aggressive. … There’s always pressure, especially going up against Jeff. It will sting a little bit to lose to Jeff because we’re competitive and we were teammates and we raced each other hard.”

The former teammates are also part of rival NASCAR broadcasts with Gordon in the booth for FOX Sports for the first half of the season, while Dale Jr. is in the booth with NBC Sports for the second half. And as Earnhardt noted, the Nashville race is NBC’s first of 2021,

So while Dale Jr. said he’d love to talk all afternoon about Bowman running his winning paint scheme, Gordon, obviously, is hoping for the opposite.

“I had these thoughts in my mind of what I thought would be cool,” Gordon said about his design in the video. “So I just want that thing to look like it’s doing 200 miles per hour sitting there. …

“And Dale Jr., I know he likes to bring it. Nothing would be sweeter for me than to be sitting on my couch watching that broadcast and seeing Dale Jr. have to talk about the car that I designed!”

Here’s a look at Earnhardt’s and Gordon’s competing paint schemes, and fans can cast an unlimited number of votes using the two hashtags. The winning design is expected to be revealed about a week prior to the race at Nashville Superspeedway, which is a new addition to the Cup Series schedule this year.

NASCAR driver Alex Bowman celebrates Richmond win with so many Uncrustables

All the Uncrustables for the “Uncrustable-eating wheelman.”

NASCAR driver Alex Bowman is a huge fan of Uncrustables — you know, Smucker’s peanut butter and jelly sandwiches famously lacking the crust? — and he’s not shy about how much he loves them.

The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet often talks about his love for Uncrustables on social media, and his crew chief, Greg Ives, even once described Bowman as his “uncrustable eating wheel man”.

So naturally, after Bowman’s win Sunday at Richmond Raceway — his first of the 2021 season and third in his six-season career — his sponsor, Ally Financial, helped him celebrate the checkered flag with an extra-special prize.

So many Uncrustables!

They also appear to all be grape flavored, which Bowman previously noted is the superior flavor in his opinion. (“Strawberry is freaking trash,” he said last year. “Grape is infinitely better.”

Bowman’s love for Uncrustables is pretty well-known in the NASCAR world, so he’s often asked about it too. During a virtual Q&A last year not long after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down NASCAR, he was specifically asked about the number of Uncrustables he had consumed while quarantining.

“I have eaten all the Uncrustables during quarantine,” Bowman said last April, via FOX Sports. “Pretty sure every store around me is sold out because I’ve eaten all of them. They are delicious and terrible for you, but I’m here for it.”

Here’s what else Bowman has had to say about Uncrustables recently:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B94uxVpFyR-/?hl=en

 

With his first win of the season, Bowman is now 13th in the driver standings. NASCAR’s next race is Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET, FOX).

New episodes of The Sneak: The Disappearance of Mario Rossi are out now

[vertical-gallery id=1022709]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393221]

Best NASCAR radio quotes from Bristol’s dirt race: ‘Can’t [expletive] see anything, man!’

The radio audio from NASCAR’s new Bristol dirt race was even more entertaining than usual.

The NASCAR Cup Series had a dramatic and entertaining race Monday at Bristol Motor Speedway, which was converted into a dirt track for last weekend’s spectacle and marked the first Cup race on dirt in four decades.

Joey Logano took his first checkered flag of the season while holding off Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Denny Hamlin, who finished second and third, respectively. (And Logano is clearly having a good time with his gladiator sword trophy from the track nicknamed “The Last Great Colosseum.”)

For a novel race like this, drivers truly didn’t know what to expect. They had practices, and some competed in the third-tier Truck Series race Monday prior to the Cup event.

But overall this was a new experience for everyone, and that made eavesdropping on drivers’ conversations on their team radios even more amusing than usual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6hv19_npy4

With the help of FOX Sports’ radio audio highlights from the Bristol dirt race, we’ve pulled out nine of the best (and wildest) quotes from Monday’s rain-delayed event.

Dixie Vodka 400 live stream, start time, TV channel, starting lineup, How to watch the NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR’s Cup Series will head down south to Homestead Miami Speedway for the Dixie Vodka 400 on Sunday afternoon.

NASCAR’s Cup Series will head down south to Homestead Miami Speedway for the Dixie Vodka 400 on Sunday afternoon.

The Dixie Vodka 400 is set to run for 267 laps with 38 drivers in the lineup and Denny Hamlin starting in the pole position and won last year’s race. This should be a fantastic race that you won’t want to miss.

Here is everything you need on how, when, and where to watch the Dixie Vodka 400 on Sunday.

Dixie Vodka 400

  • Date: Sunday, February 28
  • Race Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: FOX
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Dixie Vodka 400 Starting lineup

  1. Denny Hamlin
  2. Joey Logano
  3. Christopher Bell
  4. Kevin Harvick
  5. Kurt Busch
  6. Michael McDowell
  7. Brad Keselowski
  8. Ryan Preece
  9. Martin Truex Jr.
  10. Cole Custer
  11. Chase Elliott
  12. Chris Buescher
  13. Alex Bowman
  14. Ryan Blaney
  15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  16. Aric Almirola
  17. Kyle Larson
  18. Erik Jones
  19. Bubba Wallace
  20. Justin Haley (i)
  21. Daniel Suarez
  22. Austin Dillon
  23. Ryan Newman
  24. Kyle Busch
  25. Corey LaJoie
  26. Cody Ware (i)
  27. Anthony Alfredo (R)
  28. Garrett Smithley (i)
  29. James Davison
  30. Chase Briscoe (R)
  31. William Byron
  32. Ross Chastain
  33. Timmy Hill (i)
  34. BJ McLeod (i)
  35. Tyler Reddick
  36. Josh Bilicki
  37. Matt DiBenedetto
  38. Quin Houff

NASCAR Odds and betting lines

Want some action on NASCAR? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM.

For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee. 

Daytona 500 live stream, NASCAR Cup Series, start time, TV channel, starting lineup and more

The Daytona 500 will take place on Sunday afternoon from Daytona International Speedway, don’t miss the action and stream it here live.

What a week we’ve had for NASCAR making its debut for the 2021 season and we won’t have to wait any longer as The Daytona 500 is here.

Alex Bowman will start on the pole and will be looking for his first Daytona 500 win since 2014 while Denny Hamlin will look to make it three in a row, which is unprecedented in NASCAR. This will be a fantastic race for NASCAR fans and one that you won’t want to miss as we start our 2021-22 season.

Here is everything you need on how, when, and where to watch the NASCAR 500 on Sunday.

Daytona 500

  • Date: Sunday, February 14
  • Race Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: FOX, FOX Deportes
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Daytona 500 Starting lineup

1. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet.

x-2. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet.

3. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford.

4. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet.

5. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota.

6. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota.

7. (6) Ryan Newman, Ford.

8. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford.

9. (22) Joey Logano, Ford.

10. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota.

11. (37) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet.

12. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet.

13. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet.

14. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford.

15. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet.

16. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet.

17. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford.

18. (36) David Ragan, Ford.

19. (77) James McMurray, Chevrolet.

20. (1) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet.

21. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet.

22. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford.

23. (21) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford.

24. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford.

25. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota.

26. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota.

27. (41) Cole Custer, Ford.

28. (53) Joey Gase, Ford.

29. (8) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet.

30. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford.

31. (43) Eric Jones, Chevrolet.

32. (15) Derrike Cope, Chevrolet.

33. (00) Quin Houff, Chevrolet.

34. (42) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet.

35. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet.

36. (38) Anthony Alfredo, Ford.

37. (52) Josh Bilicki, Ford.

38. (78) BJ McLeod, Ford.

39. (33) Austin Cindric, Ford.

40. (16) Kaz Grala, Chevrolet.

NASCAR Odds and betting lines

Want some action on NASCAR? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM.

Denny Hamlin (+500)

Chase Elliott (+900)

Bubba Wallace (+1800)

For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee. 

Alex Bowman will replace Jimmie Johnson in iconic No. 48 Chevrolet in 2021

Alex Bowman is replacing NASCAR’s seven-time champion in 2021, Hendrick Motorsports announced.

When seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson steps out of his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at the end of the 2020 season, Alex Bowman will be taking over one of the most successful rides in the sport.

Already a Hendrick driver, Bowman will switch from the No. 88 car to the now-iconic No. 48 — the car Johnson drove for his entire 20-year career in NASCAR — the team announced Tuesday. Although Johnson isn’t stepping away from racing entirely, the 45-year-old is retiring from full-time competition at the end of the 2020 NASCAR season in November and will run a dozen IndyCar Series races next year.

Johnson’s current primary sponsor, Ally Financial, is signed through the 2023 season and will remain with Bowman on the No. 48 car. Bowman will also continue to partner with his current crew chief, Greg Ives, who will move from the No. 88 to the No. 48.

“I’ve worked my entire life to be in a situation like this,” 27-year-old Bowman said in a statement via Hendrick Motorsports. He’s currently still one of 12 championship-eligible drivers in the playoffs.

“I can’t put my respect for Jimmie into words. To me, the No. 48 team’s legacy is about winning, but also how you go about your business. It’s leadership, confidence, work ethic, being a professional and holding yourself to a higher standard. No one will ever be Jimmie, and he’s given us a championship blueprint to follow.”

 

This is actually the second NASCAR legend Bowman will be taking over for – after replacing Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Chevrolet in 2018, following Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement at the end of the previous season. Bowman also filled in for Earnhardt, who was sidelined with a concussion, in 2016 for 10 races.

So far in nearly three full-time seasons with Hendrick, Bowman has two wins. His first career checkered flag came in 2019 at Chicagoland Speedway, and his second win was early in the 2020 season at Auto Club Speedway. In addition to Bowman’s one win this season, he has four top-5 finishes and 11 top-10s.

There’s been speculation throughout the 2020 season over who Hendrick would tap to take over Johnson’s ride. But with Bowman moving to the No. 48 car in 2021, it’s unknown who will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet.

As the NASCAR season winds down, there are still multiple top drivers looking for rides next year, including Erik Jones, who won’t return to Joe Gibbs Racing after 2020, and Kyle Larson, who has not yet been reinstated by NASCAR.

Larson entered this season as the most valuable upcoming free agent. But Chip Ganassi Racing fired him in April almost immediately after he said the N-word during a livestream of an iRacing event and his sponsors began dropping him.

[jwplayer N4D2lHT3-q2aasYxh]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393221]

NASCAR at Atlanta 2020 Live Stream, Start Time, TV Channel, NASCAR Starting Lineup

The final race of the weekend for NASCAR is the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 with 40 of the best drivers, check out the live stream.

NASCAR has come back with a vengeance after their two-month hiatus and has been racing every week since they’ve been back on the track. We have the final race of the weekend on Sunday with the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

NASCAR is still going without the practice or qualifying rounds so it will come down to track experience and knowledge for the 40 drivers that will be competing on Sunday.

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

  • Date: Sunday, June 7, 2020
  • Start time: 3:00 p.m. ET
  • Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway
  • TV Channel: FOX, FOX Deportes
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

With experience and knowledge of the track coming into play, without any practice or qualifying rounds that leads us to believe the drivers with previous wins should be in play for Sunday’s race.

Kevin Harvick (7-2) is the favorite with Kyle Busch (13-2), Brad Keselowski (13-2), Denny Hamlin (12-1), and Jimmie Johnson (18-1) cracking the top 5 contenders according to the odds board at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Starting Lineup

1. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet.

2. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford.

3. (22) Joey Logano, Ford.

4. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota.

5. {14) Clint Bowyer, Ford.

6. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford.

7. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford.

8. (88) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet.

9. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford.

10.(11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota.

11. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota.

12. (1) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet.

13. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford.

14. (20) Erik Jones, Toyota.

15. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet.

16. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet.

17. (6) Ryan Newman, Ford.

18. (38) John Hunter Nemechek, Ford.

19. (42) Matt Kenseth, Chevrolet.

20. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet.

21. (21) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford.

22. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet.

23. (43) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet.

24. (8) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet.

25. (32) Corey LaJoie, Ford.

26. (51) Joey Gase, Ford.

27. (95) Christopher Bell, Toyota.

28. (13) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet.

29. (37) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet.

30. (77) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet.

31. (41) Cole Custer, Ford.

32. (27) Josh Bilicki, Ford.

33. (15) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet.

34. (53) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet.

35. (00) Quin Houff, Chevrolet.

36. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford.

37. (96) Daniel Suarez, Toyota.

38. (66) Timmy Hill, Toyota.

39. (78) BJ McLeod, Ford.

40. (7) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series continues on at Charlotte Motor Speedway Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET for the Alsco Uniforms 500. Below, we analyze the Alsco Uniforms 500 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Alsco Uniforms 500: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, May 25 at 6:05 p.m. ET.

It was another really entertaining race Sunday evening at the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte. Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski (+900 for Wednesday’s 500) will be looking for the double-dip sweep in the Queen City, but is he a good bet?

  • Keselowski will start from the 20th position Wednesday, as Sunday’s finishing positions 1-20 will be inverted for the starting grid. His four previous stops at CMS resulted in a 19.3 Average-Finish Position (AFP), so go another way.
  • MARTIN TRUEX JR. (+500) is the Alsco Uniforms 500 favorite. He enters with five straight finishes of sixth or better at Charlotte, including Sunday’s sixth-place result. Eight of his past nine starts at the track have been sixth or better, good for a 4.0 AFP.
  • Joe Gibbs Racing driver KYLE BUSCH (+600), who took fourth at the 600, admitted after Sunday’s race that he “stole a top 5 (finish)” and that his car was maybe a “ninth-place car at best.”  He hasn’t been hitting on all cylinders so far this season, but he has a 3.7 AFP in his past three Charlotte starts.
  • Rookies Christopher Bell (+15000) and Tyler Reddick (+4000) made their Cup debuts Sunday at Charlotte, with Reddick ending up eighth and Bell finishing ninth.

Who is going to win the Alsco Uniforms 500?

Hendrick Motorsports driver CHASE ELLIOTT (+600) was snake-bitten in each of the past two races, and his bettors definitely suffered a bad beat Sunday. Elliott had what seemed to be an insurmountable lead with two laps to go at the 600, but teammate William Byron (+2000) cut a tire, bringing out the caution flag.

Elliott’s crew chief Alan Gustafson followed by making a questionable call, pitting for four tires. So, Elliott didn’t get to restart from the front and couldn’t make up the difference in the two-lap overtime period. He did work his way all the way up to third by the time the checkered flag waved – and actually received a second-place finish when JIMMIE JOHNSON (+900) failed post-race inspection and was disqualified. Byron, by the way, finished 20th, so he will be the pole-sitter on Wednesday night.

But it’s been back-to-back heartbreakers for the No. 9 car.

Elliott was wrecked late at Darlington by Kyle Busch, turning two potential wins in the past two races into nightmare finishes for Elliott and his bettors.

Meanwhile, seven-time champ JOHNSON (+900) looks to be running with renewed vigor, as he looks to snap a 102-race win drought dating back to June 4, 2017 at Dover. He is getting closer, and is worth a small-unit bet at a track he has fared well in the past.

Place legal sports betting on NASCAR action in CO, IN, NV, NJ and WV through BetMGM. Sign up and bet at BetMGM now!

Kevin Harvick (+900) of Stewart-Haas Racing quietly posted a fifth-place finish Sunday despite the fact it looked like he just didn’t have it. This is a scary sign for the rest of the field, as he and his team have a few days to figure it out.

The better bet than Harvick, however, might be Hendrick’s ALEX BOWMAN (+800). He led 164 laps at the 600 before settling for a 19th-place finish. He proved earlier at the Auto Club 400 in California that he can win races, and he had a runner-up in Darlington in the first race back.

Charlotte Motor Speedway long-shot bets

Reddick and Bell are strong plays based on their top-10 performances Sunday. However, don’t sleep on RICKY STENHOUS JR. (+10000) for a small-unit wager. He was 13th, 10th and 5th in his prior three stops in Charlotte before a 24th-place run Sunday. He has the tools to not just finish high, but win at this track.

A little less risk AUSTIN DILLON (+8000). He won on this track in the 600 back in May 2017. Dillon posted a 14th-place run in Sunday’s race, and is worth a roll of the dice.

Want action on this race? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1950]

NASCAR drivers hilariously struggle with umbrellas during Coca-Cola 600 rain delay

Rain hit the Coca-Cola 600 early, but drivers still entertained during the delay…

NASCAR drivers have a ton of unique and specialized skills, which are regularly on display again now that the sport returned to the track, despite the global coronavirus pandemic. But apparently being able to open umbrellas with ease isn’t a universal skill in the garage.

Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 was halted just 50 laps into the 400-lap, 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. One of NASCAR’s crown jewels, the race started around 6:30 p.m. ET but didn’t last long as rain took over the 1.5-mile track, and officials threw out the red flag.

While still following NASCAR’s social distancing rules, FOX Sports interviewed several drivers on pit road once they got out of their cars during the break.

And that led to cameras capturing seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, his teammate, Alex Bowman, and Clint Bowyer hilariously struggling to open their umbrellas — comical moments often brought to fans by rain delays.

Now, in Bowyer’s defense, it looks like some wind may be impeding his ability to get that thing open. But for Johnson and Bowman, what’s going on there? Gotta love Jeff Gordon’s reaction to Bowyer, as he’s cackling watching the No. 14 Ford driver.

Based on Bowman’s response, he was giving Johnson a hand and even offered to do the same for Bowyer.

But he’s not the only one who had jokes. NASCAR Twitter was thoroughly entertained during the rain delay.

[jwplayer D7EoygAN-q2aasYxh]

[vertical-gallery id=919144]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393221]

NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday at 6 p.m. ET for the Coca-Cola 600. Below, we analyze the Coca-Cola 600 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Coca-Cola 600: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m. ET.

After a pair of exciting races at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR Cup Series drivers head up to Charlotte for the longest mileage race of the season. Joe Gibbs Racing’s MARTIN TRUEX JR. (+600) is back to defend his crown after winning the grueling Memorial Day weekend race last season. MTJ has won two of the past three tri-oval races at Charlotte, and three of the past six, including two Coca-Cola 600s. As such, he’ll be a popular betting choice.

  • Same-day qualifying will set the field for the Coca-Cola 600, unlike the two previous Darlington races where practice and time trials/qualifying were eliminated. However, the starting grid for next Wednesday’s Charlotte race will be determined by Sunday’s 600 finishing order, using an inversion of positions 1-20, with the positions 21-40 remaining the same.
  • Truex has three wins with seven top-5 results and 11 top-10 showings with 972 laps led and a 14.07 Average-Finish Position in 27 career starts at Charlotte.
  • The winner of the past three Coca-Cola 600 races has been 14th (Truex), 1st (Kyle Busch) and 22nd (Austin Dillon). Three of the past six Coca-Cola 600 races have been won by the pole sitter, however.
  • Toyota has dominated at Charlotte, winning four of the past five Coca-Cola 600 races.

Who is going to win the Coca-Cola 600?

JGR’s KYLE BUSCH (+400) is the overall favorite at Charlotte, as he looks to return to Victory Lane. Busch has just one career win in 30 starts at the Concord, N.C. track, taking checkers in the 2018 installment of the 600.

Busch trails only Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson in laps led at Charlotte Motor Speedway among active drivers, leading the field for 1,449 laps. Johnson has 1,930 in his 35 starts.

DENNY HAMLIN (+900) picked up a victory in Wednesday’s rain-shortened Darlington race, providing his manufacturer with a win at the Toyota 500. As mentioned above, Toyota has dominated the 600 recently, so Hamlin isn’t a bad play to go back-to-back. In fact, all cars in the JGR stable are solid plays this weekend until someone can knock them from the perch.

Place legal sports betting on NASCAR action in NJ, NV, IN, CO and WV through BetMGM. Sign up and bet at BetMGM now!

Kevin Harvick (+600) of Stewart-Haas Racing and Joey Logano (+850) of Penske Racing are among the top four favorites along with Busch and Truex. Harvick won the Bank of America 500 back in 2014, but hasn’t won a 600 since the 2013 installment when he started 15th. Logano also has a BoA 500 win under his belt, but has yet to pick up checkers in the 600. If you are picking between the two, Happy’s three-career Charlotte wins and eight top-5 showings with a 15.4 AFP is much more attractive than Logano’s six top-5 placements in 20 career starts with a 12.5 AFP at Charlotte.

Charlotte Motor Speedway long-shot bets

Want to think a little outside of the box and go for a long-shot play? Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+3000) of JTG Daugherty Racing might be worth a roll of the dice. Sure, last Sunday he lasted halfway through Lap 1 at Darlington before an accident, but he’ll put that in the rear-view mirror. His past four starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway have resulted in finishes of 15th, 13th, 10th and 5th, including a 7.5 AFP across his past two 600 starts.

Hendrick’s Alex Bowman (+1200) isn’t exactly a long shot, but anything over +1000 is rather nice when it cashes. He has turned in finishes of ninth and seventh in his past two 600 starts.

Want action on this race? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1950]