Tag: Clint Bowyer

Q&A: Kevin Harvick on wanting to be the John Madden of NASCAR broadcasts and reuniting with Clint Bowyer

“It’s as relaxed as I’ve ever been coming into the first race of the season,” Kevin Harvick told For The Win.

LOS ANGELES — Kevin Harvick retired from NASCAR at the end of the 2023 Cup Series season after 23 years at the sport’s highest level. But he didn’t go far.

After gaining some on-and-off broadcasting experience with Fox Sports since 2015, the 48-year-old former driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford joined Fox’s booth full time as an analyst, working alongside Mike Joy and fellow former NASCAR driver and teammate Clint Bowyer. And he’s pumped about his new day job.

“I’m super happy with the way that everything has worked out,” Harvick — a future NASCAR Hall of Famer with the 2014 Cup championship, the 2007 Daytona 500 trophy and 60 Cup wins — recently told For The Win. “And for me, it’s as relaxed as I’ve ever been coming into the first race of the season and not having to worry about that competitive mindset.”

For the first time in more than two decades, he doesn’t have to worry about how fast his car is or being collateral damage in someone else’s wreck. And with his new gig, he’s at ease with a 24-year Fox veteran like Joy alongside him and running the booth.

“It’s hard to have somebody talking in your ear, talking about what you’re talking about on the screen and make sure everything’s going in the in the right direction,” Harvick said. “So having Mike be able to steer the ship and keep us all under control definitely takes a lot of pressure off.”

Ahead of NASCAR’s 2024 season-opening Daytona 500 — which is set for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on Fox — For The Win caught up with Harvick to discuss how he’ll approach broadcasting, Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain taking over his iconic Busch Light paint scheme and why he’ll still always be a vocal advocate for drivers.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

12 celebrity fans of the Kansas City Chiefs, including Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis

The Chiefs have a TON of famous fans.

If you like tracking celebrity sightings at sporting events, this was an especially busy season to follow the Kansas City Chiefs, who play the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 Super Bowl on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

Taylor Swift has attended numerous games while supporting her partner, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. As such, we have seen many of her very famous friends (including Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively as well as Cara Delevingne and Keileigh Teller) at Kansas City games this season.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]

Last year, a mic’d up Paul Rudd was the most excited while celebrating on the field with the players after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. He and his son also gave the most adorable interview following the victory.

But it wasn’t the first time that the famous actor celebrated on the field after Kansas City won the Super Bowl. Rudd was also joined by Eric Stonestreet (the actor who played Cameron in Modern Family) when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2020.

Here are some of the other most notable names rooting for Kansas City:

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer review NASCAR’s Next Gen car after test: It ‘does everything better’

Dale Jr. and Clint Bowyer tested NASCAR’s Next Gen car ahead of its debut in The Clash at the Coliseum in L.A.

Although they’re both retired from full-time NASCAR racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer got back behind the wheel on Tuesday. But they didn’t drive the same stock car they last raced in.

Earnhardt and Bowyer were at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem, North Carolina to test out the Next Gen car ahead of its debut for the 2022 NASCAR season. Although the car will officially debut in the season-opening Daytona 500 in February, the first time drivers will compete in it will be for The Clash at the Coliseum — the preseason exhibition race which, next year, is moving from Daytona International Speedway to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

For The Clash on February 6 — two weeks before the Daytona 500 — drivers eligible to participate will race inside the Coliseum, and as NASCAR noted in September, the “playing surface will be converted into a quarter-mile, asphalt short track.”

[lawrence-related id=1091690]

So in an effort to have the Next Gen car ready for the short-track exhibition race, Earnhardt and Bowyer turned some laps at the quarter-mile asphalt oval at Bowman Gray.

In an interview with NASCAR.com after testing the Next Gen car, Earnhardt said it “does everything better” compared with the current model. He continued:

“I drove the car around the track and it breaks — the brake performance is gonna take some time for me to get used to, or any of these guys get used to. That was probably the one thing that I found myself improving the most as I ran [with] the lap times is letting the car get in the corner because these brakes work so much better. I’m over-slowing the car using the brake pedal the way I’ve always in my life, so that was one thing. But it’s got a bigger turn, more grip, does everything much better.”

After NASCAR announced The Clash is moving from Daytona to L.A. for 2022, Bowyer got a little preview with some virtual iRacing laps at the Coliseum. And he seemed to be having a blast.

“You know who’s going to win this race? Those people in the grandstands,” Bowyer said while iRacing.

After his test Tuesday, Bowyer said:

“The car handles phenomenal. There’s not much room out there, let me tell you. These guys are gonna be in trouble. There’s gonna be some carnage, gonna be some hurt feelings, gonna happen right off the bat right there in the Coliseum.”

Earnhardt agreed with that sentiment, and he noted that he was a little apprehensive about NASCAR hitting such a small track. But after his test, he’s feeling good about what kind of racing The Clash will produce at the Coliseum.

More from Earnhardt, via NASCAR.com:

“It’s gonna be crazy, and it’s gonna work. I was a little worried about the size of the track, and we’ve never seen our product, recently anyways, on a track that small. So having driven the car around here and walking around this race track, there’s gonna be plenty of room. All those worries that I had [were] for no good reason, so I’m excited about it.

“It’s going to be physical, and I think that’s what everybody expects. So the drivers know that going in, and we’re gonna give the West Coast a taste of some good short-track racing, and NASCAR style. This Next Gen car, it does everything really good on a track like this. I didn’t know if it would work, if it would match well with this size race track, but it’s going to be a pretty good show.”

Per NASCAR, retired driver and Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart also participated in the test Tuesday at Bowman Gray. Stewart said he hasn’t been behind the wheel of a stock car in five years, so this was a fun experience for him. He added:

“It was fun today to get a chance to come up here, to be invited by NASCAR to come up and do the tire test for the Coliseum race. This is a track I’ve only been to one time and got to watch the races. So it was pretty cool to be on track here. It was fun and to get a chance to drive the Next Gen car was cool too.”

While The Clash is set for February 6 and the 2022 Daytona 500 is on February 20, there are still two races left in the 2021 season. The first is Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, and when it’s over, the Cup Series’ final Championship 4 drivers will be determined and race for a title at Phoenix Raceway on November 7.

[mm-video type=video id=01ffqr1kx4bm5rkzpv8f playlist_id=none player_id=01evcfkb10bw5a3nky image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ffqr1kx4bm5rkzpv8f/01ffqr1kx4bm5rkzpv8f-422b316ef8bc017870c36407639bdee8.jpg]

[listicle id=1159475]

[vertical-gallery id=1164138]

Clint Bowyer was already pumped about NASCAR’s newest venue while iRacing at LA Coliseum

“This place is awesome already!”

It’s official, NASCAR fans: The Clash is moving from Daytona International Speedway to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for 2022. And that’s an awesome idea.

NASCAR announced Tuesday that the preseason exhibition race next year will be on February 6 — two weeks out from the season-opening Daytona 500 — at the stadium famous for hosting USC Trojans football, Super Bowls, Olympics and so much more.

A temporary racing venue, the Coliseum’s field “will be converted into a quarter-mile, asphalt short track creating a brand-new action-packed event”. And, as NASCAR noted, drivers will race in the new Next Gen cars for the first time before they officially debut in the first race of the season.

Related: 6 takeaways from NASCAR’s reported 2022 schedule with big changes and new tracks

Of course, construction on the temporary race track won’t be able to begin for a while, and the images of racing in the Coliseum in NASCAR’s hype video above are simulated. Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of strategy and innovation, told FOX Sports that construction will begin around New Year’s, giving NASCAR about a four-week window before The Clash.

But thanks to iRacing, some NASCAR drivers got a chance to race around the simulated version of the quarter-miler at the LA Coliseum. And Clint Bowyer — who recently retired from racing and joined FOX Sports’ broadcast team — seemed to be having a blast.

“Don’t change a thing, baby,” Bowyer said while racing against Jamie McMurray and Tyler Reddick. “The action track is here! This place is awesome already!”

It’s unlikely that Bowyer would have too many negative things to say about this simulated race track, given that his employer is broadcasting the race. But his reactions, along with McMurray’s and Reddick’s, appear to be authentic with genuine excitement.

And as Bowyer noted, on a short track like this, The Clash could become more of a demolition derby, and he joked that teams could need five cars to make it through the race.

“You know who’s going to win this race?” Bowyer asked. “Those people in the grandstands.”

[mm-video type=video id=01f99vhdk2qxjg45fx82 playlist_id=none player_id=01evcfkb10bw5a3nky image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f99vhdk2qxjg45fx82/01f99vhdk2qxjg45fx82-aaec5e5a86222980e7953bfb39dd4078.jpg]

[listicle id=1111595]

[vertical-gallery id=957605]

Kurt Busch’s ‘wild ride’ involved him flying over two cars in scary Talladega wreck

“I saw his tire mark on my roof when I got out, so that was pretty crazy,” Cole Custer said about Kurt Busch’s car.

First Kyle Busch briefly went airborne during Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in a crash that was fairly mild for the famously chaotic track. He was able to continue racing.

Then older brother Kurt Busch’s No. 1 Chevrolet left the ground in a much scarier multi-car wreck, but he’s amazingly OK. And just like Kyle’s wreck, Kurt was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was collected in a huge crash known as “the big one.”

With much of the field running in a pack together on Lap 109 of 188 on the 2.66-mile track, Clint Bowyer in the No. 14 Ford was pushing Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Chevrolet near the start-finish line. It’s unclear if they made contact, but Johnson got loose and turned into Kurt Busch in the No. 1 Chevrolet.

From the inside lane, Kurt Busch’s car turned up the track, and as it smashed into the outside wall, it left the ground and flew over the top of Bowyer’s car and Cole Custer’s No. 41 Ford.

Kurt Busch, Bowyer and Custer were all evaluated and cleared by the infield medical care center, but that means they were done for the day. Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski were also involved in the wreck but were able to continue racing.

After being cleared by the care center, Kurt Busch told NBC Sports it was a “wild ride.” He added:

“That’s the nature of this sport. You’re on top one week with a win and everything’s fantastic. And then this week here at Talladega, was hoping for a nice, smooth run and gain some points. I was just doing my job as a Chevy helper running top-5, and the next thing you know, I’m going for one of the wildest rides I’ve ever been in.”

Kurt Busch and Bowyer are among the 12 remaining playoff drivers competing for the championship. Busch won last weekend’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, so he automatically advances out of the playoffs’ Round of 12 and into the Round of 8.

But Bowyer entered Sunday’s race 20 points below the top-8 cutoff mark and will likely need to win next weekend’s elimination race at Charlotte Motor Speedway to keep his title hopes alive.

Bowyer said he had to be aggressive but didn’t expect to cause a wreck. He said he could see Johnson ahead of him was getting loose, but added: “I was hoping he’d save it, but he didn’t and we all wrecked.”

About Kurt Busch wrecking literally on top of the No. 41 Ford, Custer said:

“I didn’t know he was flipping at first because you’re just kind of looking at what’s in front of you and he was above me. I saw his tire mark on my roof when I got out, so that was pretty crazy.

“Thankfully, he’s OK. Obviously, they have a lot of safe things in these cars, so I can’t thank NASCAR enough for it.”

Although Johnson was able to continue racing briefly, he was furious with Bowyer and said on his team’s radio:

“Oh, I’m destroyed! And I just got drove through like six times by the 14. What the [expletive]’s he thinking?”

[jwplayer N4D2lHT3-q2aasYxh]

[vertical-gallery id=951534]

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

NASCAR’s Clint Bowyer goes off on hilarious mini-rant about hating Zoom calls

Clint Bowyer, not a Zoom meeting fan.

Few things about NASCAR drivers’ lives are relatable to the masses. But for those able to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s a chance some that work has taken place via Zoom.

And if you spend hours on Zoom, you probably appreciate how Clint Bowyer felt toward the end of Wednesday.

While having a Zoom press conference to preview the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs — they begin Sunday with the Southern 500 — the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing driver expressed what surely so many regular Zoom users are feeling about their virtual meetings. Simply, he hates being on Zoom.

In a particularly relatable mini rant in response to a question about playoff pressure, Bowyer, in quintessentially entertaining fashion, hilariously went off on a tangent about Zoom meetings.

Bowyer said about all his media availabilities and Zoom meetings Wednesday:

“This is going on three-and-a-half hours of sitting in my office on a Zoom meeting. Zoom meetings suck. If there’s anything that I hate of the pandemic, it’s Zoom meetings. And backdrops. And Zoom meetings.

“I think everybody ought to have a free pass at Zoom when we’re all done with all this crap. It’s all I can do to remember my password to turn on the damn computer, and you’ve got me clicking Zooms and unmuting and muting and videos, and oh my god.”

If you spend much of your day on Zoom, you can probably relate.

The first race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs is Sunday’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, where Bowyer will start ninth.

[vertical-gallery id=945167]

[jwplayer pkZjBZCR-q2aasYxh]

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

Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s Super Start Batteries 400 Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts at Kansas Speedway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to the Kansas Speedway for the Super Start Batteries 400 Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts. The green flag drops Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET with the race televised on NBCSN. Below, we analyze the Super Start Batteries 400 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Super Start Batteries 400: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 8:20 a.m. ET.

Thursday’s race at Kansas Speedway will be the 29th installment since its NASCAR Cup Series debut race back in 2001 – won by Jeff Gordon.

  • Denny Hamlin took checkers in the last Kansas Cup race (Oct. 20, 2019), while Brad Keselowski raced to a win in the spring run (May 11, 2019).
  • All three manufacturers have had success at Kansas Speedway in recent seasons, with Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota each posting a win across the past three races. In the past six races, though, Toyota has three checkered flags, while Chevrolet has raced to wins in 12 of the 28 Cup races at the track.
  • Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon was an upset winner last Sunday at Texas. He has an impressive 13.8 Average-Finish Position (AFP) across his past eight Kansas starts. Fellow RCR driver Tyler Reddick ended up second in Texas, and was ninth in his Kansas Cup debut last season.
  • Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott was the last driver to steer a Chevy to Victory Lane at this track and has a sparkling 2.33 AFP across his past three Kansas starts.

Who is going to win the Super Start Batteries 400?

ELLIOTT (+650 for Thursday’s race) has one win in his past three Kansas Cup starts along with three consecutive top-5 showings. While there has been a couple of upset winners the past two weekends with Cole Custer at Kentucky and Dillon winning in Texas, look for one of the favorites to come through in this one.

Elliott started 13th in his winning run at Kansas in the Fall of 2018, and the average starting position of the past three winners is 13.3.

KEVIN HARVICK (+450), of course, is among the favorites Thursday night. He leads all drivers with a 9.79 AFP (min. two Cup starts) in 28 Cup races in Kansas, picking up three victories with eight top-5 showings and 15 top-10 runs. He also leads the way among all drivers with 855 laps led.

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

MARTIN TRUEX JR. (+650) went off the rails at Texas, clipping teammate Kyle Busch in the middle of the run and was never able to recover, ending up 29th. Look for MTJ to return with a vengeance at Kansas, a track where he has won twice, posting eight top-5 finishes and led 759 laps in 23 Cup starts, good for a 13.87 AFP.

Kansas Speedway long-shot bets

JIMMIE JOHNSON (+3500) has three wins in 27 career Cup starts while posting a 10.33 AFP. Of course, all of that success came with crew chief Chad Knaus at the top of JJ’s pit box. Meanwhile, the seven-time Cup champion Johnson hasn’t won since June 2017. Will he never win a Cup race again? Don’t bet on it. He’s a GREAT SMALL-UNIT PLAY at this price.

Knaus, by the way, will be away from William Byron’s team for the birth of his second child. Keith Rodden will take over crew chief duties for the No. 24.

TYLER REDDICK (+3500) had his best career Cup finish last Sunday, rolling to a second-place finish. Is it Reddick’s turn this week? This will be only his second Kansas Cup race – as mentioned above, he finished ninth last year.

Lastly, don’t forget Kansas native CLINT BOWYER (+4000) at his home track. While he has never won in 23 career starts here, he has three top-5 showings, eight top-10 runs, 63 laps led and a 15.7 AFP. One of these days he is going to win in his native Sunflower State.

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]

Clint Bowyer fears NASCAR’s new ‘choose rule’ is being overhyped for the All-Star Race

Clint Bowyer explained why he’s skeptical about the potential impact of NASCAR’s experiment at the All-Star Race.

There are several major storylines relating to NASCAR’s All-Star Race on Wednesday, ranging from the flashy underglow lighting for the cars to the fact that it’s at Bristol Motor Speedway instead of the traditional Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The exhibition event with $1 million on the line for the winner will also introduce the Cup Series to the “choose rule,” also known sometimes as the “choose cone rule,” which will allow each driver to select the lane they want to restart from and adds more strategy to the mix.

As NASCAR explained, for the All-Star Race, as “drivers approach a designated spot on the track, they must commit to the inside or outside lane for the restart.” And it was a big deal last month when NASCAR announced that the choose rule will be tested at this race.

But Clint Bowyer has some concerns about overhyping the potential impact of one rule.

Before Sunday’s Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway, Bowyer spoke with reporters via Zoom and said about the choose rule:

“You hear drivers talk about it and I fear — like I do a lot of times — I don’t want to oversell it. Can it make an impact? Absolutely. But if you oversell it, it will never hold up to the expectations of what people are expecting out of that.

“For the most part, I don’t see that it probably will make a difference past a few rows. I just don’t see people giving up two or three spots to stay on the outside. Possibly if you are on old tires or something like that, that’s where an opportunity like that comes in. … Can it work? Yes. Do I fear that it’s oversold? A little bit.”

The rule is popular in short- and dirt-track races but new to the Cup Series’ exhibition event, which is often seen as a way to experiment with different rules without implementing them in points races right away.

With NASCAR’s current restart rules, only the leader selects which lane they want to restart in, and everyone else has to line up based on their track position at that time. The choose rule opens that up to give drivers the opportunity to select the preferred lane.

And a lot of drivers are really into it. Austin Dillon advocated for it. Jimmie Johnson said it “could be a win-win for everybody” because “a lot of drivers grew up in a series that has choose cones.” Joey Logano joked that if a bunch of 12-year-old racers can figure the rule out, Cup drivers can too.

But, as Bowyer noted, it doesn’t always work out. He said:

“I think just like anything, I think it’s bound to have an issue or two, something blow up, something happen that you just can’t simply foresee ahead of time. We’ve had some dialogue [about] things. I talked to NASCAR.

“And obviously, having late models that race all around the country, as they travel across the country, they travel and run. And [when] they roll into a certain track, they’ll implement their rules a lot of times to appeal to the locals and attract those guys because you need them for car count and to put the show on.

“So I’ve seen it go good and I’ve seen it go bad. Honestly, I don’t want that to be the focal point going into Bristol. It can’t just be about the cone rule.”

The NASCAR All-Star Race is an abbreviated event with 140 laps broken into four stages, including a 15-lap shootout for the checkered flag and $1 million.

But it’s not open to everyone, and Bowyer is among those still looking to qualify, which he can do either by winning the fan vote or by winning the NASCAR All-Star Open immediately before the All-Star Race (8:30 p.m. ET on FS1).

[jwplayer turmNX2D-q2aasYxh]

[vertical-gallery id=931059]

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

Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads down to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Dixie Vodka 400. The green flag drops Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET with the race televised on FOX. Below, we analyze the Dixie Vodka 400 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Dixie Vodka 400: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday, June 13 at 6:20 a.m. ET.

Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be the first sporting event with fans in the stands since mid-March. NASCAR will allow 1,000 fans, just military members or first responders, to attend as honorary guests. Fans will be required to wear masks, will be screened upon arrival and will be expected to follow physical-distancing guidelines at six feet apart.

Even with a smattering of people in the grandstands, this event will have a much different look and feel from previous seasons. From 2002 to 2019, the South Florida track hosted the final race of the season, leading to the crowning of the Cup Series champion. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch (+500 for Sunday’s race) won the championship with a checkered flag at this track last season, his second trip to Victory Lane at HMS in five years.

  • Six of the previous seven races have been won by a driver starting fifth or better. Denny Hamlin (+1000), Joey Logano (+800), Brad Keselowski (+1000), Busch and Chase Elliott (+700) are in starting spots 1 through 5.
  • Toyota has been the Victory Lane in two of the past three at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and four of the past seven.
  • Busch leads all drivers with 463 laps led, although he ranks 12th among active drivers with a 16.33 Average-Finish Position (AFP) across his 15 career starts at this track.
  • Rick Ware Racing’s J.J. Yeley (+100000) and Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell (+50000) lead all active drivers with four DNFs apiece.

Who is going to win the Dixie Vodka 400?

HAMLIN (+1000) was a big disappointment at Martinsville Wednesday night, but has had strong results at this track in the past. Look for a nice bounce back. Plus, he is a strong value at this price.

Hamlin has two career wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway, while posting four top-5 runs, 10 top-10 finishes, 256 laps led and a 10.53 AFP in 15 starts at the track.

KEVIN HARVICK (+400) is always a threat at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He leads all active drivers with a sparkling 6.42 AFP in 19 career starts. While he has just one win, he has placed inside the top 5 on 11 different occasions while leading 414 laps. He has never finished lower than 20th at this track, too.

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

CHASE ELLIOTT (+700) has yet to taste victory at HMS, but has never finished lower than 15th, either. In fact, he has a 9.50 AFP, second best in the field among drivers with at least four starts.

Homestead-Miami Speedway prop bets

HARVICK (-154) is a strong play to finish inside the top 5. In addition, HAMLIN (+140) is worth a roll of the dice to finish in the top 5, too.

Among the best finishing position matchups, take HAMLIN (-112) to finish better than Keselowski. CLINT BOWYER (-106) is a good bet to outpace William Byron, while Florida native ARIC ALMIROLA (+125) is a value play over Tyler Reddick.

Homestead-Miami Speedway long-shot bets

AUSTIN DILLON (+1400) has the best potential to crash the party and spoil the day for the favorites. He has shown tremendous and consistent improvement since making his debut at this track in 2014. He improved to 15th in 2015, 12th in 2016, 11th in both 2017 and 2018 and eighth last season.

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]

Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR analysis, picks and tips.

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500. The green flag drops Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.  Below, we analyze the Supermarket Heroes 500 odds and betting lines, with NASCAR picks and tips with odds from BetMGM sportsbook.

Supermarket Heroes 500: What you need to know

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, May 29 at 3:35 p.m. ET.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott (+900) was able to end his streak of bad luck by capturing checkers at the Alsco Uniforms 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Thursday night. He is among the favorites to win again Sunday.

  • Elliott leads all active drivers with an 11.5 Average-Finish Position (AFP) in eight career starts at Bristol. While he has never won at “The Last Great Colosseum,” he has three top-5 finishes, four top-10 showings and 199 laps led with no DNFs. He took third, 11th and fifth in his past three Bristol starts.
  • Joe Gibbs Racing driver KYLE BUSCH (+450) is the favorite, but he just hasn’t been himself. He’s only led 14 laps this season, and all of those occurred at the Daytona 500. That means the No. 18 machine hasn’t been out front in seven races dating back to Feb. 17. He leads all drivers with eight wins at Thunder Valley, posting a 13.45 AFP with 2,333 laps led in 29 career starts. He is sure to get it going at Bristol.
  • Ganassi Racing’s Matt Kenseth (+2500) is second among active drivers with four wins at Bristol. He owns 15 top-5 finishes and 22 top-10 runs in 36 career starts there with a 13.61 AFP and 1,583 laps led.
  • Kenseth’s Ganassi teammate KURT BUSCH (+1400) has managed six wins in 38 career starts at Bristol, second among active drivers only to his younger brother. The elder Busch has 12 top-5 finishes, 20 top-10 results and 1,095 laps led with only three DNFs.
  • Two of the past four pole sitters at Bristol have ended up winning, and four of the past 10 starters from the No. 1 position have come away with checkers.
  • Toyota has won four of the past five starts at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Who is going to win the Supermarket Heroes 500?

Both BUSCH BROTHERS would make for solid plays here – with a KYLE win paying 4.5 to 1 or better yet, a KURT victory scoring a nice 14-to-1 payoff.

Meanwhile, Hendrick Motorsports driver JIMMIE JOHNSON (+2000) is looking to snap a 103-start win drought. He is one of eight active drivers with two or more wins at the track.

The seven-time champ Johnson has a 13.28 AFP in 36 career starts with only 15 of his results outside of the top 10. He also has 914 laps led at Bristol and just one DNF.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s KEVIN HARVICK (+800) had a strong car Thursday night in Charlotte, but he faded late. He is also one of those multiple winners at Bristol, and figures to be right there in the end. He has 912 laps led and a 13.84 AFP in his career at the short track.

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

BRAD KESELOWSKI (+1400) of Penske Racing had several years of ugly results at Bristol, but he showed well in last season’s summer “Night Race” with a third-place run. He has two career checkered flags at the short track, as does his teammate JOEY LOGANO (+600). The two Penske drivers have combined to lead 1,461 total laps at Thunder Valley, too. And don’t forget about Penske’s Ryan Blaney (+1600). He finished seventh, fourth and 10th in his past three Bristol runs.

Bristol Motor Speedway long-shot bets

Harvick’s teammate CLINT BOWYER (+2500) has never won in 28 career starts at Bristol, but he is always in the mix. He has seven top-5 showings, 15 top-10 finishes and a strong 14.07 AFP with only two DNFs and 281 laps led. Bowyer is eighth or better in each of his past four Bristol starts. A $10 wager would profit $250 if he claims the checkered flag.

JTG Daugherty’s RICKY STENHOUSE JR. (+4000) turned in a top-5 finish in Thursday’s Charlotte race, and he’ll arrive at Bristol brimming with confidence. He has always showed well at the short track, posting a 14.43 AFP in 14 career starts and just one DNF, although he has never led one lap here. Last season was a train wreck, as he was 33rd in both starts, but he averaged a 7.3 AFP in four starts from Summer 2016 to Spring 2018 at BMS. Backing the 40-to-1 long shot 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]