Racing at Pocono
By Bodog.com
Kevin Harvick extended his lead in the Sprint Cup standings over Jeff Gordon to 184 points last week, while Denny Hamlin moved one point past Jimmie Johnson and into third place in the driver standings. One point behind Johnson sits Kurt Busch, and his brother Kyle is in sixth place, only 28 points back of Kurt. All these drivers will be looking to have a big day at the second summer visit to Pocono this Sunday, and the Bodog Sportsbook is offering action on which driver will take down the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500.
One driver who has stood out at Pocono over the last few years is this week?s favorite, Denny Hamlin. Hamlin won the first race here this year and is the defending 2009 Sunoco Red Cross 500 champion. In 2006 Hamlin won both races at Pocono, a feat he?s attempting to repeat this year. At 7/2 Hamlin is just about every expert?s pick for Sunday. If his team can make the proper adjustments to the car for the second Pocono run, and he can manage to stay out trouble, Hamlin should be a factor at the finish.
Kyle Busch and Johnson are co-second picks at 11/2. Kyle usually does well on this track and has won at Pocono twice. Pocono is also a consistent track for him; he has 10 top-10 finishes at this track in his career. Jimmie Johnson also has 10 top-10 finishes at this track; including one win here back in 2004. It?s only a matter of time before Johnson starts his run at the Sprint Cup driver?s championship, and Pocono has always been a place where he likes to get that ball rolling.
Gordon and standings leader Harvick are next best at 10/1. It?s unlikely that either driver will push too hard for the win, but if the action gets rough in the turns, either of these drivers could be the winner on Sunday afternoon. Both Gordon and Harvick have numerous top-10 finishes here, but they will need a bit of luck at some point in the day to take the checkered flag at Pocono.
The other drivers with a real chance to win at Pocono would include Tony Stewart at 11/1 and Clint Bowyer at 14/1. Bowyer will be looking to keep Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin at bay for the twelfth and final spot in the Chase for the Cup, and he is probably the best value in the field at 14/1. Stewart will be looking to close the 376-point gap between him and the point standings leader, but he will also need some good fortune in front of him to pay out at 11/1.
Two factors beyond the racers will likely play a role at Pocono on Sunday. The length of the race always creates a fuel-mileage battle between teams, so the one that gets it right will have a big edge. Weather conditions show potential rain showers on Sunday, which will throw racer predictability off, or even end up delaying the race.
By Bodog.com
Kevin Harvick extended his lead in the Sprint Cup standings over Jeff Gordon to 184 points last week, while Denny Hamlin moved one point past Jimmie Johnson and into third place in the driver standings. One point behind Johnson sits Kurt Busch, and his brother Kyle is in sixth place, only 28 points back of Kurt. All these drivers will be looking to have a big day at the second summer visit to Pocono this Sunday, and the Bodog Sportsbook is offering action on which driver will take down the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500.
One driver who has stood out at Pocono over the last few years is this week?s favorite, Denny Hamlin. Hamlin won the first race here this year and is the defending 2009 Sunoco Red Cross 500 champion. In 2006 Hamlin won both races at Pocono, a feat he?s attempting to repeat this year. At 7/2 Hamlin is just about every expert?s pick for Sunday. If his team can make the proper adjustments to the car for the second Pocono run, and he can manage to stay out trouble, Hamlin should be a factor at the finish.
Kyle Busch and Johnson are co-second picks at 11/2. Kyle usually does well on this track and has won at Pocono twice. Pocono is also a consistent track for him; he has 10 top-10 finishes at this track in his career. Jimmie Johnson also has 10 top-10 finishes at this track; including one win here back in 2004. It?s only a matter of time before Johnson starts his run at the Sprint Cup driver?s championship, and Pocono has always been a place where he likes to get that ball rolling.
Gordon and standings leader Harvick are next best at 10/1. It?s unlikely that either driver will push too hard for the win, but if the action gets rough in the turns, either of these drivers could be the winner on Sunday afternoon. Both Gordon and Harvick have numerous top-10 finishes here, but they will need a bit of luck at some point in the day to take the checkered flag at Pocono.
The other drivers with a real chance to win at Pocono would include Tony Stewart at 11/1 and Clint Bowyer at 14/1. Bowyer will be looking to keep Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin at bay for the twelfth and final spot in the Chase for the Cup, and he is probably the best value in the field at 14/1. Stewart will be looking to close the 376-point gap between him and the point standings leader, but he will also need some good fortune in front of him to pay out at 11/1.
Two factors beyond the racers will likely play a role at Pocono on Sunday. The length of the race always creates a fuel-mileage battle between teams, so the one that gets it right will have a big edge. Weather conditions show potential rain showers on Sunday, which will throw racer predictability off, or even end up delaying the race.
