Super Bowl Fifty at Daytona International Speedway
by Yomonte of Predictem.com
Nascar is back, but from a handicappers stand point, not better than ever. With Joe Gibbs switching to Toyata and JR going to Hendricks, just to name a few of the many drivers switching teams, we are left scratching our heads yet again.
With Tony Stewart finishing second in the Bud Shootout, leads me to believe that Toyata just might have a chance this season. But 70 laps is not a true test of what lays ahead. Although Tony has yet to capture a first place finish in the Daytona 500, he has two wins in the Pepsi 400 in July.
JR looked strong in the Bud Shootout and I see him doing well all season, but I look for Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth to be the top two contenders for the championship. Don’t look for Matt to win the Daytona 500 though. He has a new crew chief in Chip Bolin as Robbie Reiser vacates that spot for GM of Roush Racing. Matt is another high profile driver that has yet to win the 500. Since his rookie year, only twice has he finished better in the 500 than the 400. His best finish is 5th and was in the 400.
I have left Jimmie Johnson out of the mix as a three peat is rare. No matter how bad a season Jimmie has, he will be in the chase as will Jeff Gordon and Dale JR.
Matt Kenseth will also be there at the end. He is one of a few drivers that has made it every year.
Mark Martin, who has taken over the 8 car after JR’s departure, looked
sharp in the Shootout. He is now in his third car and second different team
in 3 years. He did very well in the 01 last season and I feel he will do
well this year in the 8 car.
I have also left Dale JR out of the mix for a championship in the 2008 season for one reason. Mark Martin will do better than JR did in the 8 car which tells me that although JR is a great driver, he will always be a bridegroom, never a bride, until late in his career. A championship has eluded Mark Martin over his many, many years as one of the Cups best drivers.
There are more than a handful of drivers that will have a great year, but it will come down to Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth.
Yahoo Fantasy Nascar tip of the week: In group C, as usual, we have the dead beats. Choose a driver in this group that is not a go or go home car. Of the 20 cars in C group that have thrown their hat into the ring, only 7 do not have to qualify well to be in. Travis Kvapil, Scott Riggs, Sam Hornish Jr, Regan Smith, David Ragan, Paul Menard and Dario Franchitti. There are very few spots after last years owner points and the past champions spot. To make matters worse, there are drivers in A and B group that also have to qualify to get in by time.
The best bet this Sunday in the Daytona 500 is no bet at all, but that would be like not betting on the NFL Super Bowl! Just not conceivable. You will, I repeat, you will see the big one this Sunday. Try to bet on someone that starts up front and that you feel will stay up front cause it ain’t gonna be pretty and especially as the race comes to a close.
Before you make a bet, check out our Nascar section as we have the BEST cappers on the net. I Sed dat 🙂 Most of the bigger books will have the same match ups, so shop around for the best line. I am anxiously awaiting the prop bets that will follow the Gatorade Duel in the desert, sorry, wrong Super Bowl. My bad. There are still plenty of Nascar Sportsbooks that cater to U S bettors and accept credit cards.
On another note, we have a big new addition to Predictem.com this year and a great contributor. Ladies and gentlemaen, …….Miss Virginia Vroom. She has done great things to build our Nascar section. Check back each week for her Weekly Nascar News and Notes. A must read. Be sure to come join our weekly discussion group to in the Nascar Forum.
