Race: Windows 10 400 Predictions to Win
Date: Sunday August 2, 2015
Track: Pocono Raceway
Time: 1:30 pm ET
TV: NBC Sports Network
by Virginia Vroom, NASCAR Handicapper, Predictem.com
As predicted, Kyle Busch managed his 4th win in 5 races by taking home the trophy at Indy! It was the only track that Toyota had not mastered, but Busch brought home the milk for an incredible record since coming back on the track from his accident earlier in the year. He is doing a phenomenal job. Honestly, there’s really nothing he can do better to gain his spot in the Chase. He’s still a few points outside of the top 30, but he’s got plenty of time. If he keeps up these types of runs, he will easily secure his position, if not win the whole dang thing before we’re all said and done!
One driver looking to get into the Chase on points is Jeff Gordon. He suffered a catastrophic blow by being involved in a wreck when Clint Bowyer got lose and managed to take Jeff out with him early in the race. Needless to say, without even the ability to stay on the lead lap or within 40 laps of the leader, Gordon suffered a hard blow in his attempt to get into the Chase without any wins. This weekend will be pivotal in his chances, as he usually fares very well at Pocono. But, then again, he usually fares well at Indy, but he has had a long string of bad luck. Let’s see if he along with a few other drivers can find some solace in their finishes at Pocono this weekend.
I have a bit of a vendetta against this track simply because of the amount of rain that always seems to loom around here. Races tend to be race-shortened or heavily delayed. Let’s hope for a dry on-time race this weekend! Pocono Raceway, also known as “The Tricky Triangle”, is a 2.5 mile asphalt track with only 3 turns. The banking differs from turn to turn, with the first turn hosting 14 degrees, 8 degrees in the second turn, and 6 degrees in the third turn. As you can see this place is pretty flat. The speeds here are pretty fast as a result. The interesting part of the turns is that each one is modeled after a different track. Perhaps where we see the most difficulty is in the 2nd turn, known casually as the tunnel turn. It’s a difficult track to set a car for because of the differences seen throughout each turn. Drivers love or hate this track. Pocono is a track where track position is key. Because of its monstrosity, the leader tends to pull away and put several seconds between himself and the second place car. With careful adjustments and good pit stops, teams need to get their drivers to the front as fast as possible to win this race. This is not a place where you ride around in the back and plan on moving forward at the end.
Speaking of drivers who like to hang out in the back, Jeff Gordon actually holds the race record at Pocono. He’s always done a great job here. He really needs a solid finish and, ultimately, a win at this point in the season. This may be a track that he can do it. His biggest contenders, in my opinion, are Kyle Busch and the Penske drivers of Keselowski and Logano. I believe that Logano is going to be a force to be reckoned with this weekend. Keselowski will be up front as well. It’s hard to count Busch out just because he can apparently win anything anywhere at anytime. That being said, I think it’s someone else’s turn. Look for the Penske cars to dominate on this track because of the horsepower and speed required. Jimmie Johnson has a great record here as well, and he should be the cream of the crop for the Hendrick garage this weekend. As much as Gordon needs a win, I don’t see him making it happen this weekend. Let’s take a look at your potential winners as we head to The Tricky Triangle:
My Pick to Win: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Middle of the Road Pick: Martin Truex Jr.
Dark Horse Prediction: Justin Allgaier. Bet your Windows 10 400 picks at one of the oldest and most trusted sportsbooks on the web: Intertops Sportsbook!
Justin Allgaier has been inside the top 20 for the last couple of races he’s run here. With the other choices including Danica Patrick and a few other start and parks, he’s probably the best choice for the Dark Horse. Martin Truex Jr. has been strong at Pocono and made a dominant run through the field last weekend at Indy. Expect for him to drive through the field towards the front as well. Dale Jr. swept Pocono last year. He’s really fallen in line with his crew chief and his entire team this season. While Johnson, Harvick, and Busch will obviously be popular picks this week, I think that most others are overlooking Jr.’s abilities and history here. Look for him to be a strong contender for victory lane on Sunday afternoon.
Here are your current top 16 after last week’s race:
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Joey Logano
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Martin Truex Jr.
6. Brad Keselowski
7. Matt Kenseth
8. Kurt Busch
9. Jamie McMurray
10. Denny Hamlin
11. Jeff Gordon
12. Ryan Newman
13. Paul Menard
14. Kasey Kahne
15. Clint Bowyer
16. Carl Edwards
You can see that there’s a lot of shifting among the bottom of the field. That’s very important in these closing races to the Chase because several of these drivers have no wins this season. Jamie McMurray is doing a pretty solid job of maintaining his position in the top 16. Other guys like Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon have had a volatile couple of weeks. We will have to see if Pocono will play to their favors. Stay tuned for an awesome weekend of racing at The Tricky Triangle!
Windows 100 Betting Odds (Bet these odds using your credit card at Bovada Sportsbook)
Kevin Harvick 4-1
Kyle Busch 5-1
Jimmie Johnson 7-1
Kurt Busch 9-1
Martin Truex Jr. 9-1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 12-1
Denny Hamlin 12-1
Brad Keselowski 12-1
Joey Logano 12-1
Jeff Gordon 14-1
Matt Kenseth 14-1
Kasey Kahne 18-1
Carl Edwards 20-1
Kyle Larson 25-1
Jamie McMurray 40-1
Tony Stewart 50-1
Ryan Newman 75-1
Greg Biffle 100-1
Clint Bowyer 100-1
David Ragan 100-1
Austin Dillon 200-1
Paul Menard 200-1
A.J. Allmendinger 300-1
Danica Patrick 400-1
