2011 AAA Texas 500 – Post-Practice Predictions

2011 AAA Texas 500 Post-Practice Predictions, Picks, Tips and Preview – Favorites and Sleepers to Win AAA Texas 500: From fuel mileage strategy to tire strategy, races at Texas Motor Speedway can be decided by several factors other than speed. It is kind of ironic, considering the 1.5-mile track features some of the fastest speeds in the series. As a result of the high speeds, it isn’t uncommon to see a driver that appears to have a car capable of winning to suddenly start to fade. Even minor changes in a car’s setup or the track conditions can have a major impact on the speeds of each car. In other words, bettors shouldn’t count their chickens before they hatch at Texas. The final few laps usually count at this track.

2011 AAA Texas 500 – Post-Practice Top 5

1. Carl Edwards: Edwards wasted little time impressing during Saturday’s practices. He posted the fastest lap in the opening session and had the eighth-fastest lap in Happy Hour. He also recorded the best 10-lap average speed in the final session. Edwards is a three-time winner at Texas, and he appears to have a car more than capable of adding to that total.
2. Greg Biffle: After posting the second-fastest lap in the first practice Saturday, Biffle remained in the top 10 in Happy Hour. He also recorded the seventh-best 10-lpa average speed in the final practice. Biffle enters this weekend’s race with six straight top-10 finishes at Texas, including back-to-back top-five finishes. He led the most laps at the track last fall, and he is starting from the pole Sunday. Biffle could close the deal this weekend and get to Victory Lane.
3. Matt Kenseth: He ranked a respectable 14th in the first practice of the afternoon, but he climbed to seventh in Happy Hour and posted the sixth-best 10-lap average speed. Kenseth rolls of third in Sunday’s race, and coming off a dominating win at Texas in the spring and a second-place finish last fall, a season sweep at the track seems like a real possibility
4. Kasey Kahne: From start to finish, Kahne was impressive at the two practices at Texas Saturday. He posted the fourth-fastest lap in the opening session and topped the charts in Happy Hour. Kahne added the fourth-best 10-lap average speed in the final session just top things off. He is a former winner at Texas, and he should be a serious contender Sunday
5. Tony Stewart: He didn’t have one really fast lap, but Stewart ranked inside the top 10 in both practices Saturday afternoon. He is also a former winner at the track, and he is starting fifth Sunday. Stewart already has one win at a 1.5-mile track during the Chase and a series-leading three wins in the Chase overall. He has a solid car and tons of momentum

2011 AAA Texas 500 – Post-Practice Top Sleeper

1. David Ragan: Ragan isn’t a household name, but his No. 6 Ford had speed to spare during the practices Saturday. He had the fifth-fastest lap in the opening session and jumped to third in Happy Hour. Ragan had back-to-back top-10 finishes at the track as well, and after qualifying on the front row, he appears to be a legitimate candidate to pull off an upset Sunday.

View the most current vegas betting odds to win the 2011 AAA Texas 500 for this Sunday, November 6th at Texas Motor Speedway.