2013 Johnsonville Sausage 200 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Piquet Jr the Favorite: While the Nationwide drivers won’t be running at the road course in Sonoma with the Cup regulars, the series will be at a road course this weekend. Road America is the site of Saturday’s Johnsonville Sausage 200, and the track has an absolutely massive layout. The 4.05-mile road course has 14 turns, including a giant straightaway leading into Turn 1 that creates some chaotic moments on restarts. Saturday’s race is also a golden opportunity for the series regulars to score a victory since not a single full-time Cup Series driver is on the entry list.
Last season, Nelson Piquet Jr. surprised many by grabbing the pole for the event. He then surprised even more people by leading a race-high 19 laps on his way to his first-career Nationwide Series win. Jacques Villeneuve was Piquet’s strongest challenger most of the day, and in the closing laps, he held of Michael McDowell and Ron Fellows to secure the victory.
2013 Johnsonville Sausage 200 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions
The Favorites
His lone road course start in the Nationwide Series came at Road America last year, and as I mentioned in the introduction, Nelson Piquet Jr. had a pretty good debut. He sat on the pole, led the most laps and won the race, and it is kind of scary what to think he will do with a year of experience at the track under his belt. At any rate, Piquet has to be on the list of favorites as he tries to remain perfect at Road America this weekend.
While Penske Racing released A.J. Allmendinger from his Cup ride following his suspension for a failed drug test, owner Roger Penske has continued to provide opportunities for Allmendinger in other series. This weekend at Road America, Allmendinger will drive the Penske Racing No. 22, and while he will be making his track debut, his history of road racing success in the Cup Series bodes well for his chances. Not to mention the fact that he will be behind the wheel of excellent equipment and will actually have more experience driving against top competition than almost every driver in the field.
Ironically, Sam Hornish Jr. was never much of a road racer when he was winning championships in the IndyCar Series. However, it appears the experience has helped prepare him for road racing in stock cars because in three Nationwide road course starts, he has three top-five finishes and a 3.3 average finish. Hornish finished fifth in his Road America debut last year, and it seems like only a matter of time before he picks up a road course victory.
The Dark Horses
He has been a quiet championship contender this year, but Justin Allgaier could make some serious noise this weekend. After all, he is a former road course winner, and he would have a win at Road America had he not run out of gas while leading when a late caution forced the race into extra laps. Overall, Allgaier has four top-10s in six road course starts over the past two years, compiling a 9.8 average finish and scoring the second most points in the series.
Bad luck has plagued Brian Vickers all year, but he has still managed to finish third or better four times and has been an underrated road course driver. After all, he finished fifth at Sonoma Raceway in the Cup Series just last year. With the Cup regulars all staying in Sonoma this weekend, Vickers will be the most-accomplished driver in the field. If actually has some decent luck, he could end up in victory lane.
For the past couple of years, Michael McDowell has subbing in for Joe Gibbs Racing drivers at the road course events, and he has made the most of the opportunity. He has finished in the top five in three of his four starts, compiling a 5.8 average finish. More importantly, McDowell finished second at Road America last year, and he could easily get over the hump and into victory lane this weekend.
Sleeper Special
Although his Road America debut in 2011 didn’t go well, Max Papis made up for it last season with a top-five effort. He will be driving for the same No. 33 Richard Childress Racing team that he had success with last year, and in his Nationwide Series career, Papis has three top-five finishes at road courses. He hasn’t had the seat time of some of the other road course experts, but Papis has the talent and equipment to challenge for the win this weekend.
Big Name to Avoid
Road racing has never been a strength of Roush Fenway Racing, which won’t help Trevor Bayne this weekend at Road America. He will be driving for the No. 6 team that won the series title the last two years, but in three starts at Road America, the No. 6 bunch has managed just one top 10. For his part, Bayne has a 20.5 average finish in two starts at the track so his numbers are even more unimpressive.
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Odds to win the 2013 Johnsonville Sausage 200 at Road America – Saturday, June 22
Nelson Piquet Jr. 17/4
Sam Hornish Jr. 5/1
A.J. Allmendinger 11/2
Max Papis 11/2
Brian Vickers 11/1
Michael McDowell 11/1
Billy Johnson 14/1
Elliott Sadler 15/1
Justin Allgaier 16/1
Brian Scott 18/1
Regan Smith 18/1
Austin Dillon 20/1
Trevor Bayne 20/1
Kyle Larson 25/1
Michael Annett 25/1
Brendan Gaughan 28/1
James Buescher 28/1
Parker Kligerman 28/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 12/1
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