2013 Sprint All-Star Race Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – 2013 Sprint All-Star Race Favorites and Sleepers to Win on May 18, 2013 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina: The 2013 Sprint All-Star Race is set for Saturday night, and while no points are on the line, there is a $1 million purse awaiting the winner. In order to be in the field, a driver has to have won a race in 2012 or 2013 or have won either the All-Star Race or the series championship within the last 10 years. In addition, two drivers will earn spots in the event via a qualifying race held earlier Saturday evening known as the Sprint Showdown. Last but not least, one driver that the fans vote in will round out the field. All told, there will be 22 drivers on the track when the field takes the green.
The format of the race changes frequently, and the new wrinkle this year puts and emphasis on running hard throughout the first four 20-lap segments. After the first 80 laps, drivers will be forced to make a mandatory four-tire pit stop, and the order which the drivers come down pit road will be based on the average finishing position for all drivers during the first four segments. In other words, the driver with the best average finish will lead the field to pit road. The order in which the drivers exit pit road after their stops will be the running order for the final 10-lap shootout will determine the winner.
Last year, the format was a bit different, and Jimmie Johnson worked the rules to perfection. The driver that won the first segment automatically got to come down pit road first before the final segment. As a result, Johnson won the opening leg of the race and then cruised at the back of the pack for the next few segments, taking it easy on his equipment. When it came time for the final pit stop, Johnson still got to come down pit road first. His crew got him off first as well, and he promptly drove away from the field for the win. It was a brilliant strategy on Johnson’s part and the main reason for the new rules this year.
2013 Sprint All-Star Race Odds, Free Picks and Predictions
The Favorites
No driver in the field this weekend has more wins in the All-Star Race than Jimmie Johnson’s three. More importantly, he is the defending winner of the event, and his 6.6 average finish is also the third best among drivers in the field. Johnson has dominated at Charlotte Motor Speedway since his rookie year, and the fact that the All-Star Race is held at the track gives him a natural advantage.
Considering he has been leading a ton of laps and winning races at just about every track on the schedule, Matt Kenseth would have a favorite no matter what his past statistics in the All-Star Race happened to be. As it stands, he has actually been excellent in the event, winning in 2004 and finishing eighth or better in his last six starts. His 6.3 average finish in the All-Star Race is the second best among drivers in the field this weekend, and after a third-place run last year, Kenseth just might be in Victory Lane Saturday night.
The Dark Horses
It hasn’t been a great year for Tony Stewart, but the All-Star Race has brought out the best in the three-time champ in recent years. He won the event in 2009, and he has finished in the top five in five of his last six starts. Stewart is down entering this weekend’s race, but counting him out would be a mistake. After all, we are talking about a guy that came out of nowhere to win a championship just two years ago.
Although he has never won the All-Star Race, Kyle Busch has been close in recent years. He finished fourth in the event last year and was second in 2011, and in his last four starts, 6.8 average finish. Busch has been criticized for his checkers or wreckers attitude over the years, but his is one race where going all out for a victory is actually encouraged. Don’t be surprised if he adds his name to the list of All-Star Race winners sooner rather than later.
While he doesn’t win a ton of races, Kevin Harvick has a knack for winning big races. He has a Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400 and an All-Star Race victory already on his resume, and he has been flirting with a second All-Star race win in recent years. Harvick has three straight top-10s in the event, including a pair of sixth-place finishes. Given his history of coming up big on big stages, he could definitely be a factor this weekend.
Sleeper Special
He won the All-Star Race as recently as 2010, and Kurt Busch has actually tallied three top-10s in his last four starts in the event. Granted, he will be making his first start in the race since switching to the single-car No. 78 team, but he managed a top-10 while driving for a similar single-car operation last year. The $1 million purse would also mean a lot more to Busch’s Furniture Row Racing team than to some of the powerhouse organizations so Busch and company are sure to pull out all the tricks to try to pull off the upset.
Big Name to Avoid
Although he owns multiple wins in the All-Star Race, Jeff Gordon has been miserable in the event lately. He has failed to crack the top 10 in his last six starts, and given the smaller size of the field, those finishes essentially mean he hasn’t even been contending. The shorter length of the race just seems to throw Gordon off as he is used to being patient and getting stronger the longer a race goes on, but whatever the true cause of his struggles, he doesn’t look like the best bet this weekend.
Be sure to check the NSAwins.com Betting Daily Blog all week for updated 2013 Sprint All-Star Race odds, free tips, free picks, predictions and articles from NASCAR expert tipster Brian Polking. NSAwins.com is your home for 2013 Sprint All-Star Race Betting Odds and Handicapping coverage!
Odds to win the 2013 Sprint All-Star Race
Jimmie Johnson 5/1
Kyle Busch 5/1
Matt Kenseth 6/1
Denny Hamlin 15/2
Kasey Kahne 8/1
Carl Edwards 12/1
Brad Keselowski 12/1
Jeff Gordon 15/1
Greg Biffle 15/1
Kevin Harvick 15/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr 15/1
Clint Bowyer 20/1
Tony Stewart 25/1
Joey Logano 30/1
Kurt Busch 30/1
Ryan Newman 40/1
Mark Martin 40/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 20/1
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