2014 Blue Jeans Go Green 200 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Favorites, Sleepers and Drivers to Avoid: The Nationwide Series heads to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend, and while Saturday’s race doesn’t have the stature of last weekend’s event at Daytona, that hasn’t stopped several big names from deciding to pull double duty. Defending race-winner Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth are among the Cup drivers scheduled to be in the field, and the race will also be the first true chance to see what highly-touted rookies Chase Elliott, Ty Dillin and Dylan Kwasniewski have to offer. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the drivers that could contend for the win this weekend at Phoenix.
The Favorites
He is going for a three-peat at Phoenix after sweeping both races at the track last season, and Kyle Busch certainly knows how to get to victory lane at the track. After all, he is a six-time winner at PIR in the series, and all six victories have come in his last 12 starts at the track. During the stretch, Busch has finished in the top five in eight starts and has finished 16th or better in all 12 starts.
While he doesn’t make a lot of Nationwide starts, Kevin Harvick should be a major factor when he gets behind the wheel at Phoenix this weekend. Granted, he only has one win at the track, but in 18 starts at the track since the start of the 2003 season, he has piled up 14 top-five finishes. During the stretch, Harvick has five second-place finishes to go with his lone victory.
His starts in the Nationwide Series tend to be sporadic, but Matt Kenseth has tallied nine straight top-10s at Phoenix. The streak started in 2004, and it continued last year when he logged a pair of top-10s at PIR. During the stretch, Kenseth has four top-three finishes, including a trip to victory lane.
Although he is still looking for his first win at Phoenix, Brad Keselowski always seems to be in the mix at the track. In the last 10 races at the track, he has finished in the top five on seven occasions. Not to mention that in the last five races at PIR, Keselowski has been runner-up three times.
The Dark Horses
Out of the series regulars, no driver has made as much noise at Phoenix as Elliott Sadler. In his last four starts at the track, he has finished eighth or better three times. More importantly, Sadler has been excellent in the March race, winning the 2012 event and finishing fifth last season.
Although he had a bit of an off year overall, Trevor Bayne was able to continue a hot stretch at Phoenix. He finished fourth and seventh in the two races at the track, and he has now finished seventh or better in his last four starts at PIR. After a career-best fourth-place run at Phoenix last March, Bayne could be poised to challenge the big names this weekend.
Sleeper Special
He hasn’t made many starts at Phoenix, Regan Smith looked very comfortable last year in his first two starts at the track since 2007. Smith finished 11th in the March event, and he followed it up with a fourth-place run in the fall. Coming off a big win at Daytona to open the year, Smith will also have plenty of confidence on his side.
Big Name to Avoid
There is no denying that Kyle Larson is one of the top young prospects in NASCAR, but Phoenix was one of the few tracks that gave him trouble twice as a rookie last season. After a 13th-place finish in his track debut in March, he finished outside the top 30 in the fall. Expect Larson to be better this time around, but he probably won’t be ready to challenge for a win.
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