2014 Crown Royal Presents the John Wayne Walding 400 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Favorites, Sleepers and Drivers to Avoid: After an off week, the Cup Series returns to action this weekend at famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 2.5-mile, rectangular-shaped oval is arguably the most famous track in all of auto racing, and some of the biggest names in open-wheel racing and stock car racing have been to victory lane at the Brickyard. The Cup Series has been coming to Indy for 20 years, and in many ways, the track has been a proving ground for champions. After all, 15 of the 20 drivers that have won at Indianapolis have also won Cup Series titles. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the drivers that could end up kissing the bricks this weekend in victory lane.
The Favorites
He won the first-ever Cup race at Indianapolis, and Jeff Gordon has remained one of the premier drivers at the track throughout his career. His four wins are tied for the most all-time, and no driver has led more laps at Indy. In 20 starts at the track, Gordon has a series-leading 16 top-10s and 11 top-five finishes, and his 8.8 average finish is the second best in the series.
No driver has been as dominant at Indianapolis in recent years as Jimmie Johnson. His four wins at the track are tied for the most all-time, and all four victories have come in the last eight races. During the stretch, no driver has more than one victory, and no driver has led more laps. Johnson just missed out on a record-breaking fifth win last year, leading the most laps and finishing second.
Indiana native Tony Stewart has been excellent at his home-state track throughout his career. In addition to a pair of wins, his 7.9 average finish at the track is the best in the series. In 15 total starts at Indy, Stewart has 11 top-10s. In fact, he is the only driver to have finished in the top 10 in the last five races at the track, and he has a series-leading 5.6 average finish during the stretch.
The Contenders
There is something about the big races that brings out the best in Kevin Harvick, and Indianapolis is no exception. He won at the Brickyard in 2003, and he has come within a few laps of winning on two other occasions. Overall, Harvick’s 10.9 average finish at Indianapolis ranks third in the series.
Although he has never been a serious contender at Indianapolis, all signs point to a breakout performance for Brad Keselowski this weekend. For one, he enters the race as the hottest driver in the series, having picked up two wins in the last three races. More importantly, he has been strong at tracks with flat corners all season. He has finished fourth or better in four of the five races at flat tracks in 2014, finishing second at Pocono and winning at New Hampshire in his two most recent starts.
He is still looking for his first win at Indianapolis, but Kyle Busch always seems to be in contention at the track. In fact, he was the runner-up in the 2012 race. Overall, Busch has seven top-10s in nine career starts at the track four among active drivers.
Sleeper Special
While he will be making just his second Cup start of 2014, Juan Pablo Montoya could still make some noise this weekend at Indianapolis. For one, he will be driving for Team Penske, and the organization has been one of the best in the series all year. More importantly, Montoya has finished as high as second at Indianapolis, and he finished in the top 10 at the track just last year. Meanwhile, he has led the second-most laps at the track since 2005.
Big Name to Avoid
Indianapolis has not been kind to Kurt Busch over the years. He finished in the top five at the track in his first-ever start, and he has not logged another top-five finish in his 12 starts since his debut. More concerning is the fact that Busch has just one top-10 in his last nine races at Indy. Overall, Busch owns a lackluster 19.4 average finish at Indianapolis.
| 2 EASY STEPS to BET on the 2014 Crown Royal Presents the John Wayne Walding 400 Odds! STEP 1: CLICK HERE to OPEN BOVADA Account STEP 2: Deposit with Credit Card or Deposit by Check and get a 50% BONUS instantly FREE. |
Check the latest NASCAR Vegas Odds and Betting Lines from BOVADA below: