2014 Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Favorites, Dark Horses, Sleepers and Drivers to Avoid

2014 Drive to Stop Diabetes 300 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Favorites, Dark Horses, Sleepers and Drivers to Avoid: The Nationwide Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, and with the Cup Series also in Thunder Valley, several big names will be pulling double duty at one of the most popular tracks on the schedule. Last March, the race came down to a battle between Cup regular Kyle Busch and Nationwide rookie Kyle Larson. Although Larson was able to pull alongside Busch on the final lap, Busch beat the rookie to the line to seal the win at the track. Busch went on to sweep both races at Bristol in 2013, and while he will try for a three-peat this weekend, here is a closer look at all the drivers worth watching this weekend.

The Favorites

He has been absolutely dominant at Bristol in the Nationwide Series, and Kyle Busch has won an impressive six races at the track. More importantly, five of those wins have come in his last seven starts at the track. Busch has actually finished in the top three in seven of his last eight starts at Bristol, including a season sweep at the track last season.

Few drivers can claim to have had as much success at Bristol in the Nationwide Series as Kevin Harvick. He is a five-time winner at the track overall, and since the start of the 2004 season, he has finished in the top five in 10 of his 16 starts. Meanwhile, Harvick has compiled an impressive 5.6 average finish at Bristol in those 16 starts.

While he hasn’t made a stat at Bristol in the Nationwide Series since 2009, Matt Kenseth is still a serious threat this weekend. He is a two-time winner at the track in his career, and he has finished in the top five in seven of his eight starts at the track since the start of the 2004 season.

The Dark Horses

Since returning to the Nationwide Series full time in 2010, Elliott Sadler has been excellent at Bristol. He has six top-10 finishes in his last seven starts at the track, and more importantly, he has four top-five finishes during the stretch, including a win. Sadler is also a former winner at Bristol at the Cup level so he has always had a good feel for how to get around the short track.

He made his Bristol debut last season, and Kyle Larson certainly made a great first impression. In his first start at the track last March, he came within a few feet of besting Kyle Busch for the win. Larson followed up his runner-up effort with another top-five run in the summer event. With two top-five finishes in two starts at Bristol, it seems like only a matter of time before he visits victory lane at the track.

Sleeper Special

Last week’s winner Brad Keselowski will take a break this weekend, but youngster Ryan Blaney will be in the field in the Team Penske No. 22. The team has been one of the best in the series over the past couple of seasons, and in his lone Nationwide start at Bristol, Blaney finished seventh. He has had a chance to gain a lot of experience since his first start at the track in 2012, and he actually won his first Nationwide race last year. Blaney has the talent and equipment to pull off another upset this weekend.

Big Name to Avoid

He is off to a strong start in 2014, but Regan Smith has never been a great short track driver at any level of racing. At Bristol in the Nationwide Series, he has compiled a forgettable 24.7 average finish in seven starts at the track. In those stats, Smith has just one top-10 finish compared to six finishes outside the top 15, including five finishes outside the top 20.

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