2014 Toyota/Save Mart 350 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Vegas Favorites and Drivers to Bet: For the first time in 2014, the Cup Series will visit a road course. Sonoma Raceway will host Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, and the 10-turn, 1.99-mile track is the more technically demanding of the two road courses with Watkins Glen being the faster of the two. Unlike a typical oval race, a road course requires drivers to make both left and right-hand turns, and it also requires heavy braking a shifting. Not surprisingly, some drivers excel at road racing while others tend to struggle, including some big names. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the drivers to watch this weekend at Sonoma Raceway.
The Favorites
No driver in Cup Series history has been better at Sonoma than Jeff Gordon. His 8.2 average finish at the track is the best all-time, and his five victories are also the most of any driver. In 21 starts at Sonoma, Gordon has 17 top-10 finishes, including eight straight. More importantly, he has finished third or better in 10 of his last 16 starts at the track.
He has struggled on oval tracks throughout his career, but Marcos Ambrose is one of the premier road racers in the Cup Series. He is a two-time winner at Watkins Glen, and his 11.8 average finish at Sonoma is the third best among active drivers. Meanwhile, Ambrose has finished eighth or better in his last five starts at Sonoma.
Over the past three seasons, no driver has scored more points at road courses than Clint Bowyer. At Sonoma alone, he has reeled off three straight top-five finishes, winning at the track in 2012. Overall, Bowyer’s 9.1 average finish at Sonoma ranks second in the series, and he has finished fourth or better in five of his last six starts at the track.
When it comes to road racing, Tony Stewart has a resume that would make just about any driver jealous. His seven career road wins rank second all-time, and two of those victories have come at Sonoma. In addition to his two wins at the track, Stewart has also collected three second-place finishes at Sonoma, and his 12.0 average finish ranks fourth in the series.
The Dark Horses
His overall record at Sonoma isn’t all that special, but Kurt Busch has been on a tear at the track the last three seasons. He won at Sonoma in 2011, finished third in 2012 and notched a fourth-place finish last year. More impressively, those three top-four finishes came while Busch was driving for three different race teams. Clearly, his success at the track comes from his ability behind the wheel and not the equipment he is driving.
Road racing has never been his strong suit, but Jimmie Johnson has been getting better and better at the craft in recent years. In fact, he has five straight top-10 finishes at Sonoma, and during the stretch, he has three top-five finishes, including a win. Johnson will always do his best work on oval tracks, but don’t forget about him this weekend at Sonoma.
Sleeper Special
His background in road racing has translated well to the Cup Series, and A.J. Allmendinger has finished 13th or better in his last four starts at Sonoma, picking up a pair of top-10 finishes during the stretch. He also picked up a pair of road course victories in the Nationwide Series last season, leaving little doubt that his road racing skills are legit. Allmendinger has a real chance to pull off an upset this weekend.
Big Name to Avoid
He is having an excellent year, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. has never had a lot of success at road courses, especially Sonoma. In 14 career starts at the track, he has a 21.5 average finish. More concerning is the fact that he has never had a top-10 finish at Sonoma, let alone a top-five finish. Junior has never really had a car capable of contending for a win at Sonoma, and that seems unlikely to change this weekend.
| 2 EASY STEPS to BET on the 2014 Toyota/Save Mart 350 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: