2015 Xfinity Series Odds & Predictions: Lilly Diabetes 350 Favorites and Contenders

2015 Xfinity Series Odds & Predictions: Lilly Diabetes 350 Favorites and Contenders: For just the fourth time in history, the Xfinity Series will visit historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 2.5-mile track is known throughout the world as one of the most famous tracks in auto racing, and while the Cup drivers have been visiting the track for more than two decades, many of the Xfinity regulars have little experience at the track. Needless to say, the handful of Cup regulars pulling double duty this weekend will likely have an advantage on the rest of the field, but there are plenty of talented youngsters in the field that have shown all year that they won’t be intimidated. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the frontrunners and other potential contenders for Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 350 at Indianapolis.

2015 Xfinity Series Odds & Predictions: Lilly Diabetes 350 Favorites and Contenders

The Favorites

He has been in the field for all three Xfinity Series races at Indianapolis, and Kyle Busch won the 2013 event and finished second last season. More impressively, Busch has led a series-high 153 laps at Indy, which are 120 more than any other driver. In fact, Busch has double digit laps in all three races at the track.

Although he has never won an Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis, Kevin Harvick has finished second in both of his starts at the track. Last year, Harvick finished a career-best fourth at Indy, and he led a race-high 33 laps. Expect him to be one of the frontrunners again this weekend in his third Xfinity start at the track.

The Contenders

He is the defending winner of this weekend’s race, and Ty Dillon has quickly established himself as one of the best in the series at the track. He has finished third and first in two starts at Indy, and in last year’s race, he beat big names like Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano to pick up the win.

While he hasn’t had a breakout performance at Indianapolis, Kyle Larson has been rock solid in both his starts at the track. He finished 11th in his Indy debut, and last year, he finished a career-best eighth. The young driver keeps getting better, and he could take his performance to the next level in his third start at Indy this weekend.

He will be driving a the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing entry this weekend, and Paul Menard has been rock solid in all three of his Xfinity starts at Indianapolis. He finished eighth in his first start at the track and has finished sixth in each of his last two starts. Expect Menard to be near the front this weekend.

He will make his debut at Indianapolis this weekend, but Erik Jones has already shown that a lack of experience won’t hold him back. In 15 starts in the Xfinity Series this weekend, he has notched eight top-five finishes, including two wins. The fact that Jones is driving for a Joe Gibbs Racing organization that has been excellent at Indianapolis only boosts his chances of winning this weekend.

The Sleeper

He hasn’t raced in the Xfinity Series at Indianapolis since 2012, but Ryan Blaney should be able to make some real noise when he returns to the track this weekend. After all, he is driving the Team Penske No. 22 this weekend, and the tram has finished in the top five in all three Xfinity Series races at Indy. Blaney has made five previous starts for the team this season, logging four top-10s and three top-five finishes.