It’s been a while since Johnson found himself inside the top 10, as the last time it happened was six races ago, when he ended up 10th in last July’s New Hampshire 301. That streak could come to an end this weekend for Johnson, who isn’t an alien to winning at Darlington. He’s won this event in 2012. Dating back to 2007, Johnson has five top five finishes at the track. Here’s a bit of trivia that could be enough to convince you that Johnson is someone you should be thinking of betting on: his 10.87 career average finish at intermediate tracks is the best among all drivers since 1950.
Matt Kenseth
We’re nearing the end of the season and still no win for Kenseth, who will continue searching for his first victory of the year in Darlington this Sunday. He’s been flirting with success enough over the past several races, which suggests that he might just hit the jackpot soon, and hopefully that’s this weekend. Kenseth finished fourth last week at the Bristol Motor Speedway giving him five top finishes over his past six races. Kenseth won the 2013 edition of the Bojangles’ Southern 500 and finished fourth in the same event last year.
Ryan Newman
Newman might have the happiest-looking ESPN profile picture, but he’s going to be filled with even more joy if he somehow finds a way to navigate through the competition in Darlington and get his second win of the season. Newman appears to be heating up of late, as he’s scooped up a pair of top-six finishes in his last two races. He’s also going to take this weekend’s race very seriously, knowing that he’s currently 15th on the NASCAR Monster Cup Series standings – just two spots away from elimination.
