Talladega’s inception into the iRacing series last Sunday was wild, with Hendrick Motorsport’s driver and sleeper Alex Bowman winning in a three-wide finish. This was Bowman’s first win, but what really made the affair interesting was that a lot of the familiar faces in the iRacing Pro Invitational circuit didn’t crack the top five this time, aside from Garret Smithley who was one of the favorites. With that shakeup of the field, will the usual suspects maintain their favorite status heading into this Sunday’s event at a virtual Dover International Speedway?
NASCAR is set to release its revised Cup Series schedule for 2020 in the next few days, and is committed to running 36 races, starting in May. That means we may see the end of the iRacing Pro Invitational soon, so look for drivers to give it their all at Dover.
William Byron – Chevrolet Camero for Hendrick Motorsports
Bryon is still the frontrunner as far as Vegas is concerned. He currently sits 4th in the rankings with 144 points, shy of 25-points to catch up to Timmy Hill. The Hendrick Motorsports driver finished sixth at Talladega last Sunday and led for a total of 9 laps, second in that capacity to Brad Keselowski and John H. Nemechek who each had control for 11. The sportsbook gives Chevrolet -185 odds to win, and prices Byron at +300 to take the checkered flag at Dover.
Timmy Hill – Toyota for MBM Motorsports
Hill is sitting pretty in the No.1 spot in the standings as the iRacing Pro Invitational looks to wind down to make way for the return of the Cup Series in May. He leads the pack by 22-points which gives him a little wiggle room, but not too much after he finished 11th in Talladega. Has Hill lost interest at this juncture? The sportsbook still likes his chances, giving Toyota +250 odds to win while pricing the MBM Motorsports driver at +550 to win at Dover.
Garret Smithley – Chevrolet Camaro for Rick Ware Racing
Garret Smithley was the only favorite to make the top five at Talladega, placing 4th. This solid result moves him up to second place on the leaderboard behind Timmy Hill who is ahead by 22-points. Smithley has been the most consistent of all drivers in the iRacing Pro Invitational Series, even though he does not yet have a win. It looks like it may be his time. The sportsbook gives Chevrolet -185 odds to win, and prices Smithley at +1000 to take the flag at Dover. Vegas is undervaluing this Rick Ware racer at just +1000 so bettors would be wise to put something on a Smithley victory.
SLEEPER
Ryan Preece – Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for JTG Daugherty Racing
29 year old Preece upset the field with a third place finish at Talladega and could have won if Alex Bowman eased his foot off the gas ever so slightly. Bowman defeated Preece by .038 seconds (and Corey LaJoi by .037 seconds) which is indeed a tough pill to swallow. Still, Preece’s solid finish has him tied for 2nd place in the iRacing season standings, sharing the distinction with Garret Smithley. The sportsbook gives Chevrolet drivers -185 odds to win and prices Preece with +1000 odds to win at Dover International Speedway.
LONG SHOT
Kyle Busch – Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing
Kyle Busch has an iRacing win somewhere in that competitive heart of his. After cracking the top ten with an 8th place finish at Talladega he has moved up in the standings from the 15th to the 11th spot, which is one better than his 12th place position on the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series thus far. Who knows, an iRacing Pro Invitational Series win could be all that it takes to fuel his return to glory on the real track which is just a few short weeks away. Unlike with the favorites and sleeper listed above, Vegas has no dedicated odds for a Kyle Busch win at Dover, but the sportsbook does gives Toyota drivers +200 odds to win. Interestingly, the sportsbook also favors (-150) the winner at Dover to drive a vehicle with an even number. Busch’s number is 18, which allows you to bet twice on this long shot to win.
Writer’s Prediction
Garret Smithley finally wins an iRacing Pro Invitational Series event by being first across the line at Dover International Speedway.
