It’s still early on in the NASCAR season, but it’s shaping up to be pretty good. We already have three different winners through the first three races of the year. Almost everybody is making a case for a big performance race in and race out. With that said, it’s time to take a look at the best contenders to win in the upcoming Good Sam 500 at the Phoenix Motor Speedway this coming Sunday.
Jimmie Johnson already has a spot in the Chase, but that doesn’t mean that he’ll be slacking off any time soon. Johnson finished third at Las Vegas last wing to make a strong follow up to his win at Atlanta. He’s been pretty excellent at Phoenix with four wins and 15 top fives. He makes a strong case for a win at +750 out there in the desert.
Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch has been downright unshakeable recently. He’s finished in the top five in his last seven races. He missed this race last year as he healed from a broken leg. But he made up for it by finishing fourth in the fall race at Phoenix. Busch was oh so close to a win last week at Atlanta, but some problems with his car eventually had him conceding the lead. Expect Joe Gibbs Racing to make the necessary adjustments for Busch to succeed in this race.
Brad Keselowski (+900) had a slow start to the season, but there was no denying him last week at Las Vegas. Keselowski got it going at the Kobalt 400, surging to the front near the end of the race to secure his first win of the season. He has now secured a berth in the Chase, but there’s still plenty of winning to be done. He’s been excellent at the Phoenix Motor Speedway, finishing in the top 10 in his last four starts at the track (two in the top five).
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the defending champion of the Good Sam 500. He should be up front for most of the race at the Phoenix Motor Speedway this coming Sunday. Earnhardt Jr. has finished five of his last six races at Phoenix in the top eight. He may not lead plenty of laps, but expect him to make a push for the lead late in the race. Earnhardt Jr. is +1,200 to defend his crown.
Long Shot
Ryan Newman
Ryan Newman has raced pretty well in the first three races this season. He finished 11th at Daytona, 24th at Atlanta and 13th at Las Vegas. Newman is due for a big performance this time around, especially with the previous winners possibly slacking off after securing their spots in the Chase.
Newman may be a good pick at +5,000 to win the race. He already has won at the Phoenix Motor Speedway in his career. He’s also raced pretty well at the track recently with a top five and two top 10s in his last four races there.
Writer’s Prediction
Kyle Busch (+750) gets his first win of the season.
