All eyes will be on the final three races of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, starting with AAA Texas 500. The remaining eight drivers in the eliminator round will bring their strongest performances to date as they attempt to clinch a spot in the four slots for the Sprint Cup Championships. Which drivers will rise or fall? Read on as we give you a complete preview of this high-octane NASCAR race.
NASCAR isn’t the only one to keep you occupied on Sunday. Check out our preview for the blockbuster matchup between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots and Sunday Night Football featuring AFC North rivals the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers (preview here).
[sc:NASCAR240banner ]Kevin Harvick is the favorite to win AAA Texas 500 at +400 despite being winless at Texas Motor Speedway. He has a chance to record his first win at the track after an excellent performance in Charlotte, a similar 1.5-mile oval, last week. Harvick led for 162 laps before becoming the first non-Penske Racing or Hendrick Motorsports driver to win on a 1.5-mile track.
Still, Hendrick Motorsports has an answer for Harvick’s winning performance at Charlotte. Jimmie Johnson carries the banner for the stock car racing powerhouse. Johnson has won AAA Texas 500 in each of the past two years. He also shares the record for most wins at the track (3) with Carl Edwards.
Most of all, Johnson will have the benefit of racing with a Hendrick engine. In a track like Texas, having a powerful car with enough horsepower all but assures a driver victory. Johnson is +700 to win this race for Hendrick Motorsports.
High-Value Picks – Matt Kenseth and Kyle Larson
Joe Gibbs Racing export Matt Kenseth will also be a frontrunner in this race. He has two wins at the track, along with six top-five finishes in his last 10 races at Texas. The only knock on Kenseth’s chances is his Toyota Camry, which doesn’t have the same kick as Team Penske’s or Hendrick Motorsports’ cars. Still, if there’s a driver who can get by on individual skill at Texas, it’s Kenseth. He offers a sweet price at +1,000 to win this race.
Kyle Larson has the potential to play spoiler in this race, as he is a good racer on 1.5-mile tracks. He started 14th and wound up finishing fifth in the spring race at Texas. Meanwhile, Larson also has four top-five finishes on 1.5-mile tracks, along with nine top-10s. He’s going to be a frontrunner in this race, and he’s +1,200 to make it to victory lane.
Long Shots – Tony Stewart and Trevor Bayne
Tony Stewart (+3,000) had his best race of the season at Texas in April. He won the pole, led 74 laps and finished in the top 10. Heading into this race, Stewart looks to be in fine form after finishing fourth in Martinsville last week and led for 18 laps.
Another dark horse to win this race is Trevor Bayne (+10,000). He has competed in eight races in the Sprint Cup Series at Texas with five finishes inside the top 20. Bayne is an excellent racer on 1.5-mile tracks, racking up one win, 11 top-five finishes, 20 top-10s in 42 races in the Nationwide Series. Texas Motor Speedway remains one of Bayne’s best tracks, and he may surprise everyone driving without any of the pressure on the Chase contenders.
Writer’s Prediction
Jimmie Johnson takes the AAA Texas 500. Create a betting account now and start betting on NASCAR as it enters its final three-race stretch.
