The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host the next leg of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. As the Chase for the Sprint Cup moves closer to its final rounds, the race has never been tighter. All of the top drivers at the John Wayne Walding 400 will have their eyes on the prize.
Read on for our complete breakdown of the John Wayne Walding 400 field and get into the NASCAR circuit’s most exciting action this summer.
Favorites: Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart
Brad Keselowski (+750 to win the championship) is on a roll with Team Penske cars looking great this season. He has been particularly effective on long flat tracks like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s. Keselowski has finished in the top three in five of his last seven races with wins at Kentucky and New Hampshire (another flat track). With how he’s been racing this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him at the front of the pack for most of this race.
[sc:NASCAR240banner ]Jeff Gordon also excels at long flat tracks. He has 11 top-20s, eight top-10s, four top-fives and a win at flat tracks. He also has four wins and 16 top-10 finishes in 20 starts at the Brickyard. Gordon has been one of the more consistent drivers this season with 13 top-10 finishes, including a win at Kansas City in May. With how Gordon has looked the whole season, he’s currently at +650 to win the Sprint Cup Championship.
In a sprint car accident last year, Tony Stewart suffered a gruesome injury that broke his leg in two places. This year, Stewart returned to racing in a sprint car for the first time and drove straight to victory. The win can give Stewart the boost he needs to win the races needed to visit victory lane for the Sprint Cup Championship. He is +2,000 to win it all.
Stewart will want the success he enjoyed to translate to a Sprint Cup Series win in his home state at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Stewart broke a five-race stretch of finishing outside the top 10 with a top-seven finish at New Hampshire. He also has a win at the Brickyard to give him a boost of confidence heading into the race.
Any of these favorites could easily take the crown this weekend. Create a betting account now to enjoy the high-speed thrills of NASCAR betting.
High-Value Picks: Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson
Kyle Busch (+550 to win the Sprint Cup) has a couple of second place finishes in his last three races. The upcoming race at Indianapolis may be the race he breaks free and bags a win. Busch has yet to win at the Brickyard, but has finished in the top ten in seven of his nine races at the track. Busch has also constantly finished in the top 10 in 13 of 14 Nationwide Series races he’s joined.
Kyle Larson is only a 2014 Sprint Cup Series rookie, but he has already impressed. Larson has seven top 10 finishes as well as a third place finish at another flat track at New Hampshire. Larson is coming off another solid performance in Chicago where he finished third at a Nationwide Series race. With how he’s looked recently, the rookie is set for another top-five finish or a possible win at the Brickyard. If Larson continues to improve, a Sprint Cup championship is not that far away. The rookie is +1,800 to win it all.
Long Shots: Jamie McMurray and Martin Truex Jr.
Jamie McMurray (+6,000 to win the Sprint Cup) has five top 20 finishes in his last seven races. He has also won a race at Indianapolis, and between his comfort on this particular track and his experience on flat tracks in general with 10 top-20s, three top-10s and a top-five finish. This may be a good chance to tap him for his first win of the season.
Martin Truex Jr.’s last two races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were the best results he’s had at the track finishing eighth and 11th, respectively. Truex has gone under the radar for most of the current season, but has been constantly finishing earlier since the Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky capped off by a 12th place finish at New Hampshire. He is +25,000 to win the series,
Writer’s Prediction
Jeff Gordon is too familiar with the Brickyard not to win this race. Gordon wins, but not without Brad Keselowski challenging until the end.
