Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Las Vegas Hilton Super Book Odds To Win Toyota/Save Mart 350; Stewart Favored

The Las Vegas Hilton Super Book have installed Tony Stewart as the 9 to 2 favorite to win this weeks Toyota-Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. This is the second straight year that Stewart has been listed as the favorite on the Sonoma road course after Jeff Gordon occupied the top slot for 11 straight years thanks to his five career wins on the track.

Stewart is a two-time winner at Sonoma and also has five other wins on NASCAR’s other road course at Watkins Glen. The crown that Jeff Gordon proudly wore as NASCAR’s best road course driver has been passed on to Stewart. Gordon’s odds are still listed low and respectful at 5 to 1, but Gordon admittedly has said that his team no longer spends the time and energy they once did for the road course races because it only represents two races a year.

Listed at 5 to 1 along with Gordon is 2008 Sonoma winner Kyle Busch, who also won the same year at Watkins Glen. 2007 Sonoma winner, and master International road course driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, is listed at 8 to 1 along with Australian Marcos Ambrose. Ambrose finished third in last years race.

Because this race is so different from all the others and requires both left and right turns, the odds are much higher on some of the drivers. Jimmie Johnson has gotten better over his career on the road course, but 15 to 1 odds is something we never see with him unless it is one of the two road races.

Because the track is so technical, many teams bring in road racing specialists to compete. Ron Fellows and Boris Said have been the best hired guns over the years. Fellows won’t be racing this week, but Said is listed at 30 to 1. Team Red Bull has brought in Mattias Ekstrom to handle their No. 83 entry and he is listed at 30 to 1 as well.

Robby Gordon won at Sonoma in 2003 and has two entries this week with the other driven by P.J. Jones. Gordon is listed at 25 to 1 and Jones is 200 to 1.

Mark Martin has four career road course wins, including his 1997 Sonoma win, and is listed at 50 to 1. Martin once wore the road racing crown as NASCAR’s best before passing it on to Gordon, who then passed it off to Stewart. Martin’s last top-five finish at Sonoma came in 2000 with third-place.

LAS VEGAS HILTON SUPER BOOK ODDS TO WIN
TOYOTA/SAVE MART 350
INFINEON RACEWAY
SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2010 

TONY STEWART 9-2
JEFF GORDON 5
KYLE BUSCH 5
JUAN MONTOYA 8
MARCOS AMBROSE 8
DENNY HAMLIN 12
KEVIN HARVICK 15
KURT BUSCH 25
ROBBY GORDON 25
JIMMIE JOHNSON 15
JAMIE McMURRAY 25
CLINT BOWYER 30
RYAN NEWMAN 30
KASEY KAHNE 30
JEFF BURTON 30
CARL EDWARDS 30
BORIS SAID 30
GREG BIFFLE 40
MARK MARTIN 50
MATTIAS EKSTROM 30
AJ ALLMENDINGER 50
MAX PAPIS 50
JOEY LOGANO 100
MARTIN TRUEX JR 100
MATT KENSETH 100
SCOTT SPEED 100
DALE EARNHARDT JR 100
ELLIOTT SADLER 100
DAVID RAGAN 200
PJ JONES 200
BRAD KESELOWSKI 500
SAM HORNISH JR 500
DAVID REUTIMANN 500
FIELD 75


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