Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Kyle Busch, Kenseth and Johnson 6-to-1 co-favorites to win 2013 Coca-Cola 600

Kyle Busch won at Charlotte's sister-track at Texas in April
LAS VEGAS -- Jimmie Johnson, who proved in last week’s Sprint All-Star Race that someone other than a Joe Gibbs driver can win on a 1.5-mile track, has been installed by the LVH SuperBook as the 6-to-1 co-favorite to win the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday night.

Remember, though, that the All-Star race was a 90-lap series of sprints – and, of course, a non-points race.

The two other co-favorites, Gibbs drivers Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth, have gobbled up all the points-race wins on 1.5-mile tracks this season.

Johnson has six career wins at Charlotte, but he's no longer the dominant force at this track he once was. His success has been better in the fall race, but his last top-10 finish in the Memorial Day weekend race was in 2007. He'll be using a brand new chassis this week and attempting to do what he did in 2003: sweep the All-Star race and Coca-Cola 600 in back-to-back weeks.

Busch has never won at Charlotte, but he's been very close. He's finished in the top five in eight of his last 11 starts there, including his last three. Kenseth won at Charlotte in the fall of 2011 and also won his first career race in the 2000 Coca-Cola 600 as a rookie. Busch – who won at Texas, Charlotte's sister track and the one runs the most similar – appears to have somewhat of an edge this week.

Kasey Kahne is a strong candidate to upset the favorites. He won this race last season and has three other Charlotte wins over his career. He also finished second to Kenseth at the 1.5-mile tracks at Las Vegas and Kansas.

Another driver to look at this week is Greg Biffle. He's never won at Charlotte, but did finish fourth in both races last season. Biffle will be using his chassis from Texas, site of his only top five finish of the season.

Read More Here........LVH Charlotte Odds to Win

No comments: