Jamie McMurray talks about NASCAR's 2018 Camaro

Jamie McMurray, driver of the No.1 Chevrolet, met with the media during the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media tour and answered questions. McMurray had a good season in 2017 but failed to win a race. McMurray doesn’t think the Camaro will give them an idea of how good the car is until the second race of the season at Atlanta.

When asked if he was excited about the new car, McMurray was honest and straightforward about the hope for the car.

“I don’t think the XFINITY Camaro will help us one bit,” McMurray said. “I think it is different. I think the bodies are different. I don’t know, to be honest with you. I am pretty sure they are different, so I wouldn’t say that if there is anything to correlate between the two.”

McMurray said that they will know more about how good the Camaro ZL1 until they get it to a normal track—Atlanta Motor Speedway. Is he excited about the new car?

“Excited. No…. they’ve done a lot of wind tunnel testing up to this point with the Camaro. However, the way NASCAR is going to inspect cars is a little different with the body scan, so the tolerances are a lot tighter than they were last year. Everybody is going to have less downforce than they did last year just because of the new Hawkeye System just because of how they are teching the cars now. It is a little bit of an unknown. We know the difference from where we were last year until now. But, you just don’t know the difference for everybody else. Until we get to Atlanta, we aren’t going to have any idea.”

The topic of the week seemed to be how veteran drivers like McMurray relate to the young guns, and he was asked the question.

“Well, look, all of us, as race car drivers, are human. Some seek attention more than others. I don’t really seek attention so I’m okay with all that. I think enough said. Some want attention more than others,” McMurray said.

McMurray has learning the new Camaro on his mind and was asked how long it would take for the ZL1 to become competitive.

“I don’t know the answer to that. Daytona is going to be unique, a one-off race, because it’s all about low drag, McMurray said. “The other thing that’s going to happen at Daytona that I haven’t heard anyone talk about is that there are no ride-height rules this year, so it’s going to be completely different for all of us. And then once we get to Atlanta, and you kind of see…. Actually the No. 42 (Kyle Larson) is doing a Vegas test. You’ll kind of know where they stack up against the other cars and maybe kind of compare that to last year to see where you were. But I think you have to see where you are and if you feel like the cars are just as fast as they were last year, then it will be a pretty easy learning curve. If you’re not, then it’s going to be a harder learning curve.

“The one thing in today’s world that is different than it was five or 10 years ago, is that the whole car is set-up off simulation and part of that program is that they take aero maps into account and they can kind of adjust the balance based on the aero maps. And so, we have all that information and so if the aero map is a little different or if a rules change comes into play, they kind of adjust the set-up for that. And it all makes sense. It’s not like it was 10 years ago where it was a little bit of a guess. So, I think it’s a different time now.”

McMurray did say he would be participating in three XFINITY Series this year and wished the Charlotte ROVAL would be first used for the All-Star race to give the drivers some practice on the circuit.

- Speedway Media

Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook Odds to Win: 2018 Daytona 500

It's time to prepare for the Daytona 500. The green flag is only a few weeks away.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK

ODDS TO WIN 2018 DAYTONA 500

DAYTONA INT'L SPEEDWAY

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2018 - 2:50 PM ET

Brad KESELOWSKI 8/1
Denny HAMLIN 10/1
Joey LOGANO 10/1
Kevin HARVICK 10/1
Chase ELLIOTT 10/1
Kyle BUSCH 12/1
Kyle LARSON 12/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 12/1
Martin TRUEX JR 12/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 15/1
Erik JONES 20/1
Clint BOWYER 20/1
Ryan BLANEY 25/1
Jamie McMURRAY 25/1
William BYRON 30/1
Alex BOWMAN 30/1
Aric ALMIROLA 30/1
Daniel SUAREZ 30/1
Kurt BUSCH 20/1
Trevor BAYNE 40/1
Austin DILLON 50/1
Paul MENARD 50/1
Ryan NEWMAN 60/1
Ty DILLON 80/1
Kasey KAHNE 80/1
Darrell WALLACE JR 80/1
Chris BUESCHER 100/1
Michael McDOWELL 100/1
AJ ALLMENDINGER 100/1
Danica PATRICK 100/1
Matt DIBENEDETTO 300/1
FIELD (all others) 40/1

DAYTONA 500 MATCH-UPS

Brad KESELOWSKI - 130
Denny HAMLIN +110

Brad KESELOWSKI - 130
Kevin HARVICK +110

Brad KESELOWSKI - 130
Joey LOGANO +110

Denny HAMLIN - 110
Kevin HARVICK - 110

Denny HAMLIN - 110
Joey LOGANO - 110

Kevin HARVICK - 110
Joey LOGANO - 110

Chase ELLIOTT - 125
Kyle BUSCH +105

Chase ELLIOTT - 125
Kyle LARSON +105

Chase ELLIOTT - 125
Ricky STENHOUSE JR +105

Kyle BUSCH - 110
Kyle LARSON - 110

Kyle BUSCH - 110
Ricky STENHOUSE JR - 110

Kyle LARSON - 110
Ricky STENHOUSE JR - 110

Martin TRUEX JR - 120
Jimmie JOHNSON EVEN

Martin TRUEX JR - 120
Erik JONES EVEN

Martin TRUEX JR - 130
Clint BOWYER +110

Jimmie JOHNSON - 110
Erik JONES - 110

Jimmie JOHNSON - 120
Clint BOWYER EVEN

Erik JONES - 120
Clint BOWYER EVEN

William BYRON - 110
Alex BOWMAN - 110

Ryan BLANEY - 110
Jamie McMURRAY - 110

Both Chip Ganssi Racing cars contenders to win Las Vegas Pole

Larson is 25/1 to win pole on Friday

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Advance Notes

RACE SETUP
Race: Kobalt 400 – 267 Laps/400.5Miles #Kobalt400
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (oval) @LVMotorSpeedway
Drivers: @jamiemcmurray, @KyleLarsonRacin
Cars: No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet SS, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS
Television: Sunday, Mar. 8 – FOX (3:30 p.m. ET)
Social: @CGRnascar #TeamGanassi #TeamTarget #Cessna1

I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT
Playing the Odds: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) has a total of 33 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) starts, with 11 different drivers, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS). The team has totaled 10 top-10 and four top-five finishes, including a victory 13 years ago with driver Sterling Marlin. In those 33 starts the team has completed 8,555 of 8,874 (96.4%) laps of competition, or 13,311 miles, the distance of three roundtrips between the CGRFS shops in Concord, NC and LVMS

#TEAMGANASSI
Follow CGR on Twitter: Be sure to follow CGR on their official team Twitter page. Find in-race updates and weekly news on the No.1 and No. 42 teams throughout the 2015 season by following “@CGRnascar”. You can also connect in the social conversation throughout the season with team hashtags – #TeamTarget, #Cessna1

TWEET OF THE WEEK
@KyleLarsonRacin: “Such a frustrating race. Top 5 car but had no luck. We’ve got a great team just gotta get the luck changed. We’ll be okay.”

@jamiemcmurray: “Great job by our @McDonalds @Cessna team. Staring P3 Proud of all my guys…and girl! (following qualifying at Atlanta Motor Speedway)”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Cessna Team
Atlanta Results: Race No. 2, The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, on the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). Jamie McMurray, driving the McDonald’s Chevrolet SS, was working on closing-out a strong run, when he was collected in an accident on lap 256 that took him out of competition and him relegated to a 40th place finish.

McMurray at Las Vegas: McMurray will make his 13th NSCS career start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. In 12 previous starts he has four top-10 and one top-five finish. McMurray has finished on the lead lap in eight of those 12 races and has completed 3,205 of 3,225 (99.4%) of competition. He has never had a did not finish (DNF) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway along with an average start of 20.7 and average finish of 17.9, his best start and finish came in 2004 when he started and finished in fourth-place.

Vegas Riot: The award winning Country music group Rascal Flatts, who released their ninth studio album in May 2014, that includes the hit single Riot, will be singing the National Anthem prior to the start of the Kobalt 400. The group will also have their name on the No. 1 Cessna Chevy SS this weekend at LVMS. Rascal Flatts is in the middle of a three week residency at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino where they will play several shows from Feb. 25 – Mar. 14 at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The award winning group is the first country music act to ever headline at The Joint.

Kyle Larson and No. 42 Target Team
Atlanta Results: In the first race of the year with the new rules package in place, the weekend started off positively for Kyle Larson and the Target team in the No. 42 Energizer EcoAdvanced Chevy. However, several mistakes during the race, a mechanical issue and a late-race incident resulted in a 26th place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS).

Larson at Las Vegas: Larson has only one previous start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NSCS, which came in last year’s Kobalt Tools 400. Larson qualified for that race in 17th position, and had the fourth-most green flag passes, with 76, on his was to finishing one lap down in 19th position.

Owning It: In addition to being in Las Vegas as a competitor this week, Larson will also be there as an owner. Larson Marks Racing, a World of Outlaws sprint car team partially owned by Larson, will be competing at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Wednesday and Thursday, with Shane Stewart driving the No. 2 car. The team already has one win this season, which came in January with Larson behind the wheel at the Winter Heat Showdown at Cocopah Speedway in Arizona.

A Shopping Bullseye: If you have made it to the race only to find out you’ve forgotten to pack a few necessities, there’s no need to worry. For all your last minute needs and forgotten items, Target has all the essentials and more. The nearest Target is located at 4001 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89119 and can be reached at 702-732-2218. Call ahead and make sure they have what you need.

2015 STATS

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

	Starts	Wins	Poles	Top 5s	Top 10s	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish	Pts. Pos.
Jamie McMurray	2	0	0	0	0	9.0	33.5	32
Kyle Larson	2	0	0	0	0	17.5	30.0	29

CAREER STATS

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

	Starts	Wins	Poles	Top 5s	Top 10s	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
Jamie McMurray	440	7	11	52	121	18.9	19.0
Kyle Larson	42	0	1	8	17	16.6	16.4

ONE TEAM
Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four cars in the IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Prototype in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Overall his teams have 17 championships and over 160 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and six Rolex 24 At Daytonas and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.

For more information log onto www.chipganassiracing.com

- Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

2014 Daytona 500 Odds: Why not take a chance on Austin Dillon to win at 45/1?

Austin Dillon is being offered at 45/1 odds 

LAS VEGAS -- Mother Nature took away the first of two scheduled NASCAR Sprint Cup testing days at Daytona International Speedway, but the lone day they did test was enough to satisfy the hunger fans and bettors have felt since the 2013 season ended November at Homestead. That also left us all with only one day to decipher what we really saw out of the Richard Childress Racing cars, which posted the top three speeds of the lone January 10 session.

The leader of the pack was Childress’ grandson, rookie Austin Dillon, who already has championships in the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series. One more thing- Dillon will be the first driver to pilot the famed No. 3 black Chevrolet since Dale Earnhardt passed at Daytona 13 years ago. That’s a heavy responsibility to carry for a rookie, but it’s apparent that Childress has put forth, at least initially, a swing for the fences approach to be the best, if not only for the legacy of the No. 3 and Earnhardt, but also for his grandson.

Dillon’s odds posted at the LVH SuperBook to win the 2014 Daytona 500 are 30-to-1. That number has the scent of doubt attached to it- though perhaps there should be for a rookie. Only 15 drivers have lower odds at the LVH than Dillon for the February 23 race. Danica Patrick is listed at 40-to-1, and this is her best track, while Trevor Bayne (75-to-1) won the 2011 Daytona 500 at 125-to-1 odds. Overall, the lowest odds on Dillon are 20-to-1 at Aliante and the highest are 45-to-1 at MGM Resorts.

So far, we know the kid can drive and hasn’t let the Cup guys push him around too much when mixing it up in the Nationwide series. But this is the Cup series, and it figures it get much rougher than he ever imagined. A huge bonus is that the departed Kevin Harvick won four races and finished second in points last season. Dillon now inherits all those fast cars, which can do wonders for a rookie's confidence. Harvick also won the 2007 Daytona 500 for Childress.

The Harvick angle also has to motivate Childress to put out his best product ever. Last year they were on the upswing, ahead of the curve with the Gen-6 car, and Harvick was given great cars. Childress showed his character in that lame duck situation by giving Harvick’s No. 29 the best engines and chassis’ in the RCR stable. Thus, it wouldn‘t be a surprise to watch Dillon compete well as a rookie. Being fast makes the transition go much smoother.

As for Daytona next month, taking 45-to-1 on him at the MGM books is a great offering. He’ll likely be starting from the pole, which will theoretically keep him out front for a while and out of trouble like we saw Danica Patrick do last season when she finished eighth. If you think he’ll have a good car, and has a good chance of being in the race at the end, isn’t 45-to-1 pretty solid?

We've seen stranger things happen, and some have been associated with the No. 3, like when a Dale Earnhardt Inc. car driven by Michael Waltrip won the 2001 Daytona 500. Or how about when another DEI car driven by Steve Park won the following week at Rockingham? Or how about Harvick winning at Atlanta by .006 seconds in only his second career Cup start? And then the story became even more supernatural when Earnhardt Jr. won the next race at Daytona in the summer for a fitting tribute.

It takes skill to win at Daytona, but the best cars don’t necessarily win because otherwise we would have seen at least one Joe Gibbs Racing car win a restrictor-plate race last season. The best driver on the planet did win in 2013 as Jimmie Johnson swept the season, something that had not been done at Daytona since Bobby Allison in 1982. Despite that domination, Johnson can be found as high as 12-to-1 odds at William Hill books. It will be the longest odds offered on him all season other than Talladega, which will be around the same.

This is a crap shoot, so it serves well to think outside the box when betting and roll the dice. Casey Mears had the sixth fastest lap during testing (most of the top times were all single-car times with no drafting help) and he can be found at 100-to-1. David Ragan is 75-to-1 and his only two Cup wins came in plate races, including last season at Talladega with the same No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. Ragan and FRM did not participate in the testing.

Rookie Kyle Larson takes over the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Chevrolet for Juan Pablo Montoya and came away with the fifth fastest lap in testing. He was one of the few drivers that ran in the draft. The Ganassi cars have been at their best in plate races. Jamie McMurray won at Talladega last season and also won the 2010 Daytona 500. Larson can be found at 60-to-1 odds at William Hill while McMurray’s best price is 30-to-1.

Test session times at plate tracks don’t tell as much as a 1.5-mile cookie cutter track session might for those type of races, but it is all we have to chew on until we see them practice Feb. 14 for the Sprint Unlimited.

We’ll update the odds chart each week and add more properties as their numbers start popping up.

Read More here.......Odds from 5 different LV Sports Books

Rising Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing a team to take notice of at Pocono

Montoya and Mcmurray are getting faster every week

Race: Party in the Poconos 400
Drivers: @jamiemcmurray, @jpmontoya
Cars: No. 1 Banana Boat Chevrolet SS, No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS
Track: Pocono Raceway (2.5-mile tri-oval), Long Pond, Pa.
TV: TNT (1 p.m. ET)
Social: @EGRTeams, #TeamGanassi

I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT

Going the Distance: 2012 marked the first season that NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono were scheduled for 400 miles. Prior to 2012 all NASCAR Sprint Cup races were 500 miles at Pocono Raceway

Goodyear “Gives Back”: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, exclusive tire supplier of NASCAR’s three major national series, is honoring the U.S. Armed Forces with the launch of the “Goodyear Gives Back” program, a charitable fund-raising effort to benefit Support Our Troops®. This organization helps to boost the morale of active duty troops and their families through care packages sent to the front lines and programs for families at home. Throughout the program (May 23 – July 8) fans can join in by visiting www.Goodyear.com/GivesBack, where they can bid on authentic autographed race-used Goodyear NASCAR Support Our Troops tires, rides in the Goodyear blimp, VIP at-track experiences and other racing memorabilia. In addition, fans can make direct donations, and purchase limited-edition Goodyear Gives Backmerchandise – all to benefit the Support Our Troops organization.

#TEAMGANASSI

Follow EGR on Twitter: Continue to follow Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR) on their official team Twitter page. Find in-race updates and weekly news on the No.1 and No.42 teams throughout the 2013 season by following “@EGRTeams”.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

@jpmontoya-“This week we are at pocono!!! pretty pump about it. got to keep the ball rolling. #momentum”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR POCONO RACEWAY

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Banana Boat Team

Dover Recap: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates debuted new colors on the No. 1 Chevrolet SS at Dover International Speedway, partnering with Parade Magazine to help launch the rebranding of their print and digital assets. McMurray and the No. 1 team consistently showed speed throughout the weekend and kept the Parade Chevrolet SS in the top-10 during practice, qualifying and the majority of the race until they were sent to the garage with less than 100 laps to go to replace the radiator, which resulted in a 33rd-place finish.

Got You Covered: Banana Boat will once again join McMurray and team as primary sponsor on the No. 1 Chevrolet SS. Banana Boat car will sport a special orange, blue and white paint scheme at Pocono Raceway. Banana Boat has you covered for all of your sun care needs. Stop by the Banana Boat Shade Station in the display area for fun games and activities and also learn about Banana Boat sun care products.

McMurray at Pocono: Making his 20th start at Pocono Raceway this weekend, McMurray has completed 3,664 laps of a possible 3,772 laps at the “Tricky Triangle”, having led 20 laps. McMurray has earned four top-10s, has an average start of 16.8 and an average finish of 21.4. McMurray started from the pole at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in 2005 and his best finish was ninth in 2004 and 2008. McMurray has 14 lead lap finishes in 20 races at Pocono, including eight of the last ten.

Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team

Dover Recap: Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 team carried the Energizer colors and bunny to a second-place finish over the weekend at Dover International Speedway. The Energizer Chevy SS started in the 14th position and by lap 80 had broken into the top-10 and never looked back. The team crossed the finish line in the second position giving them their best finish of the 2013 season.

Montoya at Pocono: In 12 starts at Pocono Raceway, Montoya has completed 2,069 laps out of 2,168 laps possible or 95.4%. In his last start at the 2.5-mile track, Montoya started on the pole and finished 20th after rain showers moved through the area and shortened the race. He has tallied one top-five, four top-10s and has an average starting and finishing position of 14.3 and 18.7, respectively.

Making Gains: Montoya has climbed from 30th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings to 22nd over the course of seven races (30thfollowing the Martinsville race) and has accumulated three top-10 finishes in his last five races.

99 Wins and Counting …: The Target Racing program, which began with Target and Chip Ganassi Racing in 1990, is just one win shy of the 100-win plateau. The first win for the program came in 1994 with Michael Andretti’s Indy car victory at Surfers Paradise, Australia when the team was just a two-car open wheel program. The partnership between Target and Chip Ganassi Racing is one of the longest consecutive team partnerships in motor racing history.

Hit the Bullseye: Need something in a hurry? Be sure to stop by the nearest Target at the Pocono Commons in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania on your way to the track this weekend. Call ahead at 570-426-1050 to ensure they have what you need. Get directions

ONE TEAM, SIX CARS, THREE SERIES

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include three cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 15 championships and over 150 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and five Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

For more information log onto: www.earnhardtganassi.com

- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

Final 2012 Budweiser Shootout Driver Ratings Following All Practices

Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Budweiser Shootout
Daytona International Speedway
Saturday, February 18, 2012 - 5:10 pm (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds       Practice 1  Practice 2  Start Pos.  2011 Shootout*

 1. Kevin Harvick 8/1             12th           DNP              22nd              7th
Two-time Shootout winner (2009, 2010), using winning car from 2010 Daytona Firecracker.

 2. Tony Stewart 12/1              9th           DNP              15th             11th
Three-time Shootout winner, the last coming 2007, and 16 wins overall at Daytona.

 3. Jamie McMurray 15/1        4th             1st                   4th              2nd
Shootout Runner-up in 2009 and 2011, third in 2010; using same chassis from 2011 and 2010.

 4.  Jeff Gordon 10/1              21st            DNP             14th              6th
Two-time Shootout winner (1994, 1997); finished sixth or better in last four starts.   

 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr 10/1      24th           12th                 8th             19th
Two-time Shootout winner (2003, 2008); hasn’t finished better than 11th in last three starts.

 6. Clint Bowyer 25/1              10th            DNP              17th             9th
Best finish of ninth last year; had fastest time in one of the Daytona pre-season test sessions.

 7. Jeff Burton 20/1                  2nd            DNP              12th             8th 
Best finish was fifth in 2001; using chassis from Harvick that ran in three 2011 plates races.

 8. Kurt Busch 20/1                 15th            DNP              6th              1st
Won Shootout last season (new team this year); fastest overall in Daytona pre-season testing.

 9. Juan Montoya 30/1            23rd            2nd                 25th            20th
Best finish of 10th in 2010; tandem racing with McMurray. Using 2011 sixth-place Daytona 500 car.

10. Kasey Kahne 12/1            17th              4th                19th            24th
Runner-up in 2010; teamed with Gordon in Daytona pre-season testing and worked very well.  

Note: The Budweiser Shootout is a 75-lap non-points race consisting of drivers that finished in the top-25 final standings last season, won a past Budweiser shootout or a past points paying Daytona race.

* Results from last season’s Budweiser Shootout. 
                   
Odds courtesy of the LVH Super Book.


Bud Shootout Plays
Even though Kurt Busch was involved in an accident during Friday’s practice, I still think he’s got a great shot of winning this race. He took the least punishment of the five cars involved and won’t have to go to a back-up like the others have to. I also like Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray and Jeff Burton to have a great showing in this race and they all have excellent odds.

The match-up I would go after is Jeff Burton at pick ’em against Brad Keselowski, and not just because Keselowski is using a back-up car -- likely the Daytona 500 back-up car, but more so because I think Burton has a great shot at winning and running up front for most of the race. Of all the match-ups on the board, this one stands out the most.

As with any plate race, the best advice is to look at playing almost all of the match-ups that are showing plus-money. These type of races -- especially a non-points plate race -- are too much of a crap shoot to have anyone favored too much.

Match-up of the week:
JEFF BURTON -110 vs. Brad Keselowski

Odds to win Selections:
Kurt Busch 20/1, Clint Bowyer 25/1, Jeff Burton 20/1 and Jamie McMurray 18/1     


Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com, TheLinemakers.com or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.

McMurray and Montoya Bringing Great Cars to Budwesier Shootout

Budweiser Shootout Drawing Party: Drawing for the starting positions in the Budweiser Shootout will be featured on the Budweiser Shootout Drawing Party live on SPEED 8PM (ET) on Friday February 17th.

A Fresh Start: Notable changes to the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR) organization include a new Team Manager, Max Jones and Technical Director, John Probst. Jones most recently oversaw the merger of Yates Racing and Petty Enterprises in 2009-10 as President and General Manager. Probst comes to the team from Red Bull Racing.

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops® / Tracker Boats Team:

Jamie McMurray is 15/1 to win Bud Shootout (Getty)

Opening New Doors: Jamie McMurray returns to EGR for the 2012 season in the No.1 Bass Pro Shops®/McDonald’s Chevrolet. The team will once again be led by crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion . The No.1 Chevy will have a new look for three races in 2012. LiftMaster, Banana Boat and Belkin will each have a primary paint scheme for one race.

Year in Review: In 2011, McMurray finished the season with one pole, two top-fives, four top-10s, 15 top-20 finishes and led 106 laps. In 36 starts, he completed 9,584 of 10,650 (90%). He had an average starting position of 17.8, average running position of 20.6 and average finishing position of 22.2.

Superspeedway Stats: In 37 starts in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) at superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega) McMurray has accumulated three wins (Daytona 2007, 2010 Talladega 2009), eight top-fives, 10 top-10s and led 201 laps.

Shootout Success: In 2011, McMurray matched his best Budweiser Shootout finish (2009) with a second-place run, making it his third consecutive top-three finish. Among active drivers he yields the fourth best driver rating in the shootout with a 96.3. In his six Budweiser Shootout attempts (2004, 2006, 2008-2011) McMurray has claimed three top-fives, four top-10s and five top-20 finishes with 19 laps led. His best starting position came during his first attempt (2004), when he started third.

Driver Highlights:

* · 2012 will be McMurray’s tenth full season in the NSCS
* · McMurray will have Bass Pro Shops and McDonald’s as the primary sponsors on the No. 1 for the third consecutive year
* · McMurray has a total of 330 career starts in NSCS heading into Daytona
* · Won a career-high three NSCS races in 2010, including three of the series biggest events, Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Bank of America 500 (Charlotte Chase Race)
* · With his 2010 victory in the Brickyard 400, McMurray became only the third driver (Dale Jarrett-1996, Jimmie Johnson-2006) in NSCS history to record wins in both of NASCAR’s marquee events (Daytona 500, Brickyard 400) in the same season. McMurray’s win at the Brickyard also gave owner Chip Ganassi the Triple Crown of American auto racing – winning the Daytona 500 earlier in the season, and teammate Dario Franchitti winning the Indianapolis 500 in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Bass Pro Shops: Bass Pro Shops, of Springfield, Mo. will enter their seventh season in the NSCS as the primary sponsor of the No. 1 Chevrolet. With 59 retail stores in 26 states and Canada, Bass Pro Shops are visited by over 100 million people annually. Bass Pro Shops also includes Tracker Marine Group, Resort Group and Restaurant Division featuring 30 unique locations.

Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team:

Montoya is 30/1 to win Shootout (Getty)

A Fresh Start: Juan Pablo Montoya returns for his sixth full NSCS season at EGR in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet. The 2012 season has brought a lot of changes in the Team Target line-up, with one of the most prominent changes being the addition of Chris Heroy as the Crew Chief for the No. 42 car. Heroy was previously an engineer on the No. 88 team for Hendrick Motorsports. He also has minimal crew chief experience in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports.

Year in Review: In 2011, Montoya finished the season with two poles, two top-fives, eight top-10s, 20 top-20 finishes and led 125 laps. The team had no DNF’s (did not finish) and had the highest number of laps run out of any driver with 10,593, including all 12 of the chase contenders. He had an average starting position of 18.2, average running position of 17.2 and average finishing position of 18.5.

Superspeedway Success: In 20 superspeedway starts in NSCS competition Montoya has a best finish of second (Talladega, 2008) three top-fives and seven top-10 finishes with 77 laps led. Team Target performed well at Daytona International Speedway in 2011 with two top-10 finishes.

Target Shootout History: Montoya returns to the 34th running of the Budweiser Shootout for the third time in his career. Last year, Montoya finished 20th after being collected in an on-track incident just four laps into the second segment. In five Bud Shootouts, the Target car has never placed outside of the top-20. In his premier Budweiser Shootout performance in 2010, Montoya finished 10th after starting from the 20th position.

Driver Highlights:

* · Montoya will enter his sixth full-time year in the NSCS in 2012 with Target returning as the sponsor.
* · In 2011, Montoya had no DNF’s and had the highest number of laps run out of any driver with 10,593 (99.5%) including all 12 of the Chase contenders.
* · After his 2010 victory at Watkins Glen he became the first foreign born driver to have multiple wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
* · Only Latino, only Formula 1 driver, and only Indianapolis 500 winner to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
* · Three wins and seven poles in his stock car career (ARCA, Nationwide, NASCAR) with 22 top-five and 53 top-10 results in 206 combined starts. 1,039 laps led.
* · One of only three drivers to win in Formula 1, IndyCar and NASCAR Sprint Cup (Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti).

Target: Minneapolis-based Target celebrates its 23rd season in motorsports with Chip Ganassi in 2012. The partnership continues to rank as one of the longest current sponsor relationships in motorsports. Target serves guests at 1,763 stores across the United States and at Target.com. The company plans to open its first stores in Canada in 2013. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week.

CHASSIS INFO

No. 1 Bass Pro Shops® / Tracker Boats (NSCS): Chassis #808. The No.1 Bass Pro Shops® / Tracker Boats team will bring chassis #808 to the Budweiser Shootout. This is the same chassis that McMurray drove in the Budweiser Shootout in 2010 and 2011, crossing the finish line in third-place and second-place respectively.

No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1101. Heroy and the No.42 team are bringing chassis #1101 to the Budweiser Shootout. This is the chassis that Montoya drove to a sixth-place finish in the 2011 Daytona 500.

- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

EGR Preview: Chip Ganassi Goes For Sixth Win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

A Jamie McMurray repeat win could bring some happiness to 2011 (Getty)

Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Brickyard Preview
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Advance Notes
Race: Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 31
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Location: Speedway, Ind.

NOTES

Follow EGR on Twitter: Continue to follow Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates on their official team Twitter page. Follow the No. 1 and No. 42 teams throughout the 2011 season @EGRTeams.

Sprint Summer Showdown: The Sprint Summer Showdown presented by HTC EVO 3D is putting $3 million on the line for fans, drivers and driver charities. Any driver that wins an NSCS race between Indianapolis and Bristol will qualify to win $2 million if he is able to win the race at Atlanta during Labor Day weekend ($1 million for the driver, $1 million for their charity). One lucky fan paired with the winning driver also has a chance to win $1 million. Visit www.sprint.com/speed for more information.

Kissing the Bricks: With a victory this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing would join Hendrick Motorsports as the only organizations to win back-to-back Brickyard 400’s (Jimmie Johnson 2008, 2009).

Twice as Nice: If either Jamie McMurray or Juan Pablo Montoya takes the checkered flag at Indy, they will become the first driver to win more than one race at IMS for team owner Chip Ganassi. Montoya won the 2000 Indianapolis 500 giving Ganassi his second of four Indy 500 victories, while McMurray won last year’s Brickyard 400.

McMurray has a 14.3 average finish in 8 Indy races

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops®/ Tracker Boats Team

Indianapolis History: Sunday will mark McMurray’s ninth Sprint Cup Series start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His best start and finish at the famed 2.5-mile oval came in 2010, when he won after starting from fourth-place. McMurray became the third driver to win the Brickyard 400 and Daytona 500 in the same season (Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jarrett). In his eight prior events at Indy, McMurray has an average starting position of 15.2 and an average finishing position of 14.2. He has completed 1260 of 1281 laps (98.4%) and has led 38 laps. Including his win in 2010, McMurray has two top-five and four top-10 finishes at IMS.

Defending the Brickyard: McMurray returns to Indianapolis as the defending champion of the Brickyard 400. McMurray took the green for the 2010 Brickyard 400 in fourth-place and raced inside the top-six throughout the 160-lap event. After the decision to take two tires on the team’s final pit stop, McMurray was able to drive away from the field and take his first career victory at the Brickyard.

Two-Timing: With a victory, McMurray would join elite company in becoming only the fifth driver to win two or more Brickyard 400’s. He would join Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2008, 2009), Jeff Gordon (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004), Tony Stewart (2005, 2007), and Dale Jarrett (1996, 1999) in this exclusive club. Also, McMurray has the chance to be only the second driver to win back-to-back Brickyard 400s (Jimmie Johnson 2008, 2009).

With Ganassi at Indy: This weekend, McMurray will be making his fifth start at Indy for team owner Chip Ganassi. In his four previous starts at the Brickyard in Chip Ganassi owned race cars, he has notched one win (2010), both of his career top-fives (2003, 2010) and three out of his four career top-10s (2003, 2004, 2010). He has 38 laps led and has never finished off of the lead lap while driving for Ganassi at IMS.


Taking the Checkers: McMurray has been running at the finish in all eight of his career starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He has also finished on the lead lap in seven of those eight races.

Loudon Review: After qualifying 25th, the team made significant gains during Saturday’s practice sessions and felt that the car would be strong on Sunday. The first caution of the day waived on lap 30, but the No. 1 team decided to stay out and gain valuable track position. McMurray restarted as the race leader and stayed among the top-10 until he was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop on lap 116. After the final stop of the day, Crew Chief “Bono” Manion told McMurray they were several laps short on fuel. The situation became more tenuous, when the team lost radio communication with 50 laps remaining. The fuel pressure eventually dropped as the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet ran out of fuel with three laps remaining and dropped from eighth to finish 31st.

In the Points: Jamie McMurray sits tied for 28th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings after finishing 31st at New Hampshire.

Montoya was Brickyard runner-up in 2007 (Getty)

Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team

Ride Shotgun with Montoya: This weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 Target Chevrolet will be featured on DirecTV HotPass. To ride along with the Montoya and experience the race in heart-pounding HD, DirecTV customers can tune in to Channel 796, starting at 1pm EST on Sunday afternoon.

New Voice on the Radio: The No.42 Target team has made a crew chief change, naming Jim Pohlman interim crew chief heading into this weekend’s Brickyard 400. Pohlman has been with the organization since 2006 and has worked in various roles. “We are pleased to have someone of Jim’s caliber to be able to place into this role. Jim has been with us for a number of years and I have confidence in his abilities to move the team forward,” said team owner Chip Ganassi.

Brickyard 400 History: Montoya has made four career starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Brickyard 400. In those starts he has one top-five, one top-10 and has led 202 laps (116 laps in 2009, 86 in 2010). Montoya’s best start came last season when he qualified on the pole, and his best finish of second at IMS was in his first NSCS start at the track in 2007. With three front-row starting spots in four races, his average starting position at the Brickyard is 4.5.

A Familiar Place: In 2007, Juan Pablo Montoya made history by becoming the first driver to compete in all three major events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Indianapolis 500, United States Grand Prix and the Brickyard 400). Montoya had six starts in the U.S. Grand Prix with a best start of third in 2001 and a top finish of fourth in 2002. He scored a victory in 2000 in his one, and only start for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Indianapolis 500, and has a best finish of second (2007) in four Brickyard 400 starts.

Doubling Up at Indy: If Montoya wins Sunday’s Brickyard 400, he will become the first driver in history to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. Also, when he takes the green flag at IMS this weekend, he will have competed at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 12th consecutive year, racing in three different series.

Top of the Charts: Since his rookie season in 2007, Montoya has been a factor at Indianapolis Motor Speedway every time the NSCS has raced there. In only four races at the famed track, he has moved to the top of multiple statistical categories including “Fastest Driver Early in a Run”, “Number of Fastest Laps Run”, “Fastest Car on Restarts” and “Number of Laps Led”. He is also second in “Driver Rating” (Tony Stewart 109.3) with a score of 106.4 and fourth in “Average Running Position” with an average place of 11.53.

Loudon Recap: Juan Pablo Montoya was looking to continue a streak of strong performances at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and gain some valuable points toward reaching the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The team appeared to be on the right track as Montoya was second fastest in final practice and followed that up with an eighth-place qualifying effort. The crew spent most of the race playing on pit strategy, expecting the finish to come down to fuel mileage. The Target Chevrolet pitted a total of seven times for fuel, tires and adjustments. The team ran as high as third and as low as 30th throughout the race. While running 13th with two laps remaining, the Target Chevrolet ran short on fuel and coasted back to the finish line for a 30th-place finish.

In the Points: Following Juan Pablo Montoya’s 30th-place finish, the No. 42 team dropped four positions to 17th in points. Montoya now sits 59 points out of 10th, the cut-off for Chase contention.

New cars for both teams; each tested at Indy in June (Getty)

CHASSIS INFO

No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1112. Jamie McMurray will pilot chassis #1112 for the first time in a race this season when the NSCS heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This only other track time that this car has seen was back in June for the Goodyear tire test at Kansas Speedway.

No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1107. Juan Pablo Montoya will race chassis #1107 for the first time this season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This chassis was tested earlier this season at the Goodyear tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Press Release

Keselowski Fastest in Final Sonoma Practice, But McMurray Shines The Brightest on Day

McMurray's got a little more grip than the others at Sonoma

Brad Keselowski topped the charts with the fastest lap in Saturday's final Sonoma practice session with a lap speed of 91.725 mph. Keselowski's fastest lap came with about 25 minutes remaning in the 75 minute session.

The star of the day, though, continued to be Jamie McMurray who finished with the second fastest lap of 91.623 mph. McMurray was fastest in the first session of the day and through the first 15 laps didn't have decreasing lap times as much as the other drivers did. After qualifying second on Friday, McMurray attributed his fast time to having lots of grip, something that most of the other drivers complained they had a lack of.

Kurt Busch continued his strong weekend with the third fastest time (91.591), followed by Juan Pablo Montoya (91.560) and Clint Bowyer (91.361). Montoya, using last years winning chassis from Watkins Glen, was running 17th best until the last 20 minutes of the of the session.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest during “Happy Hour” were Martin Truex Jr (91.339), Ryan Newman (91.331), Kevin Harvick (91.296), Jeff Burton (91.262) and Jeff Gordon (91.207).

The Las Vegas 4-to-1 favorite to win Sunday, Marcos Ambrose, was 15th best and last years Sonoma winner Jimmie Johnson finished 22nd quickest.

Kurt Busch had the fastest average speeds, followed by Bowyer, Truex Jr and McMurray. Bowyer and Truex Jr. each ran considerably less laps than Busch and McMurray which enhances their average speeds. However, average speeds aren't as solid a tool for handicapping road courses during practices as they are for the ovals.

Keselowski ran the most laps in the final session with 31 followed by Burton's 30 and Johnon's 29. McMurray ran 28 laps.

Final Practice Speeds


McMurray Fastest in Saturday's early Practice Session


Jamie McMurray, with a lap speed of 92.295 mph, was the fastest during Saturday's early practice session at Infineon Raceway.

Second fastest with a lap speed of 92.073 mph, was Kurt Busch, followed by Clint Bowyer (91.785), Kyle Busch (91.781) and AJ Allmendinger (91.695).

Rounding out the top-ten fastest in practice were Paul Menard (91.658) who was sixth fastest, Matt Kenseth (91.631), Ryan Newman (91.501), Denny Hamlin (91.436) and Jeff Burton (91.424).

Joplin Native Jamie McMurray Looking For Third Charlotte Win

By Micah Roberts

McMurray won at Charlotte last fall

I always love the sentimental approach to handicapping games where sometimes teams get up a little more when having a heavy heart. I use it quite often in football and basketball to some degree of success. Jamie McMurray is a Joplin, Missouri native who will definitely have a lot on his mind. Will he be able to focus in a normal capacity or will he be pre-occupied like many of us might be in the same situation?

“My heart goes out to all the people that have been affected by the devastating Missouri tornado on May 22nd, especially in my hometown of Joplin," said McMurray in a prepared statement.

"It is difficult to put into words, the emotions I have when I see the devastation and destruction that was caused by this storm. My thoughts and prayers are extended to all the people who are dealing with so much loss. I would also like to thank all those that have reached out to me to express their concerns for my family. Although I don’t personally have any family in Joplin any longer, there are still many people there that need our support and prayers.”

The combination of what happened at Joplin and how well McMurray has done over his career could be a positive situation on the track. Two of his six careers wins, his first and last win, have come at Charlotte. Last season he was runner-up in this race and then won the fall event.

“I am looking forward to Charlotte this weekend," McMurray said earlier in the week. "Our team had a lot of success at this track last year and this is one of my favorite places to race. However, after last weekend in the Sprint All Star race we learned that we have some work to do if we are going to repeat that 2010 success. We will be working on some changes to our cars for this weekend and as always our guys are giving it 100% commitment to make us more competitive.

The real problem with McMurray having a real shot this week rests with his car. The team hasn't performed close to the level they did in 2010. They're bringing the same chassis from last week that had trouble throughout practice and the race itself.

I will be rooting for McMurray to do well in hopes of maybe bringing some joy to his hometown, but it’s more likely that he’ll perform closer to the level of what he's done this season which would be about 20th-place.

The Las Vegas Hilton Super Book has McMurray listed at 30-to-1 to win the race, which about the same he's been at most other tracks. The odds are a pure indication of this years efforts as opposed to the great success he had at Charlotte last season. In driver vs. driver matchups, where the best finish between the two drivers in the race wins, McMurray is listed as a pick em' against teammate Juan Pablo Montoya.

Driver Notes & Quotes: Auto Club 400 at California

DENNY HAMLIN ON WHETHER OR NOT HE ENJOYS RACING AT CALIFORNIA: “We haven’t had a ton of success at California, but I like racing there. We have had some bad luck with tires or getting caught in wrecks, and I’m still looking for that first win. It’s big and wide and fast, and a lot of fun for the drivers. It’s a place where you can move around and change your line to try to get your car working the best. You need a lot of horsepower because the straightaways are long, and that place is tough on motors. It’s a little easier now that this race is 400 miles. I’m happy that they shortened it. Hopefully we’ll have a good car for practice and just fine-tune on it for the race.”

BOBBY LABONTE ON WHERE HE'D LIKE TO BE LATER IN THE YEAR AND CALI: “I would love to be in the top 12 after 26 races. I know there’s a lot of guys out there that feel the same way and have great resources. We’re going to do the best we can and hope to have those great moments and good races that put us there.”

“There are some great racetracks coming up on the schedule. Fontana is probably one I would say is not going to be the track I see myself excelling at. That’s why I’m going to work harder than I ever have before to go good there. It’s one that’s buffaloed me the past few times, but I’m not going to let it this time.”

JOEY LOGANO ON RACING AT FONTANA: “There is a ton to think about during a race at Auto Club. It’s a pretty cool race track. There is so much room out there to race and you can draft down the straight-aways. It’s starting to wear out so it’s pretty bumpy. But the craziest thing about it by far is the restarts, a good restart is huge. When the flag goes in the air, people are four and five-wide. You can gain and lose five spots before you get through the first turn, not the first lap, but the first turn.”

LOGANO CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 20 Home Depot Team is taking chassis #287 for Logano this weekend for the Auto Club 400. The team raced this chassis to a seventh-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October and to a fourth-place finish at Texas in November. The back-up chassis is chassis #284 which Logano drove last year at Auto Club Speedway to an 11th-place finish and at Phoenix International Raceway in November to third.

Both MWR drivers should fare well in Fontana

MARTIN TRUEX JR. ON RACING AT CALIFORNIA: “Our mile-and-a-half program is the strongest it’s ever been right now so we’re excited about going back. Hopefully we can finish what we started at Bristol. I truly feel a win for this NAPA team is right around the corner. It’s been a few years since I’ve been in victory lane and I look forward to going back. I have an incredible race team and as a group, we’ve only been together for a year so to see how we have progressed is impressive. A win for us is going to happen. I hope it’s soon so some pressure will come off of them so we can keep having fun.”

DAVID REUTIMANN ON LIKING THESE TYPE OF TRACKS: “I like a lot of the bigger race tracks. I like California, but I don’t so much like Michigan and those tracks are really, really similar as far as the overall layout is concerned. They definitely drive differently and they act differently. The bigger race tracks — the mile-and-a-half’s and the bigger race tracks, we seem to have a good baseline deal and we seem to go well there. I always look forward to going to those places. I look forward to going almost everywhere, but the bigger race tracks I think are some places that we really seem to accelerate at and excel at. We work really hard on the race tracks that we’re not as good at to get better, but the intermediate tracks seem to be suiting our program right now.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI ON RACING AT FONTANA: “We ran really well with the Nationwide car at Auto Club Speedway last year. That was a huge boost of confidence for me because it has been one of the tougher tracks for me over the years. I’m really looking forward to going back this weekend and having a solid race with the Cup car. The Cup car was a little up and down last year at Fontana, but it was really fast at times. Everyone on the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge is excited about the car we are taking this weekend. There has been a lot of work put into it and I think it will race well.”

KESELOWSKI CHASSIS CHOICE: The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-743 during Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway (ACS). This is a brand new chassis to the No. 2 team.

JAMIE McMURRAY ON CALIFORNIA: “I don’t know what it is about racing at Fontana, but it’s a track that I really enjoy coming to on the circuit. Auto Club Speedway is more of a driver’s track where you as the driver can really dictate your times by which line you choose on the race track. Sometimes the high line works better and as the track changes, it could move to the middle or bottom groove, just depending on how your car seems to handle. That’s really what makes California a fun track to race on.”

McMURRAY CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #1016 - Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats team are bringing chassis #1016 to Auto Club Speedway this weekend. This is the same chassis that gave McMurray his second pole at Fontana in 2010.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #1103 - Pattie and the No. 42 Target team are bringing chassis #1103 Auto Club Speedway this weekend. This is a brand new chassis.

KURT BUSCH CHASSIS CHOICE: The Penske Racing “Double-Deuce” Dodge Charger carrying the Auto Club colors this weekend is the “PRS-746” chassis. This is a brand new car and could be considered as a “carbon copy” of the “PRS-744” that Busch raced three weeks ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The “PRS-738” (car last raced at Phoenix) will serve as the backup this weekend at Fontana.

RCR DRIVER NOTES & QUOTES

ROUSH RACING NOTES & QUOTES

JIMMIE JOHNSON NOTES & QUOTES

JEFF GORDON NOTES & QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH NOTES & QUOTES

TONY STEWART NOTES & QUOTES

NASCAR In Vegas Usually Won By The Favorites, But Here's a Few Who Could Pay Large

BY MICAH ROBERTS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Kenseth has a fast car and nice odds in the Vegas sports books

One of the most unique things about NASCAR in Las Vegas is being able to legally bet the races, something the thousands of fans who annually flock to the city have become adept at during 13 years of Sprint Cup racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The goal for most is to bet a little to win a lot. Unfortunately, that strategy has rarely paid off because the favorite almost always wins.

Regardless of configuration -- whether it's the relatively flat track the speedway was when it opened or the faster, banked track of the past four races, the speedway has been one of NASCAR's more predictable tracks outside of Martinsville.

In the last six Cup races in Las Vegas, the winning driver has paid out at odds of 7-1 or less -- not the big-bang return on investment NASCAR bettors are seeking. What they want is Trevor Bayne-Daytona 500 type of payouts at 50-1 or higher.

Again this year, it will be difficult to make a case for any driver not named Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon or Carl Edwards. All are listed at 10-1 or less.

But, heck, this is Las Vegas, so let's gamble a little:

■ Kevin Harvick (12-1): The first thing that stands out is how well Harvick raced on all 1.5-mile tracks last year. Of those 10 races, he was one of two drivers to finish in the top 11 at least eight times, including a runner-up finish in Las Vegas. Harvick is an attractive wager also because he brought his third-place chassis from last year's season finale at Homestead. Many of the teams are bringing new cars, and there is a sense of uncertainty until seeing them run for the first time. Unlike some of the others, we know Harvick's car is already stout.

■ Matt Kenseth (18-1): He finished 13th or better in nine of 10 races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010, including runner-up finishes at Charlotte and Texas. He brought a new car this week, but after finishing fastest in Friday's practice and then winning the pole, there isn't much debate about whether he'll do well Sunday.

■ Greg Biffle (22-1): The overall resurgence of the Roush program began with Biffle at Indianapolis last year and carried throughout the season, in which he compiled two wins, just as Edwards did. Biffle's 12.9-average finish in Cup races in Las Vegas adds to a nice resume that includes victories here in the Nationwide and Truck series.

■ Clint Bowyer (25-1): Bowyer is bringing a race-proven chassis this week, one that finished second in the fall at Fontana and later took seventh at Texas.

■ Jamie McMurray (25-1): It would have been a slam dunk in betting on McMurray had he brought his winning chassis from the fall Charlotte race, a track perhaps most similar to Vegas, but he didn't. But the combination of an Earnhardt-Childress Racing engine under the hood -- like Harvick and Bowyer have -- and a knack for winning big races makes McMurray the ultimate wild card.

Incidentally, Kyle Busch and Johnson finished second and third, respectively, behind McMurray in that Charlotte race, and they brought those same cars.

A final note: A great tool to complete your betting strategy for Sunday is to closely follow today's final practice session. It's not necessarily about who has the fastest single lap time, but who can sustain high speeds over the duration of 10- or 20-lap runs.

In Sunday's Review-Journal, we'll have our weekly top-10 driver ratings that will be based partly on today's practice.

Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more of Roberts' insights and postpractice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com.

Driver Notes & Quotes For 2011 Budweiser Shootout

Denny Hamlin is ready to kick off a new year beginning with the Shootout

DENNY HAMLIN'S THOUGHTS HEADING INTO THE BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT: “The Shootout is a fun event and it’s a race that we all want to win. It’s unique because you aren’t worrying about points, about how it’s going to affect your season. You’ll probably see guys try things in the Shootout that you won’t see in the 500 but it’s a short race and the format means that there is nothing to lose at the end. I think that’s what the fans like about this race. We just go out there and race.”

HAMLIN'S OUTLOOK FOR THE 2011 SEASON: “I’m ready to go. I feel as confident as we’ve ever been. Every year we’ve steadily made a progression towards the top and obviously had a career year last year. We know we can do it and we can win at all different kinds of race tracks. For me, I think we have everything in place. I’m keeping all of my key personnel from what we had last year. No changes there. Pit crew is the same. The driver will be a little bit better. Everything is in place to hopefully pull out a first one.”

HAMLIN ON WHETHER HE'S THE DRIVER TO UNSEAT JOHNSON: “I hope so. This is almost a free year for me. A lot of people are going to expect us to have a bad year coming off such a good year, because the expectations were so high last year. We came through and succeeded in winning a bunch of races like we said we were. We were championship contenders — almost won the championship. And this year, a lot of people expect a letdown year because it’s happened to guys before. For me, I know my passion for racing, and it’s impossible for me to fail in that aspect. Unless something crazy happens, we’re going to be right back in the same position this year as what we were last year.”

HAMLIN ON THE NEW POINTS SYSTEM: “I think (NASCAR) hit it right on the head. I really don’t think they could’ve made it any simpler for the new race fan coming into the sport or the driver that knows he’s 10 points behind. He’s got to pass 10 cars. It makes things so much simpler and for me it’s well understood. I think it’s going to reward those guys that go out and win during the regular season. It’s going to give you three bonus points. That’s three spots — that’s like 15 points going into the Chase versus last year’s 10. It’s going to pay to win races nowadays.”

HAMLIN REGARDING HIS STRATEGY FOR SEASON WITH NEW POINTS SYSTEM: “I think you’re going to have to run it the exact same way. The only difference is that wins are obviously going to pay more points. I like it. Of course, we won a lot of races last year. If we don’t win any going into the Chase this year, I’m not going to like it that much, but it should pay the guy that wins. You should see a battle — a guy that’s giving it all he’s got running second trying to win the race. I think NASCAR set that up for us, teed it up for us, and now it’s up to us to go out there and put on the show.”

Greg Biffle excited as ever to start the season

GREG BIFFLE ON THE BUD SHOOTOUT: This is about the most excited I can remember being about the start of a season. We had a good test at Daytona last month and we’re looking forward to seeing what we’ve got in the draft. The Shootout is a big deal if for no other reason than it is the first race of the season. It’s not a points race, so we can go out there and just have fun with it. It’s always good to get the extra laps and be able to experiment with a few things during practice and even the during the Shootout. I think we’re all just looking forward to getting back to racing.”

BIFFLE'S CREW CHIEF GREG ERWIN ON THE SHOOTOUT: "It's obviously very advantageous to be in the Shootout to get the extra track time for the Daytona 500. If you can go down there and run well in the Shootout, that can be a big morale booster for next week. It just really gives everyone on the team including the driver a chance to kind of work the bugs out before we get into a points race. We didn’t get to do a lot of drafting at the test, so the Shootout will give us a better indication of how our cars will perform in traffic. We believe the new nose we have for this season will be beneficial but it will be great to test that in race conditions before the 500.”

MATT KENSETH ON RACING IN THE BUD SHOOTOUT: “We had the chance to get on track at Daytona twice during the off-season with a tire test as well as NASCAR’s test in January and we have a lot more grip with the new track surface. In the past, handling was one of the main points we’d focus on for Daytona, but now with the new surface, I really think it’s going to make for extremely exciting racing. I think we definitely have what it takes to be contenders this season and I’m just looking forward to getting back onto the track to start this season with our Crown Royal team. The Shootout should be a lot of fun Saturday night for both drivers and the fans.”

KENSETH CHASSIS CHOICE: Primary: RK-719 (Brand new chassis)

Carl Edwards is ready to pick up where he left off in 2010

CARL EDWARDS ON RACING IN THE BUD SHOOTOUT: “With the new surface the Shootout is going to be a really important race to be able to go no holds barred and find out the most you can about the race track and the way the cars are going to race for the 500. It’s a fun race and I’m going to go win it if I can, and I’m excited to kick off the season with a fun race like that.”

EDWARDS' CREW CHIEF BOB OSBORNE ON THE SHOOTOUT: “The Shootout is a good test to help us prepare for the Duels and the 500. Generally the set-up is very close to what we run in both races, and it gives us a chance to see what the new surface is like in race conditions. It’s also a good warm-up for the pit crew. We’ve got one new guy (front tire carrier) going over the wall this year and a new fueling system, so it gives everyone a chance to work together for the first time under race conditions. I’m hoping to pick up where we left off last season.”

EDWARDS CHASSIS CHOICE: RK-677, Finished 9th in the 2010 Daytona 500

JAMIE McMURRAY BUD SHOOTOUT CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #808. The No. 1 Bass Pro Shops® / Tracker Boats team will bring chassis #808 to the Bud Shootout. This is the same chassis McMurray drove to a third-place finish in last year’s Shootout.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA BUD SHOOTOUT CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis #809. Bryan Pattie and the No. 42 Target team are bringing chassis #901 to the Bud Shootout. This is the chassis that the Montoya qualified on the pole and drove to a third-place finish at Talladega in the fall of 2010.

- From Team PR Releases

McMurray Wins at Charlotte; Third Big Win of 2010 for Big Mac

Sporting News Wire Service CONCORD, N.C. -- Bring on Martinsville. Jamie McMurray cleared Kyle Busch off Turn 2 after a restart on Lap 314 and pulled away from Busch to win Saturday night's Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, site of McMurray's first Sprint Cup Series victory in 2002. Chase leader Jimmie Johnson and second-place Denny Hamlin, however, both found trouble but rallied to finish third and fourth, respectively, to set up a showdown Oct. 24 at Martinsville, a short track the two drivers have dominated the past four years. Together, Johnson and Hamlin have won the past eight races at the .526-mile speedway, Hamlin the past two. Hamlin enters the sixth race in the Chase 41 points behind the four-time defending series champion. McMurray won for the third time this season, the second career time at Charlotte and the sixth time in his career, completing unfinished business from the Coca-Cola 600 in May, when he ran second to Kurt Busch. Greg Biffle finished fifth, and Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, David Reutimann and David Ragan completed the top 10. "You just drive your heart out, and if you have the car, then you are able to make those passes, and if you don't, you don't make the passes," said McMurray, who earlier this season won the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400. "We had a better car than Kyle at the end. He was better at certain stages during the race but at the end of the race, we had the best car." McMurray finished 1.866 seconds ahead of Busch, who led 165 of the 334 laps. McMurray led 44 laps. Fighting a loose-handling condition, Johnson looped his No. 48 Chevrolet off Turn 4 on Lap 34. On Lap 38, he restarted 37th but gradually moved to the front. Ultimately, Johnson regained track position when he stayed out under caution on Lap 128 -- while most of the lead-lap cars came to the pits. Johnson restarted fifth on Lap 132 and worked his way up to third during a long cycle of green-flag pit stops that ended on Lap 179. A caution for Marcos Ambrose's spin off Turn 4 put all the lead-lap cars back on the same pit sequence and solidified Johnson's position in the top five. Johnson relishes the prospect of racing Hamlin head-to-head over the next five races. "Martinsville is such a fun race track," Johnson said. "He's good at Martinsville, [and] we are. Talladega is a crapshoot. Texas, I think he finished first there and I was second in the spring. "Go to Phoenix -- it's a great track for both of us. Go to Homestead, I think he won there last year. We ran really strong all night long and then came home [fifth]. "So I think both teams are going to have speed, and I think it's going to boil down to mistakes at this point. Those guys are doing a great job, solid on pit road, solid on equipment, and so on. I think it's going to boil down to mistakes." Hamlin dodged a Lap 2 wreck but brought his No. 11 Toyota to the pits with flat-spotted tires. Like Johnson, Hamlin restarted from the back of the field and patiently worked his way forward. "It was a battle," Hamlin said. "We were stuck from like third to fifth all day and just couldn't get quite right. There was some stuff we put in our car that we just needed to fine-tune a little bit -- we didn't have enough time to work on it during practice. "But I think we have a good direction from here on out. We kept [Johnson] in our sights, but that's all we could do. We were a little bit off today, but it's important that we get solid top-five finishes like this." Chase driver Kurt Busch wasn't as fortunate as Johnson or Hamlin. Busch brought out the second caution on Lap 23 when he spun and grazed the wall in Turn 4. From that point on, the No. 2 Dodge was never right. On Lap 193, Johnson passed the Blue Deuce to bury Busch two laps down. Busch finished 30th. Pole-sitter Jeff Gordon, likewise, had his share of trouble. On Lap 191, one of Gordon's batteries failed, and he lost a lap while switching to a second battery. Gordon got a free pass back to the lead lap after the caution flew for Ambrose's spin, but the No. 24 Chevy struggled the rest of the way. A subsequent pit-road speeding penalty dropped Gordon to 23rd at the finish and left him 156 points behind Johnson. Tony Stewart, last Sunday's winner in California, sustained damage on Lap 2 when he checked up in Turn 4 after Ryan Newman, his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, spun in Turn 3. David Gilliland's Ford nosed into the rear of Stewart's Chevrolet, and Stewart fought the handling of his car the rest of the night. Stewart came home 21st and lost touch with the championship battle. He and Kyle Busch are tied for fifth in the standings, 177 points behind Johnson.

Notes-N-Nuggets

• Jamie McMurray pickedup his sixth Sprint Cup Series victory in his 289th start.

• Jamie McMurray's victory is the 13th time a non-Chase driver has won a Chase race since its inception in 2004.

• The driver leading the points after Chase race No. 5 went on to win the title four of the six previous Chases; the other two were won by Jimmie Johnson after he rallied (146 points back in 2006; 68 points back in 2007).

• Jamie McMurray is the eighth different race winner in the past eight races at Charlotte.

• Kyle Busch (second) remains winless in 14 races at Charlotte.

• Kyle Busch has scored seven consecutive top-10 finishes at Charlotte, the longest current streak.

• Jimmie Johnson (third) scored his fourth consecutive finish of third or better.

• Denny Hamlin (fourth) posted his best finish in 11 Charlotte races; Hamlin had not scored a top-10 in his past six Charlotte races.

• Greg Biffle (fifth) scored his second top-five in the 2010 Chase.

• Chase driver Matt Kenseth (sixth) has scored top-10 finishes in the past four Charlotte races.

• Chase driver Kevin Harvick (eighth) scored his first top-10 finish in his past 14 races at Charlotte.

• David Reutimann (ninth) has finished 15th or better in the past four Charlotte races.

Charlotte Bank of America 500 Results