2015 Hisense 300 Race Picks
NASCAR Xfinity Series Betting Preview
Sunday May 23rd, 2:46PM (EST) at Charlotte Motor Speedway
by NASCARWagers.com, NASCAR Handicapping Service
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will kick off a great weekend in auto racing this Saturday with the running of the Hisense 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. As most race fans prepare for an exciting Sunday afternoon that will feature both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca Cola 600, Saturday’s 300 mile race at Charlotte promises to be a great race with a full field of stacked talent. In fact, Saturday’s Hisense 300 at Charlotte may have the most talented entry list we have seen this season in the Xfinity Series with guys like Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones, and all of the series regulars scheduled to take the green flag at 2:46PM (EST). Take a look as we provide our preview along with our 2015 Hisense 300 race picks for Saturday’s promising 300 mile race!
Xfinity Series teams and drivers partook in two practices on Thursday which gave us a glimpse of what to expect when the green flag drops. However if you are one of those bettors or fans that places a lot of emphasis on practice speeds, chances are you were probably scratching your head following Thursday’s sessions. Some of the big favorites for Saturday’s race like Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, and Denny Hamlin appeared average at best in terms of fast lap speed. Neither of those 3 drivers cracked the top 10 in final practice and Harvick was just 8th fastest on 10 lap averages which indicates race trim. Larson the defending winner of this race finished final practice in 13th while Hamlin finished further back in 18th. Obviously practice speeds can be misleading, but it may be a cause for concern especially for the #54 and #42 teams that have underperformed almost all season.
There were a few pleasant surprises to come out of Thursday’s practices on the contrary. Darrell Wallace Jr looked really strong finishing 1st and 2nd in both sessions. In case you noticed, we have been backing Wallace in the last few weeks in some sort of fashion either in H2H match-ups or as a big long shot for the win. The #6 team is starting to run well and last week’s 6th place finish at Iowa does not show how well they were. Wallace raced among the leaders before getting shuffled back on the last restart and his 6th place finish at Texas earlier this year gives him some upside this week especially after such a strong pair of practices. If nothing else, keep Wallace on your radar for H2H situations. Consider Ty Dillon as another driver in H2H situations. The #3 car was really stout in practice and Dillon has performed well on the 1.5 mile tracks this season so he has some upside from a match-ups standpoint entering Saturday’s race as well.
As far as breaking this race down from a handicapping perspective, this race is wide open. There are several guys that could find their way to victory lane on Saturday. Harvick is really good at Charlotte in this series with 3 straight top 5 finishes and Charlotte is also one of Kasey Kahne’s best tracks which was evident with last week’s Truck Series wins. Of course you could go on to make arguments for guys like Erik Jones who won at Texas, sister track of Charlotte, against Sprint Cup Series competition. Then you could even look at guys like Chase Elliot, Kyle Larson, and Austin Dillon for their resumes on 1.5 mile tracks.
However based on this season and current performance, I am not sure if I would rate the cars driven by Larson, Elliot, or Hamlin as winners at this point. I think you have to put Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne as the favorites. Then maybe list guys like Erik Jones and Ryan Blaney as really good dark horse picks. Jones has proven he can win on similar tracks and is one of the hottest drivers in the sport right now and that #22 car has been really tough everywhere this year as well. Keep those guys on your betting radars entering Saturday’s race and do not be afraid to take a shot on a dark horse. I would not be surprised to see the winning driver come from the group that is not one of favored Sprint Cup Series drivers that often win these races.
Hisense 300 Race Picks
Darrell Wallace Jr +1000 (1 unit): top 2 in both practices, strong run at Texas, really happy with his car, starting 2nd
Kasey Kahne +700 (1.25 units): fast car in practices, one of his best tracks, 2nd place in his last start at Charlotte in the Xfinity Series in 2013.
Ryan Blaney +1000 (1.25 units): #22 car has finished 2nd on all 1.5 mile tracks this season including with Blaney at Las Vegas, solid in both practices and should be a good dark horse pick
H2H Match-ups
Ty Dillon -105 over Brian Scott (2 units)
Ryan Blaney +105 over Austin Dillon (2 units)
Erik Jones -115 over Kyle Larson (2 units)
Kasey Kahne -115 over Denny Hamlin (2 units)
*Check back after Saturday qualifying which starts at 11:40AM (EST) for possible added plays and final roster.
