2015 Sprint All-Star Race Picks
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Betting Preview
Saturday May 16th, 9:00PM (EST) at Charlotte Motor Speedway
by NASCARWagers.com, NASCAR Handicapping Service
All eyes will be on Charlotte Motor Speedway this Saturday night when the green flag waves for the 31st running of the Sprint All-Star Race. Like most All-Star events in sports, this race has no bearing on points or the race for a championship. However the All-Star Race is one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR and the winner will pocket 1 million dollars. Therefore nothing matters but winning which has historically provided some of the greatest racing in NASCAR. Take a look as we provide our 2015 Sprint All-Star race picks and prepare for one of the greatest nights in auto-racing.
We discussed in our early week preview that Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick are the clear favorites entering Saturday night’s 110 lap event and that status has not changed. This year’s Sprint All-Star Race format will be composed of four different 25 lap segments with a 10 lap final segment to determine the outcome. There will also be a mandatory 4 tire pit stop prior to the final 10 lap dash which will only count green flag laps to determine the winner of the 2015 All-Star Race. Earlier today Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer raced their way into Saturday’s main event by winning both segments on the Sprint Showdown. Additionally, Danica Patrick won the fan vote which will officially set the 20 car field for tomorrow night’s race.
While Biffle and Bowyer both won their segments, neither looked overly impressive if you compare lap times to what the frontrunners will be running Saturday. In practice today, a few drivers stood out as potential dark horses or drivers that could challenge the #4 and #48 machines. Of the few that stood out were two that we already mentioned earlier this week in the #41 car of Kurt Busch and the #5 car of Kasey Kahne. Kahne looked really strong in race trim and it should not be a surprise considering Charlotte is one of his best tracks and the recent speed that has been shown from the #5 car. Kahne also won tonight’s Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 which will surely help his confidence if nothing else. The elder Busch was on top of the charts throughout the majority of practice and the #41 team seemed happy with the speed in their racecar. In fact, Busch posted the best 5 and 10 lap averages in all of practice which is a strong indicator of race trim prowess. Busch reported the car as being too free but that may not be a bad thing considering tomorrow’s All-Star Race will take place on much cooler track conditions.
However, it was the younger Busch that sent a message that he is back on Friday. Kyle Busch returned to the #18 car for the first time since Daytona Speedweeks after suffering a broken leg and ankle in a crash back at Daytona in the Xfinity Series. Busch looked surprisingly strong in his #18 Toyota Camry and topped the charts at the end of the session with a lap of 188.884mph. Busch has had many strong runs in the All-Star Race despite never winning the event. Therefore it would be rather foolish to count him out of Saturday night’s event despite the time away from the track and the lackluster performances JGR cars have shown on the 1.5 mile speedways this season.
At this point, it still looks like Kevin Harvick is the driver to beat. Jimmie Johnson struggled throughout practice like most of the Hendrick cars outside of the #5 team. Team Penske cars looked pretty average though I am sure at least Logano or Keselowski will make their presence felt at some point Saturday night. However, I still have to list Harvick as the driver to beat with Kurt Busch listed as a primary dark horse. Of course when the green flag drops late Saturday night, cars will respond differently to cooler track conditions. If you consider the length of the All-Star Race, teams really need to be close on hitting their setup right out of the gate because they will only get 3-4 chances at most to work on their cars. Also, pit crews will play a big factor during that final pit stop prior to the 10 lap dash. Remember Kevin Harvick entered pit road as the leader last year prior to the 10 lap shootout but left the pits in 3rd and was never able to make up the ground. Therefore it will be a true team effort for the driver that is crowned winner of the All-Star Race tomorrow night.
2015 Sprint All-Star Race Picks
Kevin Harvick +375 (2 units): 2.5 average finish in last 4 Charlotte starts including two wins, one of the best on 1.5 mile tracks this season, 3rd in practice, looks to have one of the best cars in the field
Kasey Kahne +1900 (1 unit): 5 wins at Charlotte including 2008 All-Star winner, looked solid in practice, should contend
H2H Match-ups and Prop Bets
Kasey Kahne -115 over Carl Edwards (2 units)
Jamie McMurray -140 over Ryan Newman (2 units)
