GoBowling.com 400 Betting Preview
By: NASCAR Wagers, NASCAR Handicapping Service
This week the Sprint Cup Series makes their 2nd stop of the season at Pocono Raceway for the GoBowling.com 400. Back in early June, Pocono Raceway delivered one of the most talked about finishes of the season in the Pocono 400. In the final laps, Brad Keselowski made a bold and perhaps unnecessary move to remove trash from the grill of his racecar while leading the race as his car started to overheat. As Keselowski drove up to the back bumper of the lap car of Danica Patrick, he had to get out of the gas which allowed Dale Earnhardt Jr to storm by and steal the victory. The win marked the 2nd of the season for NASCAR’s most popular driver but many criticized Keselowski for the decision that cost him the race. This week we look forward to an encore performance of drama and excitement as the Sprint Cup guys return to Pocono Raceway for another 400 mile spectacle. Take a look at our GoBowling.com 400 betting preview as we breakdown the drivers to watch heading into this weekend’s race at the Tricky Triangle.
The first thing bettors should be aware of entering Pocono this week is the recent dominance by Hendrick Motorsports at the “Tricky Triangle.” Not only has Hendrick cars won the last 4 races at Pocono but the wins are compiled from all 4 Hendrick Motorsports drivers starting with Jeff Gordon in 2012, Jimmie Johnson in 2013, Kasey Kahne in 2013, and ending with Dale Earnhardt Jr most recently this year. Those 4 wins may not be a great individual achievement from a driver standpoint but it speaks volumes for Hendrick horsepower at a track that demands strong engine performances. Obviously those Hendrick cars will be strong again this week especially after an impressive performance last week at the Brickyard by Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne at yet another horsepower racetrack. However a win could just as easily come from one of the lineages of Hendrick Motorsports found at Stewart-Haas Racing. In June, Stewart-Haas Racing cars had an outstanding performance of strength at Pocono before being riddled with mistakes and bad luck.
In the Pocono 400, the Stewart-Haas Racing cars of Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Tony Stewart ran inside the top 5 through most of the afternoon. At one point during the middle of the race, those cars were running 1, 2, and 3 with Smoke leading the way. Stewart and the #14 team undoubtedly had the car to beat as the race neared the finish. Smoke led 24 laps during the latter stages and was dominate in clean air. However during a late pit stop, Stewart was busted on pit road for a speeding penalty which took him out of contention for the victory. Harvick was also in contention before a tire went down on the #4 Budweiser car that also took him out of contention. Kurt Busch ended up with a solid 3rd place finish despite never truly contending for the victory. Still, the Stewart-Haas cars showed plenty of strength and we would fully expect those cars to contend again this Sunday.
Outside of the Hendrick family tree as you might call it, two drivers that deserve a lot of attention this week include the #2 of Brad Keselowski and the #11 of Denny Hamlin. You could also throw Kyle Larson into the mix after a 5th place finish in his first start at Pocono back in June. Larson has done really well at the high speed tracks and it will be interesting to see how he does in his 2nd appearance at Pocono. Still, Keselowski and Hamlin are perhaps more worthy candidates to win this weekend’s GoBowling.com 400. We mentioned earlier of Keselowski’s near miss back in June but he has proven he can tame the Tricky Triangle by winning this race in 2011 and they will bring back the same chassis from the June race that led a race high 94 laps.
For the driver of the #11 car, Hamlin has been quietly put together a string of really solid runs including last week’s 3rd place finish at Indianapolis. Hamlin finished 4th at Pocono back in June and this is one of his best tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit. Hamlin has 4 wins in 17 start and owns the best driver rating (109.0) in the Sprint Cup Series at Pocono. Expect both of those two guys to be at the front Sunday afternoon. Be sure to check back with us later in the week as we continue our focus towards the GoBowling.com 400. Also if you are looking for early betting picks, be sure to sign-up for our NASCARWagers.com newsletter that is sent out weekly after opening odds are released.
