NASCAR odds: Aaron's 499
Sunday's
Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway marks race 9-of-36 on the NASCAR
betting schedule in the Sprint Cup series. At 2.66 miles, Talladega
is the largest and fastest tri-oval track on the circuit, producing
speeds nearing 200 mph and restrictor plate racing at its best.
When restrictor plate racing is mentioned, two drivers come to mind:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+450) and four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon (+500).
If you bet on NASCAR, the Hendrick Motorsports duo is clearly the strongest
wager listed in the BetUS NASCAR odds to win outright.
A pedigree is primarily factored in when handicapping horses, but
not the variety of horses with four wheels and a whole lot of power.
However, Earnhardt Jr.'s pedigree can't be overlooked when running
for the finish line in restrictor plate races.
Dale Earnhardt
Sr. was the undisputed “King of Restrictor” plate
racing with much of his success coming at Talladega, where ''The Intimidator''
claimed ten wins for an all-time best.
Earnhardt Jr. has five Talladega victories of his own, winning four
consecutive events from 2001-03. He has seven wins in 33 starts on
restrictor plate tracks.
He finished a respectable seventh in this race last season, adding
to a 70-race winless streak, but Earnhardt Jr. remains the NASCAR wagering
community's most popular driver. In the first eight races this season
he's raced his way to six top-10s and a third-place standing in the
points.
Sunday marks a
milestone in Earnhardt Jr.'s career. It will be his 300th career
start in a Cup car. If he can avoid ''The Big One'' it
should come as no surprise if he finds Victory Lane at the track he’s
obviously already mastered.
Earnhardt Jr. has failed to lead a lap just twice in his 16 Talladega
starts. The first time was his initial race there in 2000 when he finished
42nd due to engine failure. The other was the fall 2005 race when he
crashed just 19 laps into the race.
After sweeping both races last year, Gordon returns to Talladega owning
a series-best six wins among active drivers at the legendary track.
He won the pole and led a race-high 71 laps en route to the win in
the spring race in 2007, which gave Gordon his 77th career win that
put him one victory ahead of Earnhardt Sr. on NASCAR's all-time winner's
list.
In the fall victory, he started 34th and led only one lap. But it
was the only lap that mattered. It was just the second race won at
Talladega by a driver starting 30th or worse -- Gordon did it both
times. The other occasion came in the 2000 spring race when he started
36th.
Gordon is the modern
day “King of Restrictor” plate drivers
with 17 career wins on Superspeedways.
His season has been riddled with inconsistency in 2008, as his 13th
position in the point standings indicates, but there's no better track
than Talladega Superspeedway for Gordon to take the checkers for the
first time this season.
Note: A Chevrolet has won 17 of the last 18 races at Talladega and
Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won six of the last eight events
there.
