NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – Autism Speaks 400 Preview

With a rain-shortened race last week, NASCAR’s Sprint Cup drivers are itching to stretch their legs and hit the gas peddle in the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway. NASCAR betting is always a tough task at The Monster Mile, which eats up cars and drivers with its tight concrete confines.

Heading into Sunday’s race, Kyle Busch is a +450 sportsbook favorite at BetOnline.com. The younger Busch is coming off a disappointing run at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway, starting in second but wrapping the day with a sixth-place finish when the event was called due to rain.

Busch is running well this month, with three Top-3 placings in four races, and has a solid history at Dover. He won last year’s Best Buy 400 and holds five Top-5 placings in eight career starts at the Delaware track.

Reigning Chase champion Jimmie Johnson (+500) is also among the favorites to take the checkered flag at Dover. Johnson started in fifth last time out but closed the race in 13th place for his fourth finish outside the Top 10 in the past five races.

J.J. has three career wins at Dover with the most recent at the Dodge Dealers 400 in 2007. He’s posted nine Top-10 finishes in 14 career starts there, including fifth and seventh placings in his last two races in Delaware. He’ll be riding the same chassis from last June’s race, which is the same one he placed second with at the Dodge Challenger 500 earlier this month.

Sitting at +600 for this weekend’s competition are Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle. The Roush Fenway Racing teammates sit 10th and 11th respectively in the points standings but had two different days at Lowe’s Monday.

Edwards finished fourth at the Coca Cola 600 after starting the day in 19th place. The flashy and sometimes controversial driver has yet to win a race this season, settling for five Top-5 finishes.

Edwards is an expert on the short-track ovals, posting wins at Bristol and Dover during his five-year Sprint Cup career. He’s finished in the Top 3 in each of his last five races at Dover, taking the checkered flag in September of 2007.

Biffle had a rough run at Lowe’s Monday, finishing in 20th when the race was called. He is also in the hunt for his first win of the season, posting three Top-5 finishes. Biffle has an average finish of 16th place, dropping two spots from his average start position.

At Dover, the seven-year veteran has two wins with one of those victories coming in the most recent event at The Monster Mile last September. In 13 starts at Bristol, Biffle has eight Top-10 placings and an average finish of 11th.

Points leader Jeff Gordon is priced at +700 for the Autism Speaks 400. Gordon has a 44-point lead over Tony Stewart in the standings after a disappointing display at Lowe’s on Monday. He started the race in third but dropped to 14th when the rains hit thanks to poor pit strategy.

Gordon has 32 career starts at Dover, finishing in the Top 10 20 times and rolling into victory lane on four separate occasions. The No. 24 has four Top-10 placings in his past five starts at Dover. This season, Gordon has won just two races and hasn’t taken a title since the beginning of April. His consistency, though, is pushing him towards his fifth career Cup title.