Bass Pro Shops 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Kevin Harvick has already cleared out space in his trophy case for his third NASCAR Busch Series championship, which he easily clinched with four races left.
Now Harvick would like to add his first NASCAR Nextel Cup Series title to his collection of trophies, but he said it will take better runs over the final four races of the “Chase for the Championship” for him to pull that off.
Harvick is second in the Chase standings — just 36 behind Matt Kenseth –entering this weekend’s Bass Pro Shops 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with six other drivers within 99 points of the lead following a topsy-turvy day at Martinsville Speedway last week.
The oddsmakers don’t list Harvick among the favorites for Sunday’s race – Bodog.com has him at +1500 — but that’s because of his past history at the 1.53-mile speedway.
While Harvick won in his very first start there in 2001 –his third career start since taking over for the late Dale Earnhardt after his fatal wreck at the Daytona 500 a month earlier –and finished third in the fall race later that year, his luck has gone sour since then. In his past nine starts at Atlanta, Harvick’s best finish was 19th in March 2003.
Kasey Kahne, who has dominated at the 1.5-mile tracks this season, is the favorite at +400, followed by Jimmie Johnson at +550 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon at +850.
Kenseth, defending 500 champ Carl Edwards, two-time Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart and former points leader Jeff Burton are all listed at +1000, with Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and rookie Denny Hamlin at +1200.
No driver had dominated the Chase through the first five races, although Burton’s overall consistency (four top 10 finishes, including a win at Dover) had put him solidly atop the points.
If that doesn’t give you enough to go on, then we don’t know what will. Get all your NASCAR betting lines and NASCAR racing odds at the Bodog Sportsbook.
NASCAR Sharpie 500 Prediction: BET on Earnhardt, Jr. to win this race.
