NASCAR Racing Preview – Checker O`Reilly 500
NASCAR Racing Preview: With Two NASCAR Races to Go, Jimmie 4th Sprint Cup Almost a Certainty
NASCAR Race-day: 11/15/2009
NASCAR Race-time: 2:30 pm EST
With two nascar races to go in The Chase, Jimmie Johnson has a 73 point over fellow Hendrick Motor Sports driver Mark Martin and a 112 point lead over fellow Hendrick driver Jeff Gordon.
The chances of Jimmie losing the Sprint Cup arent very good, but stranger things have happened which is why the Checker O`Reilly Auto Parts 500, this Sunday`s nascar race at Phoenix International Raceway, is such a big deal. JJ finished 38-th last week in Texas and another finish like that, along with let`s say a Mark Martin victory, would make next week`s final nascar race in The Chase very interesting.
Could Johnson possibly blow the Sprint Cup lead he garnered by winning the three of the four Chase nascar races? Sure he could if he keeps finishing close to 40-th place and his teammate, Martin, wins a couple more.
Martin, by the way, returns to Phoenix where he won in April and where he averages a 9-th place finish. The oldman of Hendrick hasn`t been driving like an old timer all season and definitely has enough left in the tank to make a serious run at JJ should Jimmie and his crew blow another nascar race.
The NASCAR odds on Johnson in the nascar race are +400. The odds on Mark Martin in the sportsbook are +500. I`d go with Martin in this situation. He is coming off of a 4-th place finish at Texas and has won at PIR before.
This NASCAR race is Martin`s to lose, not Jimmie`s to win, which means that a seriously interesting matchup next week at Homestead cold be brewing after Sunday. Which Busch will show up in Phoenix? Will Kurt hold off Kyle, like he did last weekend at Texas, or will Kyle finally secure another victory in 2009?
Both Busch`s are going off at decent odds in the sportsbook, +1200 for both and it will be a question of which Busch gamblers prefer more in this spot. Stat wise, neither Busch brother has been impressive in Phoenix. Kurt has one victory. Kyle has one victory. Kurt averages a 13-th place finish. Kyle averages a 15-th place finish.
Betting either one might be silly, but rarely this season have bettors been able to get double digit odds on Kyle Busch. That should not be the only reason that bettors back him, but it does show that there is some wagering value with Kyle.
Where Has Tony Stewart Gone?
That has to be the question with 2 nascar races left in the Sprint Cup Chase. Smoke has been nowhere to be found since winning on October 4-th at Kansas in the 3rd Chase NASCAR race. Tony finished 5-th a week later in the Pepsi 500 and 9-th in the Tums Fast Relief 500 but his 35-th place finish at Talladega killed him even though he bounced back last week with a 6-th place finish.
Stewart led in the Sprint Cup Standings going into The Chase and it looked like the 1st time driver/owner would strike gold. That has not been the case as Tony is now in 5-th place in the standings behind JJ, Martin, Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch. Tony is going off at +800 in the sportsbook to win at PIR. He probably won`t have enough to get it done, but don`t worry about Tony.
Next year promises to be another one full of hope for Smoke, however, as there is no doubt that wearing both hats, driver and owner, suits him. There are two NASCAR races left in the 2009 NASCAR Season! Sit back, grab a cold one and enjoy some racing! 
