Longtime NASCAR fans looking to take their love of auto racing to an online betting website can get excited about this year’s upcoming Chase. With only a few days before it officially begins fans everywhere are getting ready for another nail-biting conclusion to this year’s NASCAR season. As the opportunity for a championship draws nearer the pressure to win continues to pile on the drivers. The Chase is akin to the playoffs in other sports and is the always the case in the playoffs, someone is being sent home. So, which drivers have a knack for thriving under pressure and have a real chance to making it to the final race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway?
Even though fans love to hate him, there’s no arguing Tony Stewart is one of the best. With nine wins in his Chase career, and three championships, it’s hard to argue the contrary. Stewart’s ability to thrive under pressure was most evident in his 2011 performance. Stewart came into to the NASCAR Chase with a team that was a complete disaster and expecting an overhaul after the season.
Once the news broke a media frenzy ensued and Stewart was still able to find success amidst the mayhem. Success of course meaning, five victories in 10 races including a title victory, his third I might add. He may not always be an online betting favorite, but whenever he’s on the tar Stewart is always in a position to win.
You can’t have a list of driver’s likely to win during the Chase and not include Jimmie Johnson. Johnson, like Stewart, can sometimes be the target of some fan’s loathing but Johnson’s NASCAR record is even more prestigious. Johnson has 25 NASCAR Chase victories with 5 consecutive titles, 6 overall. Johnson has been an uncontested force in the Chase for quite some time now, until the format change back in 2014.
Online betting historians will remember that Johnson won his 6th title in 2013, and the following year NASCAR implemented a new format for the Chase. It’s imperative that Johnson win under the new format because doing so would validate him as one of the greatest drivers of all time. Oh, and he’d be tied with Earnhardt and Petty for the most championships all-time, no big deal.
Kevin Harvick is next on this list thanks to him being tied for second-most NASCAR Chase wins with 9. The highlight of Harvick’s career came back in 2014 when he won his first championship in a spectacular fashion. If there’s one driver notorious for loving the spotlight it’s Harvick, whose reputation has earned him the nickname ‘The Closer’. A nickname isn’t the only thing Harvick’s reputation has earned him, in fact, many of the top sportsbooks across the web have Harvick pegged as the favorite to win this year’s championship. It’s either him or Kyle Busch.
Busch is last year’s Sprint Cup reigning champion and will be looking to solidify his reputation all across NASCAR. Busch of course, is another driver that fan’s love to hate and this can be attributed to his insatiable desire to win. While this attitude has led to him holding the record for most race wins in a season, it has also led to a negative image.
Busch added some coals to fan’s hate last season when he became the first driver under the new format to win the championship without competing in every race. This has led to Busch being called ‘waiver champion’ ubiquitously.