With the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season is underway this Sunday the 28th of February we have the NASCAR 2016 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 coming our way from the Atlanta Motor Speed way (known as “Hotlanta”) which is a 325 lap race on an oval track that is 1.55 miles and this is the Sprint Cups 2nd season race QuikTrip 500.
First let me tell you about ‘Hotlanta’ the race track that came to live in 1960 in Atlanta, Georgia that for many years was the final race of each NASCAR season, but with the changing of events, the race not found itself set to be the 2nd race of each season following the most favorite NASCAR race the Daytona 500 annual event.
We can find a lot of reasons why fans who Bet on NASCAR at the SBG sportsbook will be anxious to watch this race. The biggest reason is that NASCAR has returned to the racing package titled the downforce. It’s a relatively new scheme that was used last year at the Raceway at Darlington and the Speedway at Kentucky. Without writing the history the package includes changes to the spoiler, splitter and the radiator pan, which the engineers are reclaiming some of the lost downforce on the race cars in QuikTrip 500.
That same package was used last year at the previously mention 2 tracks, and experts picked those 2 races, as 2 of the 3 races that were picked as 10 best races last season. This race track has been a track that has produced some very exciting races and finishes in past years, and a race that had been picked by many to be one of the best was the 2001 Atlanta Motor Speedway Cracker Barrel 500, where the race saw some 5 cars vying for the win with less than 10 laps left in the race, when 3 time champ J. Gordon and rookie K. Harvick were battling it out for the win and the rookie beat Gordon by some thousands of a second and took his 1st NASCAR high competition victory.
Now that you have some NASCAR race history let’s take a look at some of the Drivers fans will be watching this weekend. Beginning with K. Harvick who is listed as a favorite and the odds for him in this event are at 9 to 2, because experts claim he is a driver that can win any event any weekend of the season.
Last year in this race he was a dominant force, but overall his career at ‘Hotlanta’ has been confusing, The 1st time he race there he won, and in the next year he finished 3rd, and then had a 7 year stretch where he did not finish in the top 10 of the drivers, and then in 2008 he finished 7th. After that he has only had 3 races that he did not finish in the top 10! Plus in his ultimate 4 races at ‘Hotlanta’ he was able to lead those races for more than 100 laps in each race. This Sunday he is driving the Stewart-Hass Racing’s No. 4 Chevrolet and will be seeking a win in this race.
Then we have J. Logano racing for the Joe Gibbs Racing whose odds are at 11 to 2, and he as a driver for Gibbs while racing at ‘Hotlanta’ his record gives him nothing to speak of. But his races for the Penske team to date in 3 races he finished in all 3 races no higher than 7th place, and in those 4 races he led the races for at least 55 laps. Thus, fans can expect him and his Penske Ford No. 22 to be seeking a victory.
The last but not least we have a NASCAR favorite over the years in J. Johnson with odds at 11 to 2, and he is a leading winner at ‘Hotlanta’ who in 50 percent of the races he started he finished in the top 5 or the top 10, and with his downforce experience as well as his experience at the Atlanta Motor Speedway he will be a good selection for the wagering crowd as he drives the Hendricks Motorsports Chevy No. 48 race car as he seeks the win.
For the fans, you may like to know that the weather projected for this race on Sunday is expected to bring nothing but clear skies and 72-75 degree weather.