Greg Biffle Aims For Two In A Row

Dover International Speedway -- 09/21/08

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Friday Sep 19 2008 4:19pm

There were many folks referring to Greg Biffle’s victory at New Hampshire last week as a shocker. They alluded to him as the darkhorse. However, Biffle is far from that. He is a legitimate championship contender, and was prior to his victory. While Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, and Carl Edwards are still the three favorites to claim this year’s Sprint Cup championship, Biffle certainly has the potential to play the role as the spoiler.

The Sprint Cup Series visits Dover, Delaware, home of the Monster Mile for round two of the Chase for the Championship.

1. 16-Greg Biffle: +680 nascar odds

There is no reason to believe that Greg Biffle cannot win two races in a row. He led the most laps at Dover back in June, and may have won the race if not for an electrical issue. It has been a season of streaks. Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and Jimmie Johnson have all enjoyed hot streaks throughout the 2008 season. Perhaps it is Greg Biffle’s turn. The potential is certainly there. There would be no better time to catch fire than the Chase for the Championship. In his last two trips to Dover, Biffle has scored finishes of second and third.

In twelve career starts at Dover, Biffle has one win, four top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a finishing average of 12.1.

2. 18-Kyle Busch: +350 nascar odds

Following an exasperating weekend at New Hampshire, Kyle Busch saw his comfortable lead in the Sprint Cup championship standings completely vanish. He trails Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson by 74 points heading into Dover. The good news is that Busch won at Dover back in June. The bad news is that he seems to have lost a little bit of momentum. He has finished 15th and 34th in each of his last two starts. Despite the temporary loss of momentum, Kyle Busch and the 18 team are still the ones to beat. In his last two trips to Dover, Busch has posted finishes of fifth and first.

In seven career starts at Dover, Kyle Busch has one victory, five top five finishes, and five top ten finishes. He has an average finish of 10.3.

3. 48-Jimmie Johnson: +550 nascar odds

After losing a late-race duel to Greg Biffle last week, Jimmie Johnson is more than ready to grip the steering wheel at the Monster Mile. Johnson is performing as good as ever right now, which is bad news for the competition. Johnson won both races at Dover as a rookie in 2002, and this exact race in 2005. He is a clear-cut favorite heading into this weekend’s Camping World RV 400. In his last two races at Dover, Johnson has scored finishes of 14th and seventh.

In thirteen career starts at Dover, Johnson has three wins, four top five finishes, and eight top ten finishes. He has an average finish of 11.5.

4. 99-Carl Edwards: +420 nascar odds

He is identified as ‘Concrete Carl’ for his ability to win on tracks that have concrete surfaces such as Bristol, Nashville, and Dover. Edwards is the defending winner of this event, and he is coming off a solid third place showing at New Hampshire. He also won the race at Bristol in August, which was the last race on concrete. The bottom line is that Edwards is a solid bet for this weekend’s race. In his last two races at Dover, Edwards has a victory and a runner-up finish.

In eight career starts at Dover, Edwards has a win, four top five finishes, and five top ten finishes. He has an average finish of 8.2.

5. 11-Denny Hamlin: +1200 nascar odds

The last two trips to Dover have been nightmares as far as results are concerned, but Dover is a track in which Denny Hamlin typically favors. Last year, there was the incident in the garage with Kyle Petty following an accident involving both drivers. Hamlin is one of the favorites after four consecutive top ten finishes, three in which were third place finishes. Hamlin has to potential to do what Biffle did last week at New Hampshire, so keep an eye on the FedEx Toyota. In his last two races at Dover, Hamlin has recorded finishes 38th and 43rd.

In five career starts at Dover, Hamlin has one top five finish, and two top ten finishes. He has an average finish of 21.0.

6. 88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: +1000 nascar odds

Dale Earnhardr, Jr. scored his second consecutive top five finish at New Hampshire last weekend, so why was he so miffedΔ Earnhardt, Jr. felt as if a bad set of tires ended his chances at a victory. His frustrated confirmed his obsessive competitive nature, which is without a doubt an inherited trait. Earnhardt, Jr. typically runs well at Dover, as he won this race in 2001, the same year his father passed away. Expect another solid showing for Earnhardt, Jr. and company. In his last two races at Dover, Earnhardt, Jr. has recorded finishes of third and 35th.

In seventeen career starts at Dover, Earnhardt, Jr. has one victory, four top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes.

7. 20-Tony Stewart: +1000 nascar odds

Tony Stewart heads into Dover this weekend in the same situation that he has been in all season- winless. Last week, Stewart had a car that could have competed for the win, but a pit road speeding penalty nixed any victory lane aspirations. Stewart has always performed well at Dover, and this could be the site of his first victory of 2008. It sure would be a popular win for Stewart, as he endeavors to win one last race while teamed with Joe Gibbs Racing. In his last two races at Dover, Stewart has posted finishes of ninth and 41st.

In nineteen career starts at Dover, Stewart has two wins, both occurring in 2000, nine top five finishes, and twelve top ten finishes. He has an average finish of 12.2.

8. 29-Kevin Harvick: +2100 nascar odds

Kevin Harvick should contend for yet another top ten finish on Sunday at Dover. He has been consistent throughout the second half of the season, and the trend is likely to continue at Dover. He may not be among the favorite to win at Dover, as he has never won a Sprint Cup race at the Monster Mile, but he should enjoy a solid outing. In his last two trips to Dover, Harvick has recorded finishes of 20th and 38th. His last top five at Dover occurred in June of 2006.

In fifteen career starts at Dover, Harvick has two top five finishes, and five top ten finishes. He has an average finish of 19.3.

9. 1-Martin Truex, Jr.: +2100 nascar odds

Each week, expect a non-championship chaser to mix it up with the chasers. Last week, it was Kurt Busch. This week, it will likely be Martin Truex, Jr., who scored his first and only career Sprint Cup race at Dover in June of 2007. He also posted a top ten finish at New Hampshire last week. In his last two races at Dover, Truex, Jr. has posted finishes of 13th and sixth.

In five career starts at Dover, Truex, Jr. has one win, one top five finish, and three top ten finishes. He has an average finish of 9.6.

10. 24-Jeff Gordon: +1300 nascar odds

The 2008 season has not lived up to the expectations for Jeff Gordon and the 24 group. After winning the pole at Dover, he hopes to turn things around and score that elusive first win of the season.

In 31 career starts at Dover, Jeff Gordon has four wins, fourteen top five finishes, and nineteen top ten finishes. He has an average finish of 12.1.

Also, keep an eye on Jeff Burton (+2100 nascar odds), Matt Kenseth (+1000 nascar odds), Kurt Busch (+3500 nascar odds), Mark Martin (+3000 nascar odds), and Ryan Newman (+4000 nascar odds)

Great darkhorse picks include Brian Vickers (+2500 nascar odds), David Ragan (+2500 nascar odds), Elliott Sadler, Jamie McMurray, and Travis Kvapil

Stay away from Kyle Petty, Michael McDowell, and Tony Raines

Odds Maker’s Top Ten

1. Kyle Busch +350 nascar odds
2. Carl Edwards +420 nascar odds
3. Jimmie Johnson +500 nascar odds
4. Greg Biffle +680 nascar odds
5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 1000 + nascar odds
6. Tony Stewart +1000 nascar odds
7. Matt Kenseth +1000 nascar odds
8. Denny Hamlin +1200 nascar odds
9. Jeff Gordon +1300 nascar odds
10. Kasey Kahne +1600 nascar odds