Kyle Busch, Earnhardt Jr Favored To Win Bud Shootout

Daytona International Speedway -- 02/07/09

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Friday Feb 6 2009 1:34pm

For all of you racing connoisseurs, the NASCAR Sprint Cup season commences this weekend with the Bud Shootout. In year’s past, the Bud Shootout encompassed drivers that won a pole during the previous season, as well as past winners of the event. However, the rules of the game have changed. This year, the Bud Shootout field consists of the top six drivers from each manufacturer, as well as a Wild Card entry for each make. The 2009 Bud Shootout field consists of twenty-eight drivers, the largest ever for this particular event.

1. 18-Kyle Busch: +480 odds

Kyle Busch led the most laps in the Daytona 500 a year ago, and he won the July race at the 2.5-mile track. Furthermore, he won at Talladega, the sister track to Daytona, in April. Basically, what this indicates is that Kyle Busch knows how to get around NASCAR’s biggest tracks. The sprint-style all-star race suits Busch’s assertive driving style to a tee. Expect Busch to emerge as a serious contender on Saturday night.

Kyle Busch has an average finish of 15.6 at Daytona.

In his two Bud Shootout appearances, Kyle Busch has scored finishes of 15th, and 7th.

2. 88-Dale Earnhardt Jr: +464 odds

Bettors, Dale Earnhardt Jr is the odds-on favorite to win the showdown on Saturday evening, which comes as a surprise to no one. He owns two Bud Shootout trophies, 2003 and 2008. His win last year marked his first win for Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt Jr is sure to be a contender again in 2009, as he is one of the premier restrictor plate racers of this era.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has an average finish of 13.6 at Daytona.

In his last three Bud Shootout appearaces, Earnhardt Jr has scored finishes of 2nd, 14th, and 1st.

3. 48-Jimmie Johnson: +954 odds

Do no let his injured finger fool you. Jimmie Johnson will run with the lead pack on Saturday night. Johnson won this race in 2005 by edging out Ryan Newman, and he is one of the Sprint Cup Series’ superior restrictor plate racers. Johnson typically steps up his game in NASCAR’s biggest events, and the Bud Shootout is one of the two all-star extravaganzas throughout the year.

Jimmie Johnson has an average finish of 13.9 at Daytona.

In his last three Bud Shootout appearances, Johnson has scored finishes of 5th, 4th, and 3rd.

4. 11-Denny Hamlin: +1226 odds

Denny Hamlin surprised NASCAR veterans when he crossed the finish line first in 2006. He was only a rookie at the time, and his initial propensity to put himself in position to win the Bud Shootout against drivers such as Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr was impressive. Since his victory three years ago, Hamlin’s results at Daytona have fallen below par, but the performance has been there, especially last year when he led 32 laps in the Daytona 500.

Hamlin has an average finish of 26.8 at Daytona.

In his last three Bud Shootout appearance, Hamlin has scored finishes of 1st, 17th, and 9th.

5. 24-Jeff Gordon: +1226 odds

Jeff Gordon owns two Bud Shootout victories, but none since 1997. Since his last shootout triumph, Gordon has finished in the top five six times, which means that he is traditionally a solid contender. Coming off a season in which he failed to win a single race, Gordon hopes to start the 2009 season off with a bang. He certainly has a lot to prove, despite his remarkable record of accomplishments.

Jeff Gordon has an average finish of 15.2 at Daytona.

In his last three Bud Shootout appearances, Jeff Gordon has scored finishes of 19th, 21st, and 4th.

6. 99-Carl Edwards: +1105 odds

When you think of Carl Edwards, you do not typically think of his restrictor racing prowess. Nevertheless, he will be exciting to watch on Saturday evening. His performance has begun to improve on the super speedways, especially since Roush Fenway Racing aligned its engine program with Yates Racing. The Yates’ cars have a history of performing at a high level at Daytona and Talladega.

Carl Edwards has an average finish of 21.9 at Daytona.

In his two Bud Shootout appearances, Carl Edwards has scored finishes of 16th, and 12th.

7. 29-Kevin Harvick: +1864 odds

The 2007 Daytona 500 winner is still searching for his first Bud Shootout victory. Kevin Harvick is historically hit or miss at Daytona. At times, Harvick is able to thread his way through the draft and makes it appear almost effortless. Other times, it seems as if he simply cannot keep pace with the lead draft. It will be interesting to see which Harvick shows up on Saturday.

Harvick has an average finish of 15.9 at Daytona.

In his last three Bud Shootout appearances, Harvick has scored finishes of 3rd, 20th, and 5th.

8. 6-David Ragan: +1732 odds

David Ragan has displayed limitless potential on the super speedways ever since his rookie season in 2007. He finished fifth in his first Daytona 500 appearance, and he posted another fifth place finish at Daytona last July. This team was clearly on the rise down the stretch of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, so he will be one to watch this weekend. It is unlikely that he will win, but it would not be a bolt from the blue either.

Ragan has an average finish of 16.0 at Daytona.

This will be Ragan’s first Bud Shootout appearance.

9. 14-Tony Stewart: +1238 odds

Tony Stewart has won the Bud Shootout on three occasions, more than any other driver in the field; however, they were all with the Joe Gibbs Racing powerhouse. For the first time, Stewart will strap into a Sprint Cup car that he owns. The new Stewart Haas Racing outfit will debut on Saturday night, and it will allow the upstart organization to build a foundation for the Daytona 500. The good news is that they have a two-time champion behind the wheel and Hendrick Motorsports horsepower.

Stewart has an average finish of 17.7 at Daytona.

In his last three Bud Shootout appearances, Stewart has scored finishes of 3rd, 1st, and 2nd.

10. 2-Kurt Busch: +1602 odds

Many analysts refer to Kurt Busch as the best driver never to win a restrictor plate race. He is always a factor, but the stars have just not yet aligned for the older of the Busch brothers. While the Penske Championship Racing outfit struggled as a whole in 2008, the one bright spot was their restrictor plate program. Busch finished second to his former Penske Racing teammate Ryan Newman in last year’s Daytona 500.

Kurt Busch has an average finish of 18.4 at Daytona.

In his last three Bud Shootout appearances, Kurt Busch has scored finishes 6th, 3rd, and 18th.

Also, keep an eye on Jeff Burton (+2500 odds), Matt Kenseth (+2137 odds), Greg Biffle (+2222 odds)

Great dark horse picks include Jamie McMurray (+2500 odds), Kasey Kahne (+2500 odds), Casey Mears (+3000 odds)

Stay away from Joey Logano, Scott Speed, and Reed Sorenson

Odds Makers’s Top Ten

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr +464 odds
2. Kyle Busch +480 odds
3. Jimmie Johnson +934 odds
4. Carl Edwards +1105 odds
5. Jeff Gordon +1226 odds
6. Denny Hamlin +1226 odds
7. Tony Stewart +1238 odds
8. Kurt Busch +1602 odds
9. David Ragan +1732 odds
10. Kevin Harvick +1864 odds

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User	Comment
littlebit	You know, I wouldn`t rule Tony Stewart out of this one. He really is a good driver, if a bit erratic in the wins. Could surprise us all.
winnerpete	junior, gordon, KB, could be any one of em...
Cal	Fans might be a little upset over it but if you think about it, its always best to have all fingers working when you are gripping on a wheel doing what these folks do.
Mink	It looks like Dale is your favorite but I bet Kyle and Jimmie won`t let him win this much easily. The match would surely change the odds as well.
maddox8	What happened to my favorite driver JJ? I read that he has an injured finger and he`s still able to race together with his opponents. Now we have the three rookie stooges introduced at the shootout, I wonder what the fans would think.
roadrunner	Dang, those are some superior drivers in that list. I`d like to see a few people giving Jimmie a run for his money. He may have easily won last year but this is a whole different season - it`s anyone`s game.
Elgar	I remember a friend of mine said that working with race cars was the hardest thing being a tester as you always did a "What If". I wonder if anyone is thinking about that now.
racegirl	I didn`t get to see the whole thing but every time I was in the room there seemed to be a new crash. I am also anxious to see the new stats on the odds.
Cheryl Simmons	Shoot-out? LOL This was more of a crash-out! I can`t wait to see how the odds have changed due to the evident lack of testing of the vehicles this year starting out. Many drivers are steaming mad over the vehicles they were handed to go out and race at to
Ben Smith	Remarks like the one about Denny Hamlin being a contender because he lead a few laps in a race tend to not impress me in the least because one of the real contenders might have had to make a strategic stop in order to secure a lead position later on in th
Casey Hillman	So we are already picking Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the projected winner of this race setting a tone for the rest of the season. I guess he is not a bad bet, but is he a good bet for this race considering the talent that will be there along side him?