Kyle Busch looks for fourth win of the season

Daytona International Speedway -- 07/4/2009

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Friday Jul 3 2009 10:12pm

1. Kyle Busch: 6-1 odds

Kyle Busch has led the most laps in each of the last three Sprint Cup races held at Daytona. Expect Busch to be among the favorites to defend his Coke Zero 400 victory, much to the chagrin of Earnhardt Nation.

2. Jeff Gordon: 8-1 odds

Jeff Gordon is statistically the best driver on the restrictor plate venues, and unless he suffers some sort of setback, he should be contending for the win throughout the closing laps of the Coke Zero 400.

3. Tony Stewart: 5-1 odds

NASCAR Sprint Cup’s championship leader is solid on the short tracks, road course, intermediate tracks, and the super speedways. Stewart won this race in 2005 and 2006, and could earn his third Coke Zero 400 this weekend.

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 8-1 odds

Dale Earnhardt Jr is the pied piper on the restrictor plate tracks. Even though his last victory on a super speedway was in October of 2004, he is still viewed as one of the top dogs on the tracks that require the use of a restrictor plate.

5. Jimmie Johnson: 8-1 odds

It is only July, but Jimmie Johnson is in championship mode. He led the most laps at New Hampshire and Michigan, and he was competitive at Infineon. The 2006 Daytona 500 winner should be a contender on Saturday night.

6. Ryan Newman: 20-1 odds

The 2008 Daytona 500 champion is hoping to reclaim some of the momentum he lost after his fifth place finish at Pocono three weeks ago. Newman is one of the top restrictor plate drivers, and he has access to the vast resources at Hendrick Motorsports.

7. Matt Kenseth: 20-1 odds

Despite his Daytona 500 triumph five months ago, Matt Kenseth is one of the most underrated drivers on the super speedways. Expect him to enjoy a solid outing at Daytona.

8. Mark Martin: 20-1 odds

Mark Martin has spent most of the 2009 season on the Chase for the Championship bubble. He hopes to distance himself from the cutoff this weekend at Daytona. Martin is a solid restrictor plate racer, so barring some misfortune, he should enjoy a solid showing.

9. Clint Bowyer: 25-1 odds

The Nationwide Series winner at Daytona hopes to complete the season sweep on Saturday evening. Richard Childress Racing has an impressive history at Daytona, and Bowyer hopes to carry on the winning tradition.

10. Kurt Busch: 12-1 odds

Kurt Busch is perhaps the best driver never to win a restrictor plate event. He has led numerous laps at Daytona and Talladega, but he has yet to close the deal. This could be the breakthrough weekend for Kurt Busch.

Also keep an eye on Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Burton

Great dark horse picks include Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray, and David Reutimann

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