Johnson Still Favored To Win 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship

Johnson favored to win title in Las Vegas

By Micah Roberts

Looks like Jimmie Johnson is still considered king in NASCAR despite not winning his sixth consecutive title. The LVH Super Book, formerly known as the Las Vegas Hilton, made Johnson the 9-to-2 favorite to win the title followed by Carl Edwards at 5-to-1.

Defending champion Tony Stewart is among six drivers listed at 8-to-1 that includes Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and new Hendrick Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne. Kahne takes over the No. 5 car for Mark Martin.

Despite Las Vegan Kurt Busch being ran from the Penske stable, he's still listed at 60-to-1 while driving the heavily NASCAR impaired No. 51, a sign that Las Vegas thinks Busch's driving ability can overcome bad equipment. His replacement in the No. 22 car, A.J. Allmendinger, is listed at 75-to-1.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is given 40-to-1 odds showing that Vegas believes Junior's issues will persist in 2012 despite running a decent points season in 2011. Clint Bowyer's odds were listed lower at 30-to-1 even though he'll be driving his first season for a lesser team with Michael Waltrip Racing.

LVH SUPER BOOK Odds to Win
2012 SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

JIMMIE JOHNSON 9-2
CARL EDWARDS 5
KYLE BUSCH 8
MATT KENSETH 8
JEFF GORDON 8
KASEY KAHNE 8
TONY STEWART 8
KEVIN HARVICK 8
DENNY HAMLIN 12
GREG BIFFLE 20
BRAD KESELOWSKI 20
CLINT BOWYER 30
DALE EARNHARDT JR 40
RYAN NEWMAN 50
KURT BUSCH 60
MARTIN TRUEX JR 75
JEFF BURTON 75
JOEY LOGANO 75
JUAN MONTOYA 75
JAMIE McMURRAY 75
AJ ALLMENDINGER 75
PAUL MENARD 100
MARCOS AMBROSE 100
FIELD 40

Driver Chassis Selections at Watkins Glen

Edwards had a strong Sonoma race finishing third behind Jeff Gordon

1. Carl Edwards: Won the pole and finished fifth last season; Finish was fifth consecutive top 10; Has yet to lead a lap in six starts; Fifth-best average finish (10.6) in the last five road course events (Sonoma and Watkins Glen); Will return in the same car (chassis No. 758) that he finished third with at Infineon Raceway in June.

2. Jimmie Johnson: Coming off first finish (28th) outside the top 20 in last six races; Best finish, and third top five, came in 2007 in third; Fourth-best average finish (10.4) and third is in laps led (59) in the last five road course events (Sonoma and Watkins Glen); Will return in the same car (chassis No. 543) that he finished seventh with at Infineon Raceway in June.

3. Kyle Busch: 2008 winner; Has finished ninth or better in last five starts; Second-best average finish (5.8) among all drivers that have competed in all of the last five races; Second in laps led (67) in the four races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 305) that he finished 11th with at Infineon Raceway in June.

4. Kurt Busch: 9.8 average finish in five starts with Penske Racing; Coming off three consecutive top 10s; Second-place finish last season is best in 10 starts; Won at Infineon in June; Sixth-best average finish (11.4) and most laps led (100) in the last five road course events (Sonoma and Watkins Glen); Will return in the same car (chassis No. 742) that he led 76 laps en route to victory at Infineon Raceway in June.

5. Kevin Harvick: Winner of the 2006 race; 22.0 average finish in the four races with the COT; Sixth-place finish in 2008 was last of five top 10s in 10 starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 321) that he finished 11th with at Watkings Glen International last season.

6. Matt Kenseth: 12.8 average finish in the four races with the COT; Last of three top 10s, in 11 starts, came in 2004; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 771) in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen.

7. Jeff Gordon: Four-time winner; Last win came in 2001; Best finish in last nine starts came in 2007 in ninth after leading 51 laps; Ninth-best average finish (12.6) in the last five road course events (Sonoma and Watkins Glen).

8. Ryan Newman: 16.5 average finish in two starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Scored three top 10s with Penske Racing; 18.0 average finish in the four races with the COT; 10.0 average finish in last five road course events (Sonoma and Watkins Glen).

Tony Stewart's day at Sonoma was cut short late by Brian Vickers (Getty)

9. Tony Stewart: Leads all drivers with five wins; Last win came in 2009 after leading 34 laps; Leads all drivers with a 2.6 average finish in the last five races; Seventh-best average finish (11.6) and fifth in laps led (50) in the last five road course events (Sonoma and Watkins Glen).

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Led 33 laps and finished 22nd in first track start with Hendrick Motorsports in 2008; Finished 39th and 26th in last two starts with HMS; Posted three top 10s with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in eight previous starts.

11. Denny Hamlin: 37th-place finish last year was first outside the top 10 in five starts; Best finish came in 2007 in second; 13.4 average finish.

12. Clint Bowyer: Ninth-place finish in 2009 in only top 10 in five starts; 18.8 average finish; Has yet to lead a lap; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 300) that he last finished fourth with at Infineon Raceway in June.

13. Greg Biffle: Fifth-place finish in 2009 is best in eight starts; Only other top 10 (10th) came in 2007; 15.0 average finish in the four races with the COT; Has yet to lead a lap since 2003.

14. Paul Menard: Coming off best finish in seven starts in 16th; 23.9 average finish; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 361) in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen.

15. Mark Martin: 21.0 average finish in two starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Posted 16 top 10s in previous 19 starts with Roush Racing; Won three-straight in the 90s; Has yeat to lead more than three laps in one race since 1996.

Kasey Kahne has proven strong on the road courses lately

16. Kasey Kahne: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in seven starts; Finished 17th in last two events; Will make first track start with Team Red Bull; Ninth-best average finish (11.8) in the last five road course events (Sonoma and Watkins Glen).

17. AJ Allmendinger: 9.3 average finish in three starts; Finish fourth last season; Third-best average finish (10.0) in the last five road course events (Sonoma and Watkins Glen); Will return in the same car (chassis No. 760) that he finished 13th with at Infineon Raceway in June.

18. Brad Keselowski: Finished 20th in first track start last season; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 741) in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen.

19. David Ragan: Has yet to finish in the top 20 in four starts; 27.8 average finish; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 762) in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen.

20. Joey Logano: 24.5 average finish in two starts; Best finish came in 2009 in 16th; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 306) that he won the pole and finished sixth with at Infineon Raceway in June.

- Compiled by Jeff Wackerlin, MotorRacingNetwork.com

Race to Chase Has Drivers With Some Great Scenarios

By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Clint Bowyer in danger of not making Chase (Getty)

We’re just over the halfway point of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, but only seven races remain until NASCAR’s version of the playoffs -- the ‘Chase for the Championship’ -- begins. The current stretch we’re in now is called the ‘Race to the Chase’ as the drivers battle to be one of the top 12 drivers after race No. 26.

This years ’Race to the Chase’ has a little more excitement built into than other years because the final two positions are given to drivers within the top-20 in points that have the most wins. Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer are currently 11th and 12th in points, but neither has any wins on the year.

As it sits now, Bowyer would be bumped out by David Ragan (13th in points) on the basis of Ragan’s Daytona win. Should Brad Keselowski get himself into the top-20 -- he’s currently 23rd -- he would take over the spot held by Stewart because of Keselowski‘s Kansas win.

The drivers now find themselves in somewhat of a dilemma, especially Bowyer and Stewart. Do they drive cautiously and try to make the Chase on points by getting into the top-10 or do they go all out and try to win one of the remaining seven races? Obviously, they’d like to do both, but probably will accentuate their stance more as the writing on the wall becomes clearer.

Stewart has perhaps the best chance of the two just because he’s always run well at the tracks we’ll see in the next seven races. Not many drivers have been collectively better at the likes of Indianapolis, Pocono and Watkins Glen than Stewart. He could get himself a couple of wins in those three alone.

Bowyer’s best chance rests with Richmond in the final race until the Chase making him look like not too good a bet to win the Championship right now. In the Hilton’s adjusted odds to win the title, Bowyer is listed at 40-to-1 with Stewart at 15-to-1. David Ragan, despite being in at the moment, is still considered a long shot at 50-to-1.

Carl Edwards jumped back into the points lead -- after a poor finish by Kyle Busch last week -- and is the 7-to-2 favorite to win it all. Right behind him is five-time reigning Champion Jimmie Johnson at 9-to-2, Kyle Busch at 5-to-1, Matt Kenseth at 7-to-1 with Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick all at 8-to-1.

Jeff Gordon has been creeping up in points the last few weeks and currently sits in seventh position. At 10-to-1 odds, he could be the sneaky one of the bunch just because of how well he has run on the Chase tracks already this year. He’ll be looking to join his protégé as being a five-time champ.

As for everyone’s favorite, Dale Earnhardt Jr, well, let’s just say that Bowyer may not have to worry too much. At the rate Junior is going right now, he’ll find himself in 15th-place by the time the Chase rolls around, and missing out. In his last five races, he’s gone from being third in points to ninth with a succession of poor finishes. He’s currently 25-to-1 to win it all, but the only reason it really is that low is just because of all the risk on him from his legion of fans betting with their heart.

It’s an off week for the Cup series who will return in two weeks at Indianapolis. To get started on handicapping the race, a great reference is to look at who did well at Pocono last month.