Kyle Busch won his second race in a row as he took the third race of the playoffs at Dover. Four drivers were eliminated, so now it is set for the round of 12, which kicks off at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which is hosting its second points race of the season; the All-Star race is also run at Charlotte. Here’s a closer look at this week’s Bank Of America 500.
Details
Event: Bank Of America 500
Category: NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series
Date: Sunday, October 8th, 2:00 PM PM ET
Location: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina
Busch won his fourth race of the season by passing Chase Elliott late, and Elliott had to settle for second after leading a race-high 138 laps. Jimmie Johnson, pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr., and Kyle Larson, who led 137 laps, rounded out the top five. Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch were all eliminated from the playoffs. Johnson is the defending race-winner for the fall Charlotte race, and the first Charlotte points race of the season was won by Austin Dillon, while Busch won the All-Star race.
Past Five Winners
2016: Jimmie Johnson
2015: Joey Logano
2014: Kevin Harvick
2013: Brad Keselowski
2012: Clint Bowyer
The Field
In case you haven’t been following along, this is now the second round of the playoffs. Four drivers were cut last week and that list includes Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, and Austin Dillon.
Taking a look at the field right now, Kyle Busch is obviously going to be a popular bet. He’s won back-to-back races, so it’s not surprising to see him at +400 to win this week. Brad Keselowski also showed well at Dover last week, winning a stage point. That now puts him in fourth place in the standings.
Some drivers that you might consider avoiding at the Bank Of America 500 include Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Denny Hamlin. Stenhouse Jr. made the cut last week but just barely. If he hopes to make it to the third round, he’ll have to start driving much better. As for Hamlin, he placed 35th at Dover. He’s slipping down the leaderboard and is now at seventh.
What To Know About The Track
Charlotte Motor Speedway opened in 1960 and is known as the home track of NASCAR as most of the teams have their headquarters in North Carolina. It is a 1.5-mile track that is banked at 24 degrees in the corners, and five degrees down the straightaways, so it is your typical 1.5-mile circuit, and you can make up ground here if you don’t have a good starting position. The last two winners at Charlotte have started 11th and 22nd.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Jimmie Johnson over Kyle Larson
Johnson is the underdog in this matchup at +125, while Larson is favored at -160. Larson is definitely having the better season, but it is tough to bet against Johnson at Charlotte, where he has won this race four times and eight times overall. Johnson has a finishing average of 10.9 in 16 starts in the fall Charlotte race, while Larson has just four starts with a finishing average of 17.3. Johnson led 155 laps here last fall, which sparked him to another championship run and after finishing third at Dover, his confidence should be up.
Top-Five Pick: Kyle Busch
This shouldn’t be a big surprise to anyone, but Busch should finish in the top five, where he has finished in four of his last six starts. This includes a trio of wins, but Busch has never won a points race at Charlotte. That being said, he has started this race 13 times and has a finishing average of 10.7, which is the best among all active drivers, and he has seven top-five finishes in this race; only Johnson has more with nine. For whatever reason, Busch can’t get a checkered flag in a points race here, but one thing is for sure: barring an accident, Kyle Busch will be running in the top five this weekend at Charlotte, so book it.
Odds To Win 2017 Bank Of America 500
Martin Truex Jr +300
Kyle Busch +400
Kyle Larson +600
Jimmie Johnson +1000
Kevin Harvick +1000
Denny Hamlin +1000
Brad Keselowski +1200
Matt Kenseth +1200
Chase Elliott +1200
Erik Jones +3000
Ryan Blaney +3000
Kurt Busch +5000
Jamie McMurray +5000
Clint Bowyer +7500
Daniel Suarez +7500
Austin Dillon +7500
Dale Earnhardt Jr +10000
Ryan Newman +15000
Kasey Kahne +15000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr +15000
Field +3000
Joey Logano +3000
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