If there was any doubt of William Byron’s abilities, they should be long gone after he won for the second straight week, this time at Daytona. Byron will lead the field into Kentucky Speedway for the Alsco 300, which was first run back in 2001.
There have been 21 races at Kentucky Speedway but few drivers have had repeat success. There have been 13 different winners on this track in total. If you’re thinking that the pole means a lot in this race, it doesn’t. Only seven drivers have won from the pole, even though Kyle Busch did so in this event last year.
It is also the first of two Xfinity races that will be held at Kentucky Speedway. Two drivers have won this event three times in Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, while Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch have each won twice. In total, we’re looking at 44 drivers that are slated to arrive at Kentucky Motor Speedway this weekend.
Details
Event: Alsco 300
Category: Monster Energy Xfinity Series
Date: Friday, July 7th, 2017 – 8:00 PM ET
Location: Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Kentucky
Byron started third and led 29 laps as he won his second race of the season, and he had his third top-two finish. He was followed by Elliott Sadler, who might have lost a chance to catch the rookie due to an issue with NASCAR’s overtime line. However, Sadler chose the high road and said it was safety first for the drivers. Dakoda Armstrong, Jeb Burton and David Starr all finished in the top five at Daytona, while in the standings, Sadler continues to lead the way with 553 points. Byron is now second with 494 points, while Justin Allgaier is third with 484 points, then it is Brennan Poole with 379 points and Daniel Hemric has 368 points.
Past Five Winners
2016: Kyle Busch
2015: Brad Keselowski
2014: Kevin Harvick
2013: Brad Keselowski
2012: Austin Dillon
The Field
Elliott Sadler leads the standings heading into this week with 553 points. He’s closely followed by William Byron, who is in second place with 494 points. Byron is the only driver in the top five with a pair of wins. Justin Allgaier has registered one win on the season and is in third place. Brennan Pool and Daniel Hemric round out the Top 5 with 378 and 368 points, respectively.
What To Know About The Track
Kentucky Speedway opened in 2000 and it is a tough track as it has different banking at both ends of the track. Turns 1 and 2 have 17 degrees of banking, then it is 14 degrees in Turns 3 and 4, with 8-10 degrees in the tri-oval and four degrees down the straightaway. If you look at the list of winners here, it is a very solid group of drivers, so you’re not going to luck into a win at Kentucky.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Kyle Busch Over Joey Logano
Both have taken a step back from running in this series, but this should still be a fun matchup to watch. They have combined for five wins in this race, but the edge goes to Busch, who has also won a pair of Cup races here. Also, in the Xfinity Series this season, Busch has a win and has finished in the top seven in all four starts. Logano also has a win and has finished in the top seven in four of five starts, but a 34th-place run at Texas stands out.
Top-Five Pick: Elliott Sadler
Sadler is the smart pick here as he finishing sixth and first in the two Kentucky races last season, and fifth and 11th in the previous season. Byron is going to cool off a little, while Sadler just keeps racking up these top-fives en route to the series lead. He is going to have to win at some point and he keeps putting himself in a good position. For now, he’ll have to settle for a top-five.
Odds To Win 2017 Alsco 300
Kyle Busch +250
Joey Logano +400
Kevin Harvick +450
Ryan Blaney +600
Erik Jones +1000
William Byron +1000
Paul Menard +1200
Elliott Sadler +1500
Justin Allgaier +1500
Ty Dillon +3000
Daniel Hemric +3000
Tyler Reddick +4000
Matt Tifft +4000
Cole Custer +4000
Brennan Poole +5000
Casey Mears +5000
Brendan Gaughan +6000
Field +2000
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