The Lilly Diabetes 250 will get started on Saturday, July 23rd @ 3:30 pm E.T. on NBC Sports Network. The race will feature two 20 lap Heats and one 60 lap contest in the main event. This we bill the fifth addition of the Xfinity Series race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The talented field is composed of Sprint Cup full-timers and talented young Xfinity Series speedsters. Kyle Busch won here in last years race and will be looking to make it his third win at the Brickyard in an Xfinity hot-rod. In fact, Brad Keselowski, the only driver not to have won in the race, will not be participating. Instead, teammate Joey Logano will drive the #22 Discount Tire Ford on Saturday afternoon.
Defending Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch led 53 circuits in the 2015 addition of this race. He powered his Joe Gibbs Racing #54 Monster Energy Toyota to his second Xfintiy Series win here. Busch is also no stranger to the Winner’s Circle at the hallowed venue. He has won
Busch has collected two wins in the four Xfinity races held here. Furthermore, the racing phenom went back to back last year. He won the fourth addition of the Lilly Diabetes 250 on Saturday and then the Brickyard 400 the following afternoon. Las Vegas line-setters have him pegged as the overall favorite at +140 to tally his third Xfinity Series win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Erik Jones, Kyle Busch’s teammate, looks to kick off his first run at the prestigious track with a bang. The Lilly Diabetes 250 is the last Dash 4 Cash race on the 2016 Xfinity Series schedule. This bodes well for the rookie powerhouse.
He has collected $200,000 dollars in two first place finishes in the previous three. Jones drove on to victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in the series first Dash 4 Cash event. He doubled it up three weeks later in the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200 at Dover International Speedway. Odds-makers have Jones at +450 to outrace the field on Saturday.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the only other drive to also capture the $100,000 dollar bonus in a Dash 4 Cash event this year. NASCAR’s most beloved driver won at Richmond in the Toyota Care 250. Obviously, he will not have a chance to make it two as he will be sitting out both weekend events due to concussion symptoms obtained two weeks ago in Kentucky.
2014 Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick will be driving the #88 Hunts Brothers Pizza Chevrolet owned by JR Motorsports. The crafty veteran started in 16th in last years event and drove home with a sixth place finish. Harvick has finished with two top five’s and one top 10 in the three Lilly Diabetes 250 contests he has participated in at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Odds gurus have him slotted at +550 to win it all in the main event. Harvick commented on the iconic track and his JR Motorsports Camaro.
“Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a good track for me over the years. Indianapolis is also a very hard racetrack to pass on. Obviously, with how narrow the racetrack is and how fast the cars are going, you have to try and maintain your track position all day,” said Harvick. “It takes really everything – you have to have great motors, good handling and all the things you hear about at a lot of racetracks. Qualifying is going to be key, because you want to also have a good starting position for the heat races. Dave (Elenz) and the entire Hunt Brothers Pizza team have also put together a great No. 88 Camaro and I look forward to getting on track Friday.”
Rounding out the top five odds on favorites to drive on to glory in the Lilly Diabetes 250 is Joey Logano. Logano will be piloting the #22 Discount Tire Ford from Team Penske on Saturday. Team Penske has fielded a fast car in all four Xfinity Series events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Brad Keselowski won in the #22 for the first Xfinity Series contest held here in 2012. A year later, Logano raced his way to an impressive third. The following Lilly Diabetes 250, Logano again placed his machine in the top five by finishing in fifth. Last year, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Ryan Blaney, led 24 laps and to the checkered flag in second. Las Vegas knows the strength of the Team Penske Ford’s and placed them at +650 to be victorious.
Xfintiy Series points leader Daniel Suarez will have his first go at the tricky speedway. He will be driving the #19 Juniper Networks Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing. Suarez reeled in a win on the year when he passed teammate Kyle Busch at Michigan International Speedway a month ago. Line-setters have him at +800 to make the same move again and bring in his second win in 2016.
Elliott Sadler could be a great payday for bettors on Saturday. The veteran driver for JR Motorsports sits second in the Xfinity Series point standings and has been consistently fast throughout the year. Sadler won at Talladega Super Speedway in May and has plenty of laps under his belt at this race track. Odds makers placed him at +2800 to win the Lilly diabetes 250. That is quite the bang for your buck for a driver who has came close to victory here before. Also, Sadler is driving for a team that fields fast cars at this venue. Sadler commented on his chances to win this weekend.
“Indy is a track I’ve always wanted to win at and I’ve been close a few times. Track position is very important so qualifying is also going to be very important and finishing well in the heat races will be too. Our OneMain team has been fast all year and we feel like we’ll be in contention to win this weekend.” expressed Sadler.
Odds to Win the Xfintiy Series Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
Kyle Busch +140
Erik Jones +450
Kevin Harvick +550
Joey Logano +650
Daniel Suarez +800
Kyle Larson +800
Paul Menard +1600
Justin Allgaier +2200
Elliott Sadler +2800
Ty Dillon +2800
Darrell Wallace Jr +4000
Brendan Gaughan +5000
Field +1200
