Bet On NASCAR - Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Dark-Horses

[Shame About Ray]

Not often can Jeff Gordon be considered a dark-horse, but with consistent struggles, no wins in 2008 and being listed at +1000 in the BetUS NASCAR odds to win Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, he's certainly a sleeper that's going to wake up and make a lot of money for the online NASCAR betting public investing in the ''No. 24 due factor.''



As the NASCAR online betting co-favorite at Sonoma last week, Gordon was unable to end a 21-race winless streak but his solid third-place finish moved him up three spots in the standings to sixth. It was Gordon’s seventh top-5 finish this season.

Gordon has been making steady progress as we enter race 17-of-36. Over the last five races, he's posted three top-5 and top-10 runs for a strong 8.8 average of finishes. On the season, the No. 24 Chevrolet has earned two poles, seven top-5 finishes and eight top-10's with a respectable 14.1 average of finish.

All things considered, Gordon's numbers aren't as bad as they may seem. His struggles have been magnified by the media only because he hasn't taken the checkers following a dominate 2007 season produced by Hendrick Motorsports. Teammates Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have found Victory Lane this year which also magnifies the four-time Cup champion's winless streak even further.

Without a victory a sixth-place spot in the standings is nothing to sneeze at as the Sprint Cup series heads into Loudon where Gordon, who has 81 career wins, was second at in both events last year and has had decent success at throughout his career.

In the spring event, he finished just 0.068 seconds behind race winner Denny Hamlin. Gordon has three wins and a series-best 12 top-5's and 15 top-10 finishes in 26 starts at New Hampshire in his career, but he has not won at the one-mile oval since 1998. But that may change on Sunday.

Gordon has three DNF's this season after posting just one last year and with just ten races remaining before the field of 12 is set for the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup, he can ill afford anymore DNF's or bad outings. If Gordon's team is going to put themselves in position to compete for its fifth championship, now's the time to turn up the heat and find their stride.

And what better place to do so than at New Hampshire Motor Speedway? Gordon has competed in all 26 Sprint Cup races held at New Hampshire and has proven he knows his way around the track. He has earned 764 owner's points in the last five races there and Gordon's 1,141 laps led at New Hampshire are more than any active driver.

If you wager NASCAR online and feel the sleeping giant will not be awakened by a victory on Sunday but will have a strong run, there's also great sports betting value on the No. 24 to finish second and-or third. To finish in the top-2 Gordon is priced at +500 and +325 to finish third or better.

Note: Four races at New Hampshire that have been won from the pole, two of which have come in the last three races there. The furthest back any driver has started and won was Jeff Burton from the 38th spot in 1999. The green flag for Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway waves at 2:15pm EST.

NASCAR Free Picks: Jeff Gordon to win +1000

For More Online NASCAR Gambling Click Here!