2009 Kobalt Tools 500 Betting Preview + Picks + Odds
Race: Kobalt Tools 500
Date: Sunday, March 8, 2009
Time: 2:15 PM EST (scheduled Green Flag)
TV: 1:30 PM EST on FOX
Preview: Atlanta Motor Speedway bills itself as the track “where the fast go faster.” Many NASCAR drivers list it as among their favorites because it is a fast, multi-groove track that gives them options for racing lines. It’s the kind of track that suits Kyle Busch, who won last weekend from the rear of the field in Las Vegas and also won this race last year – the first for Toyota at the Cup level.Atlanta is a 1.54-mile quad oval with 24 degrees of banking in the turns and 5 degrees on the straights. A dozen drivers in Sunday’s field have won at least one Cup race here, including Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch
Safe Bets:
1. Kyle Busch (+500): Busch absolutely dominated this race last year, leading 173 of 325 laps and winning by a margin of over two seconds. In the second Atlanta race last season, he finished 5th. As noted above, Busch seems to be back in form after winning last Sunday’s 427-miler in Las Vegas, coming from the back of the field following an engine change on Friday.
2. Jimmie Johnson (+500): Johnson has three wins in five starts at Atlanta, including the sweep of this track in 2007. He has the best average finish here among active drivers, a 9.1 in 15 starts, and has nine top 5s in 15 starts, with three second-place finishes to accompany his three victories. Johnson’s had a bit of a rough start this season, but finished in the top 10 in California and led a race-high 92 laps in Las Vegas before late-race contact with the wall ended an otherwise strong run.
Dark Horse:
1. Bobby Labonte (+2500): Labonte had a good day in his new ’09 ride last week in Vegas, running and finishing in the top 5. In addition, he has more wins at Atlanta than any other active drivers – six in all, most recently in the spring of 2003. Bobby has 32 starts here and has finished over 40% of them in the top 10.
Summary: Kobalt Tools is sponsoring this race for the first time and is expected to be on the hood of Jimmie Johnson’s car this weekend. Also keep an eye on Carl Edwards (+500), who’s won here three times in nine starts, including the sweep in 2005 and the fall race last season. Odds makers currently show Busch, Johnson and Edwards in a three-way tie for favorite.
2008 Top 5
Kyle Busch
Tony Stewart
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Greg Biffle
Jeff Gordon
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Becca Gladden is a freelance writer and race handicapper specializing in NASCAR.
