Sites for betting favour Brad Keselowski to win O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 this Sunday April 9th at the Texas Motor Speedway. This will be the seventh event of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Brad Keselowski
Keselowski is coming in hot following his win at the STP 500, his second win of the season and first at Martinsville Speedway for himself as well as first in 15 years for Ford. Keselowski hopes to continue his five-race top 5 streak, especially considering that he has only placed within the first five once in Texas, in 2015 (not counting the Xfinity Series). He finished 18th last season.
Jimmie Johnson
The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion finished outside the top 10 for the fifth time this season. The seven-time title-holder arrived in 15th place in Martinsville. That notwithstanding, JJ has pretty much always been on at Texas Motor Speedway, finishing 4th in 2016, 3rd in 2005 and 2010, 2nd in 2008, 2009, and 2012, and winning it in 2015.
Kevin Harvick
Happy Harvick had his worst finish of the season since Daytona, a 20th position at the STP 500, and remains unable to crack the top 5. The same could be said of his record in Texas where, apart from placing 2nd in 2016 and 5th in 2006, he has failed to finish in the top 5 in 16 starts. Harvick came 10th last year.
Martin Truex Jr.
Truex will be looking for his second win of the season – and sites for betting list him close to the top to win the Auto Parts 500 – as well as bounce back from arriving 16th at Martinsville Speedway. Truex came close to winning the Auto Parts in 2013 and finished 6th in last year’s edition.
Kyle Busch
Busch led the most laps in Martinsville but Keselowski passed him and the rest is history. Still, the second place finish is his best this season. Busch is the current Auto Parts 500 defending champion, having the race for the second time last year – the first coming in 2013. Moreover, Busch finished 3rd in Texas Motor Speedway in 2008 and 2014.
Joey Logano
Logano made the top 5 for the third time in the last four races at Martinsville Speedway, where he placed 4th. Logano won the 2014 Auto Parts – then known as the Duck Commander 500 – in 2014, finished 4th in 2015, and 3rd in 2016.
Kyle Larson
Larson started the STP from pole but couldn’t quite translate that into another win like he did at the Auto Club 400. Quite the contrary, he had his worst finish of the season at 17th. In spite of which he remained on top of the Drivers’ standings, four points ahead of Chase Elliot. Larson made the top 5 in Texas in his first outing there in 2014, but placed 25th in 2015 and 14th 2016, which is perhaps why sites for betting aren’t sold on him winning this year.
Chase Elliott
Elliot finished third in Martinsville and placed 5th in Texas in 2016.
