2019 Toyota/Save Mart 350 Odds.Odds taken 06/19/19 Bet Truex Jr. To Win the Race With three wins over his last seven races, Martin Truex Jr. Is blazing hot heading into this event.
The NASCAR superbus has been idling for nearly two weeks now and it’s time to crank her up again.
Toyota/Save Mart 350 Odds and Predictions by Christopher G. Five-time winner Jeff Gordon hopes to jump-start his season in California as NASCAR hits the road of Infineon. Toyota Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Preview and Fantasy NASCAR Predictions By Tom Bowles, 6/24/16, 5:00 PM EDT Can NASCAR's first right-turn race on the schedule fall right into the hands of road.
The previous race was at Michigan International Speedway and was won by Team Penske’s Joey Logano for his second win this season and the team’s fifth.
Kyle Busch is still Kyle Busch and leading the Monster Energy Cup Series in nearly every statistic possible including total wins with 4.
Well, we can pretty much throw all of those statistics out of the driver’s side window for this race.
It’s time for some road course action.
The Cup Series runs three road courses every year and as you might imagine, the results aren’t usually comparable to most other weeks when they drive real fast and turn to the left sometimes.
No offense to the NASCAR hardcores if you’ve seen the South Park NASCAR episode as my immediate and extended family comprises probably 20% of those fans.
Sound like a lot?
You must remember Virginia isn’t all that far from West Virginia.
Well, as much as he might disagree with you, Eric Cartman isn’t always right.
Sometimes America’s leading stock car drivers do actually turn the right every now and again.
Road courses are fun!
Chase Elliott secured his first Monster Energy Cup win last year at the winding Watkins Glen.
I would watch out for him this week in the NorCal desert as well.
Chase has one victory this season but a guy who hasn’t made the trip to victory lane since around this time last year at the aforementioned contest up in Michigan last June has owned Sonoma historically.
The Stewart-Haas team member Clint Bowyer finished third at this race in 2018 and has 8 top five’s in just 13 starts.
The odds do reflect such, however, as he joins Chase and Kyle Busch at just 6-1 dogs to take the checkered.
Picking a NASCAR race winner is never easy and this week will, no doubt, be any different so let’s put together a group of three drivers for your betting spread.
BetOnline has the odds.
Let’s get to the picks!
Chase Elliott: +600
The son of Bill is as much of a natural at this racin’ thing as one could imagine.
It took him just a little longer than expected, though, to get his first win on the big circuit but once he did, he has been one of the best.
In 2019, only drivers with the last name Busch and Logano have a better average finish than the Georgia-native.
Toyota Save Mart 350 Predictions
Averaging a top ten is literally the model of consistency but he would really love to build on his lone victory this season as we are “racing” towards the halfway point of the season.
Forgive the dad jokes puns.
How many millennials are NASCAR fans anyway?
William Clyde doesn’t nearly have the sample size of races here are his more experienced track foes but with two top tens including a top five ending in just three starts with an average finish of 11th, we know he should definitely have a chance at the end.
In the three road courses raced in 2018, Chase started in the top five in each with an average finish of under 4.
As you might imagine, that was best among Cup Series drivers.
With 5 top five finishes in his last 6 races including a victory, Elliott is for sure a solid pick at this week’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 from Sonoma.
Martin Truex Jr: +450
Not much of a payout, no, but he’s actually not the favorite.
Stewart Hass’s Kevin Harvick holds that position this week.
I really really like what I’ve seen from Truex Jr this year, though.
Ever since he joined forces with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin on Joe Gibbs Racing, he has seen a resurgence in his career.
The New Jersey-native is tied with Brad Keselowski for second in season wins just one behind Kyle Busch with 3.
But, we are chucking the season stats out the windah’, though, like a dying cig, right?
Okay, fair enough.
Marty is the defending Sonoma champion and was in the position to win all three road races in 2018 before a couple of unfortunate events.
He was spun out by his not so best good friend Jimmie Johnson on the final lap at the Roval in Charlotte and ran out of gas battling Chase Eliott on the final lap at Watkins Glen.
Three career road wins is near best among active Cup Series drivers and it’s good enough for me.
Take my money, Jersey boy.
Clint Bowyer: +600
The driver of the Stewart-Hass #14 Ford Mustang is now 40 years old but that’s clearly not scaring me off of Clinton Edward this week.
His history as road courses, as I said a minute ago, is very impressive and he’s easily more successful than on the classical tracks.
He doesn’t always have the fastest car or best qualifying round as he averages nearly 16th for a starting position.
No other driver comes close to his positions gained throughout, though.
Bowyer is averaging a tenth place finish jumping up 6 spots on average per road Sunday.
That tells me he is probably best at passing on the road courses which is an art in and of itself on narrow winding roads.
It makes you think some of his ancestors or possibly himself ran a mason jar or two of moonshine a time or two.
That is how this whole thing started in ol’ Franklin County, Virginia.
One of our other picks, Chase Elliott, has some good numbers, yes, but with not very many opportunities.
Clinton has been this consistent with 13 starts.
He leads all active drivers with 8 top five finishes when given the opportunity to turn right sometimes.
Let’s see if the old man can get his first win of the season in Sonoma this week.
Toyota Savemart 350 Predictions
In Conclusion
Ah, road courses…
We only get the opportunity to experience them three times out of the 36 Monster Energy NASCAR races every year.
I myself love them.
Turning to the right with some weaving and winding requires a completely driving different skill set to be successful.
The lovers of pure speed may be annoyed because of how much these guys have to slow down going into turns but it’s just once every few months, guys.
As bettors, this gives us the chance to capitalize on some of the road course specialists like Clint Bowyer.
Our other two picks are just as successful on the larger ovalish tracks but still run these very well.
Sit back with a cold one this weekend and get your picks in by Sunday afternoon at 3 Eastern and let’s hopefully get paid!
Toyota/Save Mart 350: Sunday, June 26, 2016 at 3:00 pm (Sonoma Raceway)
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After a week off, we now head to California for the 2016 Toyota/Save Mart 350, a track that is very unique and can frustrate drivers at times. Even with the odd track, six drivers have won this race at least twice, with Jeff Gordon leading the way with five victories.
It should be a fun event with all the twists and turns.
Here are a few drivers to consider having on your card for the 2016 Toyota/Save Mart 350.
Joey Logano - Why not ride the hot hand after Joey Logano picked up his first victory in quite some time at the FireKeepers Casino 400. Logano has to be confident with the victory and the fact he’s finished ninth or better in his last three races. As for this course, Logano finished fifth in last years Toyota/Save Mart 350 and has finished no worse than 16th in his last five races at the Sonoma Raceway. We saw last year that Logano knows how to string wins together once he gets going. He has to be on your card this week.
Kurt Busch - Kurt Busch has been very consistent this season with nine straight top-10 finishes, which includes a recent victory at the Axalta 'We Paint Winners' 400. Busch won this course back in 2011 and was runner-up in last years Toyota/Save Mart 350. In fact, Bush has finished fourth or better in four of his last five races at the Sonoma Raceway. Busch is as safe as a bet you can get the week.
Kyle Larson - Kyle Larson is still looking for his first Sprint Cup victory at just 23 years old, and he seems to getting closer and closer to victory lane. Larson was runner-up at the AAA 400 Drive for Autism and finished third FireKeepers Casino 400. Larson has been pretty consistent as of late and did have a solid 15th place finish last year in just is second try on the Sonoma Raceway. It seems like it’s only a matter of time before Larson wins a race. Why not this week?
Ryan Blaney - Speaking of consistency, Ryan Blaney has racked up top-10 finishes in four of his last six races and was in the middle of the pack for majority of the FireKeepers Casino 400. Blaney is clearly starting to find his rhythm in his first full season and is doing a lot more than just showing up as he’s currently 16th in the Drivers' Championship. It may be a bit much to ask him to win on his first appearance at the Sonoma Raceway, but there’s no doubt Blaney is in great form right now.
Jimmie Johnson - Jimmie Johnson won this race back in 2010 and has finished no worse than ninth in his last seven appearances at the Sonoma Raceway. Johnson has kinda fallen off a bit after such a hot start to the 2016 season, but there's no doubt it’s only a matter of time before he gets back on track. Johnson usually performs well in California and has a long history of owning this race track. Johnson is a strong play this week give his string of top-10 finishes.