Coke Zero 400 2008 Predictions & Preview
July 1, 2008
This weekend drivers are heading back to Daytona for the summer race at Daytona International Speedway in the Coke Zero 400. This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of summer racing at Daytona, and its been 25 years since the winner of the Daytona 500 has been able to come back and win the race in the summer. The last guy to do so was Bobby Allison all the way back in 1982, so it will be up to Ryan Newman to break the curse and be the next guy to complete the task. Last year we had a first time winner here at Daytona in Jamie McMurray, and for a driver that isn’t normally associated with the winners circle, its likely we will see a new name cross the finish line first this weekend. With the race set to get underway this Saturday night, Jason Lowry thought it would be a good idea to bring you his weekly 1-2-3 prediction.
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 6/1 at Sportsbook.com
Dale Earnhardt Jr. only sits 144 points behind point leader Kyle Busch and that has a lot to do with this guy finishing near the top in so many races this year. While Earnhardt Jr. has only one win that came a few weeks back at the LifeLock 400, he has 7 top 5 finishes this season, and thats plenty to keep you near the top in any season. This week he heads to Daytona where he has had plenty of success including 2 wins and 6 top 5 finishes in his career. We think this guy is going to wind up being your 2008 points champion, and we think he gets it going with a big win this weekend.
2. Tony Stewart – 6/1 at Sportsbook.com
Like Earnhardt Jr. the 20 car of Stewart has had plenty of success at Daytona, and Stewarts has come more of late. He won this race back in 2005 and 2006, but was stopped in 2007 due to an accident. Stewart has had one of his best finishes this season on this track as he finished 3rd at the Daytona 500 to get the season underway. Stewart is currently 8th in the point standings and a big finish this weekend, could go a long way in Stewart making the final 12 at the end of the year.
3. Jeff Burton – 25/1 at Sportsbook.com
Burton is a guy you normally don’t hear all that much about, but he is having one of his best seasons this year, as he only sits 64 points behind Busch in the point standings. Like Earnhardt Jr. Burton has only one win this season, but has a ton of finishes in the top 10. Burton is no stranger to this race, as he won the event back in 2000 and 2nd in 2003. If you are looking for a driver with great odds this weekend than Burton is your man.
If you are looking to get a bet in on the race this weekend be sure to checkout Sportsbook.com, as it has some of the best NASCAR odds and a quick easy start up. Also be sure to continue to check back each week for Jason Lowry’s weekly prediction of the weekends race. Below is a complete list of all the drivers odds thanks to Sportsbook.com.
AJ Allmendinger 100 – 1
Bobby Labonte 60 – 1
Brian Vickers 35 – 1
Carl Edwards 30 – 1
Casey Mears 50 – 1
Clint Bowyer 25 – 1
Dale Earnhardt Jr 6 – 1
Dave Blaney 100 – 1
David Gilliland 60 – 1
David Ragan 40 – 1
David Reutimann 100 -
Denny Hamlin 10 – 1
Elliott Sadler 40 – 1
Greg Biffle 40 – 1
Jamie McMurray 40 – 1
Jeff Burton 25 – 1
Jeff Gordon 7 – 1
Jimmie Johnson 8 – 1
Juan Pablo Montoya6 0 – 1
Kasey Kahne 30 – 1
Kevin Harvick 25 – 1
Kurt Busch 15 – 1
Kyle Busch 5 – 1
Mark Martin 30 – 1
Martin Truex Jr 35 – 1
Matt Kenseth 30 – 1
Michael Waltrip 50 – 1
Paul Menard 100 – 1
Reed Sorenson 100 – 1
Ryan Newman 30 – 1
Sam Hornish Jr 100 – 1
Tony Stewart 6 – 1
Travis Kvapil 100 – 1
zx Field (Any Other Driver) 50 – 1