Budweiser Shootout: Return of drafting at Daytona?
Autoracing Betting Lines
02/14/2012 -
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date:
Saturday, February 18. Race: Budweiser Shootout. Site: Daytona International
Speedway. Track: 2.5-mile tri-oval. Start time: 8:10 p.m. (et). Laps: 75.
Miles: 187.5. 2011 Winner: Kurt Busch. Television: FOX. Radio: Motor Racing
Network (MRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Satellite.
The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season will rev up on Saturday night with
the 34th running of the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.
This year's scheduled 75-lap, 187.5-mile preseason race will feature a field
of 25 cars.
The format for this race is unchanged from last year, but there is a tweak in
the eligibility requirements. Drivers finishing among the top-25 in the Sprint
Cup point standings this past season as well as active drivers who are not in
the top-25 but previously won the Budweiser Shootout, the Daytona 500 or the
400-mile July race at Daytona are eligible.
Trevor Bayne, the 2011 Daytona 500 winner, will not be among the 25 drivers
competing in the Budweiser Shootout, since Wood Brothers Racing could not
secure sponsorship for his No.21 team in this event. Bayne is entered to
compete in the Daytona 500.
Geoffrey Bodine, Derrike Cope, Bill Elliott, Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader
are also eligible for the Budweiser Shootout but not participating in the
event.
The Budweiser Shootout will serve as a dress rehearsal for the Daytona 500 and
Gatorade Duels (twin 150-mile qualifying races for the 500). NASCAR recently
revised its rules for restrictor-plate racing in an effort to minimize and
perhaps eliminate two-car tandems, which have become an unpopular style of
racing at restrictor-plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway).
NASCAR is hopeful the rule changes will return pack racing.
"When you pack race, in most instances, if not all, it's important to race the
whole time," said Jimmie Johnson, who won the preseason race at Daytona in
2005. "You're going to have to race for the win from the first lap. Unlike
what we have now, where you know you can make up so much time in a short
period of laps, you'll be much more engaged throughout the race."
NASCAR has also banned communications between drivers on their car radios
during a race at plate tracks in another attempt to break up the two-car
breakaways.
Most Sprint Cup teams participated in a three-day test session at Daytona last
month. During the test, NASCAR gathered data when as many as 20 cars ran in a
draft. Further modifications to the restrictor plates and the size of the
front grille opening on the cars could be forthcoming.
Teams competing in the Budweiser Shootout will also get a chance to
familiarize themselves with the new electronic fuel injection systems during
race conditions.
Several drivers will make their debuts with new teams in the Budweiser
Shootout. They include: A.J. Allmendinger (Penske Racing), Clint Bowyer
(Michael Waltrip Racing), Kurt Busch (Phoenix Racing), Kasey Kahne (Hendrick
Motorsports) and David Ragan (Front Row Motorsports).
"It's definitely something to be excited about and look forward to, and I
can't wait to get down there and practice a little bit, and then qualifying on
Sunday is going to be exciting," Kahne said.
Busch, who drove the No.22 car for Penske last year, is the defending race
winner.
Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski are those drivers who are competing in this
race for the first time.
The starting lineup for the Budweiser Shootout will be determined during a
random drawing held Friday evening at Daytona.
<< Troicki wins Rotterdam opener
Rotterdam, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seventh seed Viktor Troicki posted
a first-round victory Tuesday at the $1.6 million ABN AMRO World Tennis
Tournament.
The Serbian Troicki topped wild card and Dutch crowd favorite Thiemo de Bakker
<< Lisicki, Hantuchova fall in Doha
Doha, Qatar (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rising German Sabine Lisicki and last week's
Pattaya City champion Daniela Hantuchova were a pair of first-round upset
victims Tuesday at the $2.168 million Qatar Open.
Angelique Kerber stayed red hot by comi
<< In the FCS Huddle: Patriot scholarship decision will affect Ivy
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Some Ivy League football programs can look
down the road and know their schedules already are completed for quite a
while.
Princeton, for example, is booked through 2017, with some of the following
season
<< Dulgheru exits Bogota
Bogota, Colombia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second seed Alexandra Dulgheru was a
first-round upset victim Tuesday at the $220,000 XX Copa BBVA Colsanitas
tennis tournament.
Italian Karin Knapp drove out the Romanian Dulgheru 6-2, 6-2 on the red
c
<< Fisher, Whisenhunt and Murphy added to NFL Competition Committee
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National Football League on Tuesday named
head coaches Jeff Fisher of the St. Louis Rams and Ken Whisenhunt of the
Arizona Cardinals, along with Green Bay Packers president and chief executive
officer
Budweiser Shootout: Return of pack drafting at Daytona? >>
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date:
Saturday, February 18. Race: Budweiser Shootout. Site: Daytona International
Speedway. Track: 2.5-mile tri-oval. Start time: 8:10 p.m. (et). Laps: 75.
Miles: 187.5. 2011 Winn
Syracuse's O'Quinn named MISL Player of Week >>
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Syracuse Silver Knights goalkeeper Bryan O'Quinn
was named the Major Indoor Soccer League's Player of the Week on Tuesday for
Week 15.
With regular starter Eric Reed Sidelined, O'Quinn made 17 saves in a 21-4
Sanchez guides Barcelona to victory in Leverkusen >>
Leverkusen, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alexis Sanchez picked a wonderful time
to bag the first couple Champions League goals of his career as he scored
twice for Barcelona in a comfortable 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Sanc
Bulls ink Mike James to 10-day contract >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bulls signed guard Mike James to a
10-day contract on Tuesday.
Per team policy, the terms of the contract were not disclosed.
James has appeared in three games for the Bulls this season, aver
B's reward Boychuk with 3-year extension >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins on Tuesday signed defenseman
Johnny Boychuk to a three-year contract extension through the 2014-15 season.
The 28-year-old Boychuk is in the midst of his second full season with the
Bruin
NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl
NFL Super Bowl Betting
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
|