NASCAR - The Coca-Cola Family 600 at CHARLOTTE

Huckleberry · 05-19-2002, 05:29 PM

Have to make an early play boys. +3300 on the 12 is just too good to pass up. Hard to believe he can pull off the double, but those odds are out of whack considering he should start right up front.

ODDS TO WIN:
12 R. Newman +3300 1 unit

sandwedge · 05-19-2002, 08:43 PM

33-1 on newman the way he was running last night is an overlay, definitely. but equipment reliability has been a problem for newman. as hard as he drives coupled with the fact that this is the longest race of the year might be a problem (plus i can think of a couple of drivers who will not cut him any slack if they have the opportunity [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]). still, 33-1 on the rocket looks good.

Huckleberry · 05-19-2002, 09:35 PM

Yeah sandwedge...I'm with you there. Strictly a value play at this point. Speaking of value, going to get in early on the "other" rookie. He also looked very good last night, and was fast in all practice sessions leading up to the race. He will start up front again also, so I'm not letting +1900 go away and I think he has a better shot at winning than the 12 does.

ODDS TO WIN:
48 J. Johnson +1900 1.5 units

sandwedge · 05-19-2002, 11:07 PM

agree on JJ. with all the attention to newman's win we shouldn't overlook the fact that johnson absolutely dominated the first two segments. without the "first-to-last" inversion he would have been tough to beat. to me, he seems a better bet (especially on matchups) than newman as he is more consistent and just as fast. looking forward to the coke600 as it should be a great race.

for that matter what a great weekend of racing coming up with the indy500, coke600, grand prix of monaco, and a busch race.

jlpblade · 05-19-2002, 11:58 PM

btw, you might want to check canbet re: JJ

jlpblade · 05-20-2002, 12:02 AM

I just played 0.20-4.60

Huckleberry · 05-20-2002, 05:23 AM

Wow...very nice jlp. Adding 1 unit on 48 at +2300. Thanks for the info.

caterpillar22 · 05-20-2002, 10:43 PM

im looking at b labonte right now. it just seeems like every time in the 600
about 2 thirds of the way through he will be the man flying at the end.
dont forget ur 6 car huck he said he had his 3rd best car at the winston
so if he doesnt have bad luck he will be tough. also remember his 2nd
at texas. a similar track

yomonte · 05-20-2002, 10:45 PM

Qual MU
M Martin ov M Kenseth -105 3* B365
If my bankroll has'nt been taking a beatin' I would have bet more. Not a good year for me so far. This would make a real good race MU but qual, I feel Mark will finish in the top ten as he has done 8 out of the last ten attempts, where as Matt has never cracked the top 20 since he became a full time WC driver.

grinin · 05-21-2002, 12:01 AM

Yo,
Prior to seeing your post:
Bet the same Q mu on Martin ov Kenseth 3*
Also Elliot +100 ov Rudd 1.5*
B Labonte -140 ov J Burton 1*

Race MU
J Burton -110 ov B Labonte 1*

yomonte · 05-21-2002, 01:05 AM

Grinnin, I took Elliott ov Rudd also but the load went on Mark. Wanted Bobby but did'nt like the -140.

Huckleberry · 05-21-2002, 03:31 AM

Cat, it's funny you brought up the 6 car. While doing work on qualifying, I couldn't help but notice what Yomonte mentioned........Martin qualifies up front here, so if I play him, I have to play him now. I can't believe it's not even Tuesday yet, and I have 3 drivers to win this race.

Also, you are right about the 18 at this track, but his recent performance at what used to be his "best" tracks has been subpar. I don't know what to make of him this week. I can see him running well for quite a while, but would not be surprised to see him run into problems of some nature. I was looking for +2000 on him, but that is a lot to ask I think.

I haven't wavered, and am sticking with Roush this weekend. 97, 17, and 99 haven't qualified very well here at all, so I'll wait to get some nice prices on Friday.

Currently I have,
ODDS TO WIN:
12 R. Newman +3300 1 unit
48 J. Johnson +2060 2.5 units
6 M. Martin +2500 1.5 units

Huckleberry · 05-22-2002, 09:14 PM

Sorry, about the length of this, but hey......It's been 3 weeks you know? Can you tell I'm antsy? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Race 12 out of 36
at Lowes Motor Speeday (Charlotte, NC.) - 1.5 mile Quad oval - 400 laps for 600 miles

<u>This Week's Schedule:</u> (All times Eastern)
Thursday, May 23rd
3:00PM - 5:00PM First Practice
7:00PM - Qualifying (two laps, all positions)

Saturday, May 25th
9:30AM - 10:15AM Second Practice
11:15PM - 12:00PM Final Practice "Happy Hour" -

Sunday, May 26th
5:30PM Start of The Coca-Cola Family 600

Well, it's been almost a month since our last Winston Cup points race, and there is no better place than to get the long summer racing months started than at Charlotte. This is the only 600 mile race on the circuit and 400 laps will most likely put the "one engine" rule to the ultimate test. Going into it, we have to look at teams that are not only running very well, but have a good reliability record so far this year. Let's take a look at a bunch of possible contenders.

The early drivers to watch:
2 R. Wallace -
Rusty's record at Charlotte over the past 6 races has been mediocre at best, with finishes of 7th, 14th, 21st, 8th, 8th and 31st. He is still in contention for the title, but really hasn't been there at the end contending for many wins. I don't see this being the race that changes that. Let's wait for Pocono.
6 M. Martin -
Now this is a guy who has made Charlotte is personal playground recently. Even during his miserable year last year, Martin still managed finishes of 9th and 4th and has an amazing 8 top 5 finishes here in his last ten starts. I've bet him to win, and will have him in matchups as well. Let's hope he got his mechanical problems out of the way last week.
8 D. Earnhardt, Jr. -
Well, we all saw what happend last week as Jr. was poised to make his father proud. Whether it was because Newman saved the car after Jr. bumped him or whether it was Jr. just letting off instead of spinning him out, we know that the 8 car will be there again battling for the win. His odds are far from attractive however, so it's doubtful that I will play him to win it.
9 B. Elliott -
While I don't think "Awesome Bill" will win this race, I'm including him here for qualifying purposes. He should be a threat for the pole, as he has gotten both his poles this year at Atlanta and at Texas. He's also qualified 3rd and 4th in the last 2 Coca-Cola 600's. Go get 'em Bill!
12 R. Newman -
Well, we learned that last year wasn't a fluke for Newman at Charlotte. He likes this track a lot, and it will all come down to whether the car can last 600 miles. Last year, after winning the pole, the car lasted 11 laps and this year, the 12 team has had a tremendous amount of reliabiltiy issues. If you didn't get on him early, or wait until after qualifying, he will be completely out of value.
17 M. Kenseth -
Here's a guy returning to the track and the race that gave him his first Winston Cup victory back in 2000. He's second in points, and has been nothing but impressive at almost every track this year. He will be there at the end of this one and will be in my win set. Just have to hope he continues his mediocre/poor qualifying runs here so that +1500 or higher can be available.
18 B. Labonte -
The 1.5 mile speedways that Labonte used to chew up and spit out have not been kind to him so far in 2002. You cannot overlook him here, but the question of reliability is huge with this team. I would normally be all over the 18 car, but will not likely include him unless I can find +1800 or higher. Just too unpredictable this year.
19 J. Mayfield -
This 19 car could be the "wild car" this weekend. I'm right on the fence with this team, knowing that Mayfield had some pretty decent success here with his previous employer. He's a car that I will have to look long and hard if he is consitently up there on the practice sheets.
20 T. Stewart -
Tony should be favored to win this race, and he is. Just really hoping for a 25th or higher qualifying in order to perhaps get his odds up to +1000. I mean what more do you need that finishes of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th the last four races? There is one number left in that sequence race fans.
22 W. Burton -
Here's a guy that really hasn't been heard from in quite a while. His finishes at this track cannot be overlooked, and he comes with some nice value. It's another case of seeing how he looks in race trim, but he's another one that could surprise.
24 J. Gordon -
Is this the week? Is it? Okay...let me play the recording: "Gordon and his team are too good not to win a race soon. He's had great success at (insert track here), so don't be surprised to finally see him in victory lane again." Copy and paste that for next week's write-up.
28 R. Rudd -
Well, the momentum this team had gained was quickly eliminated at Richmond 3 weeks ago. But again, he was up front and would have easily challenge for that win. This is a team that will win a race in the next month. Must keep an eye on him.
29 K. Harvick -
Including "Happy" here because for some reason, I think I'm somewhat worried that he might put a race together. It will take a lot for me to wager on him, but he does have me worried.
40 S. Marlin -
Even though Sterling won the fall race here last year, he has historically not had very impressive finishes at Charlotte. He lost the car he was going to race after wrecking it in the Winston, so it's tough to figure out what this team is going to do. Okay. I'll go out on a limb. The 40 will come from 25th back or further, lead a lap at some point, and finish his day in 8th.
41 J. Spencer -
Spencer has been better than average here, and had great qualifying and race runs here in 2001, albeit in the 26 garage. Let's see how he looks in practice. He may surprise.
48 J. Johnson -
"Either him or Newman will win a race in the next 4 I believe....current form suggests this team." That was the write-up given to this team before the California race. He won that one, so let's change it to say the following: "Either Newman will win his first race, or Johnson will win his 2nd......Current form does suggest this team." Seriously though, how good did he look last week? With no breakdowns, this rookie can easily do it again, and this time seal the deal with the checkers. BTW.....this is another guy that must be bet early, as his qualifying runs lead me to believe he will be in the top 10 or even the top 5 at the start of this race.
49 R. Hornaday -
Since this veteran took over for Shawna, we must include him as his experience and knowhow will undoubtebly lead to a win for this team very soon. LOL! Okay......just checking to see if anyone actually reads any of this.
88 D. Jarrett -
This team look horrible unloading off the truck last week. Has been up and down here the last 4 races, so he's another one that has me confused. I like the momentum they had gained prior to Richmond, but ever since that race and last week's performance, I'm not sure he will contend for this 600 mile race. However, if anyone can make mid-race adjustments, (which are crucial here due to the day/night racing conditions), Todd Parrott and his crew can. I'll see/hear what they have to say about their car.
97 K. Busch -
I'm really still in shock at how good this team and car have been this year. Busch is a very talented driver, and I loved how he spun out the 31 last week because he (and I) needed a caution. That was great. This kid will end up in the top 10 for sure. With good stops and some luck, he could easily take the checkers.
99 J. Burton -
Okay.....so basically, I REALLY like all the Roush cars this week. This team turned their horrid season around at this race last year, and basically used last week as a full fledged test session. A strong contender to win this race.

Anyhow, as I did in California, and as I've mentioned before, I will be on the Jack Roush crew this week. I've already locked in the 6 car, the 12 and the 48, and will probably round out the win set with either the 20 or 8 depending on the price of course. But of course, that's still preliminary. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Any input and opinions?
GLTA

yomonte · 05-22-2002, 10:37 PM

Huck, I don't read it all the time but I did this time. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] I'm on roush this week and past performance steers me in that direction.

grinin · 05-22-2002, 11:04 PM

Huck,
I was about to lose all shreds of respect for you when you threw in the 49.

In reference to Qualifying I thought B Elliot would have the best shot at the pole here, but after looking back at his practices here a couple weeks back and qualifying effort at The Winston its got me scratching my head.

Other Qualifying wagers I am adding

2*Dodge +105 ov Pontiac
If Elliot does not revert to form I would say the odds are about right. Considering Mayfield was at the pole on the Winston Open and Spencer should be up front. The only competition I see is Nadeau who is going to want to prove something (especially since he will be lucky to be in the top 20 at the end of the race).

2* K Petty -110 to qual 21st - 43rd
Only thing that concerns me is his 14th place start at Texas. Everything else points to Kyle starting at the back of the pack.

Does anyone think that Rusty's broken toes on left foot will affect him in qualifying? I am leaning towards no effect in qual possibly some in race.

Huckleberry · 05-23-2002, 07:02 AM

Hey YO....let's get Roush his 4th straight Coca-Cola win...please? Boy do I like those drivers this week.

Grinin....you like that throw in on the 49? LOL! Just keeping you guys honest there........and I like your play on Dogde ov Pontiac. If you blindly take the numbers of Dodge cars vs. the number of Pontiac cars, you have a nice edge there, especially at + money. And of course, you throw in the nice qualifying efforts by Dodge on these type of speedways, and you should be a favorite to win, not a +105 dog. Advantage? Grinin.

Also, to answer your Rusty question, I'm with you on the fact that it won't really have any effect in qualifying and I doubt it will in the race. If is was that bad, he would not have been a part of the "test" session for Richmond track officials this week.

Here are a few plays I made for Qualifying:

9 ov 40 -110 3 units
6 ov 17 -125 2 units
12 ov 97 -135 2 units
18 ov 99 -140 2 units
48 ov 41 -120 4 units (played this a few days ago and I guess I wasn't the only one...price is just crushed now!)

Seen the "Odds to Win the Pole", and they have the 12, 48 and 9 the favorites. As much as I wanted to play one, or all three of them, there is simply no value whatsoever IMO.

Huckleberry · 05-23-2002, 06:12 PM

Adding some more NEWMAN!!!
He's a huge threat for the pole, so let's sink or swim.......Adding:

12 ov 9 -130 3 units
12 ov 20 -130 3 units

So that's a total of 7 qualifying matchups for today's session.

GLTA

jlpblade · 05-23-2002, 11:31 PM

fyi

canbet has race odds available now. I played MM and JM for 0.10

Huckleberry · 05-24-2002, 08:31 AM

That worked out okay.......but 6 losing to 17 really hurt. Going out that much later and practicing that much better, I really thought that was easy.......so much for thinking. I knew I lost the 18 ov 99 matchup once I saw the practice times and the draw..........then again, that's what led me to believe that Martin would beat Kenseth for fun. Oh well.

Still feel real good about the race.