Well look at the standings, we’ve got a new leader up there. The dominant Tony Stewart slipped back into a two-way tie with Jimmie Johnson for second place, and both are looking up to Mark Martin in the 2009 Sprint Cup standings. It all creates for some fantastic drama leading into the 28th race of the season, the Dover 400, at Dover International Speedway on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Dover, which opened in 1969, is a 400-lap race known as the “Monster Mile”, a high-banked nasty race-track that’s caused more than it’s fair share of wrecks, dings and minced rubber over the years. The bank is 24 degrees, and the front and back stretch are both 1,076 feet.
Martin, who has 4 wins in 26 starts this season, leads the standings with 5,040 points, and will look to put some breathing room between him and the other 11 racers in th Spring Cutoff at the moment. At the Chevy Rock and Roll on Sept. 12, he placed fourth after leading three times during the race. He’s on fire right now, and if you’re putting together a few bets, consider a straight one on him to place. He’s in a zone and there’s a high likelihood of him keeping himself in the front of the pack.
I’d also throw some dollars behind Tony Stewart. He’s looking up at somebody for the first time in forever, and I think that’ll be a wakeup call for the powerful, intelligent and sometimes reckless Stewart. A sense of urgency is in the wind for him, and if a one-on-one line puts him at a -130 or better against any driver outside the top 5, it’s a good bet to take.
A dark horse who continues to move up the ranks himself is Denny Hamlin, who won the Chevy race and is very much in the leadership picture in fourth place, just 20 points behind Martin. In fact, between spots one through eight at this point, it’s really anyone’s game.
And remember we were talking about Kyle Busch’s chances a few weeks ago? Yeah, he’s done now. The top 12 are set, and Greg Biffle is breathing a sigh of relief at the moment.
Someone I might stay away from betting straight or in a one-on-one matchup is Jeff Gordon, at least for this race. I don’t like how he’s been running lately, and this track is tough for someone of his driving style.