The NASCAR Cup Series will do something this week that they have never done before… They will compete at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWT Raceway) just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. The word from the garage is that WWT Raceway is a combination of Phoenix Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. You can find some value this week by looking at the drivers who run well at those tracks.
Just because this is a new track for the Cup Series; it does not mean the drivers do not have some experience at WWT Raceway. The Trucks have been competing at this track since 1998 and the Xfinity Series competed at WWT Raceway from 1998-2010. I will have some of the drivers who have experience at this track in my betting portfolio Sunday.
DRAFTKINGS ODDS FOR THE ENJOY ILLNOIS 300
* The odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook. The odds could change between the time of this article and the time you place your bet.
** The first number is the amount of money based on the second number (the amount of the wager). So if you bet $1 on Kyle Busch, you will win $8.
Here are my best bets for the Enjoy Illinois 300…
KYLE BUSCH (8-1): Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch are the favorites again this week. I can understand why Busch is the favorite, but Larson does not have any experience at WWT Raceway and his average finishing position on the short, flat tracks this year is 19.3. I rather have the No. 18 car. Busch has three races at WWT Raceway on his resume. He won the race in 2009 and finished the other two in the top-10. Busch also has a lot of notes to work with since his Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck Series team competes at this track every year. I will bet the favorite this week with Busch.
ROSS CHASTAIN (10-1): Chastain has two starts at WWT Raceway in the Truck Series. That includes a trip to Victory Lane at the track in 2019. Chastain finished second at Phoenix this year and that was before the No. 1 team knew how good they are. Chastain has been the most consistent driver in the Cup Series in 2022. He should have a good chance to again Sunday.
CHRISTOPHER BELL (12-1): Joe Gibbs Racing has come to life over the last month. Bell has finished his last five (non-Superspeedway) races in the top-10. He also has had some success at WWT Raceway. Bell won the Truck Series race at WWT Raceway in 2016 and he finished sixth in 2017. Bell should qualify up front and have a good chance to win this week.
JOEY LOGANO (16-1): I like wagering on Logano to win this week more than I like playing him in Fantasy NASCAR games. He has been good but not great lately. What Logano has been really good at though is winning inaugural races in the Cup Series. He won the first Bristol Dirt Race and he won the first race at the L.A. Coliseum. Logano has had success at Phoenix and New Hampshire so I will bet some money on the No. 22 car this week.
CHASE BRISCOE (25-1): When I talked to my friends who work in the garage they told me that the most similar track to WWT Raceway is Phoenix. That means Briscoe should be a good play this week. The No. 14 car won the race at Phoenix and he has had success at WWT Raceway too. Briscoe won the pole, led 88 laps and finished second in the Truck Series race at WWT Raceway in 2017. He looked great last week, so I will bet him Sunday and hope he can repeat what he did at Phoenix.
LOG SHOT SPECIAL: DANIEL SUAREZ (40-1): People often say, “If you keep knocking on the door, sooner or later someone is going to answer it.” Suarez continues to run up front, but he continues to have problems at the end of the race. Trackhouse Racing has a lot of speed right now. Suarez finished 9th at Phoenix earlier this season. He just needs a little better luck and he will be in Victory Lane.
Good luck this week!
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