The NASCAR Cup Series will celebrate the 4th of July weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. This will be the 5th race on a 1.5-mile, intermediate track (Las Vegas, Kansas, Texas and Charlotte are the others) and the first race at Chicagoland Speedway since 2019. This track will provide multiple grooves to race in and it will wear-out tires quickly. We can expect fireworks in the Windy City this weekend. The eero 400 can be seen Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on TNT.
Here are my Driver Rankings for the race at Chicagoland Speedway Sunday night…
Need to know which driver would be the best pick for your Fantasy NASCAR lineup Sunday? Simply play the driver highest in the rankings.
UPDATED BEST BETS
I like to look at the odds early in the week to see if there are any drivers who are mispriced and provide some value. It is always a good idea to bet on these drivers now, because if they unload with a lot of speed, their odds will drop like a rock.
Here is the early week Best Bets for the eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway…
TY GIBBS (14-1): The Toyota’s have been the most dominate cars on the 1.5-mile, intermediate tracks. I expect the Chevy’s and Fords to catch a bit this week after the tire test in April, but the Toyota’s make for the best bets this weekend. Gibbs won on the short track at Bristol. Could he do it again in Chicago? I think so. Gibbs finished 5th at Las Vegas, 9th at Kansas and 6th at Charlotte. Getting a Joe Gibbs Racing car at +1400 seems like a good bet to me.
BUBBA WALLACE (28-1): If I really like the Toyota’s this weekend, I cannot fade Wallace at 28-1 odds. Some people many think that he does not have the talent to win on an intermediate track but Wallace won at Kansas in 2022 and Indianapolis last year. Wallace finished 9th at Las Vegas and 5th at Kansas. He just needs a few things to go his way in order to cash at 28-1 odds Sunday night.
BRAD KESELOWSKI (+550 for top-five finish): Chicagoland Speedway is a track that eats up tires quickly. The veteran drivers who are good at maintaining their tire wear over a long run should finish up front Sunday night. Keselowski is one of those drivers. Asking Keselowski to win the race may be asking a lot, but I like his chances for a top-five finish at +550.
ALEX BOWMAN (10-1 for a top-five finish): I had Bowman penciled in to win this race before the season started. Bowman was the master at Chicagoland Speedway in the past. He has a streak of three top-10 finishes going at Chicagoland Speedway and that includes a trip to Victory Lane in 2019 (the last race at Chicagoland Speedway). Could a trip back to his best track jumpstart the season for Bowman? I am not sure he can win, but 10-1 seems pretty good for a top-five finish Sunday night.
The Cup Series had a 50-minute practice session Friday and then they set the field for the eero 400 through qualifying yesterday. The odds have been updated and I added two drivers to my card…..
KYLE LARSON (4-1): I will add Larson to the card. He did not post the fastest speeds in practice, but he wasn’t trying too. Larson said that he was trying to run the top and the bottom of the track to see where the speed was. He is the best at searching the track for grip. Larson missed winning the pole by .001 seconds. There is a good chance that his winless streak ends tonight.
WILLIAM BYRON (18-1): The drinking word for tonight is “bump”. Most of the drivers said that the bump on the track is like driving off a cliff. Well, all but one driver. Byron said that his car got over the bump pretty well. He was fast in practice and Byron starts in the top-10. The Hendrick Motorsports cars are gaining on the Toyota’s. I will add Byron to my card at Chicagoland Speedway.
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