Lenox Industrial Tools 301 matchup picks
By NASCAR JACK
There are no stats I know of describing who drives well in fog but that’s what the weather is like in Loudon as I write this.
My brain is also foggy as I try to pick which matchups on Sportsbook.com could be as ripe as the cherries I bought at the market yesterday.
I think picking a winner is easier today- Jimmy Johnson is at 4-1 and Tony Stewart is at 5-1 and flipping a coin will probably give you the winner between those two. Then again, Jeff Gordon (8-1) has three wins at this track to go with his twelve Top-5 finishes.
Now the fog has become pea soup.
Let’s see what we can do with the matchups I have selected based on my pure mediocrity of going 2-2 the last three weeks.
Clint Bowyer (-145) vs Kasey Kahne (+115)
KK is hot. He won in wine country last week and I like that he has four top-10s here compared to Clint’s one although Clint doesn’t have as many starts on this flat oval. I’m picking Kahne to finish up on Bowyer.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-135) vs Jamie McMurray (+105)
Plagued by mechanical breakdowns, poor setups, a change in crew chief and just plain old bad luck Junior’s year has been a disaster. You would never know this car was with the Hendrick stable. McMurray is just one notch ahead of Junior in the standings at 19th and his year has not been exactly five-star either. Neither driver will be in the running for the top ten today but I predict Jamie will finish ahead of Earnhardt.
Denny Hamlin (-115) vs Mark Martin (-115)
The fifty-year old Martin is on his way to Comeback Driver of The Year with three wins under his belt. The chances are he hasn’t stopped there but today is not the day. Mark has never won at New Hampshire. Hamlin’s one win plus a FA of 7.2 is enough for me to pick him ahead of Martin.
David Reutimann (+115) vs Martin Truex Jr. (-145)
Reutimann is having a great year for someone so new to a full-time ride at NASCAR. He is in 14th spot in the standings and has a win with four top 10s. Truex is back in 22nd with three top 10s so far this season. But Truex is in home country and has been fast in practice. I am picking the fan favorite to finish ahead of Reutimann.