Stewart Has Pole
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to action on Sunday, Aug. 2 with the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway and Jimmie Johnson Mark Martin remain the favorites.
Friday’s qualifying for the race was rained out, meaning the drivers will be seeded based on the current Sprint Cup standings, which gives Tony Stewart the pole.
Johnson and Martin are each a 5/1 favorite to win this year’s race at Pocono according to oddsmakers at the online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING. Other short odds to win are Stewart (6/1), Jeff Gordon (6/1), and Denny Hamlin (7/1).
Johnson will start second for Sunday’s race, as he trails Stewart in the points standings by 192 points. Johnson is coming off a win last weekend at the Brickyard and also won the 2004 Pennsylvania 500.
Martin is coming off a first and second-place finish in his last two races. Martin has four wins on the year and has finished in the top 10 of the Pennsylvania 500 in the last two years. Martin will start ninth on Sunday.
Stewart has the pole and has won three times in 2009. Stewart finished third last week in Indianapolis and has finished outside of the top seven just one time in his last seven races. Stewart has also finished no worse than sixth in his last two Pennsylvania 500’s.
Gordon won this event back in 1998 and has been in the top 10 of the last two races at Pocono. Gordon will start third on Sunday and he has finished in the top 10 in six of the last seven Sprint Cup races.
Hamlin will start sixth on Sunday and is the 2006 Pennsylvania 500 winner and also has a third place finish to his credit in the 2007 race. Hamlin is winless in 2009 but has six top five finishes.
The Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 will take place Sunday, Aug. 2 from Pocono Raceway at 2 p.m. ET. For complete odds and track information on this year’s event, see below.
Odds to win the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 – 2009 Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 – Pocono Raceway – July 27, 2009
Jimmie Johnson 5 – 1
Mark Martin 5 – 1
Jeff Gordon 6 – 1
Tony Stewart 6 – 1
Denny Hamlin 7 – 1
Carl Edwards 10 – 1
Greg Biffle 10 – 1
Kyle Busch 10 – 1
Kasey Kahne 12 – 1
Kurt Busch 12 – 1
Juan Pablo Montoya 15 – 1
Brian Vickers 20 – 1
Matt Kenseth 25 – 1
Ryan Newman 25 – 1
Clint Bowyer 30 – 1
Dale Earnhardt Jr 30 – 1
Kevin Harvick 50 – 1
David Reutimann 60 – 1
Joey Logano 60 – 1
Michael Waltrip 100 – 1
Martin Truex Jr 100 – 1
Reed Sorenson 100 – 1
Jeff Burton 100 – 1
Jamie McMurray 100 – 1
Paul Menard 100 – 1
David Stremme 100 – 1
David Ragan 100 – 1
Casey Mears 100 – 1
Bobby Labonte 100 – 1
AJ Allmendinger 100 – 1
Scott Speed 100 – 1
Sam Hornish Jr 100 – 1
Elliott Sadler 100 – 1
Field (Any Other Driver) 50 – 1
2009 Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 Information
Race Date: Sunday, Aug. 2
Location: Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Penn.
Pre-Race: 1:00 PM ET
Green Flag: Approx. 2:18 p.m.
TV Coverage: ESPN
Radio Coverage: MRN
Track Type: Oval (200 laps)
Posted: 7/31/09 11:40PM ET
