This Week in Auto Racing February 17 - 19

Autoracing Betting Lines

02/14/2012 - Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's time to go racing again. Speedweeks 2012 at Daytona kicks off this weekend, with the Budweiser Shootout scheduled for Saturday and then qualifying for the Daytona 500 slated for Sunday.

NASCAR

Sprint Cup Series

Budweiser Shootout - Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, FL

The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season will rev up on Saturday night with the 34th running of the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. This year's scheduled 75-lap, 187.5-mile preseason race will feature a field of 25 cars.

The format for this race is unchanged from last year, but there is a tweak in the eligibility requirements. Drivers finishing among the top-25 in the Sprint Cup point standings this past season as well as active drivers who are not in the top-25 but previously won the Budweiser Shootout, the Daytona 500 or the 400-mile July race at Daytona are eligible.

Trevor Bayne, the 2011 Daytona 500 winner, will not be among the 25 drivers competing in the Budweiser Shootout, since Wood Brothers Racing could not secure sponsorship for his No.21 team in this event. Bayne is entered to compete in the Daytona 500.

Geoffrey Bodine, Derrike Cope, Bill Elliott, Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader are also eligible for the Budweiser Shootout but not participating in the event.

The Budweiser Shootout will serve as a dress rehearsal for the Daytona 500 and Gatorade Duels (twin 150-mile qualifying races for the 500). NASCAR recently revised its rules for restrictor-plate racing in an effort to minimize and perhaps eliminate two-car tandems, which have become an unpopular style of racing at restrictor-plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway). NASCAR is hopeful the rule changes will return pack racing.

"When you pack race, in most instances, if not all, it's important to race the whole time," said Jimmie Johnson, who won the preseason race at Daytona in 2005. "You're going to have to race for the win from the first lap. Unlike what we have now, where you know you can make up so much time in a short period of laps, you'll be much more engaged throughout the race."

NASCAR has also banned communications between drivers on their car radios during a race at plate tracks in another attempt to break up the two-car breakaways.

Most Sprint Cup teams participated in a three-day test session at Daytona last month. During the test, NASCAR gathered data when as many as 20 cars ran in a draft. Further modifications to the restrictor plates and the size of the front grille opening on the cars could be forthcoming.

Teams competing in the Budweiser Shootout will also get a chance to familiarize themselves with the new electronic fuel injection systems during race conditions.

Several drivers will make their debuts with new teams in the Budweiser Shootout. They include: A.J. Allmendinger (Penske Racing), Clint Bowyer (Michael Waltrip Racing), Kurt Busch (Phoenix Racing), Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports) and David Ragan (Front Row Motorsports).

"It's definitely something to be excited about and look forward to, and I can't wait to get down there and practice a little bit, and then qualifying on Sunday is going to be exciting," Kahne said.

Busch, who drove the No.22 car for Penske last year, is the defending race winner.

Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski are those drivers who are competing in this race for the first time.

The starting lineup for the Budweiser Shootout will be determined during a random drawing held Friday evening at Daytona.

Daytona 500 qualifying - Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, FL

Qualifying for the Daytona 500 -- NASCAR's most prestigious race of the season -- is a unique format. Just the first two starting positions in the February 26 season-opening race will be determined on Sunday. The remainder of the 43- car field will be decided in the February 23 Gatorade Duels at Daytona.

The top-35 in Sprint Cup owner points are already guaranteed a starting position in the Daytona 500. Where they start is based on how they finish in twin 150-mile qualifying races. The top-two finishing, non top-35 teams in each of the two qualifiers will secure a starting position in the 500. The remaining starters -- as many as four drivers -- will be based upon speeds recorded in Sunday's time trials.

No driver has ever won all four major Speedweeks events at Daytona -- Budweiser Shootout, Daytona 500 pole, Gatorade Duel and Daytona 500. Cale Yarborough (1984), Ken Schrader (1989) and Dale Jarrett (2000) have won three of the four events.

Last year's Speedweeks winners were: Kurt Busch (Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade Duel race one), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Daytona 500 pole), Jeff Burton (Gatorade Duel race two) and Trevor Bayne (Daytona 500).

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Albert Pujols to be This Year's Home Run Champ Says Online Sportsbook

Barry Bonds is a 50-1 long shot to be this year's home run champ odds.  The favorite to be this year's home run champ is none other than Albert Pujols, however.

Now that Barry Bonds is signed and in Giants camp, it is on to his pursuit of all of sports most prestigious records: the all-time home run mark. Bonds sits just 21 homers shy of tying Hank Aaron for the career mark at 755. Word out of Giants’ camp is that Bonds is the healthiest he has been in a few years. Bonds is just two seasons removed from his injury riddled 2005 campaign where he played in only 14 games and hit only 5 home runs. He did come back last year and had a solid season hitting .270 with 26 bombs. All eyes will be on Bonds this spring and summer not only because of his home run chase but his highly publicized steroid abuse allegations. If and when Bonds breaks the record, he surely will not get the positive attention one should for breaking a record that was once thought of as “unbreakable”. Despite Bonds decent season last year, he is just 50-1 at MySportsbook.com to lead the MLB in long balls this season.

Not surprisingly, the favorites to go deep the most times this season are Albert Pujols 5-1, Ryan Howard 6-1, David Ortiz 8-1 and Alex Rodriguez 12-1. With 49 homers, Pujols finished second in the National League behind Howard (58). Pujols is considered the favorite due to the consistent power numbers that he has posted since breaking into the league in 2001. Also one must consider the fact that he played in 16 fewer games then Howard did due to an injury. Howard smashed 58 homers in his first complete season of big league play en route to the National League MVP odds award. He silenced his critics by successfully hitting left-handed pitching. Howard also displayed the ability to use his power to the opposite field. Two attributes which should keep Howard amongst the league leaders in long balls for years to come. From the American League representatives, David Ortiz leads the field. Ortiz was second in the majors last year with 54 home runs. Except for 1999 when he only played in 10 games, Ortiz has improved on his home run numbers each year he has been in the majors (1997).

Be sure to log onto online sports betting site MySportsbook.com to check out the odds for who will lead the MLB in home runs this season. Below is just a sample of the players listed. With the highest credit card rates in the industry, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on baseball this summer.

World Series odds

Adam Dunn 15-1

Albert Pujols 5-1

Alex Rodriguez 12-1

Alfonso Soriano 15-1

Andruw Jones 25-1

Barry Bonds 50-1

Carlos Delgado 40-1

David Ortiz 8-1

Jermaine Dye 40-1

Ken Griffey Jr. 100-1

Lance Berkman 40-1

Manny Ramirez 20-1

Richie Sexson 40-1

Ryan Howard 6-1

Travis Hafner 20-1

Vladimir Guerrero 40-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.