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15 races are complete in the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Series cup and the battle for the playoffs has heated up.
In the last race of series, Joey Logano took the chequered flag at the Firekeepers Casino 400 held at the Michigan International Speedway. Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. completed the podium for the 15th race of the 2019 NASCAR season.
Here are the latest 2019 Monster Energy Nascar Series Cup standings. Totals were updated after the Firekeeper’s Casino 400:
| Rank | Name | Points | Wins | Top 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joey Logano | 614 | 2 | 8 |
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 605 | 4 | 9 |
| 3 | Brad Keselowski | 541 | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | 539 | 0 | 5 |
| 5 | Chase Elliott | 531 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Martin Truex Jr. | 499 | 3 | 6 |
| 7 | Denny Hamlin | 491 | 2 | 6 |
| 8 | Kurt Busch | 485 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | Ryan Blaney | 434 | 0 | 4 |
| 10 | Alex Bowman | 433 | 0 | 3 |
The next race on the NASCAR schedule is the 2019 Toyota/Save Mart 350. The Toyota/ Saver Mart 350 is the 16th race of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series. It is a 90-lap race at the Sonoma Raceway at Sears Point in Sonoma, California which will be held on June 23, 2019.
The odds for this race aren’t out yet but we’ve listed down a list of favorites to keep your eyes on:
Who Are The Favorites?
Kyle Busch is the most consistent driver this year. Ranked 2nd in the drivers’ standings, Busch has finished in the Top 10 in all but one of the first 15 races of the year, including nine Top 5 finishes. He leads the series with a total of four races won and his most recent victory came at the 2019 Pocono 400 which was just two races ago. Busch won this race twice, in 2008 and 2015 and he hasn’t finished lower than 7th in his last four starts at this race. Busch’s history and current form make him a solid NASCAR betting favorite for this particular race.
Joey Logano has taken the lead in the standings with 614 points after winning the Firekeepers Casino 400 last June 11, 2019. The win was Logano’s second of the season and he also has 8 Top 5 finishes and 11 Top 10 finishes this year. Logano has finished 7th or higher in seven out of his last eight races started, including four podium finishes. He has never won this race and his best finish in Sonoma was 5th in 2015.
Brad Keselowski is third in the standings with 541 points and he is ranked 2nd to Kyle Busch with three wins on the season. The 35-year old Team Penske driver has finished 6th or higher in three out of his last four races, including a win at the Digital Alley 400 in Kansas. Keselowski has finished in the Top 10 of this race just once in his career when he placed 3rd in 2017.
Kevin Harvick has not won a race this season but his 10 Top 10 finishes this year put him in third behind leaders Kyle Busch and Joey Logano who have 14 and 11, Top 10 finishes this season. He finished 7th in the last race of the series in Michigan. As far as this particular race is concerned, Harvick won this race in 2017. He also has six Top 5 finishes in this race and in his last four starts, he’s averaging a 3.25 finish. Harvick also has a pair of wins at Sonoma in the Camping World Truck Series.
Chase Elliott has been racing very well recently. Since the Hendrick Motorsports driver won the 2019 GEICO 500, Elliott has four Top 5 finishes and he’s done so in just five races during that period. Elliott has started this particular race a total of four times and his best finish was 4th last year.
Martin Truex Jr. is just 6th in the standings with 499 points. But when it comes to wins, he has three victories this year. Truex has been racing effectively in the last months with all of his three wins happening within his last seven races. He’s finished this race at 5th or better in three out of the last six years, including wins in 2013 and 2018. Truex is aiming to become the first driver since Jeff Gordon in 1999-2000.
Who Wins?
We said it earlier. Kyle Busch is the most consistent driver this season. He also leads all drivers in races won with four. Busch’s consistency also extends to this race, with victories here in 2008 and 2015 plus Top 10 finishes in each of his last four appearances in this race. No question here if you pick Kyle Busch to win.
Aside from Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. has also been solid at Sonoma. His two wins in this race in the last six years here is impressive. Add the fact that he has won three out of the last seven races of the year. Engine trouble forced Truex Jr. to have a premature finish in Pocono but he bounced back to finish third in Michigan the last time out. Those said. I also like Martin Truex here.
Between Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr, it’s a 50-50 call for me when it comes to who wins the race. That’s because both head to this race in good form and both have a very good history in this particular race. When the betting odds come out, I’ll pick the one with the better betting value. Prediction: Kyle Busch or Martin Truex Jr., whoever has the better odds
