Quaker State 400 Preview

The green flag starts the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway last season.  [Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images]

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rolls into The Kentucky Speedway Saturday night for the Quaker State 400. It’s just the fourth time the Sprint Cup Series has competed at Kentucky with Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Matt Kenseth scoring victories in the three previous visits.

Kentucky is another one of the 1.5 mile tracks that make up the majority of the Sprint Cup schedule and as in years past, a handful of drivers and teams have stood out on these types of circuits as the season approaches the halfway point.

Here are a few drivers who should be strong this weekend at Kentucky…

Jimmie Johnson

Dan Margetta: While he has consistently been the favorite over the past few weeks, I’m finally picking Jimmie Johnson to win. A heavy 4-1 favorite at Kentucky, Johnson and the #48 team as well as the Hendrick Motorsports contingent as a whole have seemed to be a step ahead of the competition of late. With three wins in the last five weeks, Johnson is shown he is definitely on his game even though Kentucky is one of the few places he has yet to win. This team knocked Michigan off that list a few weeks ago and they seem poised to cross off Kentucky this weekend.

Jeff Gordon
John Wiedemann: My pick to win this weekend is Jeff Gordon. Gordon is another driver that has yet to win at Kentucky Speedway and it is the only track on the schedule that he doesn’t have a victory. Gordon is one of the hottest drivers on the circuit right now and Hendrick horsepower is one reason why Gordon is running well. Gordon is one of four drivers that have a top ten in each of the three races that the series raced at Kentucky Speedway. Gordon’s best finish at Kentucky is fifth but, like I said, he will better that finish with a win on Saturday night.

Kevin Harvick
DM: If Jimmie Johnson doesn’t get the job done Saturday night, look for Kevin Harvick to be ready to pounce on the opportunity to capture his third win of the season. While driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick’s Chevy has Hendrick horsepower under the hood and he’s finished second in the last three events held on a 1.5 mile track. He’s listed at 9-2 odds for this weekend which seem a bit generous considering the turmoil in the pits with this team lately. They definitely have the horsepower but mistakes in the pits have led Harvick to publicly voice his displeasure with the pit road side of the team. When they avoid shooting themselves in the foot, this team is nearly unbeatable. We’ll see what version we get Saturday night in Kentucky.

Brad Keselowski
JW: Brad Keselowski has been relatively quiet lately and it is time for him to make some noise. Team Penske continues to be fast in qualifying and Keselowski has close to winning in three of the last four races. Keselowski is one of the three winners in previous races at Kentucky Speedway and has an average finish of 13.7 in those races. Riding that Penske power to the front of the pack is a given and it will be fun to watch him contend for the win.

Matt Kenseth
DM: Last year’s Kentucky winner, Matt Kenseth, was the dominant driver on the 1.5 mile circuits. This year has been a different story as the Joe Gibbs Racing teams are in new territory for them with what appears to be a slight horsepower disadvantage. Kenseth and the #20 team have steadily improved their 1.5 mile results, going from a couple of 10th place results all the way to a strong 3rd place at the last event in Charlotte. Have they caught up enough to challenge for a win this weekend? Kenseth is listed at 12-1 odds and after some disappointing races the last two weeks should be motivated to get back on track on a familiar 1.5 mile course. Once again, the first win of the season should be in sight, now it’s up to this team to go out and get it.

Kyle Busch
JW: Kyle Busch would normally be a solid pick for the win at Kentucky Speedway. Busch has one win, a top five and top ten in the three races at the track giving him a 5.3 average finish. Driver rating, average running position, fastest laps run and average green flag speed are all second best in the series. But this year the Joe Gibbs Racing organization is just off. Matt Kenseth has yet to win. Busch and Denny Hamlin have a win each but have sputtered at other times. Busch still dominates the Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series but is currently tenth in the Sprint Cup Series point standings with top tens in just under half of the races run. Kentucky Speedway would be a track for Busch to shine at, but I am hesitant to pick him as a contender.

Joey Logano
DM: The only team that has shown any ability horsepower wise to run with the Hendrick stable lately has been the Penske cars and Joey Logano drove his #22 ride to victory at Texas to go along with some other top ten finishes at the other 1.5 mile tracks. Logano has had great success at Kentucky in the Nationwide Series and that should transition well to the Cup side this weekend. He’s tabbed at 8-1 odds to open the weekend and should be expected to contend on Saturday night. I’m looking for Joey Logano to be one of the few non-Chevrolet teams to challenge for the win this weekend.

Clint Bowyer
JW: Just like Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer is a wait and see kind of driver. More was expected this season, but Bowyer still seems to be in kind of a funk. Bowyer has led a lap in only seven of the sixteen races this season. Bowyer needs a spark and a bouncy mile and a half track like Kentucky Speedway might just be the place for him to heat up. Bowyer finished third in the Kentucky Speedway race last season and Michael Waltrip Racing has had good success at the track in the past with both Bowyer and former driver Martin Truex Jr.

Paul Menard
DM: My longshot pick this week is Paul Menard who is listed at 50-1 odds. Menard has quietly posted top ten results at Las Vegas, Texas, and Charlotte, all similar tracks with a best finish of 3rd. He’s been one of those drivers that have hung around the top ten undetected and should he pull off the win would probably surprise a few people, even though he’s been near the front lately.

Danica Patrick
JW: Harnessing the power in the Hendrick engines and giving her a comfortable car to drive has made a huge difference as crew chief Tony Gibson and the #10 team have helped Danica Patrick accomplish back to back solid top twenty finishes. At Kansas in the beginning of May, another mile and a half track, Patrick scored her only top ten of the season. Can she do it again? All will depend on how she can manage the bumpy track and if the team can give her a car that races in her comfort zone.

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