Just as has been the case for the last two years of racing at Phoenix International Raceway’s one-mile flat layout, Stewart Haas Racing has the car to beat, but it’s not Kevin Harvick this time. It’s teammate Kurt Busch, who dominated both of Saturday’s practices. Busch had the best 10-consecutive laps average in the early session and was second-best in the afternoon session behind Kasey Kahne.
MORE: Driver-by-driver betting breakdown
Harvick still deserves to be the favorite based on winning five of the past seven Phoenix races and using a chassis this week that led 224 of 312 laps there last fall. This same car also finished second three times and third. Yes, Harvick is going to be real good Sunday, but Kurt Busch might be just as strong and he also starts fourth where Harvick starts 19th. Harvick’s last four Phoenix wins were from a 13th or better starting spot.
NASCAR at Phoenix driver ratings
Note: The best handicapping tool for this race is to refer to 2015 results from the six races on flat tracks at Phoenix, Richmond and New Hampshire.
Odds courtesy of the William Hill sports books.
Micah Roberts, a former Las Vegas sports book director, has been setting NASCAR odds since 1994. Follow him on twitter @MicahRoberts7
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