2009 Indianapolis 500 Betting Odds and Predictions: Helio Will be The Man

After you make your UFC 98 odds picks for Saturday night, you can get in on the Indy 500 betting action Sunday afternoon for the “Greatest Spectacle In Racing,” which will begin at 1:00 PM ET. Scott Dixon is the defending race winner and favorite in your online sports book, but another former winner will take the checkered flag.

Dixon has Indy 500 odds of +350, and the defending series champion will roll off fifth, in the middle of the second row. Dixon hasn’t finished lower than sixth in his last three 500s. He also won the last IndyCar race at Kansas after two disappointing results at St. Petersburg and Long Beach, and another win would give him a lot of momentum heading into the summer months.

Ryan Briscoe isn’t the most well-known IndyCar driver, and he’s probably most recognized for tangling with Danica Patrick on pit road in last year’s 500, taking them both out of the race. Briscoe has Indy 500 odds of +600 after winning at St. Petersburg and coming in fourth at Kansas, and he ran fifth at the Brickyard in 2007. He starts in the middle on the front row.

Points leader Tony Kanaan, who starts on the outside of the middle row, and 2007 500 winner Dario Franchitti are rated at +700. Kanaan has a series title from 2004 and he’d love to add an Indy win to his resume with four top-10s in seven trips to the Brickyard. Franchitti returns after sponsorship problems ended his NASCAR stint, and he’ll be looking for a good run after an 18th-place result at Kansas. Franchitti also won Long Beach, and starts on the outside of the front row.

Of course, you have to mention Danica Patrick Indy 500 odds, which are set at +1000. She’s followed up a 19th-place run at St. Petersburg with two straight top-fives, and she’s good at Indy as well, racking up a pair of top-fives and an eighth-place result in three visits to the Brickyard. IndyCar’s most popular driver rolls off 10th, on the outside of the fourth row.

However, this year’s winner is accustomed to the tradition of drinking milk in Victory Lane at Indy, as Helio Castroneves is the last driver to win back-to-back 500s in 2001 and 2002. Castroneves thought he’d be watching this race from a jail cell, but he beat his tax-evasion case, and came back with a seventh-place and runner-up finish since then. No one is happier to be back in the driver’s seat than Castroneves, who is starting from the pole and rated at +400, and he gives you a solid chance to win. Take Helio Castroneves’ Indy 500 odds on Sunday.

Video: Carl Edwards Crashes at Talladega, Then Does Ricky Bobby Impression

I didn’t watch the race, but a guy at work just came in and told me to YouTube it. Pretty incredible crash involving Carl Edwards at Talladega this weekend.

And even more incredible is that he was completely fine afterwards – fine enough for life to imitate art, as Edwards gets out and runs to cross the finish line like he’s Ricky Bobby. Check it out:

Video of Carl Edwards crash at Talladega:

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Video of Ricky Bobby (or is it Carl Edwards?) from Talladega Nights

Update: Here are a link to story about the crash, where 8 fans were injured:

• Carl Edwards crash at Talladega injures 8 fans — (NASCAR.com)

IndyCar Series: RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300 Preview

The IndyCar Series rolls into Kansas this weekend and kicks off the first oval race of the season. Given the differences in the kinds of racing we will see you can take the past two race results and throw them away. The standings so far will not mean much as we transition to the sort of racing that the IndyCar Series is known for. On Sunday, we will see these beautiful cars within just feet of each other driving at speeds in excess of 200 mph.

There are a number of items to discuss regarding this race, so lets take a few minutes to discuss some of the items that make this such a pivotal race in the schedule:

1) This is the race before the Indy 500. That means we are seeing a few drivers this weekend that are in it mainly to gain some seat time before transitioning the World’s Greatest Race Course, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Two drivers come to mind there, Milka Duno and Sarah Fisher. They will both be in the race this weekend and will transition some of their experience from this weekend to the month of May.

2) This weekend is the first oval of the season. The past two races have been on temporary street circuits. They are bumpy, curvy and not ideal for side by side racing. Now, we move over to the super smooth, super fast and super tight racing of a high speed oval. For a driver’s psychological preparation as well as the physical preparation, they must address this race much differently than the races so far in 2009. Rest assured, they are professionals and will have no problem adapting to those changes, but from a fan’s perspective it can be easy to look pass some of the subtle nuances of what impacts the drivers of the IndyCar Series.

3) We have a shot at a three-peat. Dan Wheldon won this race both in 2007 and 2008 with Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Now, with his move to Panther it should make it more interesting. It will be tough to pull it off given the first oval race with a new team. Panther has been very successful in the past on ovals and given another year I think Dan could win at Kansas. My gut tells me not this year. But, just in case you wanted another reason to watch…there you go.

Recap and Prediction:

This is a great racetrack. 1.5 miles in length and a 200 lap race. The first oval of the season and a couple of drivers who are far less than full time that are entered into the mix. I expect it be a very close race and that it will come down to Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti. Who will take the checkered? Watch and find out.

The INDYCAR SERIES ROADRUNNER TURBO 300 AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY IS APRIL 26th at 4pm Eastern and is only on VERSUS! Tune in…

We will have a race recap on Monday to discuss the results.

Also be sure to check back throughout the Month of May with updates live from INDY!!!

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IndyCar Series: Will Power to fill in for Helio Castroneves on Penske Team

For the first time since Team Penske came to the IndyCar Series they will have a different driver behind the wheel of the #3 machine. With the Federal Tax Evasion court case plaguing Helio Castroneves’ personal life, it has now spilled over into his professional one. Castroneves had requested that the case me delayed, but his request was denied by the judge.

Team Penske will announce today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that it has signed Australian driver Will Power to fill in for the troubled brazillian star. Whether Power will actually drive a car for Penske in an IndyCar Series race is left up to the Federal Court system. If Helio isn’t able to answer the bell due to his court case, then the reigns of the #3 will be handed over to the Aussie.

Will Power has a successful record on road courses, and was a rising star in the now defunct Champ Car World Series. He was with PKV racing last year and found himself with no seat heading into 2009. This is a bit of gamble for Will Power, considering he may not even get to race in a Team Penske car, but I think it sets clear the state of the economy. Why would he take a gamble on being used as a test driver, while Helio fights his battles? Because there is nothing else out there.

It does make the mind wonder what the end game will be. Will Penske bring over enough sponsorship to adopt a third car in the 2009 season? Is Will Power going to be used for a few weeks in testing the 2009 car, then thrown off the team when HCN comes back?

Or is this maybe the clearest sign yet, that Helio Castroneves is in a world of trouble, and there is very little chance of him escaping the wrath of our Government.

Stay tuned, its gonna be an incredible year in the IndyCar Series… Bring on the warm weather…and lets go racing!

Formula 1 : Lewis Hamilton is World Champion | Felipe Massa wins Brazilian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton’s head must have been spinning in regards to all the scenarios where he would end up as World Champion of the FIA’s prestigious racing series, Formula 1. I expect he found one he knew he could control, or at least attempt to and had it written inside his visor, on his steering wheel, and on his racing gloves. It said simply: FINISH 5th.

Felipe Massa needed a host of things to happen to win the championship. If his plan was to win the race, all that had to happen was for Hamilton to finish anywhere from Sixth place on back. Half of his plan worked, as Felipe Massa won his home grand prix in Brazil. The other half just didn’t pan out.

Lewis Hamilton ran an incredibly disciplined race strategy, and ran just fast enough to finish 5th in the race; therefore sealing the deal and being able to be the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 world championship. Amazingly, it wasn’t as easy as it sounds.

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NASCAR: On Jimmie Johnson and Dynasties

What in the world is that smell? Is that musty beer burning in the infield fire pit? Could it be the mixture of Sunoco gasoline and rubber that comes from any NASCAR race? It could be…and probably is all of the above. But the most pungent odor I can smell is that of a dynasty. Not that long ago, I cried out about the injustices of racing dynasties, but have given that some thought. After reflecting on that issue for some time now, I am kind of, almost, pretty sure convinced that I like dynasties. Here’s why:

A dynasty takes a normal man, say the driver of the number 48 Lowe’s machine, and at first turns him into a Champion. Then the next year, the pressure is really on. Can this guy do it all over again? Is there anything left in the tank, or will the pinnacle of his chosen sport be enough of a reward to make him rethink doing it all over again? Yet, the #48 with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel did in fact have enough left. In 2007, he won the Cup just like he did the year before.

And now, for the third year in a row, Jimmie Johnson stands on the verge of cementing his greatness at the top of his sport. Cale Yarborough won the Cup in 1976, 77, and 78. To date, Cale is the only driver to ever have three consecutive Cup championships. That small part of NASCAR history may get a bit more crowded this year.

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Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix : Lewis Hamilton Wins GP but not Championship

In Shanghai, the circus known as Formula 1 once again proved that nothing is impossible. With a growing lead in the drivers Championship, Lewis Hamilton headed into the race that had previously derailed his quest to be World Champion.

Lewis Hamilton won the pole giving himself the best shot at the championship he could have asked for. More importantly, he won last nights Chinese Grand Prix. Yet he isn’t champion. Here’s why.

As I mentioned in my pre-race report last night, Felipe Massa was trailing him by 5 points in the championship. The running order showed Lewis in 1st, Kimi Raikkonen in 2nd, and Felipe in 3rd. If the race had ended this way, Lewis would be World Champion. Yet the two Ferrari driver’s were given “team orders” to switch places and Raikkonen let Massa slip past. With Massa in 2nd place, and not having the horses to catch the McLaren driven by Hamilton, he had assured himself of keeping the hopes of a world championship alive.

Lewis Hamilton needs just a 5th place finish in Brazil to win the Championship. This has to give him a bit of confidence going into the final GP of the season. Massa, even with a win, would be unable to surpass the point lead Lewis currently holds over the Ferrari driver.

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Formula 1: Chinese Grand Prix Pre-Race Report | Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has got to be thinking. “Here we go again.”

In the closing rounds of the 2007 Formula 1 World Championship, rookie McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton was on the verge of clinching the championship. It was this race, the Chinese Grand Prix, that ended his hopes of being a World champion. Instead through mistakes in the race the title slipped out of reach and it landed with Kimi Raikkonen.

365 days later we are once again faced with an historic Grand Prix.

Maybe.

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NASCAR Qualifying update: Martinsville | Points Leader Jimmie Johnson

RAIN

PLUS

EQUALS

Therefore….

For the second time in as many weeks, the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars will line up from points this weekend at Martinsville. The oval track, which is just over a half mile in length, has one of the tightest pit lanes on the circuit. Jimmie Johnson, current leader in the NASCAR standings, will get the first pit stall for the TUMS QuikPak 500.

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Formula 1 French Grand Prix Canceled | Bernie Ecclestone Against Magny Cours

It’s the economy, stupid.

The World of Motorsports feels a bit like Joe The Plumber today. The economic crisis has taken it’s toll on our 401(k)s and investment accounts and today it has officially affected the 2009 Schedule for the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The French GP at Magny Cours has had its promoters pull its backing for the 2009 event. The Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile is currently in talks with Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to relocate the GP to a different venue.

Bernie Ecclestone has been openly against the French GP at it’s current location of Magny Cours, mainly due to its geographic location. Wanting the circus to have three rings, as opposed to one, is a main concern for Ecclestone. He has expressed interest in having the GP closer to Paris. For teams and fans, having a Grand Prix close to a major metropolitan area can provide days of entertainment over and above the race itself.

So for right now, France is without a Grand Prix in 2009…if the situation changes, midwestsportsfans.com will keep you up to date.

Be on the lookout for our preview editions for the F1 and NASCAR races this weekend!!!

[tags]bernie ecclestone, formula one, auto racing[/tags]

Weekend Auto Racing Report: NASCAR / Formula 1 | October 10-12

The weekend is here and for auto racing fans around the world there is plenty of excitement as we head into the final weeks of all the major racing series schedules. With Winter around the corner racing fans had better soak up the sights and sounds of the remaining events before the sport goes into hibernation for a few months.

This weekend the eyes of NASCAR fans are focused on Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Qualifying was rained out on Thursday so the lineup has been set based off of owners points. The top ten for the Bank of America 500 is as follows:

For tonight’s race ( 7pm EDT/ ABC ) the forecast calls for a high of 74 degrees with a 20% chance of rain.

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Formula 1: North America Left Off 2009 Schedule

Today, the FIA announced the official schedule for 2009 after its meeting in Paris. The schedule is different than its proposed schedule in June. Most notably, the Canadian Grand Prix is gone. For a series that held two races in North America in 2007, they have switched their direction post haste.

The United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis was left off the 2008 calendar and in 2009 that continues. There are rumors about a potential return for the World’s most watched racing series to the United States. If anything, I feel this has become even less likely with the new schedule for Formula 1. In 2007 and the years prior, it made some sense to have a US date when there was a Canadian date. Logistically, this made the trip overseas much more viable. With the removal of Canada from the Grand Prix season, the only thing that could bring the Formula 1 circus back to America is an awful lot of dough.

Tony George has made it clear he would welcome back a Formula 1 race to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 2000, he spent millions of dollars to revamp the inside of “The Worlds Greatest Racecourse”, so more F1 races would certainly help to pay for those improvements. The most recent news we have there is that they are searching for a “big league” corporate sponsor to help with the dollars requested by Formula 1 to host an event.

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Helio Castroneves IRS Trouble – Dancing with Shackles?

Two time Indianapolis 500 winner, Helio Castroneves is facing some tough competition. Unfortunately for him, this competition isn’t in a sleek IndyCar racing into turn one. This is a battle against the big boys. The Internal Revenue Service has indicted him on 6 counts of financial wrongdoing. The Brazilian star was allegedly using off-shore bank accounts and shell corporations to hide his millions. The end of the story is long to be written, but in the short term there are many questions left unanswered. Here’s two of them:

1) Will The Captain, Roger Penske, allow a driver in his stable with a tarnished name? Roger Penske has longed for and only hired the cleanest cut drivers. I find it hard for him to continue Castroneves’ employment if he ends up a Federally Convicted criminal.

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