NASCAR Sylvania 300 2015: Preview and prediction
Who’s Hot?
Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin had to overcome all the odds at Chicagoland. His ticket to the second round of “The Chase” wasn’t taken easily. After rain washed out qualifying, Hamlin had to start the race in the 29th position. To make matters worse, an early spin out knocked him a lap back.
Low and behold by the end of the race, Hamlin was right there at the final restart as he pushed his way to the front and stole the win at Chicagoland. Now all the stress is off Hamlin as he prepares for the Sylvania 300. He won the race in 2012 and with no pressure on him, Hamlin could be a real threat to win the race again this Sunday.
He is still fighting for his spot in the second round of “The Chase,” but Carl Edwards is off to a good start if he’s going to get there. At Chicagoland, Edwards finished second and put together one of his better races of the season as he and the rest of Joe Gibbs Racing continued to dominate.
With two wins in his pocket and a high seed in the postseason, Edwards has a great chance of advancing if he just keeps the car safe and puts a few good runs together. Well his first race is exactly what he needed to do and if he could put together a couple top-10’s in the next two races, then he will be moving on.
He’s got a great team around and he’s taking advantage of it.
Of all the dark horses to win a championship this season, Kurt Busch fits the profile. He has wins to his name this season and he’s been very competitive in almost every race that he has ran. Last week at Chicagoland, he battled alongside his brother for the lead and put together a strong performance on the track.
He finished third and as a result, put himself in a good spot starting off as he looks to advance to the second round. Like the other drivers in top seeds, if he puts good runs together he will be moving onto the next round. He has won the Sylvania 300 before and will be a good bet to take the win on Sunday.
While the focus of emphasis has been on Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch has been flying under the radar and is a very real threat to win a championship this season.
Starting off with a bottom seed thanks to having no wins and getting in on points, Ryan Newman had an effective first week of racing at Chicagoland. He finished fourth at the track and as a result, has set himself to steal a spot in the second round, especially with Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer virtually on the edge of being eliminated and Paul Menard and Jamie McMurray scuffling after one race.
If Newman has a performance at the Sylvania 300 like he did at Chicagoland, then he is going to the second round and for him and his team that would be a huge accomplishment this season. Every year, one driver puts together a nice postseason run after flying under the radar, and thus far it looks like Ryan Newman is this year’s Cinderella Story in “The Chase.”
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