The best drivers in the world will come together to bang fenders at the All Star Race at Lowes Motor Speedway this Saturday night. The racing spectacle will host 20 of the best drivers in NASCAR in a non-points race where the winner will pocket a lucrative million dollars. The All Star Race is known for providing some of the best excitement in racing because nothing matters except winning. Therefore drivers are most definitely going to trade paint with others as they fight over every inch of the race track. Over 180,000 will be in attendance for the 3 segment shootout style race to see what driver can take home one of the most prestigious titles in racing known as All Star Champion. Unlike other sports where all star games may not mean as much, in NASCAR it is in many ways more important than the Daytona 500. Claiming a victory at the All Star not only collects a big paycheck, but also means you beat the best of the best drivers in the world. NASCAR is also quickly growing as a big betting venue every weekend with unlimited head to head match-ups, winning odds, and more. We break down some bets to consider for the 2009 All Star Race that will add some money to your bankroll.

Bet #1: (Matchup Picks) – Dale Earnhardt Jr (-115) vs. Kasey Kahne (-115)

Kasey Kahne owned Lowes Motor Speedway last season winning both May races in the All Star and the following weekend with the Coca Cola 600. Kahne was actually voted in to the All Star Race by new rule that allowed fan favorite to enter the event after the #9 team failed to make the race in the All Star open event where drivers not in the All Star can race there way in. Kahne made the most of it and went on to score the victory. Dale Earnhardt Jr ran up front and led some of the All Star race and also clearly had the best car in the Coca Cola 600 before cutting a tire down leading the race. Both drivers have gotten off to sluggish starts in 2009, but for the #88 team of Dale Earnhardt Jr it has been fairly horrendous. Dale Jr and company must use Lowes Motor Speedway as a stepping stone to get back on track. This race might be bigger for the #88 crew that any team this weekend. Earnhardt also won the event back in 2000 with the similar 10 lap dash that is returning this year in the final segment. We expect Kahne to continue to struggle, and the #88 to a least run towards the front and finally get a respectable finish.

Pick – Dale Earnhardt Jr -115

Bet #2: (Matchup Picks) – A.J Allmendinger (-110) vs. Marcos Ambrose (-120)

This betting preview is actually for the All Star Showdown event that takes place before the actual All Star Race. This 25 lap segment will be a race for the drivers not in the All Star to earn their chance to race there way into the event. We find some pretty good betting odds with this match-up. A.J Allmendinger raced his way into the All Star Race last year in this event winning the 2008 version of the All Star Showdown. Allmendinger has also had some rather surprisingly good runs this year despite searching for a sponsor most of the early season. Marcos Ambrose has been steadily getting better in the Sprint Cup Series, but he is far from a polished driver at this point in his career. Add to the fact that Ambrose does not have much experience at Lowes, and we really like Allmendinger to cover this battle fairly easily.

Pick – A.J Allmendinger -110

Bet #3: (Future Picks) – Who will win the All Star Race?

Picking the winner of any race is hard enough, but picking the winner of an All-Star Race is an entire different level of difficulty. However, comparing the way the teams have been running it may not be as far of a stretch as one may think. One team or organization to bet on would be Hendrick Motorsports. The Hendrick stable has won 5 of the last 6 races dating back to the end of March. Also Stewart-Haas Racing has been running very strong as well and they are powered by Hendrick engines. Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman have both finished in the top 5 in the last two races. We are going to step away from popular picks and take our chances with Ryan Newman. Newman is the only driver to finish in the top 5 in the last 3 races and he has just been all too close to getting his first victory with the new #39 team. Newman has also always run well at Lowes Motor Speedway dating back to win he won the All Star Event as a rookie in 2005. Only Dale Earnhardt Jr outside of Newman can claim wins at the All Star race in their rookie campaign. Newman has been very strong over the last few weeks and we like his chances to capture the checkered flag this Saturday night with some very profitable odds in his favor.

Pick – Ryan Newman +1500

The NBA Playoffs have taken the center stage on the hardwood, the Major League Baseball season is in full swing on the diamond, and NASCAR drivers are going door to door every weekend on the track. The month of May is sure to bring excitement to all bettors and sports enthusiasts. In the next few weeks, we will have an NBA Champion, an All-Star Race, and of course unlimited action on the baseball field. There will be a wide variety of betting action provided by the major sports books throughout the rest of the month. We take a look at the always interesting prop bets listed at Betus.com & Bodoglife.com while giving some insight on a few bets to consider in the month of May.

Prop Bet #1 – Possible NBA Finals Match-up

One popular betting line on nearly every sports book right now is who will be squaring off in the 2009 NBA Finals? In the Eastern Conference, the defending World Champion Boston Celtics are still alive as they battle with the Orlando Magic who has also been strong all year as well. Newly crowned MVP Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have looked more than impressive in their post-season run as they are the only unbeaten team in the playoffs. In the Western Conference, everybody seems to want to hand the Los Angeles Lakers the Western Conference Title. However, Houston knocked off the Lakers in Game 1 giving some hope to the rest of the conference. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have remained one of the hottest teams in the League throughout the 2nd half of the season. If you took the Cavaliers and the Lakers who are the favorites out of each conference, they are offering +300 odds. However, we like for you to consider the Denver Nuggets in the West. Sure, the Nuggets were beat up by the Lakers earlier this season but they are not the same team by any means. The Nuggets have a lot of momentum and the Lakers are not as invincible as many would expect. Along with that, Cleveland may never lose another game at home this season. We take a gamble with Denver and say they meet the Cavs in this year’s NBA Finals.

Pick – Denver vs. Cleveland +500

Prop Bet #2 – Southern 500 at Darlington – Kyle Busch vs. Kurt Busch

The Southern 500 down in Darlington, SC is one of the most popular races for drivers and racing fans every year. Darlington is a brutally tough track that has the beating and banging action of a short track with the speeds of a super speedway. The Busch brothers have been very strong so far early on in the 2009 campaign. Kyle Busch is coming off his 3rd win of the season last week on Saturday night in Richmond. The #18 car is a front runner every week and is likely the most talented driver in the sport. Kurt Busch is having a great year as well with a victory in Atlanta. Kurt also led the point standings before last week heading into Richmond and now trails Jeff Gordon by only 10 points. However when it comes to head to head match-up at the track called “too tough to tame,” Kyle should have the big advantage. The ¾ mile narrow speedway is grueling on drivers physically and you really have to be on top of your game to conquer this fickle speedway. Kyle Busch has the extremely aggressive driving style and the talent to not only beat Kurt, but the other 42 drivers this Saturday night as well. Consider a fairly strong bet with the #18 machine.

Pick – Kyle Busch -155

Prop Bet #3 – Who will win the NFC North in 2010?

Perhaps we have gotten too caught up on all the other sports and forgotten the best of them all. Shortly after the NFL Draft, the NFL division odds were updated to accommodate for all the off-season transactions. One division race has grabbed our attention in the NFC South. Of course the Detroit Lions had a great draft, but let’s face it the chances of them going from not winning a game in 2009 to NFC North Champions in 2010 could be a small stretch to say the least. Then it comes down to Green Bay, Chicago, and Minnesota. There are cases to be made for every team. Could Jay Cutler lead the offensively inclined Bears to the promise land? Will the Vikings strong rushing attack lead them to another NFC North crown? Or could Green Bay get the job done after pulling off possibly the best 2009 Draft of any team in the league? Well for starters do not expect for Chicago’s struggles to be changed around in the blink of an eye. The Bears are headed in the right direction, but still need few more playmakers mainly at wide receiver before any big difference will be recognized. The Packers need more consistency on defense to contend in the division despite having more talent and depth on the roster. Green Bay really fell apart at the end of the season and that is not promising for next season. Minnesota has to be the best pick to back up their 2009 performance. Adrian Peterson and the rushing attack really came on strong at the end of the year. The Vikings added depth on the offensive line through the off-season and Percy Harvin could add some more explosiveness as well. Minnesota should improve their already dangerous offense which already dominated the division one year ago.

Pick – Minnesota +125

The 51st running of the Daytona 500 will occur this Sunday afternoon live from the famed Daytona International Speedway. The ultimate racing spectacle will be seen by millions around the world as it is the biggest racing event of our time. Daytona is a famed 2.5 mile track with restrictor plate racing that keeps the cars in close tight packs at speeds nearing 200mph giving fans that most exciting racing imaginable. Last week, the Budweiser Shootout kicked off the week and 2007 Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick made a last lap pass to win his first Bud Shootout. Harvick has always performed rather well at Daytona even though he is not known as a restrictor plate racer. Harvick will lead a cast of veteran drivers fighting for the biggest trophy in motorsports this Sunday.

There are so many factors that determine crowning a winner at the high banks of Daytona. You need a car that of course has a lot of horsepower, it needs to handle well, and stay out of trouble in the race. However, even the best of cars can go from the lead to the tail of the pack in a split second if they lose the draft. Drivers can not lose focus at anytime as they try and position themselves for a chance to be there at the end. If they are there at the end then they still need the right drafting help and a little bit of luck to score a victory. It truly is one of the most exciting events in sports. Last year’s Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman left the #12 Alltel Penkse Dodge last season, and will driver for Stewart-Haas racing this year in the #39 US Army Chevrolet. Although, Newman victory last year was a big surprise he has had a strong car this week in speedweeks. However, Newman was wrecked in the Gatorade 125 qualifying races on Thursday and will start in a backup car come Sunday afternoon.

Tony Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing last season to take control of what is now Stewart-Haas racing driving the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice machine. Stewart has always run well at the restrictor plate tracks Daytona and Talladega. The driver of the #14 machine has been strong all week in his own ride including a 2nd place finish in the duel races on Thursday. Stewart will be one of the leading favorites to win this Sunday and score his first ever Daytona 500 victory. Kyle Busch had a dominating season last year winning 8 races and started off 2009 strong with a victory in the Gatorade 125 on Thursday. Busch won the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in July last season and he has won nearly ever track on the tour. Winning the Daytona 500 would be fitting for the young talent considering his success over the last year or so of racing. Busch is the overall favorite heading into this Sunday.

One thing is certain heading into the Daytona 500 and that is that all of the Hendrick Racing cars should be very strong. Mark Martin at 50 years of age and his first year with Hendrick qualified on the outside pole while appearing to have the fastest car on Thursday. Martin lost the 2007 Daytona 500 by near inches to Kevin Harvick and would love nothing more than to win the race that has eluded him through his career. Martin has an amazing 4 runner-up finishes in the event and he should have a good chance to finally get the win this weekend. Teammates Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr all having considerable chances to win as well this Sunday. Jeff Gordon won the other Gatorade 125 on Thursday and will go after his 4th Daytona 500 victory to add to his remarkable career. Jimmie Johnson is the defending back to back to back Champion in the Spring Cup Series only the 2nd driver to ever accomplish the feat. Johnson has also run well all week and the 2006 Daytona 500 could be a force on Sunday. Finally, the #88 car driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr will be certainly watched by many. Earnhardt is always a favorite at the restrictor plate tracks considering his overwhelming talent and understanding of the draft. Earnhardt won the Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade 125 last season, but has had trouble through the week including a wreck in the Shootout and tire problems in the duel race that has not allowed him to get a quality finish. However, Earnhardt is without much doubt probably the best driver at the big super speedways and will attempt to make some noise in attempt to capture his 2nd Daytona 500 victory.

Other drivers to watch out for in the field include the young 18 year old Joey Logano. Logano may have flown under the radar through speedweeks after a disappointing performance in the Bud Shootout. However, the young talent opened some eyes in the 1st duel race on Thursday with a 3rd place finish behind Tony Stewart. Logano is already the youngest driver to start a race at Daytona and he definitely has the talent to pull off what would be one of the most surprising of victories due to his age and inexperience to win the Great American Race. Carl Edwards led the Sprint Cup Series last season with 9 wins, but has failed to consistently run up front this week. Edwards drew a lot of scrutiny after taking out nearly an entire field last year at Talladega and I believe it is safe to say that restrictor plate racing is not his best quality, but do not misunderstand Edwards has all the ability in the world to get up front and challenge for the win. However, considering the way he has looked thus far in the week I would not have him in the fantasy lineups this week.

There are a few more young guys to take a look at heading into the big event this weekend. While some of these drivers may not be individuals with great shots of winning, they are still some that could surprise a lot of people on Sunday. Among these dark horses is A.J Allmendinger, who had to race his way into the event on Thursday. Allmendinger was not even sure he would have a chance at making the Daytona 500, but the driver of the #44 car has looked rather impressive this week. Despite not having much success on the Cup side, Allmendinger has a load of talent that is in dire need to be unraveled. Jamie McMurrary topped the speed charts in final practice #26 Crown Royal Ford is another car that could emerge as a front runner this weekend. Drivers like Brian Vickers, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kasey Kahne are also other drivers that deserve to keep an eye on this Sunday as well.

Picking racing drivers may be a difficult task to come by, but if you looking at placing a bet or picking a fantasy lineup then let me give a few choices for Sunday. I really like Mark Martin in the event to run strong. The savvy veteran has a knack for staying out of trouble and you can get him for good odds in fantasy lineups and well as good odds to win the event in the sports books. Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Kyle Busch would also equally be thrown in there as the biggest favorites to win the Daytona 500 this weekend. Many believe Stewart does not have the equipment to stay up front, but I really beg to differ considering his amazing talent at these size tracks. One final name to throw into the list as a dark horse include the #83 Toyota Red Bull Racing car driven by Brian Vickers.

Also a large cast of Spring Cup drivers will also participate in the Nationwide Series race on Saturday at Daytona that should be interesting as well. Among some of the notable names that will participate include Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, David Ragan, and more.

Daytona 500 Betting Odds From BetUS Sportsbook:
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Dale Earnhardt Jr: 6/1
Mark Martin: 10/1
Jimmie Johnson: 6/1
Kevin Harvick: 15/1
Denny Hamlin: 12/1
Kyle Busch: 5/1
Joey Logano: 40/1
Tony Stewart: 7/1
Jeff Gordon: 5/1
Carl Edwards: 10/1
Kasey Kahne: 35/1
Brian Vickers: 40/1

Daytona International Speedway will host the 31st annual Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night featuring an all-star type atmosphere for the best drivers in the world to kick start the 2009 season. A record field of 28 drivers will try and tame the high banks of Daytona in restrictor plate style racing at speeds near 200mph giving the start to this year’s NASCAR season. Dale Earnhardt Jr won the event last year in his first ever race as a Hendrick driver when the piloted the #88 National Guard to victory lane to grab his 2nd career shootout victory. Tonight’s Budweiser Shootout will officially start the most exciting week in auto-sports what many like to call speedweeks at Daytona. Unlike most races, the Daytona 500 has many special events leading up to NASCAR’s biggest race. After the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night a non-points prestigious dash for the cash, Sunday will follow with the qualifying for the Daytona 500. Although over 40 cars will qualify for the event, only the top two spots are locked into the field. The rest will battle it out on Thursday for 50 laps in two Gatorade 125s to set the starting lineup for the Daytona 500 that will follow next Sunday. Without a doubt, this will be an exciting week in NASCAR.

There will be a ton of fantasy racing and betting odds all week from the major sports books and while many may not give any expert picks we will break down the drivers with the best opportunities to make a big impact in the next week of racing. The favorite in the field is undoubtedly the restrictor plate king Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt Jr has more wins at restrictor plate racing than any active driver on the circuit and all eyes will be on the NASCAR’s most popular driver when the green drops at 8:00est Saturday night. Earnhardt captured last year’s Shootout victory and backed it up by winning the Gatorade 125’s after starting dead last a season ago. Earnhardt Jr is receiving 5/1 odds to win the Budweiser Shootout and he is definitely a driver to keep your eye on.

Tony Stewart will be in a new ride this season when he takes the wheel of the No. 14 Old Spice machine. Stewart left the famed Joe Gibbs Racing last season to become majority owner at what is now Stewart-Haas racing. It is unclear how long it will take Stewart to build up the time if he can, considering how hard it is for today’s owner in the sport of NASCAR. Stewart has 3 victories in the Shootout that is 2nd to only the late Dale Earnhardt who dominated the event with 6 wins. The new team of Stewart-Haas will release the No. 14 on Saturday night and see if they can contend with the big franchise teams like Hendrick, Rousch, and others. Stewart is receiving 15/1 odds for his no. 14 Chevrolet to reach victory lane.

Hendrick teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have both had success at Daytona. Gordon has won the event twice and always runs well at the 2.5 mile oval. Jimmie Johnson won his 3rd consecutive championship last season and also has a Bud Shootout victory to his resume. These two drivers finished 2nd and 4th last year behind the other Hendrick car Dale Earnhardt Jr in the Shootout and they will again try to put the Hendrick cars out in front of the pack. Kyle Busch and Carl Edward both broke out last year with career seasons. Edwards ended up with more wins than any other driver with 9. However, Edwards has not faired well at the super-speedways in the past, but will try to change that on Saturday. Kyle Busch on the other hand can drive to the front on any track on the circuit and had two restrictor plate victories in 4 tries last season. Busch actually leads the betting odds going into the shootout as a slight favorite over Dale Earnhardt Jr at 9/2.

A few other notable drivers to keep an eye on…

Joey Logano – Logano will be the youngest driver to get a start at Daytona at 18 years of age. The sensational talent won his 3rd career start in the Nationwide Series last year and will attempt to be the youngest winner ever in NASCAR.

Kevin Harvick – Harvick may not be widely known as a restrictor plate driver, but he has had a lot of success at these types of tracks. Driver of the Goodwrench #29 career finish at Daytona ranks 5th among active drivers.

David Ragan – This is an outside dark horse, but David Ragan had an excellent season last year early in his career and is staged to make another impressive run in 2009. Receiving 20/1 odds this driver may be worth a gambling risk to score his first big win.

* Last year’s Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman will not be in the field due to the eligibility requirements. Newman switched teams at the end of last season to side with Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas racing and will be left out of this year’s Shootout.

Bud Shootout Notable Betting Odds…

Kurt Busch 12/1
Kyle Busch 9/2
Dale Earnhardt Jr 5/1
Carl Edwards 8/1
Joey Logano 35/1
Tony Stewart 15/1
Jimmie Johnson 13/2
Jeff Gordon 15/2
Kevin Harvick 15/1
Denny Hamlin 10/1