Even though Final Four odds are the hot play right now, there are other things going on the world of sports, specifically in NASCAR where fans and sports betting players have been treated to an exciting two months to open the season. Here’s a look at the five most impressive drivers so far.Kevin Harvick
The No.29 driver had nine top-10s in all of 2009, but he has four already this year, and he’s been in contention most of the time except for Martinsville, when he had mechanical problems. You could have put any of the RCR trio here as Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer are both in the top 10 in terms of points, but Harvick’s aggressiveness will be the reason for their first win of the season, possibly at Phoenix in two weeks.
Jimmie Johnson
Were you expecting someone else? Sports betting players know that Johnson is a slow starter to the season, so what does he do? He wins three of the first six races, including his first-ever win at Bristol, one of his worst tracks. Johnson and his wife will be having their first child this summer, so maybe he’s trying to build up a cushion.
Joey Logano
Last year’s Rookie of the Year looks way more comfortable in the No.20 car as he sits 13th in the standings with three top-10s, and he surprised everyone to win the pole at Bristol. Logano has as much talent as anyone in the Sprint Cup series, he just needed some time to get used to the pace of the races, as well as a feel for the Cup car, which definitely drives differently than the Nationwide cars.
Paul Menard
Menard being in the top 12 right now is like Northern Iowa’s massive March Madness betting upset over Kansas: it makes no sense, but the bottom will fall out. Menard has just one top-10, a fifth-place run at Atlanta, but he hasn’t finished lower than 18th this year. He hasn’t made the stupid mistakes that he has been making over the last couple of years, and while he probably won’t be a sportsbook favorite to make the Chase, if he finishes in the top 15 or 20, it’ll be a success.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
NASCAR’s most popular driver would be higher than 10th if the No.88 team didn’t have so much trouble on pit road, but at least Junior is keeping up with the rest of the series on the track, so that’s a start. Outside of a 32nd-place run at California, Earnhardt hasn’t finished lower than 16th, and he finished second in the Daytona 500. He won’t win the title this year, but like Oklahoma City’s NBA odds, Earnhardt doesn’t need to win it all, the playoffs will do right now.
