Patrick not exactly feeling at home

Autoracing Betting Lines

07/06/2010 - Joliet, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Nationwide. Date: Friday, July 9. Race: Dollar General 300. Site: Chicagoland Speedway. Track: 1.5-mile oval. Start time: 8:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 100. Miles: 250. 2009 winner: Denny Hamlin. Television: ESPN. Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.

Danica Patrick once again will get plenty of attention in NASCAR this week. Not only is Patrick making her fifth Nationwide Series start, but she's also competing in her home state of Illinois.

Chicagoland Speedway is located almost 120 miles southeast of Patrick's hometown of Roscoe, IL.

This track is not an unfamiliar place for Patrick, who has competed in five IZOD IndyCar Series races here. Patrick's third and most recent IndyCar pole came at Chicagoland during her rookie season in 2005. She's finished no worse than 12th here.

Will previous track experience at Chicagoland help her on Friday night?

"It's always quite different in a stock car," Patrick said. " I don't think there's any way that being familiar with the track can hurt me. But it's really about me learning what it takes for me in a stock car to be happy on the track, to be comfortable, to get the most out of myself."

Patrick continues her learning curve in NASCAR, and it has been a challenge.

Two weeks ago at New Hampshire, Patrick competed in her first Nationwide race in four months. Patrick made contact with Morgan Shepherd and then hit the wall in the opening laps. She completed the race, but finished five laps behind in 30th place.

Patrick has struggled somewhat in IndyCar this year, as she currently sits 11th in points. Earlier this week, Patrick started 21st and finished 20th in the at Watkins Glen, NY. She finished second in June at Texas, which is her best run since her first victory in the series came two years ago in Japan.

The 300-mile Nationwide race at Chicagoland will feature 14 Sprint Cup regulars, including Joey Logano, the defending race winner, and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Kyle Busch, who has six Nationwide wins so far this season.

Last year at Chicagoland, Logano passed Busch for the lead just before a caution for debris came with 15 laps remaining. While Busch and the other leaders pitted for new tires, Logano's crew chief, Dave Rogers, elected to keep his driver on the track.

With older tires, Logano impressively held off Busch during the final eight laps for his third Nationwide win of the season. Logano and Busch combined for 174 laps led in the 200-lap event, with Logano leading the most with 96.

Forty-eight teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Dollar General 300.

Wwwvouyerdorm Autoracing Betting News


<< Chicagoland kicks off the second-half of 2010 season
Joliet, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date: Saturday, July 10. Race: LifeLock.com 400. Site: Chicagoland Speedway. Track: 1.5-mile oval. Start time: 7:30 p.m. (et). Laps: 267. Miles: 400.5. 2009 winner: Mark Martin. Televisio

<< Blum to have surgery
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Houston Astros infielder Geoff Blum will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow Wednesday morning. The operation is scheduled to take place at the Texas Orthopedic Hospital and will be perfor

<< This Week in Auto Racing July 9 - 11
Joliet, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's a busy weekend of racing, as the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series run under the lights at Chicagoland Speedway. The Camping World Truck Series returns to action at Iowa Speedway, and Formula One rev

<< Blazers sign Babbitt
Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward Luke Babbitt, the 16th overall pick in this year's NBA Draft. Babbitt was selected by Minnesota, but was then traded on draft night, along with forward Ryan Gom

<< Brewers P Gallardo put on DL, will miss All-Star Game
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo was put on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday due to a strained left rib cage muscle. Gallardo suffered the injury during the third inning of Sunday's

Truck begin nine-week stretch at Iowa >>
Newton, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck. Date: Sunday, July 11. Race: Lucas Oil 200. Site: Iowa Speedway. Track: .875-mile oval. Start time: 2:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 200. Miles: 175. 2009 winner: Mike Skinner. Television:

Youkilis leaves game >>
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis left Tuesday's game with an undisclosed foot or leg injury. Youkilis was removed from play prior to his at-bat in the fourth inning after he apparently hurt th

Cano among initial six chosen for HR Derby >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano was among six players chosen initially for this year's All-Star Home Run Derby, to be held next Monday in Anaheim. Other players to commit from the Ameri

Rangers-Indians game delayed after fan falls from upper deck >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tuesday's Indians-Rangers game was stopped for about 15 minutes during the bottom of the fifth inning after a fan fell from the upper deck while reaching for a foul ball. The fan fell down to the grandstand l

Span's hit in eighth boosts Twins over Blue Jays >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denard Span's RBI single in the eighth proved to be the difference, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-6, in a back-and-forth affair at Rogers Centre. Span finished with two RBI for the Twi

MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.