Joe Gibbs Racing swept the Phoenix field. All three of them.
The Huntersville, N.C.-based racing team produced the winning machines for the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity races and the ARCA Menards Series event at the Phoenix Raceway.
Starting Friday night, William Sawalich captured the General Tire 150. On Saturday, Chandler Smith avoided a late melee to win the Call 811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200. Christopher Bell completed the trifecta during Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500.
Between the team’s four drivers, Bell, Ty Gibbs, who placed a career-best P3, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin, JGR machines combined to lead 230 of 312 laps at Phoenix. It was the first race won by a newly designed Toyota machine this season after Chevrolet swept the first three Cup events.
Can the organization carry the momentum to Bristol Motor Speedway?
Below, we’ll preview the top storylines heading into Sunday’s Food City 500, go over the odds, and give our best bets for the fifth race on the 2024 NASCAR schedule.
57 laps led and a career-best 3rd-place finish for @TyGibbs 👊🏻@MonsterEnergy #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/MANyOvJbpS
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) March 10, 2024
Food City 500 Storylines
- Joey Logano is getting off to good starts, but his finishes remain faulty. In four Cup events, the No. 22 Ford has started along the front row three times, but recorded one top-10 and three finishes of 28th or worse. The two-time Cup champion ranks No. 30 in the points standings.
- Richard Childress Racing needs a jumpstart after enduring a day to forget at Phoenix. Driver Austin Dillon was involved in an early crash and finished P32, eight laps behind. Kyle Busch didn’t fare much better, placing P22. Dillon has yet to record a top 10 this season and sits 32nd in the driver standings.
- Brad Keselowski’s winless streak reached 102 races Sunday. In four events this season, the No. 6 Ford suffered two DNFs and sits No. 22 in the points standings. With a P4 at Phoenix, is Keselowski getting closer to ending his skid?
Runner up finish today 💪🏼
Really proud of this entire @BuildSubmarines team. Fast Ford & great strategy call to get track position at the end. We really needed this type of rebound!
Solid momentum heading to my favorite track 👌🏼😁 pic.twitter.com/smmmwqxXDk
— Chris Buescher (@Chris_Buescher) March 10, 2024
Food City 500 Driver Odds
Here is an early look at the drivers’ odds for Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, according to BetOnline Sportsbook:
| Driver | NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 Odds | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +450 |  |
| Christopher Bell | +500 | |
| Denny Hamlin | +550 | |
| William Byron | +1100 | |
| Ryan Blaney | +1100 | |
| Tyler Reddick | +1200 | |
| Chris Buescher | +1200 | |
| Brad Keselowski | +1200 | |
| Ty Gibbs | +1200 | |
| Kyle Busch | +1600 | |
| Joey Logano | +1800 | |
| Ross Chastain | +1800 | |
| Chase Elliott | +2000 | |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +2000 | |
| Bubba Wallace | +4000 | |
| Alex Bowman | +4000 | |
| Erik Jones | +5000 | |
| Chase Briscoe | +6600 | |
| Michael McDowell | +6600 | |
| Noah Gragson | +6600 | |
| Daniel Suarez | +8000 | |
| Carson Hocevar | +8000 | |
| Josh Berry | +10000 | |
| Austin Dillon | +10000 | |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | +10000 | |
| John Hunter Nemechek | +15000 | |
| Austin Cindric | +15000 | |
| Corey LaJoie | +15000 | |
| AJ Allmendinger | +15000 | |
| Ryan Preece | +20000 | |
| Daniel Hemric | +25000 | |
| Todd Gilliland | +25000 | |
| Zane Smith | +50000 | |
| Justin Haley | +50000 | |
| Harrison Burton | +50000 | |
| Kaz Grala | +100000 | |
*Odds current at time of publication
Food City 500 Predictions and Picks
Here are our best NASCAR bets for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway:
Kyle Larson (+450)
Larson may have struggled at Phoenix, but the 2021 Cup champion was listed at +500 and remained the favorite to claim the circuit title, according to BetOnline Sportsbook. In Larson’s past nine outings at Bristol, he has collected eight top-nine finishes with one win and three Ps.
Ryan Blaney (+1100)
The new Cup Series points leader continues to ride as one of the circuit’s most consistent pilots. Blaney’s P5 Sunday was his fifth consecutive top-five at Phoenix. With three top-10 finishes in four outings this season, Blaney should remain among the series’ favorites – week in and week out.
Corey LaJoie (+15000)
This week’s long shot entered the season with high expectations. Following a string of top-10 finishes, LaJoie seeks his first win after 236 cup starts. Can he rebound from a P33 at Phoenix and a P32 at Las Vegas?
The day is over for the No. 7 after this incident.@CoreyLaJoie | @Group_1001
— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) March 10, 2024
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
