2012 Quaker State 400 Predictions
SPARTA, KY (ATS Consultants) – The Sprint Cup Series heads to Sparta, Kentucky for the 17th Cup race on Saturday, June 30 for the Quaker State 400 from the Kentucky Speedway.
Kyle Busch raced to victory last year in Kentucky. The 2011 race featured 20 lead changes among 20 drivers, as 23 of the 43-care field finished on the lead lap, with 34 cars running at the finish. Busch held off David Reutimann and Jimmie Johnson in a two-lap shootout to the finish. An incident with Clint Boyer with six laps to go set up the two-lap sprint.
Biffle came away with a top-10 finish last week and moved back into second place in the standings. He finished 21st here last year but with 7 laps left, was running in 10th. In the Nationwide races at Kentucky, Biffle has finished 2nd three times and has an average finish of 8.8. No driver has been better than Biffle at 1.5 mile tracks this season.
Hamlin won his first race of the season three weeks ago at the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400, and appears primed to run well at Kentucky Raceway. His third place finish at Kansas earlier this season is what really got things going in the right direction. With Hamlin 11th in the standings, racing well this weekend is crucial for his chances of making the Chase, which is a big reason why I think he is worth a shot at +1000.
Live Longshot
Clint is gone for his second straight win. He is very good on this type of track and will have another good car under him this week. These Michael Waltrip Racing cars are very fast.
2012 Quaker State 400 Information
Race Date: Saturday, June 30
Location: Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Ky.
Start Time: 7:30pmET
Green Flag: Approx. 7:46PM ET
TV Coverage: TNT
Radio Coverage: Performance Racing Network (MRN/Sirius NASCAR Radio)
Track Type: 1.5 mile oval (267 laps, 400.5 miles)
Recent Winners
2011: Kyle Busch
Last year’s top 5
Kyle Busch
David Reutimann
Jimmie Johnson
Ryan Newman
Carl Edwards
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