Johnson aiming for fourth Brickyard 400 win

Autoracing Betting Lines

07/20/2010 - Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date: Sunday, July 25. Race: Brickyard 400. Site: Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Track: 2.5- mile rectangle. Start time: 1:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 160. Miles: 400. 2009 winner: Jimmie Johnson. Television: ESPN. Radio: IMS Radio Network/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.

After taking a week off, the Sprint Cup Series heads to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway for one of the most prestigious races of the season -- the Brickyard 400.

This year, Jimmie Johnson is looking to join an elite group of drivers who have won four or more times at Indy. Johnson, the four-time defending series champion, has won the 400-mile race at Indy the last two years and three of the last four.

His Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, won the Brickyard 400 in 1994 (inaugural year), '98, 2001 and '04. IndyCar legends A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears have four victories each in the Indianapolis 500. Formula One star Michael Schumacher holds the record for most wins at Indy. Schumacher won the United States Grand Prix here five times, including four in a row from 2003-06.

"It would be a huge honor to join the list of four time winners," Johnson said. "Just to win there once is a career maker for anyone, so to have three victories, there means a lot to me. When I went to do the winners' circle appearance a month or so ago, I was there with Rick Mears and to see him as a four-time winner and to talk about his experiences at the track and what it's done for his life and career was neat. It helped me open my eyes to his world and the open-wheel world there."

One year ago, Johnson became the first driver to win the Brickyard 400 in consecutive years. Johnson held off a furious charge from his teammate Mark Martin in the closing laps. Juan Pablo Montoya had the car to beat at Indy, as he led 116 of 160 laps. But Montoya was caught speeding on pit road during the final round of stops and had to serve a pass-through penalty. Montoya, who was hoping to become the first driver to win both the Brickyard 400 and the Indianapolis 500, wound up finishing 11th. His Indy 500 victory came in 2000.

Earlier this year, Montoya's team owner, Chip Ganassi, made motorsports history by becoming the first owner to win the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 in the same year. Jamie McMurray won at Daytona for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in February, while Dario Franchitti captured the victory at Indianapolis for Target Chip Ganassi Racing in May.

"At the big events, our season has been pretty good," Ganassi said. "Obviously, with the wins at Daytona and Indianapolis, we have the big events covered."

Now the question is whether McMurray or Montoya can give Ganassi a win in the Brickyard 400 on Sunday.

In the 16-year history of the Brickyard 400, the winner of this race has gone on to clinch the Cup championship that season eight times, including the last two years with Johnson.

Kevin Harvick, who won the Brickyard 400 for Richard Childress Racing in 2003, currently holds a 103-point lead over Gordon. Harvick was 25th in points at this time last year.

"Indy is just like Daytona, and everybody wants to win that particular race," said Harvick, who finished sixth one year ago at Indy. "For us last year, that was kind of where the turnaround started with our new cars."

Gordon won the Brickyard 400 and the series title in 1998 and 2001. Presently second in points, he has been winless in the last 48 races, which is now the longest drought in his illustrious Cup career. However, Gordon has finished third, fourth or fifth in the last five races.

"I think the only frustration I see is letting the wins that I feel like we really could have pulled off slip away," Gordon said. "Those are a little frustrating to me, but I'm really proud of the top fives we've put together. I'd like to get back to being more dominant. We need to lead more laps. That's what was putting us in position to win races earlier in the season. We got off that a little bit. We weren't leading like we were. That's what's gonna get us back into victory lane. I feel like we're right there, though. We're just so close."

Winning at Indianapolis has always been a lifelong dream for drivers, including Stewart-Haas Racing teammates and Indiana natives Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman. Stewart, from nearby Columbus, IN, has two victories in the Brickyard 400 (2005 and '07), while Newman, who grew up roughly 140 miles north of Indianapolis in South Bend, has only one top-10 finish in nine starts at Indy. He finished fourth in the 2002 race.

"For both of us growing up from Indiana, it's a special event for the whole series in general, but when you've grown up near that speedway, it's a big goal and a lifelong dream for us to have that opportunity," Stewart said.

Forty-seven teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Brickyard 400.

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Pro Football Odds : NFC SOUTH BETTING ODDS

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NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.

Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.

There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.

Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.

Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.

The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.

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