Finally, the NASCAR Cup Series has come back to an intermediate track.
I know, that's crazy to say, right?
But after races at Atlanta, Watkins Glen and Bristol in the Round of 16 playoffs, the Round of 12 begins this afternoon with a trip to Kansas Speedway, which is arguably the best track on the schedule for the Next Gen car.
Not only does Kansas produce exciting side-by-side racing, the tire wear also helps NASCAR bettors determine which drivers will be fast based on speeds and lap-time falloff in practice.
And after examining practice and qualifying times from Saturday, as well as the latest NASCAR odds, I'm going right to the front of the field for my favorite pick for the Hollywood Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, USA).
Best NASCAR Pick for Kansas
*Odds as of Sunday morning
Christopher Bell had an absolute rocket yesterday, so much so that, according to a tweet from ifantasyrace, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver commented that this is the best car he's ever had a Kansas.
Seems solid.
Let's not just take his word for it, though.
The No. 20 Toyota qualified on pole for today's race, showing that his car has plenty of short-run speed while also providing Bell the best pit stall and optimal track position.
But this car appears to have more than just one-lap speed.
Bell ranked fifth in five-lap average, sixth in 10-lap average, fifth in 15-lap average and fourth in 20-lap average in practice on Saturday, showing that he still has paces longer into green flag runs.
The combination of practice speed, pole position and his own personal comments about the car make me very bullish about his +300 odds to finish as the top Toyota in today's race at Kansas.
The Pick: Christopher Bell (+300) to Finish as Top Toyota – Caesars Sportsbook
