This week Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will try not to run out of gas on the final lap of the STP 400 as NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads to the heartland and Kansas Speedway this Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 1:15 p.m. (EST). In case you are counting it has been 104 races since Junior won his last race, at Michigan in 2008.

Auto-sport investors would do well to keep in mind that Roush Fenway Racing’s Greg Biffle has won two of the last four races at Kansas; including last October’s race. A recent trend has shown that five of the last races at Kansas Speedway have been won by drivers that qualified in the Top 5, while another two have been won from inside the Top 10 and three from higher than 10th. Part of Kansas Speedway’s personality is that it rewards speed (duh!); in short, cars that qualify fast on Saturday race fast on Sunday.  

NASCAR Odds: Who will win the STP 400?

Junior Nation’s heart soared to the highest peaks on that final lap of last week’s Coca-Cola 600, and just as quickly plummeted to the bowels of hopeless. As depression set in Junior seemed to take it in stride that the No. 88’s fuel gamble lost. What ‘might have been’ turned into more of the same, another race, another loss. However, all is not lost for Junior Nation, as Dale is now in fourth place in the standings and 43-points behind Carl Edwards.

Speaking of Edwards, his whole team has been amazing this year, and on the 1.5 mile track each driver in the RFR stable has the ability to win. Edwards extended his lead by 12-points after the Coca-Cola 600 and he is still the points’ leader. Edwards has never won at Kansas, but he likes to think of Kansas as his home track. The Missouri native has three straight Top-10 finishes and he finished sixth place last October. Baring unforeseen circumstances, the No. 99 Ford should be as speedy as it has been and running toward the front of the pack on Sunday.

Consider four of six RFR drivers have already won races this season and that the two others, David Ragan and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., have been competitive.  I mentioned how well Biffle has raced at Kansas, but he is not alone. Matt Kenseth’s skills are on display in a major way, and with two wins at Dover and Texas already this season he should be considered armed and dangerous in Kansas this weekend. Then there is Trevor Bayne’s feel good story of the year as the kid somehow managed to win the Daytona 500.

The hot team in NASCAR is RFR. However, ignore the other teams at your peril. Last week there was a lot of tunnel vision on RFR, and despite leading 244 of 400 laps a RFR driver did not win the race. Funny things happen when you race a ridiculous 600 miles—just ask Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Ironically, at Kansas the last two out of three races have been won on fuel mileage so it is possible Junior could run out of gas again.

Pick! Greg Biffle, No. 16, +800

STP 400 Lucky Dog Long Odds

You don’t hear as much about Kenseth as you about Edwards or Biffle, but if he wins on Sunday you might. When it comes to the intermediate tracks, Kenseth has led more than twice as many laps as Edwards and has been very fast recently. At Kansas Kenseth boasts two Top-5s and four Top-10s and will certainly look to dominate qualifiers like he did at Las Vegas when he won the pole.

Pick! Matt Kenseth, No. 17, +1200

STP 400 Top-Three Finish

Kevin Harvick has never met an opportunity he didn’t like, and once again managed to be in the right place at the right time winning the Coca-Cola 600 after leading for a grand total of two laps! Harvick leads all drivers with three wins this year, and in races he hasn’t won he’s notched five Top-5s and seven Top-10s. Harvick moved up three spots in the standings to second place, 36 points behind Edwards and gaining fast. At Kansas Harvick finished third last year and has recorded three Top-10 finishes in the last four races. So, like usual, look for NASCAR’s best closer to be in the mix at the end of the race.

Pick! Kevin Harvick, No. 29 (+300)

STP 400 – Odds to finish Top-Three
Kansas Speedway – June 5, 2011 1:15 p.m.

150 AJ Allmendinger +1500
151 Bobby Labonte +3000
152 Brad Keselowski +3000
153 Brian Vickers +1500
154 Carl Edwards +120
155 Clint Bowyer +600
156 Dale Earnhardt Jr +600r
157 David Ragan +1200
158 David Reutimann +1500
159 Denny Hamlin +300
160 Greg Biffle +225
161 Jamie McMurray +1200
162 Jeff Burton +900
163 Jeff Gordon +350
164 Jimmie Johnson +200
165 Joey Logano +900
166 Juan Pablo Montoya +1200
167 Kasey Kahne +700
168 Kevin Harvick +300
169 Kurt Busch +900
170 Kyle Busch +225
171 Marcos Ambrose +1500
172 Mark Martin +900
173 Martin Truex Jr +1500
174 Matt Kenseth +350
175 Paul Menard +2000
176 Regan Smith +3000
177 Ryan Newman +1200
178 Tony Stewart +300
179 Field (Any Other Driver) +3000

STP 400 – Odds to win
Kansas Speedway – June 5, 2011 1:15 p.m.

101 AJ Allmendinger +5000
102 Bobby Labonte +8000
103 Brad Keselowski +8000
104 Brian Vickers +5000
105 Carl Edwards +450
106 Clint Bowyer +2000
107 Dale Earnhardt Jr +2000
108 David Ragan +4000
109 David Reutimann +5000
110 Denny Hamlin +1000
111 Greg Biffle +800
112 Jamie McMurray +4000
113 Jeff Burton +3000
114 Jeff Gordon +1200
115 Jimmie Johnson +600
116 Joey Logano +3000
117 Juan Pablo Montoya +4000
118 Kasey Kahne +2500
119 Kevin Harvick +1000
120 Kurt Busch +3000
121 Kyle Busch +750
122 Marcos Ambrose +5000
123 Mark Martin +3000
124 Martin Truex Jr +5000
125 Matt Kenseth +1200
126 Paul Menard +7500
127 Regan Smith +8000
128 Ryan Newman +4000
129 Tony Stewart +1000
130 Field (Any Other Driver) +8000