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NASCAR Betting Odds: Back to the short tracks! There are some fans out there who just watch all of the short track races because the action is absolutely intense when the drivers are practically always making left turns. Unlike Martinsville, a track that is relatively flat and is short, Bristol Motor Speedway features high banks, and as a result, there are a ton of opportunities for both making up ground and making big time mistakes. The Food City 500 is the first of two races on the year at Bristol, and it's one that can really make a dream come true for a driver who hopes to basically cement a place in the Chase relatively early in the season.
Catch all of the high-speed thrills and chills of the 2018 Food City 500 on Sunday, April 15 at 2 p.m. ET live on FOX.
2018 Food City 500 At a Glance
Racetrack: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN
Track Length: 0.533 miles
Total Laps: 500
There have been some tremendous moments at Bristol over the years. We've seen teammates wreck each other and have massive words in the garage over it, we've seen wrecks involving at least a dozen cars, we've seen a couple finishes that have involved bumping right at the finish line – including once in 1997 when Jeff Gordon beat out Rusty Wallace because he turned him on the final turn. The Food City 500 was also the site of Dale Jarrett's final race in 2008. These are the moments that make Bristol truly special and is why this is always a favorite stop on the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup circuit.
List of Food City 500 Winners (Since 2000)
Year |
Winner |
Team |
Manufacturer |
2016 |
Carl Edwards |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
Toyota |
2015 |
Matt Kenseth |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
Toyota |
2014 |
Carl Edwards |
Roush Fenway Racing |
Ford |
2013 |
Kasey Kahne |
Hendrick Motorsports |
Chevrolet |
2012 |
Brad Keselowski |
Penske Racing |
Dodge |
2011 |
Kyle Busch |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
Toyota |
2010 |
Jimmie Johnson |
Hendrick Motorsports |
Chevrolet |
2009 |
Kyle Busch |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
Toyota |
2008 |
Jeff Burton |
Richard Childress Racing |
Chevrolet |
2007 |
Kyle Busch |
Hendrick Motorsports |
Chevrolet |
2006 |
Kurt Busch |
Penske Racing |
Dodge |
2005 |
Kevin Harvick |
Richard Childress Racing |
Chevrolet |
2004 |
Kurt Busch |
Roush Racing |
Ford |
2003 |
Kurt Busch |
Roush Racing |
Ford |
2002 |
Kurt Busch |
Roush Racing |
Ford |
2001 |
Elliott Sadler |
Wood Brothers Racing |
Ford |
2000 |
Rusty Wallace |
Penske Racing |
Ford |
We know we're going to have a new winner of the Food City 500 this year. Carl Edwards has retired, and with it, he leaves the throne to the Food City 500 open for someone else to snare. He drove to Victory Lane twice in the last three seasons, the former of which was as a Roush driver, and the latter of which came with Joe Gibbs Racing. JGR has now put three different drivers in Victory Lane at the Food City 500 just since 2011, Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. Also notable? The two Busch brothers, Kyle and Kurt, combined to win this race seven times from 2002 through 2011.
Most Career Wins (By Driver) at Food City 500
Wins |
Driver |
Years |
6 |
Rusty Wallace |
1986, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2000 |
5 |
Darrell Waltrip |
1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 |
5 |
Dale Earnhardt |
1979, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1994 |
4 |
Cale Yarborough |
1973, 1974, 1976, 1977 |
4 |
Jeff Gordon |
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 |
4 |
Kurt Busch |
2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 |
We've heard the term "short track specialist" before, and you can definitely see what that means when you look at the drivers who have won the Food City 500 at least four times all-time. Not only did Jeff Gordon win this race four times, but he did it four years in a row from 1995 through 1998. Darrell Waltrip? He pulled off the back-to-back-to-back-to-back as well from 1981 through 1984 as a part of his five career victories at the Food City 500. But they're all chasing Rusty Wallace, a man who came oh so close to winning this race time and time again but still won it six times ranging from 1986 through 2000.
Most Career Wins (By Team) at Food City 500
Wins |
NASCAR Team |
Years Won |
7 |
Junior Johnson & Associates |
1965, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 |
7 |
Hendrick Motorsports |
1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2010, 2013 |
6 |
Penske Racing |
1991, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2012 |
5 |
Holman-Moody |
1963, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1971 |
5 |
Richard Childress Racing |
1985, 1987, 1994, 2005, 2008 |
Talk about going old school! Junior Johnson & Associates hasn't been around in darn near three decades, and yet, this is the team that leads all-time Food City 500 victories. Hendrick Motorsports has been trying since 2013 to move into that top spot by themselves with an eighth win all-time in the Bristol Spring race, but it just hasn't happened yet. In fact, none of the teams that are on this list have won the Food City 500 since 2013 when Hendrick got to Victory Lane thanks to Kasey Kahne. Joe Gibbs Racing is catching up quickly, as it has four wins all-time, all of which have come since 2009.
Most Career Wins (By Manufacturer) at Food City 500
Wins |
Manufacturer |
Last Win |
22 |
Chevrolet |
2013 |
17 |
Ford |
2014 |
5 |
Pontiac |
1993 |
5 |
Dodge |
2012 |
4 |
Toyota |
2016 |
2 |
Buick |
1982 |
1 |
Plymouth |
1962 |
This is an old school race for sure, and as a result, there's a lot of old school manufacturers on this list. Then again, Buick and Plymouth only combined to win three races. Toyota has been on the rise for sure, and it wouldn't be shocking if this manufacturer got up to third best behind Chevy and Ford in no time flat with its four wins just since '09. Ford drivers, in fact, have just one win in the Food City 500 since 2004, that coming in 2014 when Edwards crossed the line first at Bristol.
How to bet on Nascar Food City 500
The odds of a driver to win the Food City 500 will generally look something like:
- Jeff Gordon + 200
- Mark Martin + 250
- Jeff Burton + 300
- Bill Elliott + 700
- Robby Gordon + 700
- Field + 500
These betting odds will be lower when betting on a driver to finish in the top three, as the sportsbook must pay off three different winning bets.
A player would have to bet $10 to win $20 that Jeff Gordon will win the Food City 500, while the bettor wagering on Bill Elliott stands to win $70 on their $10 wager.
Another commonly placed bet in NASCAR is head-to-head finish between two drivers. With this bet, a player doesn't really care what place the driver finishes in, as long as the driver finishes higher than the other driver.
A head-to-head betting line for the Food City 500 will look something like:
- Mark Martin - 130 Jeff Burton + 110
In this bet, players wagering on Martin to finish higher than Burton will be asked to risk $13 to win $10, while bettors believing that Burton will finish higher than Martin will bet $10 to win $11.
Those familiar with sports betting will have no trouble making the transition to NASCAR wagering, while those new to the world of sports betting should be able to pick up the concepts of NASCAR betting without too much hassle.
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