NASCAR Sprint Cup - Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500

Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 Preview

The clock is ticking on the Chase for the Cup. NASCAR betting is down to two races, with the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 this weekend. Phoenix International Raceway is a nasty one-mile oval in which drivers much battle sharp corners and the dry desert heat.

Points leader Jimmie Johnson is among the most successful drivers in Avondale. He's placed inside the Top 10 in 10 of his 12 starts there and is listed as a +400 race favorite for this weekend. The No. 48 ran into some trouble at Texas last weekend, finishing in 38th after getting involved in a wreck. That was Johnson's worst finish of the season and snapped his streak of seven straight Top 10 showings.

Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Mark Martin, is priced at +500 for Arizona. The veteran is still trying to win his first Cup title but currently sits 73 points off the lead. Martin is hoping for another winning performance at Phoenix after taking the pole and the checkered flag there for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 back in April. The No. 6 team bounced back from a bad day at Talladega with a fourth-place showing in Texas last Sunday.

Coming in at +800 this weekend are Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart, who are eighth and fifth in the Cup standings respectively. Hamlin had a strong showing at Texas last weekend, playing the fuel game right and finishing in second place. He's only made eight career starts at Avondale, but boasts an average finish of 10.4 and has placed inside the Top 5 four times. He's also finished in the Top 10 in three straight events in Arizona.

Stewart will be going all out in the final two races of the season. He wrapped in sixth place last weekend, rebounding from a rough run at Talladega two weeks ago. The No. 14 car was great at Phoenix earlier this year, placing in second back in April. Stewart owns an average finish of 10.1 at the one-mile oval and has one victory there, which came in his first trip to Avondale back in 1999.