The first of four scheduled Excursions to Virginia is on Sunday, March 24th Using the 71st running of Their STP 500 at the Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.

The Martinsville Speedway is the shortest trail in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The STP 500 is the first of two races here with the second one being the First Data 500 in the NASCAR Playoffs.

Clint Bowyer won the race last year and this year, another loaded field is set to go into the race with various drivers that can definitely win the event. Let’s take a look at who the oddsmakers believe are likely to function as drivers to watch this weekend.

“Racing” The Favorites

Kyle Busch is the betting favorite to win the STP 500. After winning the Ticket Guardian 500 at Arizona last March 10th, Busch kept the speed with another success at the Auto Club 400 in California. With back to back wins in the last two weekends, no question Kyle Busch deserves to be the +162 favorite here. Busch has finished no lower than 6th place in six from the past seven races entire and when it concerns the STP 500, he won here in 2016, finished runner-up from the previous two decades and has put at 5th in each of his last seven appearances here at the Martinsville Speedway.

Martin Truex Jr. place 8th a week in the Auto Club Speedway. The 2017 Dragon Energy NASCAR Series Cup winner has five Top 10 finishes in seven races this season including three in the Top 5. Heading to the weekend, Trues has finished no worse than fourth in his last three races in the Martinsville Speedway.

2017 winner Brad Keselowski has placed at least 6th in four out of the last six appearances at the STP 500. Keselowski also enjoys racing in the Martinsville Speedway as he has finished no lower than 5th in six from his last eight races here.

Joey Logano ended next to Busch at California last weekend but while he came up short again, Logano has three Top 5 finishes already this year, including a win in the Pennzoil 400 last month at Las Vegas. It’s interesting that he’s won just once here in Martinsville Speedway but that victory came in his final race here, the First Data 500 last October 2018.

Denny Hamlin has not picked up a victory because his triumph in the Daytona 500 last season but he has definitely been consistent. Hamlin is averaging a 6.8 ending in his first five races this year and is doing a fantastic job holding his own at the Drivers Championship. Hamlin has won here thrice, the last being in 2015, with just Richard Petty, Darren Waltrip, and Rusty Wallace winning over him. He also holds two successes in the Martinsville Speedway while hurrying in the Camping Truck World Series.

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