OK, we’ve got the Sprint Cup Series at Pocono coming up August 2 at the Pocono Raceway. This will coming right off the heels of the always heated Brickyard in Indianapolis, so emotions will still be running high. Not that you’d need any more incentive to lay down a few bets on your favorites. Let’s take a look at the race and see what’s in store.

This track is a beast, for one thing. It’s more or less a triangle, so the unique strategy needed to compete here can play havoc for a race team. It’s slower than a Daytona track, as well.

Here’s most of what you need to know for your nascar betting info. Jeff Gordon has historically performed very well here. Going back just a couple years to 2007, he finished in the top 5 both times the race was here, and won it during the June race. He’s very comfortable in the track, and that’ll prove a huge advantage this time around. I’d take him in a straight money line bet against anyone except Kasey Kahne, whose also a recent winner here.

Gordon vs. the field is also not a bad bet. Jeff only has one win on the season, and I get the feeling he’s due to break out and score another one before the summer’s over. Depending on where they put the payoff, a field bet might just be worth the risk here.

The winners the last two years have been the aforementioned Kahne and Carl Edwards, both of whom join Gordon in the top 10 of the standings currently. Gordon, however, is number 2, putting in one of his stronger seasons of the last few years, and has to be considered one of the favorites here. I wouldn’t necessarily worry too much about who grabs the pole. Gordon knows how to work from behind and still make his presence felt.

Avoid taking any of the other top 10 against the field, it’s not worth the risk, and they haven’t proven enough to take the gamble on them. And in case you’re wondering, neither Kahne nor Edwards has won a single race so far this year. So while they’ve had success on this track, it’s not enough to throw blind faith and dollars on a field bet their way. Make the smart move and spread your bets around, take them against other drivers for a smaller return, and bet Gordon against the field for that one longer-shot bet with the nice payoff.