Johnson Favored to Win 4th Consecutive UAW-Dodge 400

With another West Coast race coming up in the Sprint Cup, all eyes are on Jimmie Johnson who has won the UAW-Dodge 400 three straight times and is favored to win his fourth this week.

Following a dismal 27th place finish in the Daytona 500, Johnson knew he had a lot to prove. Racing under the Hendrick Motorsports Powerhouse with other talented drivers like Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr, Johnson is no stranger to the spotlight. But, can he keep it on him heading into this week’s race?

The biggest question marks surrounding the Las Vegas track are Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. While Earnhardt seems to have a new resolve this year, he had a rough time in the Auto 500 in Fontana, getting clipped by Casey Mears and finishing 40th with a damaged car. In spite of that disappointing outcome, Earnhardt stands a good chance of placing well in Las Vegas, especially with Hendrick standing behind him.

Kyle Busch, who is leading the Sprint Cup in points, has had two strong finishes so far. He placed 4th in both the Daytona 500 and the Auto 500. This string of consistency is what separates drivers from the rest of the pack and Kyle Busch is one of the strongest so far this year if you go on stats alone.

But there are always those wild cards. Among the list are the usual suspects of Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, who both had top 10 finishes at Fontana. The not-so-obvious threats include Ryan Newman, who many believe does not have a chance of keeping up his current momentum, but I believe he can if he keeps his focus through the media blitz that has suddenly surrounded him.

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A final driver to keep your eye on is Kasey Kahne, who placed in the top 10 in both races so far and has seemed to fly under the radar so far. But with the right placement on the track and strategy with his Gillette Evernham Motorsports Teammates, he may be gracing the headlines before you know it, but it’s a long shot that it will be the UAW-Dodge 400 that will do it.

By Angela Moore
Pro Racing Fans Staff Writer

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