The Sports Bookie Blog

New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts
NFC Championship Game
Sunday, 24th January 2010- Kickoff 3pm
Bookmaker Odds : Colts -7.5 

The Super Bowl line still has the Indianapolis Colts favored after two rounds of the playoffs and there is little reason to believe that it will change the rest of the way.

A lot of people are wondering if the Colts should have taken care of business – in other words, disposed of the New York Jets – when they had the chance back in Week 15 but the reality is that the Jets did the Colts a favor.

The Colts don’t have to face the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship and thanks to the Baltimore Ravens, they don’t have to face the New England Patriots either. Those have been the two toughest teams for the Colts. This game should be easier.

Last Week
The Colts were big favorites over the Baltimore Ravens and they took care of business rather easily. The Ravens brought their running game to town and left with it and their tail between their legs. Baltimore was extremely sloppy with the football, turning it over a few times and the end result was a 20-3 Colts win.

Meanwhile, the Jets were the biggest underdog on the board last week in San Diego and they were particularly impressive. For a second straight week, the Jets ran all over an opponent and played good defense. They won 17-14 but they really won on the strength of three Nate Kaeding missed field goals. In a three-point game, it’s hard to argue that the Jets didn’t get lucky.

This Week
The NFL odds don’t favor the Jets this week and for a third week in a row, they are an underdog. They upset the Cincinnati Bengals, then the San Diego Chargers, but doing the same to the No. 1 seed in the AFC will be their toughest test. For starters, the Jets are on the road for the third straight week and that’s always difficult. Fatigue tends to creep in when teams are forced to travel around so much.

The Colts have to do one thing to win this game: stop the Jets running attack. When teams are typically this one dimensional, they end up losing at these points in the season.

With Peyton Manning, a lethal passing game and an underrated defense, the Colts will be too much for the Jets.

NFL Pick : Take the INDIANAPOLIS Colts -7.5 to win and cover 

The National Football League (NFL) recently announced that it would allow advertising for Las Vegas casinos during the postseason playoff games, including the Super Bowl.

This is a significant change in attitude for an organization that has, in the past, come out harshly against gambling in all forms.  

The NFL is one of the main supporters of the UIGEA (the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, the hotly debated law that seeks to outlaw Internet poker and online casinos in the U.S.). In addition, the NFL is among the organizations that lobby most to ensure online gambling remains prohibited.

This is, of course, after ensuring that there are specific carveouts and exclusions for “fantasy football betting pools” which proliferate online and generate significant prize-money. The NFL promotes online gambling whenever IT gets a slice of the profits!

So perhaps the NFL is noticing the downturn in advertising revenue this season? Perhaps the NFL wants to cash in on the SuperBowl, the biggest advertising event in the United States?

For whatever reason the Associated Press (AP) are reporting that “Under the modified policy, tourist destinations that allow gambling, such as Las Vegas, Reno or Lake Tahoe in Nevada, will now be permitted to advertise during NFL games from Jan. 4, 2010, to Feb. 28, 2010″.

Is this a sign that the NFL is perhaps slowly leveraging itself to reap the profits in the event that online gambling becomes legal in the United States ?

Or is it perhaps just an other act of hypocrisy from one of the United States’ most powerful sporting bodies?

IF you’d like to explore online betting at a top quality bookmaker or offshore sportsbook then check out our Bookmaker and Sportsbook review directory.

GoonersGuide.com provides independant gambling reviews, sports betting tips, previews, and bookmaker odds for club and international games played in Europe.

There are sections for English Premier League, Italian Serie A, UEFA Champions League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga.

US sports are covered with NFL Football and College Football picks online as well.

PADDY POWER REFUND €250,000 AFTER FRENCH DECEPTION

After Ireland were cheated out of a place in the 2010 World Cup Finals tonight with a blatant hand ball by French football thief Thierry Henry, Ireland’s biggest bookie Paddy Power are refunding over €110,000 to punters who backed Ireland to qualify for next years Finals.

Paddy Power are refunding a further €140,000 on tonights game after they pledged to refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast bets placed on the match if Ireland won the game in 90-minutes.

Paddy Power said, “Luck of the Irish me arse!  Not only did FIFA change the rules to protect the big teams, but then we drew France and that dirty little thief Henry cheats us out of a place in the World Cup. After all that we’re only too happy to put our hand in our pocket and hopefully ease some of the pain for our patriotic punters”

2010 World Cup
Outright Betting
9/2      Spain
5/1      Brazil
6/1      England
9/1      Argentina
11/1    Germany
12/1    Holland
14/1    Italy
16/1    France
18/1    Portugal
20/1    Russia

All prices remain subject to fluctuation check Paddy Power’s betting website for the latest odds.

PUNTERS ABANDON IRELAND AS GREEN DREAM FADES
-Bookies forced to cut odds on match not being shown live-

According to Paddy Power Irish punters are waking up to the belief that their World Cup dream is well and truly over with the bookie reporting less than €200 wagered on the Boys in Green successfully qualifying for next years Finals since their defeat at the hands of the French in Croke Park. 

In an effort to entice patriotic punters into backing Ireland Paddy Power pushed Ireland’s qualification odds from 7/1 to 8/1 but this move resulted in only one bet of €20. Paddy Power have also pledged to refund a variety of losing bets on  Wednesday’s match should Ireland win the game in normal time.

Paddy Power said “We literally cannot give Ireland away at the moment.  Punters seem to believe it’s the end of the line for the boys but we all know the impact an early Irish goal would have on Wednesday so I wouldn’t be inclined to throw in the towel so fast”

As the ongoing dispute between the French Football Federation and Irish broadcasters intensifies Paddy Power have slashed the odds on Wednesday’s game NOT being televised from 6/1 to 2/1 second-favourite.  

The national broadcaster RTE remains favourite to televise the match live but have drifted in the betting from 1/4 to 1/3 amid growing concerns that a deal will not be struck in time.

WORLD CUP BETTING ODDS AT PADDY POWER

To Qualify for the World Cup
1/25    France
8/1      Ireland

Betting on Wednesday’s Return Leg
8/15    France
11/4    Draw
6/1      Ireland

Who will show the 2nd Leg?
 1/3     RTE
 2/1     Not Shown
 8/1     Sky One
12/1     TV3

A goalless draw was just about the right score as a Greece side held off a Ukraine team that played too defensively after an enterprising first half-hour.

The conservative Greeks threw a little more caution to the wind in the second half but without exerting too much pressure on a solid Ukrainian rearguard, leaving the tie level at 0-0 ahead of Wednesday’s return game in Donetsk.

The Ukraine are favoured to progress now at a best price of 1.91 to win at Ladbrokes, while Greece are at 5.41 at PinnacleSports to win away from home

 Get Live Sportsbook betting odds for the Ukraine v Greece second leg

Switzerland stole the show at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Final in Abuja, dashing Nigeria’s hopes of crowning an exciting tournament with a title on home soil.

Taking part in the competition for the first time in their modest history, the Swiss made light of their status as newcomers to win the country’s maiden FIFA title.

No one can argue that the unfancied Swiss did not deserve their success either.

After beating Brazil, Mexico, Germany and Italy along the way, the central Europeans won the trophy the hard way, earning a 1-0 win against the hosts and defending champions in front of a passionate 60,000 crowd at the National Stadium.

The NHL returns this Thursday and here’s a quick summary of betting action from the crew at BetOnline.com. Compare BetOnline to other popular offshore sportsbooks for US and Canadian bettors. 

Can Sidney Crosby and the Penguins defend the Stanley Cup?

ANAHEIM DUCKS - Stanley Cup Odds: +2000

Weren’t the Ducks supposed to be rebuilding? Thanks to some astute moves by management, they’re ready to contend again. Anaheim boasts one of the league’s premier first lines in Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan and should improve as Saku Koivu and Joffrey Lupul give the Ducks secondary scoring. The Ducks could surprise.

ATLANTA THRASHERS - Stanley Cup Odds: +10000

Expect more of the same in one of the NHL’s worst hockey cities. Rookie Evander Kane has a bright future but may not make the team this season. The Thrashers must improve to keep Ilya Kovalchuk interested in re-signing but Toronto imports Nik Antropov and Pavel Kubina may not be enough to do that.

BOSTON BRUINS - Stanley Cup Odds: +900

2008-09 was a banner year for Boston, it they dominated the Eastern Conference in the regular season, but that was just the beginning. This team is young, massive up front, defensively sound and cohesive. The East – and maybe even the Stanley Cup – is Boston’s to lose this season.

BUFFALO SABRES - Stanley Cup Odds: +5000

It’s strange to see a team that clearly needs some tinkering do nothing to improve in the offseason. The Sabres are fast up front and strong in goal but will get bullied by tougher teams and have zero talent on defense. Don’t expect a playoff berth.

CALGARY FLAMES - Stanley Cup Odds: +2000

Calgary plugged a hole in the offseason, bolstering its defense by acquiring Jay Bouwmeester and defensive-minded coach Brent Sutter. However, the Flames didn’t replace Mike Cammalleri or Todd Bertuzzi on offense. They’ll have to hope Mikael Backlund is NHL-ready if they want to contend.

CAROLINA HURRICANES - Stanley Cup Odds: +2500

After scuffling for a few seasons, the ’Canes have regained the form that made them Cup champs in 2006. They rely on stellar goaltending from Cam Ward and great depth and size at forward. If they can acquire help on “D,” they could make noise in the East again.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS - Stanley Cup Odds: +800

The envy of practically every fan and GM out there, the Blackhawks have it all. They have a dynamic group of forwards led by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews and a dynamite blueline anchored by Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. They only thing between Chicago and a Final berth is Cristobal Huet. Can he become a No.1 goalie again? 

COLORADO AVALANCHE - Stanley Cup Odds: +6000

The Joe Sakic era ended and took Colorado’s competitiveness with it. The Avs are several years away from contending again and will spend this season developing Matt Duchene while preparing for another top-five draft selection.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS - Stanley Cup Odds: +5000

Everything finally clicked for the Blue Jackets last season, as they earned their first-ever playoff berth. However, we should still temper our expectations this season. They depend heavily on Rick Nash for offense and Steve Mason for defense. It’s too early to tell if the supporting cast can step it up now.

DALLAS STARS - Stanley Cup Odds: +3000

The consensus in hockey betting circles is that the Stars are a total mystery this season. They went from darkhorse Cup contender to non-playoff team in one season. After management pinched pennies this summer, it’s hard to imagine a big improvement in the Lone Star State.

DETROIT RED WINGS - Stanley Cup Odds: +450

The Wings seem like they’ll contend for all eternity, largely because they’re so good at rebuilding from within. They lost Marian Hossa but Darren Helm, Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson are just the latest group of home-grown talents who will become stalwarts. Detroit has tougher competition this year but will be in the hunt.

EDMONTON OILERS - Stanley Cup Odds: +3000

Can the Oilers finally live up to their potential? They have youth and speed to spare and a legit No. 1 goalie in Nikolai Khabibulin. Now it’s up to Pat Quinn to prove he can translate his success coaching Canada’s world juniors into success with a young NHL team. The Oil should compete for the last playoff seed in the West.

FLORIDA PANTHERS - Stanley Cup Odds: +5000

The Panthers came within a hair of playoff hockey last season and won’t be satisfied if they don’t reach the big dance this year. They have some good young forwards but Jay Bouwmeester’s departure will sting; a regression could happen.

LOS ANGELES KINGS - Stanley Cup Odds: +6000

Sleeper alert! Like the Blackhawks a couple of years ago, the Kings have lurked in the Western Conference basement for years, stockpiling high draft picks and young talent. One of these years, the young core will break through and become a playoff team. This could be that year.

MINNESOTA WILD - Stanley Cup Odds: +3000

Minny’s defensive style may have departed with Jacques Lemaire. New management wants to convert the Wild to an up-tempo, offensive team, but that may not be a good thing for Minnesota just yet. The defense-first system maximized role players’ potential and generated wins without top-flight talent. A run-and-gun attack only works on a team with lots of scorers and the Wild don’t have many yet. A playoff berth is wishful thinking.

MONTREAL CANADIENS - Stanley Cup Odds: +3000

Has a team ever made itself over so significantly in one offseason? Montreal built a new, veteran blueline through free agency and imported several small, creative forwards in Cammalleri, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta. The end result will be much of the same; Montreal will score plenty and get pushed around by their tougher divisional rivals.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS - Stanley Cup Odds: +6000

The Preds have the defensive tools to be a shutdown team but they’re offensively challenged up front. Unless Steve Sullivan stays healthy and jumpstarts Nashville’s attack, Music City will be on the outside of the playoff picture again.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS - Stanley Cup Odds: +2000

After an exciting season in which the Devils finally loosened up and scored some goals, the vintage Devils may return this season. Jacques Lemaire, the man who built New Jersey’s system, returns. Is New Jersey’s speedy unit suited to his strategy, though? This is a playoff team, but we could see growing pains.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS - Stanley Cup Odds: +10000

One man can only do so much. John Tavares should become a top-notch scorer and will give Isles fans something to cheer for, but this is still a bad, bad hockey team years away from relevancy.

NEW YORK RANGERS - Stanley Cup Odds: +2500

The high-profile Broadway Blueshirts will be competitive. However, unless Marian Gaborik stays healthy and really jumpstarts the offense, the Rangers could be a bust this season. Competitors like Ottawa and Toronto improved dramatically in the offseason and want to steal a low seeding from New York.

OTTAWA SENATORS - Stanley Cup Odds: +4800

Even if they could’ve gotten more for Dany Heatley, Ottawa got better in the summer – maybe a lot better. Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo give Ottawa a second good scoring line for the first time in years and Pascal Leclaire could be the goalie the city’s been waiting for…if he stays healthy.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS - Stanley Cup Odds: +1500

It’s a fun time for Flyer fans, as Philly has oodles of scoring talent and Chris Pronger seriously bolsters the blueline. The big question mark is Ray Emery. If he shows up, the Flyers are Cup contenders. If not, they’ll stay in the second tier.

PHOENIX COYOTES - Stanley Cup Odds: +10000

Maybe all the talk of moving to Hamilton is a distraction from how bad they were last season. The Coyotes disappointed in 2008-09 but the news isn’t all bad; they have plenty of good young players and could take a big leap forward any time.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS - Stanley Cup Odds: +500

The Pens proved last year that two or three superstars with little else can win you a Stanley Cup. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury ran the show while deadline acquisitions like Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin filled the gaps. There’s no reason to think the Pens can’t make another deep run, though the young defenseman must step up after unsung heroes Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill left town.

ST. LOUIS BLUES - Stanley Cup Odds: +4000

Is the development phase officially over in St. Louis? Young as can be and full of rising offensive talent, the Blues are positioned to contend for the next decade. They may have been slightly ahead of schedule in making the playoffs last year, so a tiny step backward could happen, but the Blues’ future is bright.

SAN JOSE SHARKS - Stanley Cup Odds: +700

After years of “is this the year?” talk, it’s time to wonder if this is the year San Jose’s cup dream ends. The Sharks thinned out their roster to get Dany Heatley and have one year of Patrick Marleau left; if the Sharks don’t win this season, it may be time to rebuild.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING - Stanley Cup Odds: +6000

Always a tough team to handicap, the Lightning have the talent to improve dramatically. Steven Stamkos broke out late last year and could be a dynamic offensive presence alongside Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. Who knows how ultra defensive prospect Victor Hedman will transition to the NHL? Tampa probably won’t make the playoffs but could inch closer.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS - Stanley Cup Odds: +10000

One of the busiest teams this offseason, Brian Burke’s Leafs are bigger, tougher, stronger and more talented, especially after acquiring Phil Kessel. The blueline rocks but the Leafs are still shallow offensively and a lot has to go right for them to make the playoffs.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS - Stanley Cup Odds: +2000

Vancouver seemed overrated entering last season; now, it may be underrated. Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows have transformed Vancouver into a two-line team. With tough “D” and elite goaltending from Roberto Luongo, the Canucks are good enough to earn home ice in the first round of the playoffs.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS - Stanley Cup Odds: +1000

The Caps are maddening. They’re loaded with scorers, as exciting as any team in the league, but did nothing to improve their thin defense. We should expect Washington to match last year’s solid effort, not improve on it.

Free in-depth NHL previews are available on site at BetOnline.com

This news release is contributed by the team at Bookmaker.com. This betting site is popular with American and Canadian sports bettors. For player reviews visit GoonersGuide to gambling for the latest player review of Bookmaker.com.

CHAMPIONS TOUR - CONSTELLATION ENERGY SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, Baltimore Country Club (East Course), Timonium, Maryland

The major championship season wraps up this week with the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship. Last year, D.A. Weibring closed with rounds of 66-68 to knock off Fred Funk by a single stroke. For Weibring, it was his first major championship title on any tour. It was his fifth win on the Champions Tour to go with five wins on the PGA Tour.

Weibring will defend his title this week against a field that includes three of the four major champions from this season. Senior PGA Champion Michael Allen is playing on the PGA Tour this week, while Senior British Open winner Loren Roberts, U.S. Senior Open champ Fred Funk and JELD-WEN Tradition champion Mike Reid will be at Baltimore Country Club with Weibring. Roberts won this title in 2007.

This is the fifth oldest event on the Champions Tour, dating to 1983. There have only been two playoffs and six players won this title in their first appearance.

Golf Channel will have two hours of coverage the first two days, while NBC takes over on Saturday and Sunday. After taking next week off, the Champions Tour returns to action October 16th with the Administaff Small Business Classic, where Bernhard Langer won last year.

PGA TOUR TURNING STONE RESORT CHAMPIONSHIP, Atunyote Golf Club at Turning Stone Resort, Verona, New York

Dustin Johnson broke through for his first PGA Tour win at this event last year. Johnson birdied the final two holes to deny Robert Allenby the title. Allenby has won four times on the PGA Tour, but is winless since the 2001 season. The win for Johnson was especially important since he entered the event ranked 128th on the money list with the top 125 keeping their tour cards for the following season. Not only did he secure his tour card for two years with the victory, he soared into the top 50 on the money list. Along with that, the win also helped Johnson secure spots in all four majors in 2009. He shared 30th at the Masters, tied for 40th at the U.S. Open, missed the cut at the British and shared 10th place at the PGA Championship.

The Turning Stone Resort kicks off the Fall Finish on the PGA Tour. With the race for the FedEx Cup over, the focus will be one those trying to keep their tour cards for next season. Among those around the top 125 on the money list entering this week are former PGA Champion Rich Beem, former British Open winners David Duval and Todd Hamilton, Stuart Appleby, Tim Herron, Chris DiMarco and Harrison Frazar, who is No. 125 entering this week.

Golf Channel has coverage of all four rounds this week from 4-6 p.m. (ET).A fter a week off for the Presidents Cup, the PGA Tour returns to action in Las Vegas with the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Marc Turnesa was victorious there last year.

EUROPEAN TOUR ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP, Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, Fife Scotland

The European Tour hosts its annual pro-am this week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The event rotates over three courses — Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and the Old Course at St. Andrews. The final round will be contested on the Old Course. Robert Karlsson returned to action last week for the first time since May after dealing with an eye infection. Last year, Karlsson fended off Ross Fisher and Martin Kaymer with a birdie on the first playoff hole to secure his ninth European Tour title.

Former champions Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie, Paul Lawrie, Lee Westwood and Nick Dougherty re all in the field this week. Golf Channel will broadcast four hours of action the first three days, then five hours of play on Sunday.The European Tour returns to Spain next week for the Madrid Masters, where Charl Schwartzel won in 2008.

LPGA TOUR NAVISTAR LPGA CLASSIC, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Capitol Hill - The Senator), Prattville, Alabama

Lorena Ochoa parred the second playoff hole last year to defeat Candie Kung and Cristie Kerr to win the Navistar LPGA Classic. The win for Ochoa was her seventh of the season, but first since May. She has won two events this season, but her last crown came in April. The final round was close throughout as seven players had at least a share of the lead. The three players in the playoff finished one stroke clear of Song- Hee Kim and Shanshan Feng, while five more payers were two shots back.Along with Ochoa, five of the top 10 players in the world are competing this week.Ochoa will be joined in the field by Suzann Pettersen, Kerr, Yani Tseng and In Kyung Kim.Golf Channel will have tape-delayed coverage of all four rounds this week. After three weeks off, the LPGA returns to action with the Hana Bank-KOLON Championship, where Kung won last year.

NATIONWIDE TOUR SOBOBA CLASSIC, The Country Club at Soboba Springs, San Jacinto, California

The Soboba Classic is a new event on the Nationwide Tour and will offer a $1 million purse. The field this week will include 18 of the top 20 players on the money list. Only No.1 Michael Sim, who graduated to the PGA Tour with his third win earlier this year, and Mathias Gronberg are scheduled to miss the tournament. Golf Channel has two hours of coverage all four days. Next week is the Chattanooga Classic, where Arjun Atwal won last year.

CANADIAN TOUR RIVIERA NAYARIT CLASSIC, Punta Mita Club de Golf (Pacifico Course), Nayarit, Mexico - This was the second event postponed earlier this year due to the Swine Flu outbreak. It is a new event on the Canadian Tour and will be the final stop of the 2009 season. Just nine of the top 20 players from Canadian Tour’s Order of Merit are scheduled to be in the field this week.

This blog post is provided courtesy of the team at BetOnline Sportsbook.

After kicking off the “Chase for the Sprint Cup” championship last Sunday at New Hampshire, round two of the playoffs moves to Dover, DE. Nationwide will join Sprint Cup at Dover, while Camping World Truck teams head to Las Vegas. Formula One gears up for the second nighttime running of the Singapore Grand Prix.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 - Dover International Speedway - Dover, DE

Last Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire began the first of the 10-race “Chase for the Sprint Cup” championship. Mark Martin, who entered the Chase as the top-seed, kept his points lead intact with the victory. Martin capitalized on a late-race pit strategy and then held off Juan Pablo Montoya and Denny Hamlin in a three-lap shootout for his first win at New Hampshire in 26 starts there. Martin won his fifth race of the season, which tied Harry Gant’s 1991 Cup Series record for most single-season victories by a driver 50 years of age or older. He now holds a 35-point lead over his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, as the series heads to the one-mile, concrete-surface Dover International Speedway.

Seven of the 12 drivers competing in the Chase have won at Dover. Martin, Johnson and Jeff Gordon lead all active, full-time drivers with four wins each there. Ryan Newman has won at Dover three times, compared to two for Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart. Carl Edwards has one victory there. “Dover is one of my very favorite racetracks on the whole circuit,” Martin said.”I really have been blessed with a lot of great race cars there. The cars seem to run really good there. [Crew chief] Alan [Gustafson] and our team are really excited about getting back there. I look forward to getting there.”

Johnson is looking for a season-sweep at Dover after winning the spring race there.He swept Dover in 2002, becoming the first rookie to win both races at the same track in the same season. Johnson also took the fall event there in 2005. Newman is the last driver to sweep Dover, doing it 2003. Newman, in his first year with Stewart-Haas Racing, holds the seventh spot in points (-76). He is just five markers behind his teammate and owner Stewart. Newman’s last win in the series came in the 2008 Daytona 500 when he drove for Penske Racing. After winning at Richmond and finishing second at New Hampshire, Hamlin carries a lot of momentum into Dover. But Hamlin considers “The Monster Mile” as one of his most challenging tracks.”It’s a racetrack that is almost like Talladega, you never know what can happen there,” Hamlin said.”You can get caught up in a wreck pretty easily. It’s a long, grueling race for us, and it’s very physically demanding.”

Hamlin’s best finish at Dover is fourth, which came in June 2007. Since then, he has finished 36th or worse there.With his third-place finish at New Hampshire, Montoya made the biggest gain in the championship standings, moving from 11th to fourth. He trails Martin by 55 points.Montoya, in his first career Chase race, started on the pole and led an event-high 105 laps.”The first race of the Chase, of course, you’re going to jump one way to another depending how you run,” Montoya said. “We had a very good day, and we gained a lot of grounds.At the same time, I think the leader is the only person that really counts right now.” Montoya is hoping to improve his track performance at Dover, where he has finished 30th and 39th in the last two races.Biffle, currently ninth in points (-92), won last year’s fall race at Dover. Biffle grabbed the lead from his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Matt Kenseth with eight laps to go and then held it for his second victory of the season. Kenseth, who led a race-high 136 laps, finished second. Edwards came in third to give Roush a 1-2-3 finish at Dover.

Biffle also won the week prior at New Hampshire. A Roush driver has won a Sprint Cup race at Dover in each of the last five years — Martin (2004), Biffle (2005 and ‘08), Kenseth (2006) and Edwards (2007). Forty-four teams are on the preliminary entry list for this weekend’s AAA 400. During the off-season, Dover underwent a pit-road renovation. The new 1,592- foot concrete wall extends from turn four down the frontstretch and into turn one.The construction allowed track officials to widen and improve pit road, which is now four feet wider. All 43 stalls are four feet longer than the previous length.

Nationwide Series Dover 200 - Dover International Speedway - Dover, DE

After taking a week off, the Nationwide Series returns to action on Saturday at Dover. Second-place Carl Edwards is currently 201 points behind leader Kyle Busch, but Edwards might be staging another late-season rally based on his most recent performance.Driving with a broken right foot at Richmond, Edwards qualified 39th but had to start from the rear of the field since his team changed the spark plugs prior to the start of the race. The Roush Fenway Racing driver beat Kevin Harvick out of the pits and took the lead for the first time during a caution with 24 laps to go.He held off Harvick at the finish for his fourth Nationwide victory of the season. Edwards has faced a triple-digit deficit in the series before. With eight races remaining in the 2008 season, he was 207 points behind Clint Bowyer before ending the year just 21 markers short of taking the title from Bowyer. “The Nationwide battle is still alive,” Edwards said. “We’ve got enough races left that a lot can happen. I feel like right now, in a way, that’s more important than what’s going on the Cup side.” Edwards has excelled on concrete-surfaced tracks, with five of his 24 career Nationwide wins coming on those tracks. He has finished sixth or better in the last five races at Dover, including a victory in the spring 2007 event. Bristol, Dover and Nashville are the concrete-surfaced tracks on the Nationwide circuit. Busch won at Dover for the first time one year ago. He appeared to be on his way to another victory there in May, but a late-race tangle with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano cost him the win. Brad Keselowski went to Victory Lane, while Busch ended up with a 17th-place finish after cutting a tire during the incident.Forty-four teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Dover 200.Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. are among the 10 Sprint Cup regulars competing in the event.Hamlin, Kenseth and Truex have two Nationwide victories each at Dover compared to one for Newman. Hamlin has won two of the last four races there.

Camping World Truck Series Las Vegas 350 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Las Vegas, NV

Ron Hornaday Jr.’s quest for a record-fourth Camping World Truck Series championship got a boost last Saturday at New Hampshire. Hornaday finished second to Kyle Busch and padded his lead to 217 points over Matt Crafton with six races remaining in the season. Crafton finished fourth.While Busch went to Victory Lane, Hornaday and his team owner Kevin Harvick quarreled on pit road when Harvick felt poor team communication cost them a possible victory. During the final 50 laps, Harvick made numerous attempts to pass Hornaday for position, but Hornaday would not allow him to get around — which apparently upset Harvick. Hornaday felt he didn’t make any mistakes while racing his boss.Now that the dust has settled at Kevin Harvick Inc., Hornaday is looking forward to Saturday’s race at Las Vegas. Hornaday holds the series record for career victories with 45, but has yet to win at 1.5-mile oval in the desert.”I have come really close to winning at Vegas,” Hornaday said. “This year, we have a really good shot at it. We have run pretty well at the 1.5-mile tracks. I’m really excited to get back there. This has sort of been the year of marking tracks off my list. I was finally able to win at Kentucky and Nashville earlier this year.” Three of the remaining six races this season are on intermediate (1.5-mile) tracks — Las Vegas, Texas and Homestead. Hornaday has scored six top-10 finishes in eight races at Las Vegas, with a best finish of second coming there in 1998, the year he won his second series title. He finished fifth in last year’s race.Mike Skinner is the defending race winner. Skinner, with three victories to his credit this year, is third in the championship standings, 246 points behind Hornaday, but only 26 in back of Crafton. Thirty-two teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Las Vegas 350, four short of a full field. Aric Almirola is scheduled to drive the No.51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota this week. Busch has driven the No.51 truck into Victory Lane five times so far this year. Almirola finished a career-best second earlier this month at Iowa.

FORMULA ONE Singapore Grand Prix - Marina Bay Street Circuit - Singapore

This weekend in Singapore, Renault returns to the scene that nearly cost the French team permanent expulsion from Formula One competition. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) handed Renault a two-year suspended ban on Monday after the team admitted to intentionally causing a crash in last year’s inaugural Singapore Grand Prix.Investigations by the Council and Renault found that team principal Flavio Briatore and executive director of engineering Pat Symonds, both of whom have now left the team, planned the crash with driver Nelson Piquet Jr. in order to benefit the race strategy of Fernando Alonso, who went on to win. Neither Alonso nor any other Renault personnel were aware of the conspiracy.

The FIA accused Renault of conspiring Piquet to cause a deliberate crash early in the race. The wreck forced the deployment of the safety car.  Alonso started on a light fuel load and made his first pit stop prior to Piquet’s accident. The safety car period helped Alonso move to the front of the field after starting 15th on the grid. Briatore has been banned indefinitely from any involvement in FIA-sanctioned motorsports, while Symonds received a five-year suspension. Piquet, who was fired by Renault in July, was granted immunity from sanction for volunteering his evidence in the investigation. Alonso also won the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks after Singapore, but has not recorded a victory since then. The Spaniard’s best finish this year is fifth, which came three times, most recently at Monza, Italy earlier this month. He has accumulated 20 world championship points so far this season.”The car is working well at most circuits, so I believe we are competitive enough to get close to the podium, which has to be my target this weekend,” Alonso said.”Last year, I decided it was better to remain on a European schedule rather than adjusting to local time, so I will do the same this year, as it’s the best way to manage my energy levels.”

After winning the Italian Grand Prix, Rubens Barrichello gained ground in the championship battle with four races remaining in the season. Barrichello moved to within 14 points of current leader and Brawn GP teammate Jenson Button, who finished second at Monza.Button and Barrichello, as well as Red Bull Racing teammates Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber are the only drivers who remain eligible in this year’s title hunt. Vettel is 26 points behind Button, while Webber trails by 28.5.Lewis Hamilton won’t repeat as the world champion this year, but the McLaren driver is hopeful for more victories before this season concludes.”I remember my race in Singapore last year was all about damage limitation,” Hamilton said. “I was driving with one eye on the world championship and wasn’t going to take too many risks. I was happy to finish on the podium. This year, it’s very different. I know I’m out of the title hunt, and I want to attack these last four races, pushing for as many victories as I can.” Hamilton finished third in last year’s first-ever F1 nighttime grand prix.

For the 2009 grand prix at Singapore, track officials have made modifications to the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The pit exit is one of the most significant changes. The exit has been realigned to join the track after the first corner. The entry to the pits has also been altered, with cars now leaving the track before turn 22. After drivers complained of bumps in last year’s event, the circuit underwent a resurfacing between turns five and seven. The apexes of turns 13 and 14 have been tightened slightly, while the second and third apexes of turn 10 have been moved left and right respectively to make the chicane slower.