NASCAR tweaks format for all-star race

Autoracing Betting Lines

03/17/2010 - Concord, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR is making a slight adjustment to its annual Sprint All-Star Race by adding a mandatory four-tire pit stop for all teams prior to the start of the final 10-lap segment.

NASCAR officials made the announcement Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the all-star event will be held on May 22.

Starting this year, all drivers must pit for four tires once the field completes one lap behind the pace car prior to the start of the fourth segment. The order in which the cars exit pit road is how they will line up for the 10-lap shootout with only green-flag laps counting.

"We saw last year just how competitive this format can be, with Tony Stewart battling Matt Kenseth for the win on the final couple of laps," NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said. "With the addition of the four- tire pit stop, there is going to be even greater competition between the pit crews on who can get their driver serviced and out the quickest. I think the fans are in for quite a show."

Last year, the all-star race featured a 10-lap shootout as its final segment for the first time since 2001. Stewart passed Kenseth with two laps remaining to win the event for the first time in his 11th appearance.

The remainder of the format for this year's race will remain the same.

The opening segment will be 50 laps with a mandatory green-flag pit stop on lap 25, at which time teams must pit and take on four tires. The caution flag will be displayed for an additional pit stop following the end of the first segment.

Segment two is 20 laps with the caution flag displayed at the end of the second portion for an additional pit stop.

After running 20 laps in segment three, teams will have a 10-minute break when they may make normal adjustments to their cars. The finishing order after the third segment determines the field's lineup for the pace lap prior to the start fourth segment.

The eligibility standards also will remain the same. Race winners from either the 2009 or 2010 season through May 16, or any past champions of the all-star event or Cup Series (over the previous 10 years) are eligible for the race.

The top-two finishers in the Sprint Showdown, a 40-lap preliminary race, and the winner of the Sprint Fan Vote all advance into the all-star race lineup. Joey Logano won the fan vote last year.

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Online Sportsbook Football Betting

Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

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