It's official: Kentucky added to 2011 Sprint Cup schedule

Autoracing Betting Lines

08/10/2010 - Sparta, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is coming to the "Bluegrass State," starting in 2011.

After more than a decade of requesting a Cup date, Kentucky Speedway will be added to the 2011 schedule. Bruton Smith, the chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports Inc., the parent company of the speedway, confirmed on Tuesday the 1.5-mile oval, located roughly 40 miles south of downtown Cincinnati, will host a 400-mile night-time Cup race on July 9, 2011.

"You've been waiting 11 years," Smith said during a news conference held at the speedway.

SMI bought the speedway in 2008.

Last week, officials from Atlanta Motor Speedway announced the track will host only one Cup event, which will take place on Labor Day weekend, beginning next year. SMI moved its Atlanta spring race to Kentucky.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and officials from both NASCAR and the Kentucky Speedway, as well as former NASCAR driver and Kentucky native Darrell Waltrip and Joey Logano, who has won the last three Nationwide Series races at the track, were among those present for the announcement.

"I thought I've been to some exciting events, but I haven't been to one more exciting than the announcement that Bruton Smith just gave us," Governor Beshear said. "The addition of a 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in 2011 solidifies the speedway's status as a world-class motorsports venue in the nation's number-one spectator sport. In it's 11th year, the speedway has finally reached the pinnacle."

The track opened in 2000, with the Camping World Truck Series competing once each year since then. The Nationwide Series has been racing here once each season since 2001.

Nationwide will join Sprint Cup on the same weekend at Kentucky next year.

The current seating capacity at the speedway is 66,000, but Smith said he plans to add an additional 50,000 seats to the venue.

Kentucky becomes the first track added to the Cup schedule since Chicagoland Speedway and Kansas Speedway - both 1.5 miles in length -- in 2001.

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Albert Pujols to be This Year's Home Run Champ Says Online Sportsbook

Barry Bonds is a 50-1 long shot to be this year's home run champ odds.  The favorite to be this year's home run champ is none other than Albert Pujols, however.

Now that Barry Bonds is signed and in Giants camp, it is on to his pursuit of all of sports most prestigious records: the all-time home run mark. Bonds sits just 21 homers shy of tying Hank Aaron for the career mark at 755. Word out of Giants’ camp is that Bonds is the healthiest he has been in a few years. Bonds is just two seasons removed from his injury riddled 2005 campaign where he played in only 14 games and hit only 5 home runs. He did come back last year and had a solid season hitting .270 with 26 bombs. All eyes will be on Bonds this spring and summer not only because of his home run chase but his highly publicized steroid abuse allegations. If and when Bonds breaks the record, he surely will not get the positive attention one should for breaking a record that was once thought of as “unbreakable”. Despite Bonds decent season last year, he is just 50-1 at MySportsbook.com to lead the MLB in long balls this season.

Not surprisingly, the favorites to go deep the most times this season are Albert Pujols 5-1, Ryan Howard 6-1, David Ortiz 8-1 and Alex Rodriguez 12-1. With 49 homers, Pujols finished second in the National League behind Howard (58). Pujols is considered the favorite due to the consistent power numbers that he has posted since breaking into the league in 2001. Also one must consider the fact that he played in 16 fewer games then Howard did due to an injury. Howard smashed 58 homers in his first complete season of big league play en route to the National League MVP odds award. He silenced his critics by successfully hitting left-handed pitching. Howard also displayed the ability to use his power to the opposite field. Two attributes which should keep Howard amongst the league leaders in long balls for years to come. From the American League representatives, David Ortiz leads the field. Ortiz was second in the majors last year with 54 home runs. Except for 1999 when he only played in 10 games, Ortiz has improved on his home run numbers each year he has been in the majors (1997).

Be sure to log onto online sports betting site MySportsbook.com to check out the odds for who will lead the MLB in home runs this season. Below is just a sample of the players listed. With the highest credit card rates in the industry, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on baseball this summer.

World Series odds

Adam Dunn 15-1

Albert Pujols 5-1

Alex Rodriguez 12-1

Alfonso Soriano 15-1

Andruw Jones 25-1

Barry Bonds 50-1

Carlos Delgado 40-1

David Ortiz 8-1

Jermaine Dye 40-1

Ken Griffey Jr. 100-1

Lance Berkman 40-1

Manny Ramirez 20-1

Richie Sexson 40-1

Ryan Howard 6-1

Travis Hafner 20-1

Vladimir Guerrero 40-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch

Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.

Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.

"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs.