How Tough is it to Win a Sprint Cup Race?

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Every time someone wins a Sprint Cup race, it’s an upset. That was - and still is - my contention when one of our Fast Lap questions this week asked what was more surprising at Talladega Super Speedway - Joe Nemechek’s pole or Kyle Busch’s victory.

Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards may make winning Cup races look easy. Edwards has three this year and Kyle the Younger two, among his seven 2008 NASCAR wins overall.

But the Sprint Cup Series is so tough - so competitive - that there never is an odds-on favorite to win in a given week. If there was, I wouldn’t suck so bad at NASCAR fantasy picks.

This weekend at the Dan Lowry Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway will mark two years since Dale Earnhardt Jr’s last Cup win. He’s been close a lot. Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart are zero for ‘08. Same forKasey Kahne, Kurt Busch and the whole DEI and GEM bunch.

The Shrub and Flipper both look good for this week but no matter who wins, he will have started as an under-dog to the field. My guess is it will be much easier to pick the fastest qualifier.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc