AAA 400 News and Notes

Driver Highlights - Dover

1 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.3

2010 Rundown

# Six wins, 11 top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 14.7
# Led 15 races for 918 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# Two top fives, three top 10s
# Average finish of 22.8 in nine races
# Average Running Position of 20.2, 21st-best
# Driver Rating of 77.5, 15th-best

2 - Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.5

2010 Rundown

# One win, five top fives, 15 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.1
# Led 12 races for 340 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# Three top 10s
# Average finish of 14.7 in nine races
# Average Running Position of 13.3, eighth-best
# Driver Rating of 89.5, 10th-best
# 104 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 141.893 mph, ninth-fastest
# 2,568 Laps in the Top 15 (71.3%), 11th-most
# 230 Quality Passes, ninth-most

3 - Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.5

2010 Rundown

# Three wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s
# Average finish of 9.6
# Led 11 races for 230 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# Two top fives, seven top 10s
# Average finish of 17.4 in 19 races
# Average Running Position of 19.4, 17th-best
# Driver Rating of 75.2, 18th-best
# 402 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most

4 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.2

2010 Rundown

# Three wins, eight top fives, 15 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 12.4
# Led 14 races for 978 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# Two wins, six top fives, six top 10s
# Average finish of 15.5 in 11 races
# Average Running Position of 13.3, ninth-best
# Driver Rating of 101.6, fifth-best
# 203 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 142.217 mph, fourth-fastest
# 3,054 Laps in the Top 15 (69.3%), ninth-most
# 246 Quality Passes, sixth-most

5 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.5

2010 Rundown

# 10 top fives, 14 top 10s
# Average finish of 11.9
# Led 15 races for 815 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# Four wins, 14 top fives, 21 top 10s; four poles
# Average finish of 12.1 in 35 races
# Average Running Position of 14.0, 11th-best
# Driver Rating of 90.0, ninth-best
# Average Green Flag Speed of 142.035 mph, seventh-fastest
# 3,071 Laps in the Top 15 (69.7%), eighth-most
# 254 Quality Passes, fifth-most

6 - Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.0

2010 Rundown

# Two wins, eight top fives, 15 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 14.3
# Led 14 races for 817 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# Four top fives, six top 10s
# Average finish of 19.7 in 20 races
# Average Running Position of 11.5, seventh-best
# Driver Rating of 95.4, eighth-best
# 153 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
# 3,101 Laps in the Top 15 (70.4%), sixth-most
# 240 Quality Passes, seventh-most

7 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 106.9

2010 Rundown

# Five wins, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 14.9
# Led 18 races for 1,083 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# Five wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 10.2 in 17 races
# Average Running Position of 9.1, third-best
# Series-best Driver Rating of 113.8
# Series-high 562 Fastest Laps Run
# 387 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
# Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 142.557 mph
# 3,571 Laps in the Top 15 (81.1%), fourth-most
# 221 Quality Passes, 11th-most

8 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Kellogg's/Cheez-it Ford)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.7

2010 Rundown

# Six top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 11.9
# Led 7 races for 137 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# One win, five top fives, eight top 10s
# Average finish of 7.9 in 12 races
# Average Running Position of 10.4, sixth-best
# Driver Rating of 102.2, fourth-best
# 296 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
# 428 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
# 312 Quality Passes, third-most

9 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.2

2010 Rundown

# One win, five top fives, 14 top 10s
# Average finish of 15.4
# Led 9 races for 258 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# Two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 10.5 in 16 races
# Average Running Position of 7.4, second-best
# Driver Rating of 112.2, second-best
# 388 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
# 405 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 142.457 mph, second-fastest
# Series-high 4,049 Laps in the Top 15 (91.9%)
# Series-high 338 Quality Passes

10 - Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.4

2010 Rundown

# Five top fives, 13 top 10s
# Average finish of 12.7
# Led 12 races for 390 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# One win, seven top fives, 14 top 10s
# Average finish of 15.9 in 33 races
# Average Running Position of 13.7, 10th-best
# Driver Rating of 89.3, 11th-best
# 129 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
# 463 Green Flag Passes, second-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 141.696 mph, 12th-fastest
# 2,875 Laps in the Top 15 (65.3%), 10th-most
# 260 Quality Passes, fourth-most

11 - Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.0

2010 Rundown

# One win, seven top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 13.4
# Led 16 races for 432 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# Two wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s
# Average finish of 11.4 in 23 races
# Average Running Position of 20.7, 22nd-best
# Driver Rating of 73.2, 20th-best
# 421 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

12 - Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Ford)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.7

2010 Rundown

# Five top fives, 10 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.0
# Led 6 races for 35 laps

Dover International Speedway Outlook:

# One win, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 12.7 in 23 races
# Series-best Average Running Position of 7.3
# Driver Rating of 111.8, third-best
# 315 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
# 417 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 142.435 mph, third-fastest
# 3,846 Laps in the Top 15 (87.3%), second-most
# 315 Quality Passes, second-most

Glance at 12 drivers in the Chase

A glance at the 12 drivers competing in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship heading into this weekend's race at Dover International Speedway (in order of points):

Denny Hamlin

CHASE POINTS: first, 5,230 points

CAR: No. 11 FedEx Toyota

TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 9

BEST DOVER FINISH: Fourth (twice)

LAST WEEK: The Chase's top seed held onto his spot with a solid second-place finish at New Hampshire, better than even he had hoped for following an up-and-down day.

CHASE CHATTER: ``I was happy with the day I had,'' Hamlin said. ``I would have loved to have won, don't get me wrong but I'm not going to go out there and do it the dirty way.''

Clint Bowyer

CHASE POINTS: second, 5,195 points

CAR: No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet

TEAM: Richard Childress Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 10.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 9

BEST DOVER FINISH: Eighth (three times)

LAST WEEK: Where did that come from? The last driver to get into the Chase stormed to victory in New Hampshire with the kind of dominating run that almost makes you wonder if he was sandbagging the entire regular season.

CHASE CHATTER: ``I know we have what it takes,'' Bowyer said. ``We have the equipment. We have the race team. It's up to us to get it put together.''

Kevin Harvick

CHASE POINTS: third, 5,185 points

CAR: No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet

TEAM: Richard Childress Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 19

BEST DOVER FINISH: Third (Fall, 2003)

LAST WEEK: Battled his way up from a poor qualifying run to finish fifth at Loudon, stretching his gas mileage over the final miles to post his 12th top-five of the season.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We hung in there, we battled, and we came away with a top-five finish,'' Harvick said. ``We need to get better, and we will.''

Kyle Busch

CHASE POINTS: fourth 5,168 points

CAR: No. 18 M&Ms Toyota

TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 11

BEST DOVER FINISH: 1st (twice)

LAST WEEK: Started and finished ninth at Loudon, though his drive was anything but boring. Twice Busch found himself in close quarters with four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson but keep it together enough to get back in the top 10.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We were battling back and forth with tight and loose. We just got what we could out of it,'' Busch said. ``Fortunately, our bad day right now is ninth versus some other guys.''

Jeff Gordon

CHASE POINTS: fifth, 5,155 points

CAR: No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 3.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 35

BEST DOVER FINISH: 1st (four times)

LAST WEEK: The veteran quietly got off to a solid start in the Chase with a sixth-place finish at Loudon.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We had some high hopes when we got up there to third or fourth; even to second at one time, but I think Steve (Letarte, crew chief) called a great race,'' Gordon said. ``He didn't want to risk the fuel, and it just wasn't worth it.''

Kurt Busch

CHASE POINTS: sixth, 5,144 points

CAR: No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge

TEAM: Penske Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 1.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 20

BEST DOVER FINISH: Fourth (Fall, 2006)

LAST WEEK: The former champion hoped to get the Chase off to a solid start at one of his favorite tracks and instead wound up an eventful 13th after playing bumper cars with Joey Logano.

CHASE CHATTER: ``I wasn't quite in the zone,'' Busch said. ``I wasn't quite feeling it today. We survived. We needed to have a good day today and not just survive.''

Jimmie Johnson

CHASE POINTS: seventh, 5,050 points

CAR: No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 5.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 17

BEST DOVER FINISH: 1st (five times)

LAST WEEK: A chink in the armor or a case of bad racing luck? Maybe both? Johnson found himself caught up in a pair of accidents in Loudon and finished 25th, the type of mishap the defending champion largely been able to avoid during his four-year run at the top.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We did what we could,'' Johnson said. ``We had a decent car today and ran in the top five and top 10, but just didn't end up finishing there.''

Carl Edwards

CHASE POINTS: eighth, 5,135 points

CAR: No. 99 Aflac Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 12

BEST DOVER FINISH: 1st (Fall, 2007)

LAST WEEK: Wasn't a ton of magic at the ``Magic Mile'' for Edwards, who put together a solid but hardly spectacular 11th-place finish at Loudon.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We've had some really good runs (at Dover) including a win,'' Edwards said. ``For me this is one of the races in the Chase where I can make a difference as a driver.''

Greg Biffle

CHASE POINTS: ninth, 5,122 points

CAR: No. 16 3M Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 2.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 16

BEST DOVER FINISH: 1st (twice)

LAST WEEK: One of the Chase long shots saw his playoff run get off to a bumpy start as he struggled with handling all day and finished 17th at Loudon.

CHASE CHATTER: ``I know we dropped a little in the points but some of the other guys finished behind us so we'll just learn from this one and get ready for Dover,'' Biffle said.

Jeff Burton

CHASE POINTS: 10th, 5,118 points

CAR: No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet

TEAM: Richard Childress Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 33

BEST DOVER FINISH: 1st (Fall, 2006)

LAST WEEK: Gambled on fuel at Loudon and ran out with two laps remaining, though he was able to coast to the finish in 15th.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We just didn't get as good of fuel mileage on the last run as we had been getting,'' Burton said. ``It is what it is. Our finish certainly doesn't reflect how well (we) ran all day.''

Tony Stewart

CHASE POINTS: 11th, 5,106 points

CAR: No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet

TEAM: Stewart/Haas Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 5.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 23

BEST DOVER FINISH: 1st (twice)

LAST WEEK: Hey, you can't blame the 2005 series champion for not going for it. He had one of the strongest cars at Loudon, leading 100 laps, but ran out of fuel with a lap to go and finished 24th.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We went down swinging,'' Stewart said. ``It's a tough way to start the Chase. I would have settled for second.''

Matt Kenseth

CHASE POINTS: 12th, 5,094 points

CAR: No. 17 Crown Royal Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 1.

CAREER DOVER STARTS: 23

BEST DOVER FINISH: 1st (Spring, 2006)

LAST WEEK: Where do you start? Battled his way up from 33rd to run in the top 15 before a nudge from Brad Keselowski ended up damaging the No. 17 car, sending Kenseth tumbling to 23rd.

CHASE CHATTER: ``The guys made adjustments all race long but we just didn't run very well,'' Kenseth said. ``We got caught up in that wreck, had a lot of damage to the car, and it was just a really long day for us.''

AAA 400 Preview
By Micah Roberts

This week's race takes us to the 1-mile concrete oval of Dover for the second race of the Chase. While the track is unique to itself among all others, I like to use Bristol as a comparison of sorts because of the similarities despite being a half-mile smaller. Because of the banking and surface, many of the crew chiefs use similar set-ups for each and some bring the exact same car if having success on one.

Just as small sampling of how similar the two tracks are, Kyle Busch won at Dover in May and a few weeks ago at Bristol. Busch only has three wins on the season and two came on these tracks which again makes him a contender this week. Over his career he has two wins and four other top-five finishes in 11 starts.

Look for Busch to keep the sweep trend going at Dover this week. Jimmie Johnson swept Dover last year just as he did in 2002. Ryan Newman also swept the season in 2003, as did Tony Stewart in 2000, Jeff Gordon in 1996, Rusty Wallace in 1994 and, well, you get the picture. It happens a quite often and more so than other tracks.

We didn’t see a lot of anything good out of the Roush drivers last week and that should change this week as all three in the Chase are quite accomplished at Dover. Last season, a four-year streak ended where a Roush driver had won at least one of the two races a year. Greg Biffle is a two-time winner on the track with Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth each posting wins as well. Kenseth is currently on a Dover streak of five straight top-four finishes and will be using his fifth-place Michigan chassis this week. Edwards is using a new car while Biffle is using his 10th-place car from Texas.

The Childress drivers should all be competitive this week. Jeff Burton was runner-up in the May race with Kevin Harvick finishing seventh. Clint Bowyer can build off his win last week with another good run this week based on his fourth-place finish at Bristol last month. Burton will be using his fourth-place car from Atlanta earlier this month.

As for Bowyer, don’t let his penalty deter you in betting him. His chances at winning the Chase are slim, but he’ll still be competing for wins and could get some. He’ll be using a strong chassis this week that looked to be one of the best at Pocono earlier this year while leading 59 laps.

Of the non-chasers who have the best chance at winning, Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman should all be top-10 contenders this week. McMurray has one of the best cars being brought to the track this week. It’s his third-place Bristol car that contended for the win.

Top-5 Dover Finish Prediction:

1) #18 Kyle Busch (4/1)
2) # 99 Carl Edwards (12/1)
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)
4) #1 Jamie McMurray (20/1)
5) #17 Matt Kenseth (18/1)

NASCAR Trucks Hit Vegas

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway welcomes the NASCAR Truck Series this Saturday night where the hard type of racing these trucks produce always gives fans a great show. As with all the Vegas motor sports events, such as the March Cup date and the two NHRA races, Vegas remains unique to any other stop on their tours because of the betting.

The Las Vegas Hilton Super Book is the only book in town that has booked every truck race this season, but others are sure to offer the odds as well this week. The action at the track all starts Saturday morning beginning with practices at 9:00 a.m. PDT, qualifying at 3:00 p.m. and the race itself at 6:30 p.m. It’s one day in and out event.

Over at the Stratosphere on Friday, they have all the top drivers signing autographs for free beginning at 7:00 p.m. One special guest signing will be Jeffrey Earnhardt, the son of Kerry and grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt. Earnhardt will be driving the No. 47 truck this weekend.

Driver Handicaps: Dover
By: Jeff Wackerlin

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Dover International Speedway for Sunday's AAA 400. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, Motor Racing Network brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 400-lap event.

Who's HOT at Dover
• Greg Biffle leads all drivers with a 4.9 average finish in the seven races with the COT.
• Four-time winner Mark Martin leads all drivers with 22 top fives.
• Jimmie Johnson swept both races in 2009 and has led 878 laps with the COT.
• Carl Edwards leads all drivers with a 7.9 average finish.
• Four-time winner Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with 2,231 laps led.
• Matt Kenseth has finished in the top five in his last five starts.
• Kyle Busch led 131 laps en route to the win in May.

Keep an Eye on at Dover
• Series point leader Denny Hamlin finished fourth at Dover in May.
• Jeff Burton has a 10.0 average finish with the COT at Dover.
• Three-time Dover winner Ryan Newman has the third-best average finish (10.5).
• Kurt Busch finished in the top five in both races in 2009.
• Tony Stewart has a 6.7 average finish in three Dover starts with Stewart-Haas Racing.
• David Reutimann is coming off his first top five at Dover.
• Mark Martin has 22 top-five finishes and 1,720 laps led, which is a personal best at any track on the circuit.

Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings

(All stats/notes are in regards to Dover unless noted)

1. Denny Hamlin: Coming off third top 10 in nine starts; Fourth-place finish in May ended a streak of five finishes of 22nd or worse; 26.4 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 279) that he finished fifth with at Pocono in August.

2. Kevin Harvick: Coming off seventh top 10 in 19 starts; 10.5 average finish in his last four starts; 17.1 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will pilot chassis No. 301 for the fourth time in 2010; This chassis saw its best finish come at Texas in seventh.

3. Kyle Busch: Coming off second win in five starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Win in May ended a streak of three consecutive finishes of 23rd or worse; Combined to lead 289 laps in the races he won; Posted four top fives in previous six starts with Hendrick Motorsports; 17.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT.

4. Jeff Gordon: Four-time winner; Last won in 2001 after leading 381 laps from the second-starting position; Scored 21st top 10 in 35 starts in this event last year; Finished 11th in May; Seventh-best average finish (10.7) in the seven races with the COT.

5. Kurt Busch: 19th-place finish in May ended two-race streak of fifth-place finishes; Led 99 laps in this event last year; 22.0 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 736) in the AAA 400.

6. Jimmie Johnson: Scored fifth win in this event last year; Swept events in 2002 and 2009; Has combined to lead 875 laps in last four races; Fourth-best average finish (8.4) in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 558) that he finished 22nd with at Indianapolis in July.

7. Carl Edwards: One victory and five top fives in 12 starts; Won this event in 2007; Has finished 11th or better in last eight starts; Has never finished worse than 18th (track debut, 2004); Second-best average finish (5.0) in the seven races with the COT.

8. Greg Biffle: Two-time winner; Second-best track on the circuit based on his 10.5 average finish; Has finished eighth or better in nine of the last 11 races; Leads all drivers with a 4.9 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 671) that he finished 10th with at Texas.

9. Jeff Burton: Finished second in May for sixth top 10 in 12 starts with Richard Childress Racing; Won this event in 2006; Scored eight top 10s in previous starts with Roush Racing; Sixth-best average finish (10.0) in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 314) that he finished fourth with at Atlanta earlier this month.

10. Tony Stewart: 6.7 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Swept the two races in 2000 driving for Joe Gibbs Racing; 17.3 average finish and six laps led in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 530) that he finished ninth with at Dover in May.

11. Matt Kenseth: Won the 2006 spring race after leading 83 laps; Coming off fifth consecutive top five; Third-best average finish (8.0) in the seven races with the COT; Only finish outside the top 10 in his last nine starts was the result of engine failure after leading 192 laps in the 2007 fall race; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 672) that he finished fifth with at Michigan.

12. Clint Bowyer: Three top-10 finishes of eighth are best track results in nine starts; Last top 10 came in this event in 2008; Finished 17th in May after a pit road penalty for leaving his stall with the jack underneath the No. 33 Chevrolet; 15.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 298) that he most recently led 59 laps en route to a ninth-place finish at Pocono in June.

13. Ryan Newman: 10.3 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Three-time winner with Penske Racing, including a sweep in 2003; Has led 842 laps in 17 starts, including 325 en route to victory in the 2004 fall race; Eighth-best average finish (12.6) in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 516) that he most recently finished sixth with at Bristol.

14. Jamie McMurray: Scored best finish (second) with Roush Racing in the 2006 spring race after leading 95 laps; Five top-10 finishes in 14 starts with an average finish of 17.9; Finished 32nd in May; 21.7 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 803) that he qualified seventh and finished third with at Bristol last month.

15. David Reutimann: Coming off first top 10 (fifth) in six starts; Won the pole for the 2009 spring race; Led 25 laps in that event en route to 18th-place finish; 17.7 average finish.

16. Juan Pablo Montoya: Scored best finish in this event last year in fourth; Finish was second top 10 in seven starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 903) that he most recently finished seventh with at Bristol last month.

17. Mark Martin: Four-time winner in 48 starts; His 22 top-five finishes and 1,720 laps led are a personal best at any track; 9.0 average finish in three starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Fifth-best average finish (9.3) in the seven races with the COT.

18. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 24.2 average finish in five starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Scored seven top 10s and one win in previous 16 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Has yet to lead a lap in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 556) that he most recently finished 25th with at Chicago.

19. Kasey Kahne: Average finish of 22.5 with five DNFs in 13 starts; Two of three total top 10s at track came with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2009; Finished 20th this spring after starting second and leading 24 laps; Has led a total of 88 laps at the track in three events.

20. Martin Truex Jr.: Won only Cup Series race to date in spring 2007 event with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Finished 12th this spring after grabbing the pole in track debut with Michael Waltrip Racing; That finish marked his best since a sixth-place finish in spring of 2008; 14.9 average finish in nine starts.

Edwards knows how to conquer concrete
By Greg Engle

It’s known as the Monster Mile and for good reason. Dover International Speedway, site of Sunday’s AAA 400, is one of the most challenging tracks on the circuit.

The biggest reason for that is that Dover is one of only three NASCAR Sprint Cup series tracks paved with concrete.

One of the quirks when racing on concrete is the feel. The concrete surface exposes bumps that usually aren’t felt on asphalt. That’s why many drivers will tell you, unlike some other tracks, the driver makes the biggest difference at Dover and having the right “feel” can mean the world.

One of those drivers who seem to be a master at feeling out a concrete surface is this week’s favorite Carl Edwards.

Edwards seems to have a knack for racing on concrete. That’s evidenced by his domination in the Nationwide Series at Nashville Superspeedway, a concrete track. From 2006-2007, Edwards was unbeatable winning three times in a row. In fact, in 11 outings there, Edwards has finished outside of the Top 5 only once.

But there are other reasons to keep an eye on Edwards this week. Sure, he’s gone winless so far this season, but he’s scored more points than any driver in the last 11 races. Another thing to keep in mind is that even though he has yet to visit victory lane during his appearances in the Chase, Edwards has a total of six wins in the final 10 races. That’s tied for second overall with his teammate Greg Biffle.

Perhaps the biggest reason to bet on Edwards this week comes directly from the driver himself.

“We are going to Dover to win this race,” Edwards told me this week. “We are going all out 100 percent. We're taking a new car this weekend that should be fast. We've had some really good runs there including a win. For me this is one of the races in the Chase where I can make a difference as a driver."

The other driver to keep an eye on this week has to be Jimmie Johnson. He swept both races here last year and has five wins, leading all active drivers at Dover. Some may say Kyle Busch should be the favorite and he is coming off a win here in the spring. But, in a sport of peaks and valleys, Busch seems to be heading downhill at the wrong time.

In the prime matchup this week, watch for Denny Hamlin and Jeff Gordon to duke it out. Hamlin hates Dover and his stats back that up, but he wants to win the title. Gordon has a decent record here and desperately needs to break his winless streak. In this matchup, look for Gordon to prevail.

Tony Stewart wants to make some noise as well, after running out of fuel while leading on the next-to-last lap Sunday. Kevin Harvick meanwhile wants to retake the top spot in the points and, although he’s never won here, look for him to finish strong and ahead of Stewart.

The spoiler

What a difference a week makes for Clint Bowyer. Bowyer entered New Hampshire 12th in points. He won the race and left second in the Chase. But NASCAR failed Bowyer’s racecar after an inspection and took away 150 points. Now, Bower enters Dover back in 12th. So how could Bowyer spoil the show? Historically in NASCAR, a driver coming off a penalty has a little extra motivation the following race to go out a prove something and Bowyer should be no different.

Picks:

Carl Edwards (+1000)
Jimmie Johnson (+450)
Clint Bowyer (+1800)

Dover AAA 400 Driver Ratings Following All Practice & Qualifying Sessions
By Micah Roberts

Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Qualifying Practice 2 Practice 3

1. Kyle Busch 5/1 7th 11th 2nd 19th
Two time winner including this spring; two of his three 2010 wins have come on concrete.

2. Jimmie Johnson 9/4 19th 1st 5th 7th
Swept 2009 season; has five Dover wins in 17 starts. Using 22nd place Indy Chassis this week.

3. Matt Kenseth 25/1 6th 14th 13th 4th
2006 winner with a 12.7 average finish in 23 starts. Five straight top-four Dover finishes; third in spring.

4. Kurt Busch 12/1 15th 8th 3rd 13th
Not one of his better tracks; average finish of 19.7 in 20 starts. Finished fifth in both 2009 races.

5. Martin Truex Jr 30/1 14th 3rd 15th 5th
Site of his only career win in 2007; had the third fastest average speeds during final practice.

6. Greg Biffle 12/1 5th 6th 6th 12th
Two time winner with a 10.5 average finish in 16 starts; finished sixth in the spring. Using Texas chassis this week.

7. Carl Edwards 12/1 2nd 10th 21st 16th
2007 fall winner with track best 7.9 average finish in starts; finished eighth in the spring race.

8. Jeff Burton 30/1 24th 27th 9th 3rd
2006 fall winner with a 15.9 average finish in 33 starts; runner-up in the spring. Using Atlanta car that finished fourth.

9. Denny Hamlin 8/1 11th 4th 29th 8th
Tied best career finish of fourth in the spring. Using fifth-place Pocono chassis this week.

10. Kevin Harvick 30/1 32nd 33rd 26th 15th
Only three career top-fives in 19 starts, but had the fastest average speeds during happy hour.

Note: Though a half-mile smaller, Bristol can be used as a reference for Dover because of the similar banking and concrete surface.