Bank of America 500 Betting News and Notes

Driver Highlights - Charlotte

1 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 AFLAC Ford)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.8

2011 Rundown

# One win, 15 top fives, 21 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 10.2
# Led 19 races for 713 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# Four top fives, seven top 10s
# Average finish of 13.3 in 13 races
# Average Running Position of 16.7, 12th-best
# Driver Rating of 86.1, 11th-best
# 99 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
# 1,019 Green Flag Passes, third-most
# 2,445 Laps in the Top 15 (52.7%), 11th-most
# 479 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), eighth-most

2 - Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Jimmy Johns Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.6

2011 Rundown

# Four wins, eight top fives, 16 top 10s
# Average finish of 11.1
# Led 14 races for 343 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# One win, two top fives, five top 10s
# Average finish of 19.1 in 21 races
# Average Running Position of 21.0, 22nd-best
# Driver Rating of 71.7, 24th-best
# 973 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most

3 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's / Chevrolet 100th Anniversary Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.7

2011 Rundown

# Two wins, 13 top fives, 20 top 10s
# Average finish of 10.2
# Led 18 races for 1,049 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# Six wins, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 10.8 in 20 races
# Series-best Average Running Position of 8.2
# Series-best Driver Rating of 112.8
# Series-high 428 Fastest Laps Run
# 950 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
# Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 176.082 mph
# Series-high 3,917 Laps in the Top 15 (84.5%)
# Series-high 676 Quality Passes

4 - Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.9

2011 Rundown

# Three wins, nine top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 14.5
# Led 16 races for 280 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# One pole
# Average finish of 19.5 in four races
# Average Running Position of 17.9, 15th-best
# Driver Rating of 74.2, 21st-best

5 - Matt Kenseth (No. 17 FLUIDMASTER Ford)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.9

2011 Rundown

# Two wins, nine top fives, 17 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 11.5
# Led 17 races for 654 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# One win, six top fives, 12 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.9 in 24 races
# Average Running Position of 15.3, eighth-best
# Driver Rating of 92.1, fifth-best
# 217 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
# 941 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 175.044 mph, ninth-fastest
# 2,892 Laps in the Top 15 (62.4%), fourth-most
# 550 Quality Passes, third-most

6 - Kurt Busch (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ultra Dodge)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.7

2011 Rundown

# Two wins, eight top fives, 16 top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 12.6
# Led 18 races for 712 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# One win, five top fives, six top 10s
# Average finish of 19.7 in 22 races
# Average Running Position of 17.4, 14th-best
# Driver Rating of 85.1, 13th-best
# 171 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
# 2,487 Laps in the Top 15 (53.6%), 10th-most
# 450 Quality Passes, 12th-most

7 - Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.7

2011 Rundown

# Two wins, five top fives, 13 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.7
# Led 15 races for 377 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.8 in 25 races
# Average Running Position of 16.3, 11th-best
# Driver Rating of 82.2, 14th-best
# 147 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
# 957 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 175.135 mph, seventh-fastest

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

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.4

2011 Rundown

# Four wins, 13 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 11.1
# Led 22 races for 1,197 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# Five top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 17.7 in 15 races
# Average Running Position of 10.4, second-best
# Driver Rating of 106.5, second-best
# 362 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
# 879 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 175.935 mph, second-fastest
# 3,601 Laps in the Top 15 (77.6%), second-most
# 658 Quality Passes, second-most

9 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy / National Guard / Chevy 100th Anniversary Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 83.9

2011 Rundown

# Four top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 14.3
# Led 8 races for 50 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# Five top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 19.4 in 24 races
# Average Running Position of 21.1, 23rd-best
# Driver Rating of 77.8, 18th-best
# 135 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
# 1,026 Green Flag Passes, second-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 174.825 mph, 13th-fastest
# 1,962 Laps in the Top 15 (42.3%), 13th-most
# 404 Quality Passes, 13th-most

10 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger / Chevy 100th Anniversary Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.2

2011 Rundown

# Three wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 12.5
# Led 19 races for 801 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# Five wins, 16 top fives, 20 top 10s; eight poles
# Average finish of 15.8 in 37 races
# Average Running Position of 16.1, 10th-best
# Driver Rating of 88.3, seventh-best
# 164 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 175.141 mph, sixth-fastest
# 2,573 Laps in the Top 15 (55.5%), ninth-most
# 456 Quality Passes, 11th-most

11 - Ryan Newman (No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.3

2011 Rundown

# One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 13.8
# Led 14 races for 347 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# Four top fives, seven top 10s; nine poles
# Average finish of 20.9 in 21 races
# Average Running Position of 19.1, 21st-best
# Driver Rating of 74.8, 20th-best

12 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.8

2011 Rundown

# One win, four top fives, 10 top 10s
# Average finish of 17.1
# Led 14 races for 392 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook
# One top five, five top 10s
# Average finish of 16.6 in 12 races
# Average Running Position of 14.4, seventh-best
# Driver Rating of 87.2, ninth-best
# 118 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 174.869 mph, 12th-fastest
# 2,786 Laps in the Top 15 (65.7%), sixth-most
# 473 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Glance at the 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 Charlotte (in order of points):

DRIVER: Carl Edwards

CHASE POINTS: First, 2161 points

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1

CAR: No. 99 Aflac Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Realized he had the wrong setup at the first turn at Kansas, dropped two laps down, but rallied to finish fifth.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 13

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 3rd (2005, 2006)

DRIVER: Kevin Harvick

CHASE POINTS: Second, -1 point

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 1

CAR: No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet

TEAM: Richard Childress Racing

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Started 14th and had periods where he was audibly unhappy with his car. Still finished sixth.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 21

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (2011)

DRIVER: Jimmie Johnson

CHASE POINTS: Third, -4 points

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 2

CAR: No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Continued his climb from 10th in points two weeks ago by leading 197 laps for his first victory of this Chase.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 20

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (2003, 2004-twice, 2005-twice, 2009)

DRIVER: Brad Keselowski

CHASE POINTS: Fourth, -11 points

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 2

CAR: No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge

TEAM: Penske Racing

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Remained in title contention by finishing third a day after winning the Nationwide Series race.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 4

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 12th (2009)

DRIVER: Matt Kenseth

CHASE POINTS: Fifth, -12 points

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 2

CAR: No. 17 Crown Royal Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Led two times for 26 laps and finished fourth to move up in the Chase standings.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 24

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (2000)

DRIVER: Kurt Busch

CHASE POINTS: Sixth, -16 points

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 2

CAR: No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge

TEAM: Penske Racing

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Went a lap down but was aided by a late caution and finished 13th.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 22

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (2010)

DRIVER: Tony Stewart

CHASE POINTS: Seventh, -19 points

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 4

CAR: No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet

TEAM: Stewart-Haas Racing

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Had a strong car but spun his tires on a restart and slid through his pit box on his last stop. Finished 15th.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 25

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (2003)

DRIVER: Kyle Busch

CHASE POINTS: Eighth, -20 points

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAR: No. 18 M&Ms Toyota

TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Led eight laps and finished 11th at a track that's never been particularly good for him.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 15

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 2nd (2010)

DRIVER: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

CHASE POINTS: Ninth, -43 points

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1

CAR: No. 88 AMP Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Not a lot - he started 18th and finished 14th, never making much of a peep.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 24

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 3rd (2004)

DRIVER: Jeff Gordon

CHASE POINTS: 10th, -47 points

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 1

CAR: No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Was OK until his engine blew in the waning laps, leading to a 34th-place finish.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 37

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2007)

DRIVER: Ryan Newman

CHASE POINTS: 11th, -54

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAR: No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet

TEAM: Stewart-Haas Racing

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Started 11th but didn't have much and finished 18th.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 21

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 2nd (2003, 2009)

DRIVER: Denny Hamlin

CHASE POINTS: 12th, -79 points

POSITION CHANGE: None

CAR: No. 11 FedEx Toyota

TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing

WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: Used pit strategy to get near the front, but couldn't maintain it and finished 16th.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 12

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 4th (2010)

Driver Handicaps: Charlotte
By: Jeff Wackerlin

CONCORD, N.C. - This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for Saturday night's Bank of America 500. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, MotorRacingNetwork.com brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 334-lap event.

Who's HOT at Charlotte
• Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with six wins.
• Kyle Busch has finished eighth or better in seven of his last eight starts.
• Joey Logano leads all drivers with a 7.4 average finish.
• Kurt Busch has finished in the top 10 in three of his last four starts, including a win in the 2010 Coca-Cola 600.
• May winner Kevin Harvick has the best average finish (4.5) in the last two races.
• Jeff Gordon, a five-time winner, has a 10.0 average finish in his last eight starts.
• Matt Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in four of his last five starts.
• David Reutimann has a 7.8 average finish in his last five starts.

Keep an Eye on at Charlotte
• Tony Stewart (8.8), Brad Keselowski (10.6), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (11.5), Denny Hamlin (12.6) and Marcos Ambrose (13.9) each rank in the top 10 in average finish in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011.
• Three-time Charlotte winner Kasey Kahne is coming off his first top 10 of the season on a 1.5-mile track with his second-place finish at Kansas Speedway.
• David Ragan has finished in the top 10 in his last two Charlotte starts.
• Mark Martin leads all drivers with 18 top fives at Charlotte.
• Greg Biffle is coming off his third top 10 on a 1.5-mile track in 2011.

MotorRacingNetwork.com Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Matt Kenseth
Pete Pistone: Kevin Harvick
Craig Moore: Jimmie Johnson
Steve Blevins: Tony Stewart
John Singler: Kasey Kahne
Ricky Hamber: Jimmie Johnson

Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings

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

1. Carl Edwards: Second in average finish (13.3) among all drivers with six or more starts; Last of seven top 10s came in the 2009 May race; Led 61 laps and finished 16th this past May; Leads all drivers with a 5.5 average finish in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Tied for the second-best average finish (4.7) in the last three races on 1.5-mile tracks; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 739) that he finished ninth with at Bristol Motor Speedway.

2. Kevin Harvick: Coming off first win in 21 starts; Win was fifth top 10 and second consecutive; Has only led five laps; Sixth-best average finish (10.0) among all drivers in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 373) that he finished 22nd with at Michigan International Speedway in August.

3. Jimmie Johnson: Leads all drivers with six wins; Last win came in this event in 2009; Has finished sixth or better in the last three fall races; Best average finish (10.8) among all drivers with six or more starts; Fifth-best average finish (9.4) among all drivers in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; First in average finish (4.3) and laps led (265) in the last three races on 1.5-mile tracks; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 659) that he last finished fourth with at Pocono Raceway in August.

4. Brad Keselowski: Won the pole and finished 19th in May; 19.5 average finish in four starts; Seventh-best average finish (10.6) among all drivers in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Tied for the second-best average finish (4.7) in the last three races on 1.5-mile tracks; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 802) in the Bank of America 500.

5. Matt Kenseth: Led 103 laps and finished 14th in May; Has finished in the top 10 in the last two fall races; One win and 12 top 10s in 24 starts; First in laps led (411) and Fourth in average finish (9.0) among all drivers in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 741) that he finished 21st with at Chicagoland after being penalized on the final lap.

6. Kurt Busch: Winner of the 2010 Coca-Cola 600; Has finished in the top 10 in four of his last six starts; 19.7 average finish in 22 starts; Second in average finish (8.0) and laps led (311) among all drivers in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 750) that he last finished fourth with at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

7. Tony Stewart: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in five starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Won this event in 2003 with Joe Gibbs Racing; Last of 11 top 10s came in this event in 2007; Third-best average finish (8.8) among all drivers in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 671) that he finished sixth with at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.

8. Kyle Busch: Has finished eighth or better in seven of his last eight starts; Led 217 laps and finished second in this event last season; Fifth in laps led (225) among all drivers in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 330) in the Bank of America 500.

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Was leading on the final lap in May until he ran out of fuel; Finished seventh in that event for second top 10 in seven starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Eighth-best average finish (11.5) among all drivers in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 617) that he last finished 19th with at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

10. Jeff Gordon: Five-time winner: Last win came in this event in 2007; Has finished eighth or better in five of his last eight starts; Led 19 laps and finished 19th in May; Winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway last month and second in laps led (148) in the last three races on 1.5-mile tracks.

11. Ryan Newman: Two poles and a 17.8 average finish in five starts with Stewart-Haas; 14.4 average in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 686) in the Bank of America 500.

12. Denny Hamlin: Finished 10th in May for second consecutive top 10; Fourth-place finish in this event last year is best in 12 starts; Ninth-best average finish (12.6) among all drivers in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011.

13. Clint Bowyer: Last of three top 10s (seventh) came in the 2010 May race; 17.4 average finish in 11 starts; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 333) that he last finished 18th with at Pocono raceway in August.

14. AJ Allmendinger: Coming off first top 10 (fifth) in nine starts; 23.1 average finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 783) that he finished 27th with at Chicagoland Speedway.

15. Greg Biffle: Finished fifth in this event last year; Finish was sixth top 10 in 17 starts; 17.9 average finish; 15.3 average finish in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011.

16. Kasey Kahne: Three-time winner; Last win came in the 2008 May race; Finished 22nd this past May in first track start with Team Red Bull; Coming off first top 10 on a 1.5-mile track in 2011 with a second-place finish at Kansas Speedway.

17. Mark Martin: Last of 23 top 10s in 52 starts cam in the 2010 May race; 17.2 average finish in five starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Four-time winner with Roush Racing; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 685) that he finished 17th with at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

18. David Ragan: Coming off best finish (second) in nine starts; Finish was second consecutive top 10; 19.9 average finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 750) that he finished seventh with at Texas Motor Speedway.

19. Juan Pablo Montoya: 25.9 average finish in nine starts; Only top 10 (eighth) came in the 2009 May race; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 1119) in the Bank of America 500.

20. Marcos Ambrose: Coming off first top 10 (sixth) in five starts; 21.2 average finish; 10th-best average finish (13.9) among all drivers in the eight races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2011; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 735) that he last finished 21st with at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

NASCAR races under the lights in Charlotte
By: Brian Graham

The Chase for the Cup moves to Charlotte on Saturday night. This intermediate track, completed in 1959, is a 1.5-mile, quad oval with 24-degree turns and 5-degree straights. The frontstretch is 1,980 feet (0.38 miles) and the backstretch measures 1,500 feet, or 0.28 miles.

Drivers to Watch

Jimmie Johnson (5/1) – Johnson finally broke his 21-race win drought last week, and he has a great chance to make it two in a row at Charlotte. Johnson has six career victories, two runner-ups and two third-place finishes at this track. His odds are next to nothing at 5-to-1, but if you were limited to betting on just one driver, Johnson would have to be your man.

Tony Stewart (11/1) - Stewart has been scuffling with back-to-back finishes of 25th and 15th, but his luck might be changing after winning his first pole of the season in Thursday’s qualifying. Although Stewart has finished outside of the top-10 in seven straight races at Charlotte, he has placed among the top-4 at this track six times in his career, including a win in 2003. At 11-to-1 odds, he’s worth a Unit bet.

Kasey Kahne (22/1) - He is on a roll, finishing fourth at Dover and nearly winning again in Kansas as the runner-up to Jimmie Johnson. Kahne has won three of the past 11 races in Charlotte with three other top-8 finishes in this span. He’s still looking for his first win of 2011, but with nine of his 11 career victories occurring on intermediate tracks, Kahne presents excellent value here at 22-to-1 odds.

Jamie McMurray (55/1) - If longshots are what you’re looking for, take a flier on McMurray. His odds are incredibly long, considering he won this race last October (despite starting from the 27th position) and finished 2nd in the 2010 Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. Engine failure prevented him from a third-straight stellar finish in May, but two career victories, five top-5’s and eight top-10’s at this track make him an extremely attractive bet on Saturday night.

Carl Edwards (9/1) - Although he still has just one victory this season (occurring 27 races ago in the third race of the season), Edwards begins the weekend in first place in the Cup Standings thanks to a current run of seven straight top-9 finishes. This includes five top-5’s over this seven-race span. But with a Charlotte resume void of any victories and an average finish of 18.4 at this track since 2008, spend your money elsewhere.

Bank of America 500 Preview
By Micah Roberts

Carl Edwards leads Kevin Harvick by one point in the NASCAR Chase for the Championship with six races to go, but only four points behind in their rear view mirror is defending five-time champion Jimmie Johnson following his win at Kansas last Sunday.

Drivers used to say it was more nerve rattling having the late Dale Earnhardt in their rear view mirror during a race while leading than it was trying to catch him. The same could be said for Johnson with all his credentials and trophy’s dangling as the drivers up front try to concentrate on each race knowing that ‘five-time‘ is closing fast.

We may say that experience in the Chase doesn’t account for much because it’s just NASCAR and everything is dependent on the car, unlike football or other sports where experience really matters in the playoffs. But if we just look at the history of the Chase, there has been no one to consistently compete with Johnson. No one knows how to react or counter with Johnson’s excellence.

What we have seen is quite a few drivers wilt when given the opportunity to take him down in the defining moments.

His win on Sunday gave him 20 Chase wins in 74 starts and it was his 55th overall tying him with Rusty Wallace for eighth on the all-time Cup win list.

Just think about it, he’s only been in the Cup series since 2002 and he’s never finished a season worse than fifth. Where are the growing pains of a young driver? It's like he just morphed into a robot and began winning. During the Chase era, beginning in 2004, only Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart can say they have beaten Johnson. None of these new “Young Guns” know what it takes to topple the giant.

This week's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile track won’t get easier for any of the other competitors considering Johnson’s dominance there over the years. He’s a six-time winner on the track in 19 starts that includes two other runner-up finishes and two third-places. His last win came in 2009, but based on the way his team had his car set for Kansas last week, he should be considered one of the strongest contenders to win.

We haven’t seen Johnson be his typical dominant self in the 1.5-mile tracks this season until Sunday, and it’s definitely not surprising that it happened during the Chase.

“I think we’re going to be a threat (at Charlotte Motor Speedway)," said Johnson earlier this week. "When I look back to Chicago, Kentucky, and Kansas obviously, our 1.5-mile stuff has been coming along pretty good over the last two or three months. So I feel good about it. Charlotte, with that asphalt that’s down, it is its own environment and it’s really tough to get your car right from the start of the race to the end of the race."

Edwards had a hard fought fifth-place finish last week at Kansas after struggling most of the day. It’s that type of racing on a bad day that can help slay the beast of Jimmie Johnson down the stretch and it’s what has kept him on top for now.

His Charlotte resume is quite impressive with seven top-10 finishes in 13 starts, but his only win on the track remains his non-points All-Star win from this season. He’s considered a strong candidate to win on the basis of his win on the sister track of Las Vegas, his only win of the season.

“Charlotte has been a little difficult for us," said Edwards. "We have been very hit and miss there. I do feel like our run in the All-Star race and 600 earlier this year will be something we can build on. We have a baseline strategy with the setup and we will go use that and hopefully it will work out better. I’m very grateful to be going into Charlotte as the points leader after our run in Kansas last weekend.”

Matt Kenseth also has to be considered a contender because of the car he's driving. He brought his winning Texas chassis which should translate well at Charlotte this week. Kenseth has one Charlotte win which came during his rookie year in 2001.

Harvick captured his first career win at Charlotte in May after Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel on the last lap. It was his only top-5 finish ever on the track. However, we’ve seen Harvick run well enough on these type of tracks this season to make him a contender once again this week.

“From a driver’s standpoint, it’s just never been a race track where I’ve had a great feel," Harvick said regarding Charlotte. "There’s nothing wrong with the surface, nothing wrong with the shape of the race track or anything like that. It’s just from a performance standpoint we just don’t have the stats that need to be there like we do at a lot of other places. Over the last couple of years it’s definitely gotten a lot better for us. We won a race there at the beginning of the year and after we won there we feel like we can win anywhere.”

Kyle Busch has kind of been quiet during this Chase run and currently sits 20-points back. If there’s a track that can get him going, it will be Charlotte. Up until this year’s race, Busch had an amazing run of finishing eighth or better in seven straight races.

The race we can probably take the most input from for this week in September race at the sister track of Atlanta just because it was the most recent of the similar tracks run. Jeff Gordon won that race in dominant fashion with Johnson and Stewart in tow.

“We’re definitely looking to win races now,” said Gordon, who is 10th in the standings – 47 points out of the lead – after an engine issue at Kansas relegated him to a 34th-place finish. “We aren’t out of the championship discussion, but a lot is out of our control.

“Our focus now is on leading as many laps as we can and winning as many races as we possibly can. Then we’ll see where we stand after a few more races.”

Top-5 Finish Prediction:

1) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)
2) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
3) #99 Carl Edwards (7/1)
4) #14 Tony Stewart (10/1)
5) #18 Kyle Busch (9/1)

NASCAR Betting Preview and Picks
By Greg Engle

Halfway home in NASCAR’s 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup and Jimmie Johnson is feeling groovy. As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to the Charlotte Motor Speedway for Saturday night’s Bank of America 500, the five-time champion looking to roll up the field.

After opening the Chase with finishes of 10th and 18th, and falling to 10th in the points, murmurs of "He’s done" began to surface. Then Johnson ripped off a runner-up (Dover) and a win at Kansas last week. The win vaulted Johnson to third in the standings - only four points out of first. It was also his 20th Chase victory, which is far and away the most of any driver (second-best is eight wins).Now, he heads to Charlotte - a track where his record is nothing short of excellent.

Johnson said this week that he and the team may have found the old mojo that led them to five consecutive titles.

“I definitely feel that our groove is here, and it's been slowly building,” Johnson told reporters. “We've been slowly building in these last two weeks. It's hard to argue with a second and a first and all the laps that we led, what type of performances we've been having.”

He leads all active drivers with six wins at Charlotte, and has Top-5 and Top-10 finishes in double digits. In fact, he has the highest average finish of all active drivers and the highest driver rating - a full six points ahead of his nearest rival.

There is some hope for the rest of the field, however. In May’s race at Charlotte, Johnson suffered engine woes that left him with a 28th place finish. Should something like that befall Johnson Saturday night, look for Matt Kenseth to be among those ready to pounce.

Kenseth has been a quiet contender over the last two weeks with consecutive solid Top-5 finishes. He has one win at Charlotte and with his history over the last few races, he could easily add to that total Saturday night.

Brad Keselowski will try to steal the show Saturday. Keselowski doesn’t have much of a history at Charlotte, having made only one start, but the Wildcard entry is coming of a strong run of three Top-5 finishes in the last four races and is currently fourth in the standings. Keselowski has been a factor for most of the second half of the season and can’t be ignored.

Head to Head

The brothers Busch have been hot and cold during the Chase. Kurt has won at Charlotte while his younger sibling Kyle has never visited Victory Lane. Although, neither is a favorite to win both could surprise and win it all, even if the odds are against them. The battle between the brothers could be one to watch. At the end of the night, though, look for Kurt to come out ahead in this matchup.

Kevin Harvick won here in May, while Denny Hamlin came home 10th. In May, however, Harvick still had the early-season magic that had him as the favorite to win it all. But in the second half of the schedule, the magic is gone and his second-place position in the standings has a lot to do with the misfortunes of others. Hamlin is struggling but desperately wants to win a race and is willing to take chances to do so. Hamlin has never won at Charlotte but has a higher driver rating that Harvick and will get the edge in this matchup.

Bottom line

Need more convincing that Jimmie Johnson will be the driver to beat Saturday? Fourteen races have been won from the pole and the farthest back a race winner has started from is 37th. That was accomplished by, Johnson in 2003. And, the last driver to win from the pole was - you guessed it – Johnson, who did it in the fall of 2009.

Favorites

Jimmie Johnson: (+450)
Matt Kenseth (+1,200)
Brad Keselowski (+1,500)

NASCAR Practice Notes & Driver Ratings

This Week's Race: Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Qualified Practice 2 Practice 3
1 Jimmie Johnson 9/2 10th 9th 10th 4th
Notes: Six-time winner with 20 Chase wins in 74 starts; using fourth-place Pocono chassis.

2 Jeff Gordon 8/1 27th 23rd 32nd 8th
Notes: Five-time winner, including first career win. Finished 20th in May race; last win came in 2007

3 Kasey Kahne 20/1 1st 8th 2nd 1st
Notes: Three-time winner, the last coming in 2008; top 10-consecutive lap average in practice.

4 Tony Stewart 10/1 11th 1st 5th 16th
Notes: 2003 winner, his one and only win on the track; using sixth-place Indianapolis chassis this week.

5 Kurt Busch 12/1 24th 20th 4th 10th
Notes: 2010 winner, finished fourth in May; using fourth-place car from Charlotte and Atlanta.

6 Greg Biffle 18/1 3rd 5th 17th 3rd
Notes: Runner-up in 2008, finished fifth in this race last year; the best of the Roush drivers in practice.

7 Kyle Busch 7/1 13th 25th 6th 13th
Notes: Has finished eighth or better in last eight of 10 Charlotte races; debuts brand new chassis.

8 Kevin Harvick 12/1 19th 14th 19th 25th
Notes: 2011 winner, his only top-five finish in 21 starts; using 22nd-place Michigan chassis this week.

9 Ryan Newman 35/1 16th 6th 3rd 6th
Notes: Runner-up in 2009; strong practices Friday using a chassis that making it's debut runs.

10 Matt Kenseth 12/1 15th 2nd 24th 26th
Notes: 2000 winner, his first career win; using winning Texas and Michigan runner-up chassis.

Note: This is the second race run at Charlotte this season. The first race, held on May 29, was won by Kevin Harvick who led only two laps on the day. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel while leading on the last lap.

Hi Blade! <3 <3 <3

My Favorites for NASCAR BANK OF AMERICA 500 tonight at 7:30pm EST are:

Kenseth
Harvick
Busch

I'm currently 6/8 for my NASCAR ODDS 😉

What do you think???

Miss K-de "K2" 😉

I bet Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Edwards before qualifying and really like how Newman has looked in practice, I think he will end up being my main play for the race.

Which Busch did you play?

I played Kurt as well... I think his possibility is a 12/1 chance but I play with those numbers all day... Do you have any other gutty picks? 😀

Johnson wins tonight.

I would tell you who else I like but then Blade would know my fantasy lineup for tonight.

Good choice with Kurt since he is so good on 1.5 tracks while Kyle seems to struggle with them and night races as well. Only thing I added after qualifying is Newman at 22/1 so far but am going to look at it more in a bit.

Go ahead and donate to the JJ foundation MR. CA$H! I'll stay on the Busch, Kenseth Odds... "See ya LATA"; Newman doesn't sound so bad Blade; Lets grrrrrriiiiiind #100orNOTHING @Kdeuces