Bank of America 500 News and Notes

Driver Highlights - Charlotte

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

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 108.5

2010 Rundown

# Six wins, 13 top fives, 17 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 13.6
# Led 20 races for 1,296 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# Six wins, nine top fives, 13 top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 10.2 in 18 races
# Series-best Average Running Position of 7.8
# Series-best Driver Rating of 115.3
# Series-high 386 Fastest Laps Run
# 689 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
# Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 175.794 mph
# Series-high 3,361 Laps in the Top 15 (86.1%)
# 533 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), second-most

2 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.3

2010 Rundown

# Six wins, 11 top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 14.2
# Led 15 races for 918 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# Three top 10s
# Average finish of 18.5 in 10 races
# Average Running Position of 15.9, eighth-best
# Driver Rating of 81.5, 14th-best
# 81 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
# 2,103 Laps in the Top 15 (60.1%), 11th-most
# 341 Quality Passes, 10th-most

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

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.9

2010 Rundown

# Three wins, 13 top fives, 20 top 10s
# Average finish of 9.5
# Led 12 races for 246 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# One top five, three top 10s
# Average finish of 20.7 in 19 races
# Average Running Position of 22.5, 27th-best
# Driver Rating of 67.1, 26th-best
# 730 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

4 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.9

2010 Rundown

# 11 top fives, 16 top 10s
# Average finish of 11.5
# Led 17 races for 855 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# Five wins, 16 top fives, 20 top 10s; seven poles
# Average finish of 15.4 in 35 races
# Average Running Position of 16.8, 12th-best
# Driver Rating of 89.1, sixth-best
# 147 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 174.860 mph, seventh-fastest
# 2,154 Laps in the Top 15 (55.2%), 10th-most
# 341 Quality Passes, 10th-most

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

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.1

2010 Rundown

# Two wins, nine top fives, 16 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 12.9
# Led 18 races for 535 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.4 in 23 races
# Average Running Position of 15.9, seventh-best
# Driver Rating of 84.5, 12th-best
# 143 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
# 720 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 174.912 mph, fifth-fastest
# 2,226 Laps in the Top 15 (57.0%), ninth-most
# 386 Quality Passes, sixth-most

6 - Kurt Busch (No. 2 Operation Home Front/Miller Lite Dodge)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.7

2010 Rundown

# Two wins, nine top fives, 16 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 14.2
# Led 15 races for 820 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# One win, four top fives, five top 10s
# Average finish of 20.0 in 20 races
# Average Running Position of 16.7, 11th-best
# Driver Rating of 87.6, 10th-best
# 161 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
# 2,235 Laps in the Top 15 (57.3%), eighth-most
# 368 Quality Passes, eighth-most

7 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.7

2010 Rundown

# Seven top fives, 16 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 12.2
# Led 9 races for 141 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# Four top fives, seven top 10s
# Average finish of 13.2 in 11 races
# Average Running Position of 17.8, 15th-best
# Driver Rating of 84.0, 13th-best
# Series-high 820 Green Flag Passes
# 1,845 Laps in the Top 15 (47.3%), 13th-most
# 337 Quality Passes, 12th-most

8 - Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.9

2010 Rundown

# Six top fives, 14 top 10s
# Average finish of 12.9
# Led 13 races for 392 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# Three wins, eight top fives, 15 top 10s
# Average finish of 15.1 in 33 races
# Average Running Position of 14.4, sixth-best
# Driver Rating of 88.4, eighth-best
# 89 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
# 733 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 174.634 mph, 10th-fastest
# 2,459 Laps in the Top 15 (63.0%), fifth-most
# 455 Quality Passes, fourth-most

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

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.6

2010 Rundown

# Three wins, eight top fives, 16 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 13.2
# Led 16 races for 1,028 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# Four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 17.8 in 13 races
# Average Running Position of 10.9, third-best
# Driver Rating of 104.9, second-best
# 261 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
# 700 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 175.557 mph, second-fastest
# 3,005 Laps in the Top 15 (77.0%), second-most
# Series-high 548 Quality Passes

10 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 SCOTCH BLUE Ford)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.1

2010 Rundown

# Two wins, six top fives, 15 top 10s
# Average finish of 15.9
# Led 10 races for 318 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# Two top fives, five top 10s
# Average finish of 19.1 in 15 races
# Average Running Position of 16.4, 10th-best
# Driver Rating of 85.5, 11th-best
# 118 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
# 2,269 Laps in the Top 15 (58.1%), seventh-most
# 352 Quality Passes, ninth-most

11 - Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford)

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 84.4

2010 Rundown

# Five top fives, 11 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.5
# Led 8 races for 90 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s
# Average finish of 15.4 in 22 races
# Average Running Position of 16.3, ninth-best
# Driver Rating of 89.1, sixth-best
# 125 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
# 2,311 Laps in the Top 15 (59.2%), sixth-most
# 376 Quality Passes, seventh-most

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

# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.8

2010 Rundown

# One win, six top fives, 16 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.1
# Led 13 races for 380 laps

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

# One top five, three top 10s
# Average finish of 17.7 in nine races
# Average Running Position of 18.4, 17th-best
# Driver Rating of 79.6, 16th-best

Glance at the 12 drivers in the Chase

DRIVER: Jimmie Johnson

CHASE POINTS: first, 5,673 points

CAR: No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

POSITION CHANGE: None.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 18

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (six times)

LAST WEEK: Didn't win in California, as has become his custom during the fall race there, but his third-place finish gave him a little cushion over Hamlin with the Chase nearing its halfway point.

CHASE CHATTER: ``If we can leave the racetrack with a top-three each week, we'll be where we want to at Homestead,'' Johnson said.

DRIVER: Denny Hamlin

CHASE POINTS: second, 5,637 points

CAR: No. 11 FedEx Toyota

TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 10

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 8th (Fall, 2005)

LAST WEEK: Lost a little ground to Johnson by finishing eighth in Fontana. Still, pretty solid performance considering he started from the back after a transmission change following qualifying. Now heads to another track where he's struggled and Johnson has dominated.

CHASE CHATTER: ``A little bit frustrated, but all in all it's a decent day,'' Hamlin said. ``Can't be too disappointed, especially from where we started.''

DRIVER: Kevin Harvick

CHASE POINTS: third, 5,619 points

CAR: No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet

TEAM: Richard Childress Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 19

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 2nd (Spring, 2001)

LAST WEEK: Steady as he goes. Harvick posted his series-high 20th top-10 finish by coming in seventh in Fontana. Has avoided major mistakes in the Chase so far, and could be wiser choice than Hamlin to chase down Johnson.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We need to step it up, and we are still in striking distance in the points battle,'' he said.

DRIVER: Jeff Gordon

CHASE POINTS: fourth, 5,588 points

CAR: No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet

TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 35

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (five times)

LAST WEEK: A pit road speeding penalty at California cost him, forcing him to settle for ninth. Remains an outside threat to catch Johnson, but will need to reach Victory Lane at least once to do it.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We've been strong on the intermediate tracks this year, but Charlotte is one where I felt we needed to improve to make a run at the title,'' Gordon said.

DRIVER: Tony Stewart

CHASE POINTS: fifth, 5,566 points

CAR: No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet

TEAM: Stewart/Haas Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 5.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 23

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (Fall, 2003)

LAST WEEK: Look who's back. Followed up a fourth-place finish in Kansas by winning in Fontana to jump five spots in the standings and get very much in the picture.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We're going to need some help, but we're doing everything we can do,'' Stewart said.

DRIVER: Kurt Busch

CHASE POINTS: sixth, 5,533 points

CAR: No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge

TEAM: Penske Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 20

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (May 2010)

LAST WEEK: A late-race run-in with David Ragan sent Busch tumbling to 21st at Fontana. Will try to be the first driver to win all three races at Charlotte this weekend. He swept the All-Star race and the 600-mile race there in May.

CHASE CHATTER: ``It could have been a really solid day here for the Miller Lite Dodge, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be,'' Busch said. ``Hopefully, we can bounce back next week at Charlotte.''

DRIVER: Carl Edwards

CHASE POINTS: seventh, 5,511 points

CAR: No. 99 Aflac Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 3.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 11

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 3rd (Fall, 2005)

LAST WEEK: His slow climb up the standings took a major hit in California, where a broken rotor in the distributor sent him to the garage for 15 crucial laps. He finished 37th.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We've got six races left and we're 162 points back, so over six races that's not a lot of points per race, so I think we can do it,'' Edwards said.

DRIVER: Jeff Burton

CHASE POINTS: eighth, 5,496 points

CAR: No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet

TEAM: Richard Childress Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 33

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (three times)

LAST WEEK: Fought some handling issues all day in Fontana, ending up 23rd.

CHASE CHATTER: ``It's definitely go time right now and we can't afford to give up more points,'' Burton said.

DRIVER: Kyle Busch

CHASE POINTS: ninth, 5,486 points

CAR: No. 18 M&Ms Toyota

TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 2.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 13

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 3rd (three times)

LAST WEEK: And the hits just keep on coming. A blown engine at California left Busch mired in 35th and puts him perilously close to being out of it.

CHASE CHATTER: ``It's over,'' Busch said after the race.

DRIVER: Greg Biffle

CHASE POINTS: 10th, 5,458 points

CAR: No. 16 3M Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

POSITION CHANGE: Minus 2.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 15

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 2nd (Spring, 2008)

LAST WEEK: Was in the process of backing up his win at Kansas with a solid run in Fontana before a mechanical issue sent him to the garage in 41st.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We will still go out there every week and try to get the No. 16 3M Ford into victory lane and gain as many positions in the points as we can,'' Biffle said.

DRIVER: Matt Kenseth

CHASE POINTS: 11th, 5,432 points

CAR: No. 17 Crown Royal Ford

TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 22

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 1st (Spring, 2000)

LAST WEEK: Mechanical problems led to a miserable day in California, a track where he's won three times. Finished 30th to take away some momentum he'd built after a strong day in Kansas.

CHASE CHATTER: ``I had something wounded that was getting ready to break, so I just held on to what we could,'' Kenseth said.

DRIVER: Clint Bowyer

CHASE POINTS: 12th, 5,251 points

CAR: No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet

TEAM: Richard Childress Racing

POSITION CHANGE: None.

CAREER CHARLOTTE STARTS: 9

BEST CHARLOTTE FINISH: 2nd (Fall, 2007)

LAST WEEK: A ray of light following the fallout from his penalty-marred win at New Hampshire. Finished second in California after nudging past Johnson in the last few laps.

CHASE CHATTER: ``We're capable of winning races, and if we keep doing what we did today, we're going to win another one,'' Bowyer said.

Bank of America 500 Preview
By Micah Roberts

The list contenders for this years NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship got a little shorter following last weeks at California. Heading into Fontana, there were eight drivers within 85 points of the leader. Coming into Charlotte this week, there are only four drivers within 85 points as a series of wrecks, blown engines and bad luck derailed a few of the chasers.

With Tony Stewart winning he moved up five places to fifth in points, 107 points from Jimmie Johnson who extended his lead over second place Denny Hamlin to 36 points. Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon are third and fourth respectively.

The Las Vegas Hilton has adjusted their odds to win the title with Johnson being the strong 5 to 8 favorite followed by Hamlin and Harvick at 9/2, then Gordon and Stewart at 15/1.

Six races remain in the Chase and even though some drivers have counted themselves out for that title, winning weekly races is still the name of the game. This week we’ll have more candidates than ever capable of winning including non-Chasers like Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin and David Reutimann will all have just as good a chance of winning the race as some of the favorites who are involved in the Chase.

Kurt Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May for his second win of the season on 1.5-mile high banked tracks with McMurray, Kyle Busch, Martin and Reutimann right behind him. We’ve seen a great mix of drivers do well on these type of tracks this season. Unlike the first four races on these type of tracks, the Roush drivers figure to major player this week as well.

Even before the Roush program found their horsepower midway through the season, Matt Kenseth was still having quality finishes. In the seven races run on mile-and-a-half tracks, no one in the series has a better combined average finish position than Kenseth. On Charlotte’s sister track of Atlanta, Carl Edwards was runner-up to Tony Stewart. And then of course we have Greg Biffle who won on the flatter Kansas track two weeks ago.

Johnson used to be the King of Charlotte as he accumulated five wins in six races from 2003-2005, but he’s only won one race since -- this race last year. He’s also only won once this year on these types of tracks, but in the last three chances on down-force tracks he’s finished third twice and runner-up.

While Hamlin has played been playing mind games with himself regarding the Chase, Johnson has just gone out and done his thing with no worries. That’s what winning four straight titles does to someone. It makes him calm and cool under pressure, never doubting his ability. This is why he’s not only a big favorite to win this week, but also in the Championship. He really is a machine. I’m sure drivers have to take physicals, but they should check further because he really isn’t human. We’ve come along ways with technology since C3-PO and I’m pretty sure Johnson is a new age droid.

With the Chase out of reach in Kyle Busch’s mind, I’d look for him to settle down and run well this week. The best value on the board may be McMurray at 30 to 1. He’s hit or miss week after week, and always practices well, but he should be able to possibly score a big pay day for supporting bettors this week. Charlotte is the site of his first career win in 2002 while subbing for an injured Sterling Marlin. Look for large odds on Kasey Kahne too who has three wins in 13 career starts at Charlotte.

The best chassis’ of the week belong to Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart and Jamie McMurray, at least from a stand point of the cars having past success. Kurt Busch has decided to leave each of his winning cars from Atlanta and Charlotte in the garage and will go with a new car for some reason. Tony Stewart looks to be a nice choice this week using the same car he with at the sister track of Atlanta.

Top 5 Finish Prediction:

1) #18 Kyle Busch (10/1)
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson (4/1)
3) #1 Jamie McMurray (30/1)
4) #14 Tony Stewart (12/1)
5) #99 Carl Edwards (12/1)

Jeff Gordon still looking for first win
By: SttatFox

The fifth leg of the NASCAR Sprint Series Chase for the Cup will take place in Concord, NC in the Bank of America 500. This is the final night race of the 2010 NASCAR season. Prior to 1966, this race was 400 miles long.

Chase Standings:

Jimmie Johnson still leads the Chase standings, increasing his lead to 36 points over Denny Hamlin. Kevin Harvick (-54), Jeff Gordon (-85) and Tony Stewart (-107) round out the top five.

Drivers to watch:

Jimmie Johnson (3/1)
It seems that Johnson is the top pick in every race now and that’s because he is. He has dominated at Charlotte, winning six times and finishing in the top-5 nine times. His driver rating of 115.3 is the highest at Charlotte. He has also finished in the top-3 in five of the past six races this season.

Kyle Busch (7/1)
Now that Kyle Busch has fallen out of contention for this year’s championship, the pressure should be off and we should see him drive with nothing to lose. This is the week he shows us why he’s been the best here since the switch to the COT car. In his last five starts at this track in the new car, Busch leads all drivers with a 6.6 average finish, with three top-5 finishes that were all eighth or better.

Kurt Busch (9/1)
Busch won at this track in the spring and will try to become the first since Kasey Kahne back in 2006 to win both races at this track in the same year. In his career at this track he has spent 57.3 percent of his laps in the top-15.

Jeff Gordon (9/1)
Gordon still has yet to win a race this season, but has been coming on strong lately, with top-10 finishes in three of his past four races. He has five career wins at Charlotte and has finished in the top-8 in four of his past five races there.

Kasey Kahne (15/1)
Kahne has won at Charlotte three times and has NOT placed worse than eighth in his past six races here. That’s about a 4.5 average finish. He is third in average running position at Charlotte in the last 11 races at 10.906. He is second in driver ratings at 104.9. He is second-fastest early in a run and third-fastest late in a run here. He is also third on the list with 261 fastest laps run. He’s also second with 3,005 laps ran inside the top-15.

Other past winners here to look out for include:

Jeff Burton (20/1)
He has three career wins here and has spent 63 percent of his laps in the top-15. His driver rating of 88.4 is eighth-best here.

Matt Kenseth (20/1)
Kenseth won the spring race here in 2000 and his driver rating of of 89.1 is sixth-best.

David Reutimann (30/1)
He won the spring race here in 2009 and finished fifth in the spring race this year.

Driver Handicaps: Charlotte
By: Jeff Wackerlin

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

Who's HOT at Charlotte
• Kyle Busch leads all drivers with a 4.8 average finish in the five races with the COT.
• Jimmie Johnson has captured six wins and 13 top 10s in 18 starts.
• Jeff Gordon, a five-time winner, has a 6.2 average finish in his last six starts.
• Kasey Kahne has a 5.0 average finish and one win in the five races with the COT.
• Kurt Busch won the All-Star and Coca-Cola 600 in May.
• Clint Bowyer has finished in the top 10 in his last two starts.

Keep an Eye on at Charlotte
• Matt Kenseth leads all drivers with a 9.7 average finish in the seven races on 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Joey Logano has 9.0 average finish in three starts at Charlotte.
• Mark Martin, who finished fourth in May, leads all active drivers with 18 top fives at Charlotte.
• Tony Stewart is third in average finish (11.6) and laps led (334) on 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Ryan Newman has two poles and a 7.3 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas at Charlotte.
• Denny Hamlin has one win and has led 121 laps on 1.5-mile tracks this season
• David Reutimann has one win and a 7.0 average finish in his last three starts at Charlotte.
• Jeff Burton won this event in 2008 and has the eighth-best average finish on 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Jamie McMurray is driving the same car that he posted top fives with at Chicagoland and Darlington.
• Greg Biffle is the latest winner on a 1.5-mile track after winning at Kansas.

Track Performers
Matt Kenseth, winner of the 2000 Coca-Cola 600, leads all divers with a 9.7 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks this season. Jeff Gordon (11.3), Tony Stewart (11.6), Jimmie Johnson (11.7) and Kurt Busch (12.3) round out the top five in finishing average in the seven races. Kurt Busch, who is second in laps led with 393, is the only driver with multiple wins (Atlanta, Charlotte). Jimmie Johnson (Las Vegas), Denny Hamlin (Texas), David Reutimann (Chicago), Tony Stewart (Atlanta) and Greg Biffle (Kansas) are the other winners. Kasey Kahne was second in average finish prior to Kansas, but his average fell to 15.0 after a 37th-place finish there. Jeff Gordon tops all drivers with 422 laps led. Besides Kurt Busch, only Stewart (334), Jimmie Johnson (193) and Kahne (187) have led more than 150 laps this season.

Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings

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

1. Jimmie Johnson: Defending event winner; Victory was one of six in 18 starts; Finished 37th in May; 19.2 average finish in the five races with the COT; Fourth in average finish (11.7) and laps led (193) in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will debut a new chassis (No. 623) in the Bank of America 500.

2. Denny Hamlin: 22.2 average finish in the five races with the COT; Finished 18th in May; Led 54 laps in this event last year before the engine expired; 17.4 average finish and 121 laps led in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 279) that he finished ninth with at Dover last month.

3. Kevin Harvick: Last of three top 10s in 19 starts came in this event in 2003; 11th place in May is best finish in last 13 starts; 14.1 average finish and 18 laps led in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 318) that he led 16 laps and finished third with at Kansas.

4. Jeff Gordon: Last of five wins came in this event in 2007; Third-best average finish (10.6) in the five races with the COT; Second-best average finish (11.3) and most laps led (422) in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010.

5. Tony Stewart: 15.7 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas; Won the 2003 fall race with Joe Gibbs Racing; Win was one of 11 top 10s with JGR; Third in average finish (11.6) and laps led (334) in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 515) that he won with at Atlanta last month.

6. Kurt Busch: Won the All-Star race and Coca-Cola 600 in May; Finished in the top 10 in last two fall races; 12.8 average finish in the five races with the COT; Fifth in average finish (12.3) and second in laps led (393) in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will debut a new chassis (No. 738) in the Bank of America 500.

7. Carl Edwards: 13.2 average finish in 11 starts; Finished 39th in this event last year after the engine expired; Has yet to lead a lap in the five races with the COT; 15.7 average finish and 36 laps led in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will debut a new chassis (No. 709) in the Bank of America.

8. Jeff Burton: Two-time Coca-Cola 600 winner; Only victory in 12 starts with Richard Childress Racing came in this event in 2008; 14.2 average finish and 59 laps led in the five races with the COT; Eighth-best average finish (13.9) in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 314) that he finished second with at Dover last month.

9. Kyle Busch: Leads all drivers with a 4.8 average finish in the five races with the COT; Has finished eighth or better in seven of the last eight races; Sixth-best average finish (12.7) in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 286) in the Bank of America 500.

10. Greg Biffle: 32nd-place finish in May raised finishing average to 15.4 in the five races with the COT; Latest winner on a 1.5-mile speedway after winning at Kansas; 18.9 average finish in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 708) in the Bank of America 500.

11. Matt Kenseth: Coming off 11th (third consecutive) top 10 in 22 starts; 14.0 average finish and 54 laps led in the five races with the COT; Leads all drivers with a 9.7 average finish in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 694) that he finished 11th with at Atlanta.

12. Clint Bowyer: 17.2 average finish in the five races with the COT; Coming off second consecutive top 10; 14.3 average finish in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 283) that he most recently finished 25th with at Dover.

13. Ryan Newman: 12.8 average finish in the five races with the COT; Two poles and a 7.3 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas; Posted five top 10s in previous 16 starts with Penske Racing; Seventh-best average finish (13.4) in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 531) that he most recently finished eighth with at Kansas.

14. Jamie McMurray: 16.8 average finish in the five races with the COT; Led 29 laps and finished second in first track start in an Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet in May; 18.0 average finish; 118 laps led in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 1006) that he posted top fives with at Chicagoland and Darlington.

15. Mark Martin: 12.4 average finish in the five races with the COT; Coming off first top 10 (fourth) in three starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Four-time winner with Roush Racing; Ninth-best average finish (13.9) in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 620) in the Bank of America 500.

16. Juan Pablo Montoya: Only top 10 in seven starts came in the 2009 Coca-Cola 600; Has yet to lead a lap; 29.0 average finish in the five races with the COT; 23.7 average finish in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1015) that he most recently finished seventh with at Michigan.

17. David Reutimann: 12.6 average finish in the five races with the COT; Won the 2009 rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600; Finished fifth in May; 21.0 average finish and 55 laps led in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010.

18. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 28.2 average finish in five races with Hendrick Motorsports; Recorded eight top 10s in previous 17 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Led 76 laps and finished fifth in 2008 Coca-Cola 600; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 556) that he most recently finished 23rd with at Dover last month.

19. Kasey Kahne: 5.0 average finish in the five races with the COT; Three-time winner; Last win came in 2008 May race; 12th-place finish in May ended streak of five consecutive top fives; 15.0 average finish and 187 laps led on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010.

20. Joey Logano: 9.0 average finish in three starts; Finished fifth in this event last year; 20.7 average finish in the seven races on 1.5-mile speedways in 2010.

NASCAR betting: Stewart picking up speed at Charlotte
By Greg Engle

It’s time for NASCAR to head home.

Charlotte North Carolina is the center of the NASCAR universe and many drivers consider Charlotte Motor Speedway, site of Saturday night’s Bank of America 500, their home track.

Winning any race in NASCAR means a lot, but for the second visit of the season, a victory this weekend at Charlotte means just that much more.

For drivers not in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, there’s the opportunity to show their stuff in front of family, friends and more importantly those who work in the various shops who normally don’t get to see a race in person.

But for those competing in the Chase, this is race six of 10 and another hurdle to overcome as they compete for the season ending championship.

There’s a problem for the entire field whether inside the Chase or not though. Mention Charlotte Motor Speedway and one name keeps popping up - Jimmie Johnson.

Johnson has six wins here, more than any active driver. He’s coming off a second-place finish last week and stretching out his points lead. He has to, once more, be the favorite this week.

And don’t expect Johnson to lay back and take it easy in an attempt to guard his lead.

“I think that would be a mistake for myself and anyone for that matter,” Johnson told me Thursday. “You need every point. “

One driver who hopes to score more points than Johnson this Saturday is Tony Stewart. Stewart is coming off a win last week and, at 107 markers back, knows he will have to fight for every single point. He hasn’t won a points paying race here since 2003, but he has a ton of confidence and, after signing a new sponsor this week, Stewart knows he has to push hard.

“Oh yeah,” he said Thursday. “We’re 107 points out. We’re not 107 points ahead. Yeah, we’ve got to push real hard right now.”

This week’s primetime matchup goes to Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton. Harvick has never won at Charlotte, Burton has three victories. Harvick has been running strong each and every week. His teammate Burton knows his Chase hopes are quickly fading and will take it to the very edge. Look for him to outrun Harvick this week.

Mathematically, Carl Edwards can overcome a 162-point deficit and win the Chase. Johnson came back from 167 down to win in 2006. While Kurt Busch is only 140 points back, he has been struggling lately, while Edwards has been running strong. However, Busch knows it’s this week or never and he has won here. In fact, he won here in the spring the last time the series visited. Look for Busch to finish ahead of Edwards Saturday.

The spoiler

For a spoiler this week we have to look outside the Chase. Kasey Kahne has three wins at Charlotte, including a victory over a strong-running Johnson in 2006. Kahne has been making some noise in the last few weeks and could do the same again Saturday.

Picks

Jimmie Johnson (+400)
Tony Stewart (+1500)
Kasey Kahne (+2500)

Practice Notes - Charlotte
By Micah Roberts

Top 8 Driver Ratings Following All Practice Sessions

Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Qualifying Practice 2 Practice 3

1. Kyle Busch 9/1 3rd 6th 25th 7th
4.5 average finish in last six Charlotte starts; best 10 consecutive lap average speeds during final practice.
2. Kurt Busch 9/1 22nd 15th 4th 3rd
Won the All-Star race and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May, also won at Atlanta in March.

3. Kasey Kahne 15/1 11th 25th 1st 4th
Three wins in last nine Charlotte starts, the last in 2008; 11.6 average finish in 13 starts.

4. Greg Biffle 15/1 18th 22nd 3rd 10th
Using new chassis; had best 10 consecutive lap average speeds during second practice.

5. Jimmie Johnson 3/1 12th 10th 15th 17th
Had worst combined practice speeds on a 1.5-mile track this season; 6 wins at Charlotte.

6. Carl Edwards 9/1 19th 2nd 13th 1st
Using new chassis; had top average speeds for entire final practice. Finished 16th in May.

7. Tony Stewart 12/1 6th 29th 17th 32nd
Using same chassis that won at Atlanta last month; average finish of 13.4 in 23 starts.

8. Mark Martin 35/1 4th 5th 12th 11th
Four time winner making his 52nd Charlotte start; using new car this week.

Note: Charlotte’s 1.5-mile high banked speedway is similar to it’s sister tracks of Las Vegas, Atlanta and Texas. Atlanta’s September 5 race is the best barometer to use in handicapping this week’s race.