Chevy Rock and Roll 400 News and Notes

Chevy Rock & Roll 400 preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Race 26 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season is the Chase cut-off race. It’s do or die for the 3 drivers battling for that one position and right to make a run for the Season championship.

Currently, Clint Bowyer sits in the 12th and final position with David Ragan only 17 points behind and Kasey Kahne and mere 48 points behind.

All 3 drivers are currently listed at 50 to 1 to win the championship at Station Casinos sports books. Clint Bowyer would appear to have the edge on getting in because his Richard Childress team has been so good at the flat mid-level tracks. Bowyer won in the spring and also did well at Phoenix, which is a track that requires a similar set-up to Richmond.

What Bowyer does have going against him is history. In three of the last four cut-off races at Richmond since the Chase format started, drivers on the outside looking in have raced their way into the Chase while the driver holding on to the final spot coming in has folded.

It’s kind of fun watching a few drivers try to make up positions and race as hard as they can for their season. However, as a great a story as it would be to see David Ragan or Kasey Kahne get into the chase, it is going to be a tough sell in taking it away from Bowyer.

Unlike the 3 drivers who failed in the history of the Chase coming into this race, Bowyer might be the best driver at Richmond among all drivers. If Bowyer runs this race in normal fashion as he has the last two years he should easily come out with a top 5 finish. He might even be good enough to get the win, but caution may lead the way for him which may force him to not make the tough pass he normally might.

Last season David Ragan had his best career finish in this race at Richmond with 3rd place. Because of where he stands, he may be forced to make a few extra moves hat he may not want to in order to get more points. He knows how good Bowyer is at this track so he’ll have to push himself to the limit. His odds to win the race are at 35 to 1 which is higher than normal, likely because of the volatile nature of the track and also knowing Ragan has to perform with a Kamikaze mentality. It would be pretty cool seeing four Roush Fords in the Chase.

If things stay the same in the standings as I believe, we’ll see only four teams represented in the Chase. Hendrick, Gibbs, Roush, and Childress will each have 3 drivers in the Chase. DEI, Penske, and Evernham all get shut out for the first time. The biggest surprise of the 3 left out should come from Penske because of how well they came out of the gate with the big Daytona 500 win. The team is well financed and has good drivers, they should be much better than they are. Maybe Dodge isn’t the answer. Not one Dodge in the chase this year.

Back to the race. Bowyer is one of the favorites at 11 to 1, but THE favorites to win are Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch. Big surprise, right? These guys have always been good at Richmond. Kyle Busch has run well there in the old car, the Car of Tomorrow, a Chevy, a Toyota, and just about anything that has a motor. He just knows how to drive on that track and all tracks like it. He finished 2nd there in the spring. It was his 3rd second place finish at the track. He has yet to win at Richmond, but does have wins on the similar tracks of New Hampshire and Phoenix.

Like Busch, Jimmie Johnson has dominated on the 3 mid-range flat tracks. He has multiple wins on all of them, including a sweep at Richmond last season. More encouragement from the Johnson camp should come from the winning information they grab from their Phoenix race that they won in April.

One long shot driver who has a shot of stepping up and beating Johnson, Busch, and Bowyer may be Mark Martin. These type of tracks are the only ones that the declining DEI program seem to do well on. Martin’s lone career win at Richmond came in 1990.

Others who should do well include Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart. Harvick won at Richmond in 2006 and Stewart is a 3 time winner there. The sentimental favorites will be Virginians Jeff Burton and Denny Hamlin. Hamlin won at Martinsville already this season giving him his first Cup win in front of his home state fans. Burton has won at both Virginia tracks, but none since 1998.

TOP 5 Finish prediction
1- #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)
2-#29 Kevin Harvick (12/1)
3- #07 Clint Bowyer (12/1)
4- #20 Tony Stewart (11/1)
5- #18 Kyle Busch (9/2)

Logano Makes NASCAR Sprint Cup Debut
This kid has made a huge splash before actually even driving one lap. He has shown in his little time spent that he can drive a good car to success. He will be taking over for Stewart next year, but in order to get him ready, Joe Gibbs will have him drive a few races in the No. 02 car and will also loan him to Troy Aikman and drive his No. 96 Toyota which runs with Gibbs engines. I always remember the ’92 fall Atlanta race as the race where Richard Petty last ran and Jeff Gordon began. However, at the time I knew nothing about Jeff Gordon. Logano’s fanfare and arrival is like I have never seen before.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 – And Beyond: Week 26

Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 along with other notable drivers, going into the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. (Note: Drivers listed below who are outside the top 12 are chosen based on past performances at the upcoming track and/or are within striking distance of the top 12.)

1– Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 112.0
2008 Rundown
• Eight wins, 15 top fives, 17 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.7
• Led 18 races for 1,580 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 110.6
• Six top fives
• Average finish of 5.6
• Finished second in May’s Richmond race
• Led four of seven races for 292 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high Average Running Position of 9.0

2 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 106.4
2008 Rundown
• Six wins, 11 top fives, 19 top 10s
• Average finish of 10.0
• Led 14 races for 636 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 79.7
• Three top 10s
• Average finish of 18.9
• Finished seventh in May
• Led one of eight races for 15 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high 702 Fastest Laps Run

3 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.3
2008 Rundown
• Three wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.8
• Led 19 races for 966 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 81.0
• Two wins, three top fives; two poles
• Average finish of 18.8
• Finished 12th in May
• Led six of 13 races for 337 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 10.8, third-best

4 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.2
2008 Rundown
• One win, seven top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.6
• Led 17 races for 706 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 92.4
• Three wins, seven top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 11.5
• Finished 15th in May
• Led nine of 18 races for 337 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 417 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

5 – Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.0
2008 Rundown
• One win, four top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.8
• Led 10 races for 74 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 80.2
• One win, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 15.4
• Finished 11th in May
• Led nine of 28 races for 899 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 1,063 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fifth-most

6 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.8
2008 Rundown
• Eight top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 14.3
• Led 12 races for 341 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 92.0
• Two top fives, five top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 15.8
• Finished 14th in May
• Led four of 12 races for 71 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 313 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

7 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.5
2008 Rundown
• Six top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.9
• Led four races for 88 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 118.9
• One win, four top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 11.8
• Finished eighth in May
• Led eight of 15 races for 646 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Seventh-fastest average Green Flag Speed rank

8 – Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.7
2008 Rundown
• Eight top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.0
• Led 10 races for 532 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 102.3
• Three wins, seven top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 10.9
• Finished fourth in May
• Led 10 of 19 races for 792 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 263 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

9 – Matt Kenseth (No. 14 DEWALT Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.6
2008 Rundown
• Six top fives, 15 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.1
• Led 12 races for 202 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 85.2
• One win, three top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 15.6
• Finished 38th in May
• Led seven of 17 races for 190 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 186 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

10 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.9
2008 Rundown
• Nine top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.4
• Led 13 races for 273 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 88.2
• Two wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s; five poles
• Average finish of 15.3
• Finished ninth in May
• Led 19 of 31 races for 1,059 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 12.1, fifth-best

11 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.8
2008 Rundown
• One win, eight top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.8
• Led 11 races for 696 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 114.8
• Two top fives, three top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 10.0
• Finished 24th in May
• Led all five of his races for 448 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 1,141 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), second-most

12 – Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 78.5
2008 Rundown
• One win, four top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.8
• Led four races for 150 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 93.2
• One win, three top 10s
• Average finish of 8.8
• Won the Richmond race in May
• Led two of five races for 17 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 184 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most

13 – David Ragan (No. 6 AAA Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 80.2
2008 Rundown
• Five top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 15.8
• Led six races for 15 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 75.0
• One top five
• Average finish of 13.3 in three races; Finished 17th in May
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high 1,147 Quality Passes

14 – Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.4
2008 Rundown
• Two wins, three top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 17.0
• Led eight races for 185 laps

Richmond International Raceway Outlook
• Driver Rating of 98.2
• One win, two top five, five top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 17.3; Finished 10th in May
• Led three of nine races for 249 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 257 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

Statistics paint clear picture of the top contenders
By Ben White

After 25 hard-fought races leading up to NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup, the top-12 point contenders will be decided this coming weekend at Richmond International Raceway.

The statistical numbers gathered by the drivers this season paint a clear picture of top contenders leading into Saturday night's 400 lap event.

Here's a look at some of those numbers.

Kyle Busch, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, has led all categories through a stellar first season with the Huntersville-based team. His eight wins, 15 top-fives and 17 top-10s give him an average finish of 9th out of 43 positions. Busch has led 18 races for 1,580 laps.

Busch has six top-fives at RIR with an average finish of 5th. He also finished second in the May event there and has also led in four of seven races for 292 laps.

Carl Edwards has been Busch's closest rival this season, with some of those emotions spilling over at Bristol Motor Speedway, causing both drivers to be placed on probation.

Edwards has six wins, 11 top-fives and 19 top-10s with an average finish of 10th. He has led 14 races for 636 laps at track. He has three top-10s at RIR with an average finish of 18th. He finished seventh in May and has led one of eight races for 15 laps.

Jimmie Johnson, the driver of the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and winner of Sunday's event at California Speedway, has three wins, eight top-fives and 13 top-10s. That gives him an average finish of 12th. He has led 19 races for 966 laps.

When it comes to Richmond events, Johnson has two wins, three top-fives and two poles for an average finish of 18th. Johnson finished 12th in May and has led six of 13 races for 337 laps.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports after collecting one win at Michigan International Speedway last June. He has seven top-fives and 12 top-10s for an average finish of 12th. He has led 17 races for 706 laps in 2008 and at Richmond, he has collected three wins, seven top-fives, nine top-10s for an average finish of 11th. Johnson finished 15th in May and has led nine of 18 races for 337 laps.

Jeff Burton of RCR Enterprises led the point standings at the beginning of the season but has dropped to fifth as he enters the race at Richmond. Burton won at Bristol in March with four top-fives and 11 top-10s for an average finish of 12th. He has led 10 races for 74 laps. A win and seven top fives, 12 top-10s and one pole position make his average finish of the season 15th. He finished 11th at Richmond and has led nine of 28 races for 899 laps during his career.

Roush-Fenway Racing's Greg Biffle has collected eight top-fives, 11 top-10s and has an average finish of 14th in 2008, leading 12 races for 341 laps. At Richmond, Biffle has two top-fives, five top-10s and one pole position with an average finish of 15th. He finished 14th in May and has led four of 12 races for 71 laps.

Kevin Harvick of Welcome's RCR Enterprises has gone 60 races without a victory, dating back to his win in the 2007 Daytona 500. This season, Harvick has six top-fives and 11 top-10s for an average finish of 13th. He has led four races for 88 laps this season. At Richmond, Harvick has one win, four top-fives, nine top-10s and one pole position with an average finish of 11th. He finished eighth in May and led eight of 15 races for 646 laps.

Tony Stewart, in his last season with Joe Gibbs Racing, has eight top-fives, 12 top-10s and an average finish of 15th after leading 10 races for 532 laps. At Richmond, he has three wins, seven top-fives and 13 top-10s for an average finish of 10th. Stewart finished fourth in May and has led 10 of 19 races for 792 laps.

Rounding out the top 12 in points are Matt Kenseth in ninth, Jeff Gordon in 10th, Denny Hamlin in 11th and Clint Bowyer in 12th.

David Ragan and Kasey Kahne are just outside the top 12 in points with hopes that good runs at Richmond will extend them invitations into NASCAR's elite circle of championship contenders.

Once the checkered flag falls over the field, the select 12 will breath a sigh of relief before the championship pressure begins.

the-dispatch.com

Ragan, Kahne race for Chase
September 3, 2008

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer are in. David Ragan and Kasey Kahne want to knock them out.

There's just one race remaining to determine the 12 drivers who will advance into the Chase and compete for the Sprint Cup title, and this year there's actually a bit of intrigue.

Bowyer is officially on the bubble, holding down the 12th and final qualifying spot and needing a solid run at Richmond International Raceway to lock up his berth. It doesn't hurt that he's returning to the site of his only victory this season.

Of course, some will say he backed into that May victory. Remember, Hamlin dominated the race before a tire problem turned it over to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch. Those two wrecked out of the lead late, and Bowyer slid past to steal the win.

Still, he was in position to do so and running near the front might be all it takes for him to make the Chase. He's got a 17-point lead over Ragan and is up 48 over Kahne, the only two drivers with a realistic chance of racing their way in.

``It's crunch time,'' said Bowyer, who can clinch a spot by either winning at Richmond, or finishing second or third and leading the most laps.

``If there's anything that gives you a good feeling, it's knowing we won there in the spring, and it's a track I typically run good at,'' he added. ``But Richmond is a track where anything can happen, too.''

Hamlin knows that all too well.

Richmond is his home track and he desperately wants to win there. The checkered flag was certainly in his sight in May, when he started from the pole and ran away from the field to lead 381 of the 400 laps. That late tire problem cost him the win and he wound up a heartbreaking 24th.

Although he's holding down the 11th spot in the standings, another disaster could cost him his Chase spot. He has a bit of cushion, though, and can clinch his berth by finishing 21st, 22nd and leading one lap, or 25th and leading the most laps.

Then there's Ragan and Kahne, two surprises for very different reasons.

Ragan is in just his second full season of Cup, but struggled through his rookie year and earlier debuts when on-track inexperience angered several veterans. But he's matured tremendously, and has had a quiet but consistent second season that gives him a legitimate chance to race his way into the Chase.

With Bowyer in striking distance, Ragan knows he controls his own fate.

``The bottom line is we've got to go out and beat these guys, no other way around it,'' Ragan said.

Indeed, if Ragan wins the race and leads the most laps, he's in. But that's no easy feat: Ragan is winless in all three of NASCAR's top series.

And he's not exactly been running out front all season. Through the first 25 races, Ragan has only led 15 laps while notching nine top-10 finishes.

He understands that making the Chase is a tremendous achievement, but his Roush Fenway Racing team is a long way from actually contending for the title.

``I think we are a Chase team ... but we are not quite a championship team yet,'' he said. ``You can't contend for the championship without winning some races. Winning a race is a must.''

There's also the question of whether Ragan can handle the pressure of one race that ultimately determines how successful a season you have. Since the 2004 addition of the Chase, making it has been the benchmark for judging a year.

``I don't think I've ever been in a situation to be in such a highly watched, one-race kind of year, that you're make or break,'' Ragan said. ``I probably don't realize how big this race is. Maybe after the year is over, I will have time to sit back and think about it.

``But I'm trying not to go about it like that. We're tense, and we're thinking about it. But we've just got to run our race.''

Kahne is surprisingly sitting back in 14th spot in the standings despite two wins and a hot streak in the early part of summer that briefly made him a serious title contender.

He's slipped since late June, finishing 33rd and 30th in Sonoma and New Hampshire, and cemented his bubble status with consecutive 40th-place finishes at Michigan and Bristol last month.

``I went into Michigan kind of thinking we had been running really strong, we had been right there every weekend, and maybe we had a shot at being sixth in points,'' Kahne said. ``Then 'just racing' happens. We're 14th looking in now. It's going to be close to see if we can even get in the deal now.''

Kahne has been in the Chase before, in 2006 when he finished eighth in the final standings.

But he's also missed it - in 2004 - with a poor run at Richmond when he entered the event mathematically eligible to make it.

It will take work to get in this year. Kahne needs to finish the race with 48 points more than Bowyer and 31 points ahead of Ragan to clinch a spot.

``We've been put in a position where all we can do is do our best and hope it works out for us,'' Kahne said. ``If we run our race, it doesn't necessarily mean we are going to make it into the Chase.''

The race is scheduled for Saturday night, but many expect the event to be delayed by Tropical Storm Hanna.

NASCAR can probably wait as late as Wednesday to run the event, and Richmond president Doug Fritz said he's keeping a close eye on the storm. NASCAR's top series does not race in the rain, and Fritz said he'd keep fans updated with twice daily postings on the track's official Web site.

``We are working closely ... to monitor the path and potential impact of the storm,'' Fritz said. ``As always, the safety of our fans, competitors and the local community is of the utmost importance.''

Logano ready for Cup debut
September 3, 2008

Nerves have never been a problem for Joey Logano - at least not on the racetrack.

The 18-year-old driver has been racing against older and more experienced competitors since he was a toddler.

``I guess the only time I can remember ever being nervous in a car was when I took my driving test,'' Logano said. ``That's because it would have been real embarrassing to fail it.''

He got his driver's license just fine. And when it comes to race cars, Logano hasn't known much failure. He has steadily climbed the racing ladder in since father Tom Logano first buckled him into a go-kart at age 4.

But if ever there was a reason for the younger Logano to have another case of nerves, it is this week as he prepares for his first NASCAR Sprint Cup start at Richmond International Raceway. To make the field, he'll have to qualify, since his No. 02 Joe Gibbs Racing entry is not among the top 35 in car owner points. And if it rains, a real possibility as forecasters watch Tropical Storm Hannah, Logano also won't make the race.

Having to qualify doesn't seem to bother Logano, and neither does having to live up to the hype that has surrounded his phenomenal rise - including being named to replace two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart in the No. 20 JGR Toyota next season.

``I think I'd feel weird without the pressure because I've kind of gotten used to it,'' Logano said after being anointed as Stewart's successor. ``And if I didn't have the pressure, I'd think something would be wrong. I'm 100 percent cool with it.

``I go out there expecting to win. I go out there expecting my team to expect to win. I think that's what everyone is here for and that is what I want my team to be here for.''

So far, so good.

Despite signing with Gibbs at 15 and quickly showing the kind of promise that might have gotten him there earlier, Logano had to abide by a NASCAR rule and wait until his 18th birthday in May to make his debut in the second-tier Nationwide Series.

He had a sixth-place finish at Dover in his first start, won the pole in Nashville in his second race, then won from the pole at Kentucky. In his first 11 Nationwide starts, Logano has chalked up three top-fives and eight top-10s. Not bad for someone who is still three years away from being able to legally sip champagne in Victory Circle.

Even with all that obvious ability on display, Gibbs had intended to give Logano the rest of this season and 2009 to gain experience in Nationwide, continue as a test driver of JGR's Cup car and get comfortable with his surroundings. But Stewart's unexpected decision to leave his home of 10 years to drive for his own team upset those plans.

``I asked Joey, 'Do you think it's too quick? Would you rather spend more time?''' Gibbs said. ``Joey said, 'To be quite truthful, every minute you (give) me in the car, I think I would be gaining experience. I don't think I would benefit from having somebody else coaching me up or splitting races.'''

The youngster will run seven of the last 11 Cup races this season - two in a fourth Gibbs entry and five more with Hall of Fame Racing, which gets its engines and cars from Gibbs.

Kyle Busch, who came to the team this year after an apprenticeship at Hendrick Motorsports, knows exactly what Logano is up against. Busch, now one of the biggest stars in Cup at the age of 23, was also considered a phenom when he ran his first truck race at 16 and made his Cup debut for the team at 19.

But his buildup was nothing like what has surrounded Logano's rise.

``For all of the pressure that people wanted to put on him for his Nationwide debut, he did real well with it,'' Busch said last week before the Cup race at Fontana, Calif. ``And all of the pressure that everybody wants to put on him for his getting into a Cup ride, he'll have to do a good job with that, too.''

Busch said Logano's biggest hurdles will probably be what he has to face off the track.

``I think it's just probably the amount of exposure, with the amount of media, with the amount of sponsor appearances, with the amount of all that stuff,'' he said. ``Hopefully, Joe Gibbs Racing will take it easy on him a little bit at least, and (sponsor) Home Depot won't wear him out too quick.''

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is impressed by what he has seen from Logano, especially when he reflects on what he was like as a teenager.

``It's exciting to see these young guys come in,'' Junior said. ``So much talent at such a young age. I remember how I was at 18. I didn't have the mentality and the (maturity) to handle all the things that they'll face in the garage, in and outside the car. I think that's really where the owners and the mentors can be most careful is how this guy is affected by the attention outside the car and what kind of driver ... that makes him.''

Meanwhile, Logano is just trying to enjoy driving the race cars and ignore the fuss that is building outside of the cockpit.

``I started (racing) when I was 5 or 6 years old,'' he said. ``Back then, people didn't start racing until they were 16. I'm 18 and I've been racing for 12 years, now. I feel that's where it's different ... I feel I'm ready.''

Sprint Cup Series News and Notes - Richmond

Race To The Chase, Week 10: It’s Cut-Off Time At RIR

The Race to the Chase has reached the end of its road.

Next stop: The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Richmond International Raceway turns up the volume Saturday night for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, an event that has become an annual highlight of the season, as the “cut-off” race leading into the Chase, the five-year-old playoff-style format to determine the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

Twelve drivers make the Chase, which is contested over the season’s last 10 events. Once again, there are more drivers than 12 with a chance to qualify, coming into RIR.

But first, here’s what we know.

Five drivers have already clinched Chase berths:

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota); Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No 88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet); Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet); and Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet).

Six more, who resi1de in points positions 6-11 this week, can be placed in the “highly probable” category coming into Richmond: Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford); Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell Pennzoil Chevrolet); Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota); Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford); Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont-Nicorette Chevrolet); and Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota).

And then you have a few other guys, treading tenuously on both sides of the 12th-place Chase bubble.
Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet) has 12th-place honors this week. Of course, that’s akin to starting the final round of the Masters with a one-stroke lead. Bowyer’s position is hardly secure.

Bowyer, who has remarkably strengthened his grip on the NASCAR Nationwide Series points lead in recent weeks despite the pressure of the Chase, holds a slim 17-point advantage (2,989-2,972) over David Ragan (No. 6 AAA Ford).

Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Bud-weiser Dodge) is staring his hot-and-cold season squarely in the face this week. He’s 14th in points, only 48 behind Bowyer.

Kahne has won two events this year — plus the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, which pays no points. Suddenly, despite all of that, he has the look of a long shot.

But then, so did Jeremy Mayfield in 2004, the first year of the Chase.

Mayfield motored into Richmond that September needing a victory to even make the Chase. Win he did, establishing a standard for drama that at once validated and highlighted NASCAR’s then-new championship approach.

Four years later, more highlights are seemingly on deck.

Here’s a closer look at the three drivers in bubble territory this week, from a Richmond perspective:

Bowyer, like Ragan and Kahne, has limited RIR experience, but he looks like a quick study, a short-track speed-reader of sorts. In four starts he has three top 10s at RIR, including a victory this past May.
Ragan has three Richmond starts in NASCAR Sprint Cup, with one top five and a 17th-place finish in this season’s spring race.
Kahne appears to have the edge in this trio, as far as Richmond is concerned. Consider: Nine starts, one victory, five top 10s. Good stats by any measurement.
Stats aside, it all comes down to one night, one race. This is what was envisioned, when the Chase was instituted.

For an in-depth look at various Chase-clinching scenarios, plus a report on how drivers have fared at Richmond in recent years according to NASCAR Loop Data, please see Page 2 of this release.

Making The Chase: Berths In NASCAR’s Playoffs Will Shake Out At Richmond

Seven spots remain up for grabs in the Chase for NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Two Chase berths will be clinched once the green flag flies at Richmond. Both Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick need only to start the Richmond race to clinch a Chase berth.

So, realistically, five spots remain.

While listing every clinch scenario would fill up uncountable pages (and hours), the below scenarios are the simplest.

The following are the clinch scenarios that would lock up Chase spots for Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin regardless of how any other driver finished (assuming there are no ties for most laps led at Richmond):

Tony Stewart

Finish 36th
Finish 37th and lead at least one lap
Finish 40th and lead the most laps
Matt Kenseth

Finish 26th
Finish 28th and lead at least one lap
Finish 30th and lead the most laps
Jeff Gordon

Finish 24th
Finish 25th and lead at least one lap
Finish 28th and lead the most laps
Denny Hamlin

Finish 21st
Finish 22nd and lead at least one lap
Finish 25th and lead the most laps

After that, the points get tighter and the scenarios that much more intriguing. Clint Bowyer is 12th, 17 points ahead of David Ragan and 48 points ahead of Kasey Kahne. There are a number of different scenarios that could play out that would give Bowyer a Chase spot, but simply put: Bowyer can clinch a spot by either winning or finishing second and leading the most laps or third and leading the most laps.

Ragan is in a similar clinching position. Regardless of other drivers’ finishes, Ragan clinches if he wins and leads the most laps. Other clinching scenarios – involving certain finishes by both Bowyer and Kahne – also exist for Ragan.

Kahne’s road is bumpier. At Richmond, he needs to finish 48 points ahead of Bowyer and 31 points ahead of Ragan to clinch a spot.

On The Line: Bubble Drivers Clint Bowyer, David Ragan and Kasey Kahne

Clint Bowyer, David Ragan and Kasey Kahne occupy positions 12-14, respectively, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings. They were guests on Tuesday’s NASCAR Teleconference.

Following are some excerpts:

David Ragan: “We definitely are excited just to have an opportunity to get into the Chase. The bottom line is we just have to go out and beat these guys. No other way around it. We can’t count on the other teams having problems or issues throughout the race. We have got to make sure we are on our toes so we don’t have any mechanical failures or any screw ups in the pits and also on the race track. Richmond has been a good track for us in the past, we have had some success there.”

Kasey Kahne: “Yeah, I am looking forward to it. I think we just come in and really just do the best job we can. We’ve been put in a position and all we can do is do our best and hope that it works out for us, and see how the points end up at the end of the night. Really, if we run our race, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we are going to make it into the Chase. I just feel like Kenny (Francis) and our whole Budweiser team has done a good job preparing the car and being ready to go when we get to the race track. You know if we can go out there and try to get a really good finish and just look at the points in the end of the night and see where we are at.”

Clint Bowyer: “It’s obviously down to crunch time. We have one more week, but if there is anything that gives you a good feeling, it’s knowing that we won there in the spring and it’s a track that I typically run good at. But as we all know Richmond is a track where anything can happen. You know we have kind of put ourselves in this situation, but it is time to see what we are made of. A lot of pressure this weekend but I think we can handle it.”

(Note to media: For a written transcript and/or full audio recording of the teleconference, go to NASCARMedia.com, NASCAR’s media-only Web site.)

Loop Data At Richmond: Hamlin Has The Numbers, Needs A Victory

Luck managed to elude Denny Hamlin during this past May’s race at Richmond.

The Chesterfield, Va. native led an unbelievable 381 of the 410 laps that race, looking like the certain winner at his hometown track.

Then bad luck – in the form of tire problems – intervened. Hamlin finished the race a disappointing 24th, three laps off the pace.

If it’s any consolation, his stats that race were the numbers of a winner. In May, Hamlin had a Driver Rating of 129.1, an Average Running Position of 2.3 and 104 Fastest Laps Run.

Now, Hamlin returns for revenge. This time around, the stakes are a little higher. Currently 11th in points standings, Hamlin is teetering on the Chase bubble. A strong finish will lock him in, though. Regardless of how any other driver finishes, Hamlin can clinch a Chase berth with a finish of 21st. That finish drops to 22nd if he leads a lap.

Considering Hamlin has led at least one lap in all five of his Richmond starts, and that he only has one finish outside the top 15, figure on Hamlin a near-lock for his third consecutive Chase.

Hamlin’s career numbers at Richmond – which include three top 10s – are phenomenal.

He leads the series in Average Running Position (5.3) and Laps in the Top 15 percentage (97.5%), ranks second in Driver Rating (114.8) and fifth in Fastest Laps Run (162).

Also watch for a strong run from Kevin Harvick, who has finished inside the top 10 in each of the last seven Richmond races. Harvick plays with the houses money this weekend, locking up a Chase spot with a Richmond start. In other words, it’ll be all about the win – and the 10 bonus points that go with it.

Harvick has yet to win this season, but the stats suggest that could change this weekend. Harvick boasts series-highs in Richmond Driver Rating (118.9) and Fastest Laps Run (278), and ranks second in Average Running Position (5.8) and Laps in the Top 15 percentage (95.3%).

Also, as usual, Kyle Busch could dominate this weekend. Though he has yet to win at Richmond, he has finished in the top five in six of his seven starts – which include three runner-up finishes in the last four races.

Busch has a Driver Rating of 110.6 and an Average Running Position of 7.1 at Richmond.

Bonus Round: Richmond Affords Drivers One Last Chance To Improve Chase ‘Seeding’

Kyle Busch has obviously benefited from the increased emphasis on winning races that is now part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship mix.

His outstanding season thus far will be rewarded appropriately when the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins next week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Busch will have the Chase’s “top seed.”

All drivers who make the 12-man Chase will have their season point totals “reset” to 5,000, whereupon they then will get 10 bonus points for each win they had prior to the Chase.

Busch has eight victories thus far, meaning he’ll start the Chase with at least 5,080 — 5,090 if he wins Saturday night at Richmond.

Carl Edwards has the second seed wrapped up, with 50 bonus points to date. A recent rebound has enabled him to slice into Busch’s once-daunting bonus point advantage. (Edwards actually has six race victories this year but a penalty after Las Vegas erased the bonus points he got winning at that track.)

Two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson has the third seed secured, via a recent return to his form of the previous two seasons. Johnson has three wins on the year and will start the Chase at 5,030.

Kasey Kahne could start as the fourth seed, as he has two victories and a potential 5,020. One problem, though: Kahne is in peril of not even qualifying for the Chase field, as he heads to Richmond 14th in the series points, 48 behind 12th-place Clint Bowyer.

After that, we have a traffic jam.

Four drivers have won once in 2008 and are set to start the Chase with 5,010: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bowyer, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton. Of course it should be noted that of those four, only Earnhardt and Burton have actually clinched Chase spots.

Richmond, then, can be seen as a last chance race of sorts both for drivers trying to get into the Chase — and for those already safely in the field.

Richmond affords drivers one more shot at accruing bonus points and capitalizing on the emphasis on winning now prevalent in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing.

Champions Lined Up For 2008 Playoffs

When the field is set for the fifth annual Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, following Saturday night’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond, fans will immediately notice that the field will feature the cream of NASCAR’s crop of talent.

Four former series champions appear headed toward the 10-race Chase, amounting to a total of nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles, collectively.

Here’s a look:

Two-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson, the only one of the four to have clinched a Chase spot, coming into Saturday night’s event.
Two-time champion Tony Stewart;
2003 champion Matt Kenseth;
And four-time champion Jeff Gordon, who actually has a bit of a challenge facing him at Richmond, to secure a Chase berth. (See page 2’s clinching scenarios.)
Compared to the previous four years of the Chase format, this year’s potential lineup falls one short of the record five former champions involved in the 2007 Chase.

Champions In The Chase
2004: (3) Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth.
2005: (4) Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Rusty Wallace, Kurt Busch.
2006: (2) Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon.
2007: (5) Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Etc. …

RIR Races Are Always One For the Books — The History Books

Since the advent of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Richmond International Raceway has been part of a new round of history-making, as the site for the annual “Chase cut-off” event.

This is appropriate. Richmond is all about history in NASCAR. It’s been on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule since 1953, when Lee Petty won the Richmond 200 by averaging 45.535 mph in a Dodge, on a half-mile track that was then a free-wheeling dirt surface.

In three of the four previous seasons, drivers who were outside the Chase “bubble” raced their way into Chase, via their efforts in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 — Jeremy Mayfield in 2004, Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge) in 2005 and Kasey Kahne in 2006.

Ahead Of The Curve, Logano Looks To Make First NASCAR Sprint Cup Start

Joey Logano, in the No. 02 Home Depot Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing, will attempt to make his first NASCAR Sprint Cup start on Saturday night.

At the age of 18.

Without the safety net of a guaranteed starting spot via the car owner points (the top 35 are guaranteed starts), Logano will have to make the field based solely on his qualifying speed. Few people are betting against him doing just that.

In addition to this week’s attempt, Logano plans on running five more NASCAR Sprint Cup events this season in the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota, beginning with the Sept. 14 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. Logano will also drive the No. 96 machine at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City Sept. 28, Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Oct. 11, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway Oct. 19, and Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth Nov. 2.

Next season he takes over Tony Stewart’s No. 20 Home Depot Toyota ride full-time.

RIR To Host NASCAR Foundation Track Walk On Saturday

The NASCAR Foundation is inviting fans to participate in the NASCAR Foundation Track Walk at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Track Walk is a partnership between The NASCAR Foundation and Richmond International Raceway Cares and proceeds will benefit both charities. Fans can register online at www.nascar.com/foundation or by calling (704) 348-9657 through Wednesday or register at RIR on Friday from 9 a.m.–7 p.m. and Saturday, from 8-11 a.m. The registration booth is located outside Gate 70 near Turn 4. Registration fees to participate are $35 for adults. Children 14-and-under walk for free with a paying adult.

NASCAR Angels Salutes Local Soldier With Car Makeover

Robby Gordon (No. 7 Jim Beam/Operation Homefront Dodge), will visit soldiers assigned to the Warrior in Transition Unit (WTU) at Fort Lee, Va. on Thursday, on behalf of Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing emergency assistance and morale to U.S. troops and their families. Gordon will also make a brief stop at the PX to sign autographs.

Rusty Wallace, former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and host of the nationally syndicated television program NASCAR Angels, will join Gordon on-site to salute U.S. Army SPC Joshua Grant of Chesapeake, Virginia with a car make-over. SPC Grant was wounded while serving his country in Iraq and is receiving treatment at Fort Lee while continuing his military duties.

In its third season, NASCAR Angels focuses on how the racing and automotive care communities can help deserving individuals in need of a transportation fix.

Up Next: Chase For the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Week 1 @ New Hampshire Motor Speedway

New Hampshire Motor Speedway once again has the opening event in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the Sylvania 300 on Sept. 14.

In the four previous years of the Chase format, the race at the “Magic Mile” has proven eventful — and sometimes critical to drivers’ Chase hopes.

In 2004, the Chase’s inaugural season, Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) won at NHMS and went on to capture the title. Last year, surprise Chase qualifier Clint Bowyer won the race — his first in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, no less — and went on to finish third in the final standings.

Also last year, Busch started the Chase with a 25th-place finish at New Hampshire, which mired him in 12th in the Chase points. He never recovered, en route to a seventh-place result in the final season standings.

The Race: Chevy Rock & Roll 400
The Place: Richmond International Raceway
The Date: Saturday, Sept. 6
The Time: 7:30 p.m. (ET)
The Track: .75-mile oval
The Distance: 400 laps/300 miles
TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, SIRIUS Satellite
2007 Winner: Jimmie Johnson
2007 Polesitter: Jimmie Johnson

Series Standings

1 Kyle Busch 3,755
2 Carl Edwards 3,547
3 Jimmie Johnson 3,386
4 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3,323
5 Jeff Burton 3,234
6 Greg Biffle 3,159
7 Kevin Harvick 3,132
8 Tony Stewart 3,110
9 Matt Kenseth 3,081
10 Jeff Gordon 3,074
11 Denny Hamlin 3,065
12 Clint Bowyer 2,989

Pre-Race Day schedule: Friday—Practice, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Qualifying, 6:05 p.m.

Chevy Rock & Roll 400 PreQ

Kevin Harvick found the right time to get on a hot streak. He has now posted five consecutive top 10 finishes with three 4th place runs. He heads into Richmond International Raceway as the favorite at a track where he runs very well. He has recorded seven straight top 10s at the track winning this race in 2006 with an average finish of 6th place in his career (15 starts). Harvick is one of the best short track drivers in the series and would love to get his first win of the season before entering the Chase for the Championship. Jump on the #29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet for this race.

Another driver searching for his first win of the season – Tony Stewart – ranks high on the PreQ forecast as well. Stewart struggled at California and will be looking to turn that poor performance around at Richmond. He has recorded three wins at the track with 14 top 10s in 19 career starts. He was the runner-up in this race last season and like Harvick would love to post a win before the start of the Chase. Stewart has run well at the short tracks this season and has a good chance of visiting victory lane this weekend.

Clint Bowyer is currently sitting in the 12th and final position to make the Chase. Fortunately for him Richmond is one of his best tracks. He won here earlier this season and has finished all five career starts in the top 12 with an 8th place average finish. Bowyer has been inconsistent this season but has posted back-to-back top 10 finishes when he needed them most. Expect Bowyer to lock down that final transfer spot and make his second consecutive Chase.

This will not matter that much for Carl Edwards but this one of is least favorite tracks. Edwards is locked into the Chase, which is a good thing for him, as he has posted four finishes outside the top 20 in right career starts with an average finish of 24th place. He did get a 7th place finish at the track earlier this season but was 42nd in this race a season ago. Edwards can race for the win with the Chase resetting the points after this event and may pull out all the stops to do so but he gets our ‘buyer beware’ label of for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

Jeff Burton is not in any danger of missing the Chase but unlike his RCR teammates he has had all sorts of problems at Richmond. Burton has posted just one top 10 in the last nine starts at the track and is averaging a lowly 20th place finish in his last four starts here. Burton has also lost some of his shimmer he had earlier this season when he posted 17 consecutive top 15 finishes. In the last seven starts he has just two top 15s with just one top 10 (9th at Indianapolis) and has not been in contention to win a race in that span. Burton should pick it up once the Chase begins but we wouldn’t add him to our roster for this race.

profantasysports.com

Last race before Chase can be tough
September 4, 2008

The last race of the regular season can be as agonizing for the drivers trying to get in - or stay in - the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship as it is fun for the fans to watch.

By the luck of the draw, Richmond International Raceway got the big show when the Chase format was adopted in 2004, thanks to being the 26th race of the season. That has added plenty of spice to the Saturday night event over the past four years.

Kasey Kahne was in a tough spot coming to the Virginia track this week, sitting in 14th place, 48 points behind Clint Bowyer, who was holding down the 12th and final spot in the battle for the 10-race Chase that begins next week in New Hampshire.

In three of the four previous seasons, drivers who were outside the Chase raced their way in at Richmond: Jeremy Mayfield in 2004, Ryan Newman in 2005 and Kahne in 2006.

Gillett Evernham Motorsports teammate Elliott Sadler knows just how Kahne was feeling this week.

In 2005, Sadler came to Richmond 13th, 62 points behind Jamie McMurray in 10th place - then the cutoff for the postseason run - with Jeff Gordon and Newman between them. Newman sneaked in, while Sadler jumped past Gordon and McMurray, but still wound up 66 points out of the Chase.

``I remember that 2005 season like it happened yesterday,'' Sadler said earlier this week. ``That ought to tell you how much a driver thinks about it, a team thinks about it. Coming in for your last chance (to make the Chase), you've got to hit a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth. It's that kind of mentality that you've got to have.

``My teammate (Kahne) is going through it right now, with being over 40 points out coming into Richmond. Not only is he racing against one guy, but kind of racing against two guys. Not only are you worried about what you're doing the whole night as a driver, and the things that you're trying to take care of, but also the guys that you're racing against.''

Sadler recalls that race in 2005 as being one of the toughest he has ever had to deal with.

``Ryan Newman in the (No.) 12 car that night was the guy that I had to outrun, and I think Jamie McMurray in the 42 car,'' he said. ``It's just a tough week. It's a, 'Man, I can't believe we're in this situation. We've got a great chance at making it, but maybe we're not making it.'

``It's just a gut-wrenching week as far as nerves. I understand what these drivers are going through. There's nothing fun about coming to Richmond on the outside looking in, or even on the bubble knowing you have to be mistake-free to make your way to the Chase. But I think that's what's great about the Chase and the reason that I like it so much - making guys race so hard each and every week.''

---

LET'S GO, GUYS: When Kurt Busch is done driving race cars, maybe he should consider motivational speaking as his next career.

The Penske Racing driver was invited to speak to the University of Arizona football team last week, before their home game against Idaho. Busch was a student at Arizona in 1997-98, but this was his first visit to the campus since 2005, when he was given an award by the alumni department for winning the 2004 Cup title.

``I've been here for over 10 years now and I've never seen anyone talk to our guys and have the impact that Kurt did,'' said Wendell Neal, director of equipment operations for the Wildcats. ``He had their undivided attention for all 25 minutes. The way he was able to relate what he does to what they will experience was so impressive.''

Whatever Busch said must have worked because the Wildcats won in a romp, 70-0, their highest-scoring game since a 74-0 win in 1921.

``It was certainly an impressive win, that's for sure,'' Busch said. ``During my little talk with them, my goal was to reinforce the importance of communicating with the other players and the coaches. It's all about teamwork and they certainly displayed a total team effort there in Tucson on Saturday night.''

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ROOKIE RACE: While most of the attention was on the battle for the final spots in the Chase, at least three drivers went into the weekend far more interested in another close competition.

Heading into Saturday night's race, Regan Smith held a one-point, 182-181, lead over Sam Hornish Jr. in the race for Cup rookie of the year, with Patrick Carpentier third with 174 points.

``Winning the Raybestos Rookie of the Year was one of my goals at the beginning of the season,'' said Smith, who drives for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. ``If you look at some of the names of the guys who have won it in the past it is a pretty impressive list. It is made up of a group of guys that any driver would want to be associated with. Hopefully, I can add my name to that list.''

Smith said his team has had a ``pretty typical'' rookie year, with a lot of ups and down.

``I'm just really proud of the way the guys on this team have kept fighting this year,'' he said. ``Everyone's hung tough. ... My guys are just incredibly resilient and good to work with, and each week it feels like we gain a little more ground.''

Heading into Richmond, Smith was the only one of the three rookie contenders in the top-35 in car owner points - a big edge, since he was guaranteed a starting spot. Hornish, the three-time IndyCar champion, and Carpentier, another former open-wheel star, were 36th and 38th in the points.

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STAT OF THE WEEK: Fifty-nine of 104 races at Richmond have been won from the top five starting positions, including 21 from the pole. And nine of the past 10 have been won from the top 10.

But Clint Bowyer, who went into Saturday night on the bubble in the Chase standings, set a record last May by winning from the 31st starting spot.

Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Driver Rating

Kevin Harvick has been absolutely incredible as of late. With five consecutive top 5 finishes, he’s easily one of the hottest drivers on the circuit. He comes into Richmond atop NASCAR’s Driver Ratings with an average rating of 118.9. Harvick has seven consecutive top 10s at Richmond, including a victory in 2006. Look for Harvick to turn in another quality run and position himself well for a shot at the Chase title. He’ll likely be 7th in the Sprint Cup standings after this weekend, so the team will have a lot of work ahead of them to capture the series trophy.

Kyle Busch will be atop the standings headed into the Chase. This weekend is all about keeping momentum and not getting himself caught up in an accident. He’ll play it safe and waltz into the playoff. Busch has only competed at Richmond seven times, but has made the most of them. He has six top 5s, included 2nd place finishes in three of the past four events. He has positioned himself ahead of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. as the driver with the most long-term potential. (We’ll discuss Joey Logano in 2009.)

Tony Stewart will make a run at one more championship with Joe Gibbs Racing. Then he’ll head out on his own into the great unknown. Let’s just hope he doesn’t turn into Michael Waltrip, Jr. Stewart has an average finish of 6.7 at Richmond, along with three career victories at the track. Expect Stewart to easily be a top 10 car, with a possibility of grabbing his first victory of the 2009 season.

profantasysports.com

Top 5 and 5 to watch: Richmond
Sporting News

Here's a look at the top five in points and five drivers to watch in Saturday's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. All statistical references are for Sprint Cup races at Richmond unless otherwise indicated. Driver rating is based on the past seven races at the track.

1. Kyle Busch, 110.6 rating. Busch hasn't won at Richmond, but he has six top fives in seven races, including three second-place finishes in his past four races. Saturday's race is all about snaring 10 more bonus points heading into the Chase. Busch won't be holding back.

2. Carl Edwards, 79.2. Speaking of not holding back ... Edwards has 30 fewer bonus points than Busch, and it's no secret what his mission will be. Edwards finished seventh in May for his third top 10 in eight races.

3. Jimmie Johnson, 81.0. For a driver who has two wins in the past three races at Richmond, Johnson sure has a low driver rating. That's because those are his only top 10s in the past seven races. Johnson hasn't dominated on short tracks this year. He finished fourth at Martinsville but finished 30th at Richmond in May to go with finishes of 18th and 33rd at Bristol.

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 92.4. Junior was running for the victory in May when Busch and Earnhardt got into each other -- you can decide who was at fault -- and Earnhardt ended up 15th. Earnhardt has one top 10 in the past seven races at Richmond, a victory in 2006, his third at the track.

5. Jeff Burton, 80.2. Will Burton find life at Richmond, where he has one top 10 in the past nine races? He needs a good run -- preferably a top five -- to give his team some kind of jolt heading into the Chase. Since June 15, he has one top 10 in the past 11 races.

5 to watch:

7. Kevin Harvick, 118.9. Harvick earned the best driver rating with seven top 10s in the past seven races, including his only Richmond win. Expect Harvick to have a lot of confidence Saturday. Not only is he strong at Richmond, he comes into the race on a wave of five straight top 10s. The timing is right for Harvick to win his first race since the 2007 Daytona 500.

11. Denny Hamlin, 114.8. Heartbreak Hamlin returns for his sixth Cup race at Richmond. He led a record 381 laps in May but finished 24th when one of his tires developed a leak and went flat late in the race. A native of suburban Richmond, Hamlin has led laps in all five races and has three top 10s at track where he desperately wants a victory.

12. Clint Bowyer, 93.2. It's time for the Bubble Boys. Bowyer is in the driver's seat only because he begins the race with leads of 17 points over David Ragan and 48 over Kasey Kahne. He also has a superb record at Richmond: one win, three top 10s and no finish below 12th in five races. Bowyer won in May -- he was running third when Busch and Earnhardt tangled.

13. David Ragan, 75.0. Ragan finished third in this race a year ago for his lone top 10 in three races. Ragan's assignment is simple: finish far enough ahead of Bowyer, and if necessary, Kahne, to make the Chase. Understanding is one thing, doing is another. Even if he doesn't make it, Ragan deserves a lot of credit in this breakout season.

14. Kasey Kahne, 98.2. Kahne is one of three drivers to race his way into the Chase from outside the top 12 in the final race, so he knows it's possible. But in 2006, he was 30 points back. This year's extra 18 points may be too much to make up. Plus he has another driver to contend with (Ragan). That wasn't the case two years ago.

Driver Handicaps: Richmond
Racingone.com

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to the Richmond International Raceway for Saturday's Chevy Rock & Roll 400. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 400-lap event.

Who's HOT at Richmond
• Kyle Busch leads all drivers with a 5.6 average finish.
• Richmond is Dale Earnhardt Jr's best track based on finishing average at 11.7.
• Tony Stewart joins Earnhardt Jr. as the only active drivers with three wins.
• 2006 September winner Kevin Harvick has the best average driver rating at Richmond at 118.9.
• Denny Hamlin, who led 381 laps in May, has finished sixth or better in three of his five starts.
• May winner Clint Bowyer has finished 12th or better in his five starts.
• Two-time winner Jeff Gordon is coming off three consecutive top 10s.

Keep an Eye on at Richmond
• Jimmie Johnson won both races at Richmond in 2007.
• Mark Martin leads all drivers that are entered in this weekend's race with 24 top-10 finishes.
• Kasey Kahne is coming off consecutive top 10s at Richmond.
• David Ragan finished third in this event last season.
• Ryan Newman holds a 10.7 average finish in 13 starts.

Richmond Rookie Report
Regan Smith was the highest finishing rookie when the series first visited Richmond in the spring. He finished 21st, while Sam Hornish Jr. was close behind in 23rd. Michael McDowell and Patrick Carpentier both suffered accidents and finished 40th and 43rd, respectively. Although not technically a rookie yet, Joey Logano will attempt to make his first Cup start this weekend driving the No. 02 for Joe Gibbs Racing. He'll have to make the field by qualifying since the team isn't within the top 35 in owner's points. Rookie Standings

Qualifying Tidbits
Brian Vickers still holds the qualifying speed record at Richmond of 129.983 mph that he set in qualifying for the 2004 spring race driving a Chevrolet for Rick Hendrick. The last 10 races have seen 10 different pole winners. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five poles. Twenty-one races have been won from the pole position, the most of any starting position at RIR. Jimmie Johnson was the last to win a race from the pole in the fall last year.

RacingOne Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Denny Hamlin
Pete Pistone: Kevin Harvick
Rachael West: Kyle Busch
Kym Opalenik: Tony Stewart

Top 20 Driver Notes - Based on Current Standings

1. Kyle Busch: Richmond International Raceway is Busch's best track based on his finishing average of 5.6. With the exception of this event last year, Busch has finished in the top five in all of his starts, including three runner-up finishes. Richmond is also the site of Busch's first NASCAR win when he won the May 2004 Nationwide Series race.

2. Carl Edwards: Edwards captured his best Sprint Cup finish (sixth) at Richmond International Raceway in his first start at the track in 2004. His only other top-10 in eight starts came in the 2006 and 2008 May races when he finished seventh. This weekend, Edwards will pilot the same chassis (No. 587) that won at Pocono in August.

3. Jimmie Johnson: Richmond International Raceway is Johnson's worst short track based on his finishing average of 18.8. He lowered that stat by leading a combined 209 laps en route to victories in both races last year. The victories were his second and third top-10s at the track. Johnson's only DNF at Richmond came in the 2005 May race when his day ended with a trip to the backstretch inside retaining wall, which resulted in a 40th-place finish. This weekend, Johnson will debut a new chassis (No. 520) in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Since winning his third Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway in the 2006 May race, Earnhardt Jr. has gone on to post an 18.8 average finish. In 18 starts, Junior has finished in the top-five seven times and the top-10 nine times. In 2004, Junior scored more points (924) on short-tracks than any other driver when he backed-up his second RIR win with a second-place finish in the September race. This weekend, Earnhardt will be driving the same car (chassis No. 490) that led 15 laps and nearly won before being involved in a late-race accident at RIR in May.

5. Jeff Burton: Burton has competed in 28 Sprint Cup races at Richmond International Raceway, capturing one win, one pole and 12 top-10 finishes. His best RIR finish (ninth) in eight races with Richard Childress came in this event in 2006. Burton has also made 21 starts in the Nationwide Series at RIR, capturing three poles, two wins and 12 top-10 finishes. This weekend, Burton will pilot the same chassis (No. 240) that finished sixth at Phoenix in April.

6. Greg Biffle: Prior to last season, Biffle finished eighth or better in five consecutive races at Richmond International Raceway. His best finish, of third, came in the September race in 2005. Biffle also has one win and three finishes of third or better in the Truck Series at RIR. This weekend, Biffle will shoot for his first top-10 with the COT at RIR in the same car (chassis No. 566) that finished third at Dover.

7. Kevin Harvick: In 15 starts at Richmond International Raceway, Harvick has finished in the top five four times. In the last seven races at RIR, Harvick has combined to lead 599 laps en route to seven consecutive top 10s, including a win in the 2006 September race. This weekend Harvick will race the same car (chassis No. 251) that finished 14th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

8. Tony Stewart: In his first of three Sprint Cup wins at Richmond International Raceway, Stewart led a dominating 333 of the 400 race laps on September 11, 1999. His last win there came in the 2002 spring race, and since then, he has finished in the top-five four times, including the last two races. Stewart has also been successful in the Truck Series at RIR with two wins and a top-three finish in three starts. This weekend, Stewart will pilot the same car (chassis No. 219) that started 20th and finished second at Pocono last month.

9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has competed in 17 Sprint Cup events at Richmond International Raceway, scoring one victory after leading 134 laps in the second event in 2002. His last of nine top-10s came in the 2007 May race when he finished 10th after starting 28th. Kenseth's worst finishes (38th) at RIR came in the 2006 and 2008 May races. This weekend Kenseth will be back in the same car (chsssis No. RK-574) that was involved in an accident at RIR in May.

10. Jeff Gordon: In the last 16 races at Richmond International Raceway, Gordon has finished in the top-10 nine times, including a win in the 2000 fall race - his last of two victories at RIR. His best run at the track since 2004 came last year when he led a combined 305 laps en route to a pair of fourth-place finishes. In total, Gordon has finished in the top-five 12 times and in the top-10 19 times, and has led 1,059 laps. This weekend marks his 32nd start on the .75-mile track. With his 7.8 starting average, Gordon has the best average among drivers who have started in six or more races at RIR. This average is bolstered by his five pole starts.

11. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has been showing what he's made of, as he's bounced back from some disappointing finishes to finish third in the last two Cup races. He'll try to redeem his disappointment from the spring at Richmond, when he had to settle for a 24th-place finish after cutting a tire after leading 381 laps of the race's 410. The finish was his worst at the .75-mile track, where he has an average finish of 10.0 after five starts. Hamlin has led at least 12 laps in each of his starts and will make the Chase if he can finish 21st or better, but can also get in by finishing 22nd and leading one lap or finishing 25th and leading the most laps. The team will unload Chassis JGR 220 this weekend at Richmond. This car has two starts this season and has posted finishes of third (Indianapolis) and 39th (Michigan).

12. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer benefitted from Hamlin's misfortune in the spring at Richmond as he took the victory after the dominant Hamlin cut a tire late in the race. He'll hope for another break this weekend as he attempts to fend off David Ragan and Kasey Kahne's pursuit for a Chase spot. Chances are pretty good that he'll make the Chase, as he's got an average finish of 8.8 at RIR in five starts. The average is strengthened by the fact that he hasn't finished worse than 12th at the .75-mile track.

13. David Ragan: Ragan has a solid chance of making the Chase in his sophomore year of Cup Racing. He's only 17 points behind Bowyer, who sits in the last transfer spot. Ragan finished third in this race last year after starting eighth, but his two spring outings at RIR haven't been as successful. This year he finished 17th and in his track debut last year he finished 20th. He's made four other starts at the track - three Nationwide and one in the Trucks. The car that the No. 6 team is bringing to the track (RK-573), was last raced at Loudon to a 40th-place finish.

14. Kasey Kahne: Kahne also has a chance of making the Chase as he sits 48 points out of 12th in the standings. He's making his 10th start at RIR this weekend and is coming off two top-10 finishes there. Kahne won at Richmond from the pole in the spring of 2005 and has two top fives and five top 10s. His average finish is 17.3, affected heavily by two bad finishes in the beginning of his career and a crash in the spring event in 2007.

15. Brian Vickers: Vickers won the pole in his first start at Richmond in 2004 and after leading 32 laps went on to finish eighth while driving a Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports. He still holds the qualifying record at the track for that pole winning lap (129.983 mph). That finish was his only finish within the top 20 in eight starts there. He's made two starts at the track driving a Toyota for Red Bull Racing and posted a best 24th with them in this event last year.

16. Ryan Newman: Newman's stats back up his sentiment that Richmond International Raceway is his favorite short track on the Cup schedule. He has the best average finish of drivers at Richmond who have made more than eight starts. In 13 starts, Newman has an average finish of 10.7, with one win, four top fives and eight top 10s. This spring, Newman finished sixth at RIR. The No. 12 team is bringing chassis PRS-555 to Richmond, which finished 21st in Charlotte in May and 14th at Pocono in August.

17. Martin Truex Jr: Truex Jr. will be back with his crew chief and car chief this weekend after the two come off their respective six-week suspensions. Since they were suspended Truex managed to post two top-10s but he also posted five finishes of 15th or worse. Truex has progressively gotten better at RIR in his five starts. His track debut in 2006 resulted in a 41st-place finish, but his last start there this spring, brought him his first top five there as he wheeled his Chevy to a fifth-place finish.

18. Jamie McMurray: McMurray is making his 12th start at Richmond this weekend. Although he's posted two top-10 finishes there, the track is his worst on the circuit by finishing average (26.9). His best finishes came while driving for Chip Ganassi. He managed a 19th-place finish in his debut at the track with Roush Racing in 2006. Since then, McMurray has posted four finishes of 25th or worse, including crashing out of his last two races there. The team is bringing chassis RK-567, which was last raced in April at Phoenix.

19. Kurt Busch: Busch will try to redeem himself at RIR this weekend after crashing out just over halfway into the spring race. That 42nd-place finish was his worst to date at the track and came on the heels of two top-10 finishes in the previous races. Busch has won once at RIR in this event in 2005 in his last appearance there for Roush Racing. Since joining Penske, Busch has built a 22.4 average finish in 5 starts. Busch will be driving chassis PSC-574, which he used to win the June New Hampshire race.

20. Elliott Sadler: Sadler is returning to his home track this weekend to make his 20th start at Richmond International Raceway. He's had two top-10 starts in his last two appearances there but hasn't been able to capitalize on them and finished 20th there in the spring and 27th last fall. Sadler's only top-10 finish at RIR came while driving for Yates Racing in the spring event in 2005. His best finish there driving the No. 19 Gillett-Evernham Dodge was 16th in this event in 2006. The team is bringing chassis #253, which Sadler brought home fifth at New Hampshire in June.

Fantasy Picks 'N' Pans: Chasing Down Your Best Bets For Richmond
Bryan Davis Keith and Mike Neff

Providing Hurricane Hanna doesn’t interfere with the proceedings in Richmond, the “regular season” comes to an end in the Cup Series this Saturday night. The Chase picture will be completely in focus after the checkered flag falls, but one thing fantasy owners should know is that it’s already set for the majority of the field already. The challenge this weekend is for those gamers who have a borderline driver on their roster. Do they run a driver who is under intense pressure and may make a mistake, or do they run someone who is already out of contention, knowing they have nothing to be conservative about? Even for those drivers who are “locked in,” the danger is that they are looking for bonus points and have nothing to lose — so they may be involved in something because of over exuberance that ends up hurting their fantasy owners.

Will this weekend cause a repeat of the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. vs. Kyle Busch confrontation from this Spring? Will the Joe Gibbs cars in general be strong at Richmond again? Can Carl Edwards knock another 10 points off of Kyle Busch’s bonus point lead for the Chase? Can Jimmie Johnson continue his strong push to the postseason? And which of these men will drive a bid into the fantasy racing playoffs of your own? Read on for this week’s Picks ‘N’ Pans to see which drivers should be on your roster and which ones should be at Home Depot shopping for generators and plywood.

Bryan’s Race Rewind:

One year ago marked a stellar performance for the old guard at Hendrick Motorsports. While Jeff Gordon led much of the earlier portions of the race, it was his teammate Jimmie Johnson that dominated the last 100 laps while scoring a season sweep at Richmond International Raceway. Hendrick’s strong performance was matched only by Joe Gibbs Racing, which saw all three of its teams score Top 10 finishes. The race involved no shuffling of the Chase field despite being the final race in the Race to the Chase, as all drivers who entered the weekend in the Top 12 finished there. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s bid to qualify for the Chase was still going with a Top 5 run, but ended when his engine expired. Roush Fenway Racing was the headlining team that struggled at RIR, with only David Ragan scoring a Top 10 finish.

Mike’s Keys to the Race:

Richmond is one of the most popular tracks on the circuit for both drivers and fans. It has the characteristics of a short track with the speed of a speedway, and offers some of the most competitive racing year in and year out. The key this weekend is going to be making the car handle in multiple grooves, because passing needs to take place on the top and the bottom. Some cars will handle well in the high groove while others will corner better on the bottom. The team who can make their car handle in both lanes — and easiest to pass with — will be the one to make the most noise Saturday night.

As for teams to watch out for, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing have shown for years that they can get around Richmond very well. On the other end of the spectrum, in contrast to other tracks, Roush Fenway’s success at Richmond has been subpar. The other key this weekend is drivers who are locked into the Chase are going to be pushing all out for the win because bonus points are all that matters to them, while drivers on the bubble will most likely have to run conservative.

Mike’s Picks:

Crank ‘Em Up:

Kyle Busch added greatly to his image as a bad boy during the Spring race at Richmond, when he hit Dale Earnhardt, Jr. as he was trying to go for the lead late in the race and ultimately lost out to Clint Bowyer because of that maneuver. This weekend, Busch has nothing to lose because he is locked into the Chase with the most bonus points and would like nothing more than to extend that lead as the drive for the Championship begins. His team obviously has a good setup for the track, and he’s been running well enough lately to put one more win in the books before the final ten races begin.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was well on the way to breaking his losing streak at the Spring race at Richmond this year when he was spun out by Kyle Busch and eventually finished 15th, the next to last car on the lead lap. Richmond has always been a strong track for Earnhardt; he’s won there three times and his average finish at the track is 11.5, sixth best among active drivers. Earnhardt has had good cars the last few weeks but has been undone by driver mistakes or bad pit strategy. This weekend could go a long way toward pushing the team to the front of the pack when the Chase kicks in.

Sit ‘Em Down:

Brian Vickers has had some great runs this year, but they have all come on big tracks. On tracks less than a mile and a half in length, his best finish is 13th at Dover, and that is his only Top 15 on a short track. Vickers is basically eliminated from Chase contention barring a complete fluke of circumstances, so he’s going to be pushing extra hard to try for wins in the last 11 races. While it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see him in Victory Lane this year, it won’t be on Saturday night.

Casey Mears has been struggling mightily all year to live up to the expectations of the Hendrick organization; and since announcing his plans to leave the team, the results of the No. 5 team have just not worked. In addition to that, his history at Richmond is far from exemplary. His best finish is 11th and his average finish is 26.0. This weekend will be yet another disappointing finish for the fourth Hendrick car.

Roll the Dice:

Kasey Kahne is in need of a very strong run this weekend. A couple of months ago he looked like a lock for the Chase, but now he is on the outside looking in and needs to finish well ahead of Clint Bowyer and David Ragan to get back into the Top 12. It isn’t the first time that a Gillett Evernham driver has needed to have a great finish in the last race to make the Chase. Kahne’s first victory came at Richmond, and a second victory there would be all he could do to try and make it into the Chase.

Bryan’s Picks:

Crank ‘Em Up:

Denny Hamlin has owned Richmond International Raceway since he first tackled the Cup circuit. Hamlin scored a runner-up finish in his first start at the track, following that up with a pole and two more Top 5s. Then came this Spring’s race, which saw the Fed Ex car take the pole again and promptly lay waste to the field. He led 381 laps, only to have an engine failure less than 20 laps from the finish keep him from a certain victory. After that, RIR owes Hamlin big: plus, the way this team has been running of late; he’d be a threat whether the track owed him one or not. Sans another engine problem at MIS, Hamlin would be riding a stretch of four consecutive Top 10s right now. Most importantly though, Hamlin considers Richmond his home track, and he considers his Nationwide Series victory there to be the highlight of his racing career. There isn’t a race on the schedule Hamlin wants to win more than one at Richmond, and it may well happen this weekend if the Spring was any indication.

Kevin Harvick has quite the record on short tracks throughout his career, but his latest stretch of races at Richmond is even more impressive. Harvick has scored seven consecutive Top 10 finishes at RIR, including a pole and a win, and has not finished outside the Top 15 at the Virginia bullring since 2004. Plus, Harvick and his No. 29 team are heading into the Chase on a high note…the team has seemingly solved its problems on longer ovals, and has posted five consecutive Top 10 finishes. Momentum never hurts, especially when you’re heading to one of your better race tracks. Harvick’s chances for a visit to Victory Lane are as good this weekend as they’ve been in 2008.

Sit ‘em down:

Jamie McMurray and his No. 26 team have run far better in the later parts of the summer than they had for the rest of the season, but their run of five consecutive Top 20s ended with a struggle-filled 24th place finish at Fontana despite the successes of his Roush Fenway teammates. Having lost what little momentum they had, RIR is not what the doctor ordered for the No. 26 this weekend. Since joining RFR in 2006, McMurray has scored only one Top 20 finish at the track, with three consecutive finishes outside the Top 30 and an average finish of 31.6. Plus, with RFR’s focus this weekend being on getting Carl Edwards closer to Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth and David Ragan into the Chase field, McMurray’s No. 26 likely isn’t going to be the best recipient of Roush’s equipment. There are far better Fords to start this weekend than him.

While Denny Hamlin has turned his Virginia roots into success at Richmond, the same can’t be said for fellow Virginian Elliott Sadler. Sadler and his No. 19 team are coming into the weekend cold, with finishes of 32nd and 34th in the last two races. Plus, struggling at Richmond is something that Sadler has done throughout his entire Cup career. In 19 career starts at RIR, Sadler has only one Top 10 finish and an average finish of 23.5. Sadler has also cracked the Top 20 only once at RIR during his tenure with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Sadler also faces the same problem as Jamie McMurray in that his team’s focus will be on getting Kasey Kahne into the Chase, not the No. 19 into Victory Lane.

Roll the Dice:

Ryan Newman and his No. 12 team used to be among the most formidable in the Cup series on the circuit’s short tracks. 2008, on the other hand, has been hit or miss for the team – Newman wrecked at Bristol in the Spring and struggled royally at Martinsville while managing to score Top 10s at Richmond and the Bristol night race. Newman’s resume at Richmond points to a solid finish being in the cards this weekend, though. He boasts an average finish of 10.7 at RIR, with a pole and a win to his credit. In addition, since the adoption of the CoT, Newman has not finished outside the Top 15 at RIR. Penske Racing is out of Chase contention, so wins are the only thing on the minds of Newman, Busch and Hornish from here on out. Look for the No. 12 team to gamble on pit road and do everything they can to steal one this weekend.

frontstretch.com

Chevy Rock & Roll 400 HOT! Sheet

It’s been a couple of weeks since we have seen Mark Martin behind the wheel of the #8 car, but this weekend he is back. If he ends up performing like he has in his last several efforts, he’s definitely worth consideration for your roster. In his last three races, he has an average finish of about 8th. Included in there are back-to-back outside pole positions at Indianapolis and Pocono. His most recent outing was at Michigan where he posted a 6th place finish. Look for another good one Saturday night.

As we head towards the Chase, Kevin Harvick is making one of the strongest pushes of any driver. In his last nine races, he has finished outside the top 15 just once. More recently, his worst finish in the last five events was 8th at Michigan. He is coming off of back-to-back races at Bristol and California in which he was scored 4th at the end. He won this event two years ago, and with as hungry as he is for his first win this season, look out.

It’s a do or die situation for David Ragan as he makes his surprising run towards a spot in the final 12. He currently sits 13th thanks to eight top 15s in the last nine events. The #6 car had a season best 3rd place run at Michigan. Staying out of trouble, the team ended up 10th at Bristol. Then he led a lap last week before settling 13th. Last season in this race he wound up 3rd. With his “post season” life on the line here, we look for another strong finish.

Although he did clinch a spot in the Chase last week, Jeff Burton still finds himself near the bottom of this list this week. For one reason or another, he continues to slide down the rankings. He has an average finish in the 20s over the course of the last five events. At Bristol, he was involved in the big accident. Last week, he improved from start to finish, but it was only good enough for 17th. Until he starts looking like he did earlier this season, you may want to shy away from him.

Things have been just as awful for Kurt Busch. The former Cup champion has fallen on some real hard times in the last seven races. Believe it or not, his average finish in that span is about 30th. His best showings came at the Glen (10th) and at Bristol (15th). Last week things were looking good when he had a 9th place starting spot, but he ended up two laps down in 39th at the end. He is a former winner of this event, but don’t let that sway you.

profantasysports.com

Chevy Rock & Roll 400: Rain-Soaked Saturday
By Brian Gabrielle

Last Week: It was a Labor Day mess, as none of our straight-up bets got closer than sixth place, and our head-to-head went bad when Denny Hamlin decided to drive the wheels off his Toyota. That was a lost 1.5 units on the week, though for the season we still have a profit of 5.19 units on 33 units wagered, a return of 15.7%. We've also still given you a winning week in 18 of 24 events.. (Note that if you'd eschewed the relatively conservative betting pattern we outline below, and simply bet one unit per wager we recommend, last week you'd have lost four units; for the season, that would leave you with a profit of 12.73 units on 93 units wagered, a return of 13.7%. But there's clearly a bit more week-to-week risk associated with that strategy.)

Take Kyle Busch (+400), 1/6th unit. The Saturday night race at Richmond will become a Sunday afternoon race (smack dab against the NFL) because Tropical Storm Hannah, and qualifying was washed out, so let's not take Busch's pole too seriously. No, what I take seriously is the fact that in seven career starts at this track, the younger Busch has a ludicrous six top-five finishes, including a second place earlier this season in which he spun out Dale Earnhardt Jr. and allowed Clint Bowyer to get the win. Unlike a few of the other likely Richmond suspects, Busch has nothing to lose by going for a win this weekend; the points reset on Monday.

Take Jeff Gordon (+1500), 1/6th unit. I know Gordon has struggled a bit lately, but man, these are some harsh odds, and I'm buying in while his stock is low. Gordon finished fourth in both Car of Tomorrow Richmond races last year, and finished ninth here back in May. He turned in the fastest lap during the only practice that wasn't rained out this weekend, which means he should at least have a pretty fast car.

Take Jimmie Johnson (+500), 1/6th unit. These are scary odds, because the last time the Sprint Cup circuit ran at this track, the No. 48 had a terrible time even staying on the lead lap before eventually getting wrecked and finishing 30th. But he swept the two Car of Tomorrow races at Richmond in 2007, and he's on such a role at all track types right now. I'm buying into some late-season Hendrick magic for another team who doesn't need to play it conservatively to make the Chase.