FedEx 400 Betting News and Notes

Dover Driver Tale of the Tape

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)

· Two wins, six top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.3
· Average Running Position of 10.7, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 101.0, fifth-best
· 434 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 772 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 143.808 mph, fourth-fastest
· 5,443 Laps in the Top 15 (75.6%), fourth-most
· 497 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), third-most

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 Cherry 5-Hour Energy for Special Ops Warrior Foundation Toyota)

· One top five, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 12.6
· Average Running Position of 12.5, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 91.6, eighth-best
· 178 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 143.580 mph, seventh-fastest
· 4,654 Laps in the Top 15 (72.7%), eighth-most
· 379 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

· One win, six top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 18.2
· Average Running Position of 13.2, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 92.5, seventh-best
· 275 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· 762 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 143.525 mph, eighth-fastest
· 4,284 Laps in the Top 15 (59.5%), 10th-most
· 399 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Peanut Butter Toyota)

· Two wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.8
· Average Running Position of 10.8, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 106.0, third-best
· 396 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 143.914 mph, third-fastest
· 5,574 Laps in the Top 15 (77.4%), third-most
· 471 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Subway Ford)

· One win, eight top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 10.0
· Average Running Position of 10.4, third-best
· Driver Rating of 101.3, fourth-best
· 487 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· 734 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 143.732 mph, sixth-fastest
· 5,239 Laps in the Top 15 (72.7%), sixth-most
· Series-high 498 Quality Passes

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)

· Four wins, 17 top fives, 24 top 10s; four poles
· Average finish of 11.6
· Average Running Position of 12.5, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 93.7, sixth-best
· 261 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 759 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 143.735 mph, fifth-fastest
· 5,415 Laps in the Top 15 (75.2%), fifth-most
· Series-high 498 Quality Passes

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet)

· Eight wins, 12 top fives, 17 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 8.7
· Series-best Average Running Position of 6.8
· Series-best Driver Rating of 121.1
· Series-high 990 Fastest Laps Run
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 144.276 mph
· Series-high 6,261 Laps in the Top 15 (86.9%)
· 376 Quality Passes, 10th-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

· Two wins, 13 top fives, 19 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.4
· Average Running Position of 9.1, second-best
· Driver Rating of 107.9, second-best
· 452 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· 695 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 144.018 mph, second-fastest
· 5,827 Laps in the Top 15 (80.9%), second-most
· 480 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)

· One win, two top fives, two top 10s
· Average finish of 16.0
· Average Running Position of 14.7, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 84.9, 12th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 143.297 mph, 11th-fastest

Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)

· Three wins, six top fives, 12 top 10s; four poles
· Average finish of 12.9
· Average Running Position of 12.3, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 89.4, 10th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 143.328 mph, 10th-fastest
· 4,891 Laps in the Top 15 (67.9%), seventh-most
· 367 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Martin Truex Jr. (No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet)

· One win, one top five, six top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 17.0
· Average Running Position of 14.9, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 89.4, ninth-best
· 243 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 143.396 mph, ninth-fastest
· 3,995 Laps in the Top 15 (62.4%), 12th-most
· 363 Quality Passes, 12th-most

FedEx 400 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

This Sunday’s racer at Dover Downs International Speedway marks the half-way point of the regular season before the 10-race Chase for the Championship starts. Ten drivers have already punched their ticket for NASCAR’s version of the playoffs by virtue of winning a race with six other spots still available. Jimmie Johnson joined the club last week with his first win of the season has great shot this week of joining Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano as two-time race winners.

For the first 11 races of the season, Johnson didn’t look like the six-time champion we have all respected because he didn’t have speed on the down force tracks, but during practices at Charlotte, you could tell that crew chief Chad Knaus found some speed for the No. 48 car. They led a race high 164 laps in NASCAR’s longest race of the season, and the hopes of every other competitor in the series that Johnson might not be as good this year were quickly put to rest He’s back!

Dover’s 1-mile high banked concrete layout is unique to itself, with maybe some comparison to be made with Bristol’s half-mile track. Over the years, no one has been better at Dover than Johnson. The last time the series rolled through Dover, Johnson took the checkers there for the eighth time. He has won at least one of the two races in four of the past five seasons, and in 2009, he swept the season. Based on how he looked last week, don’t expect to get any number higher than 5/1 on him. And if you do find 5/1, grab it because it’s great value based on his Dover resume. You could argue that even 4/1 betting odds is decent value -- that‘s how good Johnson is at Dover.

Jeff Gordon is a four-time winner at Dover, but hasn’t won there since 2001. However, he’s currently on a great run on the season has finished fourth or better in his past three Dover starts, including runner up to Brad Keselowski in 2012. Last week at Charlotte, despite painful back spasms that forced him to miss final practice, Gordon ran an outstanding race, finishing seventh and was leading with 17 laps to go.

Gordon is having his best season since winning his last Championship in 2001 and can be found at 8/1 odds to win the title over at the LVH SuperBook. He leads the series in point sand his nine top-10 finishes are tied for the most with Matt Kenseth.

Of all the drivers that have yet to win, the biggest surprise is Kenseth. He’s currently second in points, but has never really had the look of coming close to winning, or at least that was the case until last week in the Coca-Cola 600 where he finished third and was leading with nine laps to go. Kenseth led the series with seven wins last season, which makes his record in 2014 all the more shocking.

While Kenseth has dazzled anyone like 2013, his only poor performance of the season was at Talladega (37th). He may not have had the best car in any race, but he’s scratched and clawed his way to quality finishes, and now if his team has found some answers like Johnson’s team has, he may be ready to join the winners club as well.

Kenseth has always been great at Dover. He’s a two-time winner there, the last coming in 2011 when he drove for Jack Roush. He’s finished fifth or better in eight of his past 12 starts. If we want to include a little bit of what happened at Bristol in March where he led a race high 165 laps, there’s definitely some value on Kenseth this week where 12-to-1 odds should be available.

Carl Edwards ended up winning at Bristol and has come on strong over his last couple of races. He was fourth at Charlotte last week, fifth in the All-Star Race and then sixth at Kansas. He won at Dover in 2007 and has 10th-place average finish over 19 career starts.

Kyle Busch is a two-time Dover winner with a 12.8 average finish in 18 starts. He’s finished seventh or better in seven of his last eight starts there. He started his career off with two second-place finishes during the 2005 season and has been stellar there ever since, almost similar to the way he has taking such a liking to Bristol over his career.

The other top Bristol driver recently has been Keselowski, who also happened to win at Dover in 2012. He finished fifth in this race last season.

The one longshot to take a close look at this week is Ricky Stenhouse Jr., based purely on his career best second-place finish at Bristol. The Roush cars always seem to be good here and he drives the No. 17 car that Kenseth used to get all of his quality Dover finishes.

Top-5 Finish Prediction:

1) #20 Matt Kenseth (12/1)
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
3) #99 Carl Edwards (20/1)
4) #24 Jeff Gordon (10/1)
5) #2 Brad Keselowski (8/1)

Chassis Selections
Jayski.com

#1-Jamie McMurray: chassis not reported on race preview.
#2-Brad Keselowski: Primary Chassis: PRS-914. Last Raced: New Chassis. Backup Chassis: PRS-853. Last Raced: Richmond backup (not raced)
#3-Austin Dillon: will pilot Chassis No. 431 in the FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway. This is the same Chevrolet SS that Dillon raced to an eighth-place finish in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 16.
#4-Kevin Harvick: The No. 4 Budweiser team will utilize Chassis No. 846 in Sunday's race. Harvick last raced this car at Bristol (Tennessee) Motor Speedway in March. He led 28 laps during that event and was running in the top five when something cut an oil line on the car, ending the team's night. Harvick was credited with a 39th-place finish.
#5-Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-809 for Sunday's race at Dover. Kahne last drove this chassis to a third-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2013.
#7-Michael Annett: chassis not reported on race preview.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: chassis not reported on race preview.
#10-Danica Patrick: Chassis No. 10-805 was used for the first time in July at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Patrick started 33rd and finished 30th. It was then used in September at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, where Patrick started 23rd and finished 20th, and in October at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, where Patrick started 35th and finished 20th. The last time it was used was in November at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where she started 30th and finished 25th. Since then, it has served as a backup car in 2014 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and then was regulated to the primary car at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, where she started 36th and finished 18th. It was then a backup at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City and for the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-825: This car debuted in March at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, where Stewart qualified 37th and rallied to a fourth-place finish. It was tested at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway April 30-May 1 with Stewart and again May 6-7 with Scott Riggs. Chassis No. 14-825 will make its second career start Sunday at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Every lap this car has turned has come on a concrete racetrack.
#15-Clint Bowyer: Chassis No. 800 serves as the primary chassis. This chassis has never seen action on the race track but has served as the back-up for several races this season, including last weekend's Coca-Cola 600. Chassis No. 804 serves as the backup. This chassis finished 12th at Darlington and 15th at Bristol earlier this year.
#16-Greg Biffle: Primary Chassis: RK-903. Last ran Darlington - finished 5th. Backup Chassis: RK-879 Last ran Las Vegas - finished 22nd.
#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Primary Chassis: RK- 914 - New chassis Backup Chassis: RK-888 - Last raced at Bristol - finished second.
#18-Kyle Busch: chassis not reported on race preview.
#20-Matt Kenseth: chassis not reported on race preview.
#22-Joey Logano: Primary Chassis: PRS-913. Last Raced: New Chassis. Backup Chassis: PRS-858. Last Raced: Richmond backup (not raced)
#24-Jeff Gordon: No. 24 crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-819 for this Sunday's race. This chassis has been raced three times previously - all in 2013 - with finishes of 38th at Texas Motor Speedway, seventh at Charlotte Motor Speedway and sixth at Chicagoland Speedway.
#27-Paul Menard: will pilot chassis No. 466 in the 400-mile event at Dover International Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS was previously raced this year at Kansas Speedway, where Menard finished in the 17th position.
#31-Ryan Newman: will drive chassis No. 441 on Sunday at Dover International Speedway. Chassis No. 441 has competed in two Sprint Cup Series events so far in 2014, producing two top-10 finishes (Phoenix International Raceway - seventh and Darlington Raceway - 10th).
#34-David Regan: chassis not reported on race preview.
#36-Reed Sorenson: chassis not reported on race preview.
#38-David Gilliland: chassis not reported on race preview.
#41-Kurt Busch: will pilot Chassis No. 860 in Sunday's FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Built new for 2014, No. 860 qualified 11th and finished 39th in April at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth - it's only racing action to date.
#42-Kyle Larson: chassis not reported on race preview.
#43-Aric Almirola: chassis not reported on race preview.
#47-A.J. Allmendinger: chassis not reported on race preview.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: Crew chief Chad Knaus has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 48-879 for this weekend's 400-mile event. This is a brand new chassis that has never been raced before. The backup car is Chassis No. 48-728, which Johnson most recently raced in March at Bristol Motor Speedway.
#51-Justin Allgaier: chassis not reported on race preview.
#55-Brian Vickers: Primary: 812 Backup: 801 Neither have raced.
#78-Martin Truex Jr.: chassis not reported on race preview.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-745 this weekend at Dover. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis to a second-place finish at Darlington Raceway in April.
#99-Carl Edwards: Primary chassis: RK-891 was last run in 2014 at Fontana, finishing 10th. Backup chassis: RK-904 was last run in 2014 at Darlington, finishing 13th.

Driver Handicaps: Dover
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com

MRN.com's detailed notes and statistics to help you set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday's FedEx 400 Benefitting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.

Who's HOT at Dover

• Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers in wins (8) and laps led (2,704).
• Clint Bowyer is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in the last six races.
• Kyle Busch has finished seventh or better in seven of the last eight races, including a win in the 2010 spring race.
• Jeff Gordon (5.5) leads all drivers in the last four races with the current tire combination. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (6.8), Joey Logano (7.0) and Kevin Harvick (7.0) also rank in the top five in average finish in that span.
• Brad Keselowski has two top five-finishes in his last three starts, including a win in 2012.
• Matt Kenseth, who experienced engine issues in this event last season, has finished in the top seven in nine of the last 12 races.

Who to Keep an Eye On at Dover

• Carl Edwards is second in average finish (10.0) at Dover, but has only finished in the top 10 once in the last four races. He did participate in the tire test earlier this month.
• Martin Truex Jr., who also participated in the tire test, has posted a 9.3 average finish in the last three races at Dover where he's been running at the finish.
• Tony Stewart is the defending race winner, but the win was his first inside the top 20 in his last six Dover starts.
• Previous Dover winners Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman will each be racing chassis' that they scored top-10 finishes with at Darlington Raceway this season.
• Kyle Larson, who will make his Sprint Cup debut at Dover, does have two starts in the Nationwide Series, finishing in the top 10 in both, including a runner-up finish last fall.
• Momentum builders: Brian Vickers (8.0), Kasey Kahne (8.3), Paul Menard (10.3) and Aric Almirola (10.7) each rank in the top five in average finish in the last three races of the season.

Tire Notes: Teams will use the same combination of left- and right-side tires that has been run at Dover since 2012. Jeff Gordon (5.5), Jimmie Johnson (5.8), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (6.8), Joey Logano (7.0) and Kevin Harvick (7.0) have the top five average finishes in that span. Goodyear held a confirmation test earlier this month with the following drivers: Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards.

MRN.com Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Kyle Busch
Pete Pistone: Jimmie Johnson
Dustin Long: Jimmie Johnson
John Singler: Jimmie Johnson

Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings

Jeff Gordon: Was able to race and finish seventh, and maintain his series points lead, in last weekend's 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway after suffering back spasms the previous day. Gordon will now head to the physically demanding Dover track, where he's finished in the top five in the last three races. In fact, his 3.5 average finish last season leads all drivers that have competed in the two Dover races with the Gen-6 car. Gordon's last of four wins at the one-mile concrete oval came in this event in 2001. This weekend, Gordon will return in the same car (chassis No. 819) that he raced three times last season, with a best finish of sixth at Chicagoland Speedway.

Matt Kenseth: An engine issue sidelined Kenseth early last year in this event, which marked his first Dover start with Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth was able to rebound in the fall by leading 36 laps en route to a seventh-place finish for his 19th top 10 in 30 starts. Both of Kenseth's wins have come in the spring race with Roush Fenway Racing, most recently in 2011.

Kyle Busch: Ranks second in average finish (4.5) and second in laps led (180) among drivers that competed in both Dover races last season with the Gen-6 car. Dating back to his second win in this event in 2010, Busch has only finished outside the top seven once.

Carl Edwards: Finished 11th or better and combined to lead 530 laps in 11 straight races ending with the fall race in 2011. Since then, Edwards has not led a lap and his fifth-place finish is his only top 10. He's coming off a 35th-place finish, which dropped his average finish in 19 starts to 10.0. This weekend, Edwards will return in the same car (chassis No. 891) that he finished 10th with at Auto Club Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Ranks fourth in average finish (6.0) and third in laps led (80) among drivers that competed in both Dover races last season with the Gen-6 car. "Junior" led 80 laps last fall en route to a second-place finish, his best since winning in 2001 with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Jimmie Johnson: Coming off his eighth win last fall to lead all drivers at Dover. Ranks seventh in average finish (9.0) and first in laps led (386) among drivers that competed in both Dover races last season with the Gen-6 car. Also holds a commanding lead in laps led at the track with 2,704. This weekend, Johnson will pilot a new chassis (No. 728) in the FedEx 400 Benefitting Autism Speaks.

Joey Logano: Ranks third in average finish (5.0) among drivers that competed in both Dover races last season with the Gen-6 car. Logano equaled his best finish (third) last fall for his fourth consecutive top 10. This weekend, Logano will pilot a new car (chassis No. 913).

Brian Vickers: Finished 12th last fall in his first track start with Michael Waltrip Racing and first overall. Vickers, who finished a career-best fifth with Red Bull Racing in this event in 2011, will debut a new MWR chassis (No. 812) this weekend in the FedEx 400 Benefitting Autism Speaks.

Brad Keselowski: After winning the 2012 fall race and finishing fifth in this event last year, Keselowski's average finish in eight starts dropped to 16.0 after placing 37th last fall. This weekend, Keselowski will pilot a new car (chassis No. 914).

Ryan Newman: Coming off his 12th top-10 finish in 24 starts at Dover. Newman's last of three wins at the track came in 2004 with Team Penske. This weekend, Newman will make his first track start with Richard Childress Racing in the same car (chassis No. 441) that he last finished 10th with at Darlington Raceway.

Greg Biffle: Ranks eighth in average finish (12.0) among drivers that competed in both Dover races last season with the Gen-6 car. Biffle is coming off his 11th top-10 finish in 23 starts. His last of two wins at the track came in the 2008 fall race. This weekend, Biffle will return in the same car (chassis No. 903) that he finished fifth with at Darlington Raceway.

Kevin Harvick: Ranks fifth in average finish (7.0) among drivers that competed in both Dover races last season with the Gen-6 car. Harvick, who will make his first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing, posted 12 top 10s - including the last two races - in his previous 26 starts with Richard Childress Racing. This weekend, Harvick will return in the same car (chassis No. 846) that he led 28 laps with at Bristol before a cut oil line relegated him to a 39th-place finish.

Kyle Larson: Will make his first Sprint Cup start at Dover. Larson does have two starts in the Nationwide Series, finishing in the top 10 in both including a runner-up finish (to Joey Logano) last fall.

Denny Hamlin: Has started from the pole in two of the last three races but has only managed to record one top-15 finish (eighth) in his last six starts. Last year in this event, Hamlin led 41 laps from the pole before a crash relegated him to a 34th-place finish.

Austin Dillon: Made his only Sprint Cup start at Dover last year, in this event with Phoenix Racing. He finished 27th. This weekend, Dillon will pilot the same Richard Childress Racing chassis (No. 431) that he finished eighth with in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Paul Menard: His only top 10 in 13 starts came in the 2010 fall race, seventh place. Menard will look to carry momentum into Dover with his 10.3 average finish in the last three races this season (ranks fourth among all drivers in that span). This weekend, Menard will return in the same car (chassis No. 466) that he finished 17th with at Kansas Speedway.

Kasey Kahne: Has posted a 15.0 average finish in four Dover starts with Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne's last of five top 10s came in this event in 2012. He will look to carry momentum into Dover with his 8.3 average finish in the last three races this season (ranks third among all drivers in that span). This weekend, Kahne will return in the same car (chassis No. 809) that he finished third with at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2013.

AJ Allmendinger: Finished 26th last fall in his first track start with JTG Daugherty Racing. He equaled his best finish (seventh) in the 2011 fall race driving for Richard Petty Motorsports.

Aric Almirola: Has yet to finish in the top 15 at Dover since placing sixth in his first start in 2012. Will look to carry momentum into Dover with his 10.7 average finish in the last three races of this season (ranks fifth among all drivers in that span). It was at Dover where Almirola scored his first Truck Series victory, in 2010.

Clint Bowyer: Ranks sixth in average finish (8.0) among drivers that competed in both Dover races last season with the Gen-6 car. Bowyer is the only driver that's finished in the top 10 in each of the last six races. This weekend, Bowyer will debut a new car (chassis No. 800) in the FedEx 400 Benefitting Autism Speaks.

FedEx 400 Post-Practice Betting Notes
By: Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com

Kevin Harvick has never won at Dover International Speedway during his Sprint Cup career, but based on the display he put on during Saturday's final FedEx 400 practices, he might be in line to grab his first trophy in his 27th Monster Mile start on Sunday.

Harvick had the second fastest lap in Saturday's early session and was fifth fastest in the final session, but what makes him stand out over all the others was having the fastest 10-consecutive lap average during both sessions. Translation: Harvick is going to be faster than most on the long runs. When others start to slow near the end of a fuel run, Harvick will still be running strong.

So, why isn't Harvick rated No. 1 on our ratings? How about reason No. 48.

If we didn't have history involved and were just going off pure speed, Harvick would be considered the driver to beat. But Jimmie Johnson's Dover history is too strong to ignore, and to top it off, Johnson was just a notch below Harvick in the average speeds department and had the fastest lap in the final practice.

Harvick gets a mulligan for his Dover history because he's with a new team. Nothing against Richard Childress Racing, but Harvick was never really a contender in any past Dover races. His new Stewart-Haas Racing team has put him in fast cars every week. But Johnson doesn't just have good Dover history – he's the best all-time on the high-banked concrete track.

In 24 career starts, he's won eight times. That's one win out of every three starts, an insane ratio for the competitive Cup series. He's led 2,704 laps over those 24 starts, another sick number.

Because of Johnson's dominance on the track, finally getting a win on the season last week, and being fast in practice, he is the easy choice to be listed as the driver to beat.