NASCAR hits Chicagoland
By Bodog
The NASCAR Sprint Cup driver standings are a close race going into this week’s event at Chicagoland as Kevin Harvick (2684 points) tries to hold onto this 212 point lead over the rest of the field. Jimmie Johnson (2459 points) suffered a setback at his run at the lead last week when Jeff Gordon (2472 points) moved ahead of him into second place in the standings. Kurt Busch (2439 points) also moved up in the standings, leaping over his brother Kyle Busch (2376 points) and Denny Hamlin (2400 points) to move into fourth-place.
Maintaining their position on the driver standings leaderboard after last week’s race were seventh-place Matt Kenseth (2322 points), eighth-place Jeff Burton (2319 points), ninth-place Tony Stewart (2251 points), tenth-place Greg Biffle (2234 points) and twelfth-place Carl Edwards. Moving up two spots, and into the all important top twelve, was Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2177 points). Still in contention to finish in the top twelve spots are Mark Martin (2131 points), Clint Bowyer (2121 points), and Ryan Newman (2090 points).
Bodog is offering odds in their sportsbook on which driver will win the Sprint Cup Championship, and despite his sizable lead, Kevin Harvick is not the favorite to win the crown. Harvick will pay 9/1 if he can hold onto his lead, and his steady style has been good enough for the number one spot so far this season. Gordon is another bargain at 11/2 while Johnson is the odds-on favorite to win this year’s title at 2/1.
Hamlin and Kyle Busch will pay 4/1 to win the championship, but they both have a way to go to catch Harvick. Kurt Busch also looks like real bargain at 10/1.
Stewart and Burton round out the favorites at 15/1, but Stewart will need to find a way to close the gap between him and the lead. Burton could get himself into contention for the lead with a big finish this week. Never to be counted out is Earnhardt Jr., and he will pay 25/1 if he can manage the comeback.
Many experts expect Johnson and Kyle Busch to put it all on the line for the rest of the season. Harvick will have to push himself to maintain his lead over the next set of races, and each finish will be crucial to holding off the other drivers to become this season’s champion.
Bettors have 19 racers to choose from to win the Sprint Cup driver championship on the Bodog NASCAR futures. Other prop and head-to-head bets will be available once practice qualifying begins.
Chicagoland Tale of the Tape The Favorites
Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M FILTRETE Ford)
· Enters Chicagoland 10th in points
· One top five, one top 10
· Average finish of 15.4
· Average Running Position of 15.7, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 89.8, 10th-best
· 50 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· Series-high 361 Green Flag Passes
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.052 mph, seventh-fastest
· 721 Laps in the Top 15 (53.9%), 11th-most
· 120 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 12th-most
Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet)
· 14th in points
· Three top 10s
· Average finish of 12.5
· Average Running Position of 14.0, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 86.4, 13th-best
Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
· Fourth in points
· Five top 10s
· Average finish of 17.2
· Average Running Position of 13.4, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 86.8, 12th-best
· 297 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 166.855 mph, 13th-fastest
· 931 Laps in the Top 15 (69.6%), ninth-most
· 151 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 Snickers Toyota)
· Sixth in points
· One win, two top fives, two top 10s
· Average finish of 12.8
· Average Running Position of 10.2, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 104.6, sixth-best
· 72 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.256 mph, sixth-fastest
· 1,021 Laps in the Top 15 (76.3%), sixth-most
· 151 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet)
· 11th in points
· One win, two top fives, three top 10s
· Average finish of 15.2
· Average Running Position of 11.6, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 94.0, eighth-best
· 60 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· 284 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.018 mph, ninth-fastest
· 1,024 Laps in the Top 15 (76.5%), fifth-most
· 176 Quality Passes, second-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
· Second in points
· One win, five top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 9.2
· Average Running Position of 11.2, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 96.3, seventh-best
· 58 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 290 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.036 mph, eighth-fastest
· 1,065 Laps in the Top 15 (79.6%), fourth-most
· Series-high 199 Quality Passes
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)
· Fifth in points
· One top five, one top 10
· Average finish of 19.0
· Driver Rating of 87.1, 11th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 166.983 mph, 10th-fastest
· 133 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
· Two wins, five top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 8.7
· Average Running Position of 7.9, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 106.8, fifth-best
· 37 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.549 mph, fourth-fastest
· 1,162 Laps in the Top 15 (86.8%), third-most
· 141 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
· Third in points
· Five top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 8.1
· Series-best Average Running Position of 7.3
· Series-best Driver Rating of 112.8
· 142 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 167.945 mph
· Series-high 1,190 Laps in the Top 15 (88.9%)
· 165 Quality Passes, third-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford)
· Seventh in points
· Two top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 11.2
· Average Running Position of 9.9, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 107.8, third-best
· Series-high 156 Fastest Laps Run
· 285 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.774 mph, third-fastest
· 977 Laps in the Top 15 (73.0%), seventh-most
· 148 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Mark Martin (No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet)
· One win, one top five, four top 10s
· Average finish of 12.6
· Average Running Position of 12.9, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 93.0, ninth-best
· 66 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 166.897 mph, 11th-fastest
· 795 Laps in the Top 15 (59.4%), 10th-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet)
· Two wins, seven top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 9.6
· Average Running Position of 7.4, second-best
· Driver Rating of 112.1, second-best
· 115 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 167.891 mph, second-fastest
· 1,183 Laps in the Top 15 (88.4%), second-most
· 154 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Chicagoland Speedway Data
Race #: 19 of 36 (7-10-10)
Track Size: 1.5 miles
Race Length: 400 miles (267 laps)
Banking/Corners: 18 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Banking/Tri-Oval: 11 degrees
Driver Rating at Chicagoland
Jimmie Johnson 112.8
Tony Stewart 112.1
Matt Kenseth 107.8
Brian Vickers 107.3
Kevin Harvick 106.8
Kyle Busch 104.6
Jeff Gordon 96.3
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 94.0
Mark Martin 93.0
Greg Biffle 89.8
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2009 races (5 total) at Chicagoland.
Qualifying/Race Data
2009 pole winner: Brian Vickers, (182.164 mph)
2009 race winner: Mark Martin, (133.810 mph, 7-11-09)
Track qualifying record: Jimmie Johnson (188.147 mph, 28.701 secs., 7-8-05)
Track race record: Kevin Harvick (136.832 mph, 7-14-02)
Estimated Pit Window: Every 50-55 laps, based on fuel mileage.
LifeLock.com 400 preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
Coming into this season, defending four-time NASCAR Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson had five tracks that he had yet to win on. After 18 races through the 2010 campaign, the number has shrunk to three. He’s crossing off tracks on his “Things to do” list with almost every chance he gets. He captured wins at Bristol and Sonoma this year for the first time ever and his only failing so far has been at Michigan where he finished sixth.
This week Johnson has another chance at crossing a track off his list with Saturday’s night race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, a place where he owns the tracks all-time best average finish position of 8.1, but is amazingly still winless at. Then in four weeks, he gets a crack at the others on list with back-to-back races at Watkins Glen and then Michigan again.
He likely could have already had a win in the season finale at Homestead-Miami, but because of his situation in points and attempting to seal the season championship, Johnson has always taken a cautious approach for that race like no other.
Homestead-Miami has also been a tough track for Jeff Gordon, who has the most tracks crossed off his career list. It remains Gordon’s only track that he has yet to win on which includes two others that are no longer on the schedule, but Gordon’s got a nine-year head start on Johnson. For Johnson to be nearly hitting a career cycle on all the tracks in such a short time is truly a measure of how great he’s been over the last nine years.
Despite never winning in Chicago, don’t expect to find any juicy prices on Johnson. You’ll be lucky to find 4/1 odds around Las Vegas sportsbooks to win the race.
Chicago’s layout is a 1.5-mile D-shaped oval similar to Atlanta, Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Texas, but the banking is only 18 degrees in the turns which makes it considerably flatter than the others and produces a different type of racing that usually produces a different type of winner from those tracks which is maybe why Johnson hasn‘t won there yet.
Despite the many difference between Chicago and the other 1.5-mile tracks, we can still use them as a barometer somewhat to get a read on who may do well along with looking at last years Chicago race that Mark Martin won.
Only two drivers have finished within the top-15 of all four 1.5-mile tracks this season, Kevin Harvick, and Kasey Kahne, and neither of them won a race with Harvick’s runner-up at Vegas being his run and Kahne’s fourth and fifth-place finishes at Atlanta and Texas respectively.
Kurt Busch has had the most success of all despite getting wrecked in Las Vegas. He’s won in Atlanta and Charlotte and finished fourth at Texas. Martin has had some of his best runs of the season on these types of tracks with two top-fives and a sixth-place finish.
Harvick is this year’s points leader and got his second restrictor-plate victory of the season that account for his only wins of 2010, but he may be able to add to that total this week. Not only has he had consistent success on the 1.5-mile tracks this season, but he has a great history at Chicago as well. He won the first two races ever held at Chicago and his 8.7 career average finish on the track is second to only Johnson’s fantastic mark.
Last year, while mired in the midst of an awful stretch by the entire Childress racing team, Harvick had his worst run ever at Chicago with a 19th-place run. For the final third of the 2009 season, the Childress cars slowly got back to respectability to the point of where they are now which is all fighting for a Championship. Look for Harvick to have one of his better runs of the season and retake his throne as King of Chicago.
It’s amazing that after nine years of racing at a track that was built to the specifications of what Roush racing used to like, that a Ford has never won a race at Chicago. The scoreboard at Chicago reads Chevrolet 7, Dodge and Toyota 1, but those three manufacturers could have a Ford welcomed to the party this week.
Matt Kenseth performed well at Las Vegas and Atlanta with top-five finishes, but the star of the week could be Kahne. He’s had his best combined runs of the year on 1.5-mile tracks, but his only down fall might be if he’s using the FR-9 engine this week -- the same one that blew up during a great run at New Hampshire. The new engine has been great on restrictor plate tracks, but the RPM’s cranked on these types of tracks appears to be more than the engine can handle. Chassis and engine specifications won’t be available until Wednesday, so if looking to bet Kahne at around 20/1 odds, wait until gaining the information.
Top 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #29 Kevin Harvick (12/1)
2) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson (4/1)
4) #5 Mark Martin (30/1)
5) #2 Kurt Busch (12/1)
Track history not reflected in Lifelock.com 400 odds
By: Steve Makinen
The NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit opens up the second half of the season at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Il. Saturday’s Lifelock.com 400, will be the 10th annual race at the 1.5 mile tri-oval, and so far, only two drivers have reached Victory Lane more than once, current series leader Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart, with two wins each. Strangely, despite that and the fact that both are in the top four among active drivers in Top 5’s & Top 10’s at this track, you won’t find either listed among the race favorites. In fact, at least five drivers are listed better than Harvick at 12-1, and Stewart at 20-1. Can they pull the upset? Be sure to check in with the FoxSheets Race Simulator before the wave of Saturday’s Green Flag, as it has accurately predicted the winner in three straight races, with returns of 6-1 & 7-2 with Jimmie Johnson’s triumphs at Sonoma and New Hampshire, and 8-1 last week with Harvick at Daytona.
Kevin Harvick takes a huge point lead into the season’s second half, 212-points over Jeff Gordon and 225-points over Jimmie Johnson. Kurt Busch (-245), Denny Hamlin (-284), and Kyle Busch (-308) round out the Top 6. Of those, only Gordon has yet to win a race this season, as the others have all accomplished that feat at least twice, led by Johnson and Hamlin at five apiece. The odds for this week’s Lifelock.com 400 are highly reflective of the standings, as the Top 6 are the favored six for the race. Johnson is the official favorite, at 7-2 odds, despite the fact that he has never won in Chicago in eight starts. Hamlin is next at 6-1 but has a far from rich history here. Kyle Busch is 7-1, and won this race two years ago. Gordon is 8-1, and won here is 2006, although that was when they ran on Sunday afternoon. Kurt Busch is 10-1, and Harvick is 12-1.
Kevin Harvick comes off the huge win at Daytona in which he alternated between helping teammate and frontrunner for most of the 166 laps. Kasey Kahne (15-1) came in second, followed up by Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton (12-1) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (30-1). There were several huge multi-car wreck incidents as well that collected among others Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Juan Montoya, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray. Of those, Newman, Logano, and McMurray took the biggest hit in the standings, as each remains on the outside of the Chase looking in right now. Earnhardt, Jr. was the biggest beneficiary, climbing up into the Top 12 in 11th, seven points ahead of Carl Edwards, and 46-points in front of Mark Martin.
Last year’s race here set a record for fewest cautions and was thoroughly dominated by Mark Martin, who led 195 of the 267 laps and spent every single lap in the Top 15. That win was one of several Martin had by this time a year ago, but unfortunately, he seems so far removed from even contending for a win in 2010. Oddsmakers have taken notice, listing him at 25-1. As mentioned earlier, the race at Chicagoland used to be held on Sunday afternoon. Consistently brutal weather conditions forced a move by NASCAR prior to the 2008 race though, as it seemed as if race day always fell on the hottest day of the year. I should know, since I actually attended this race in 2006 in near 100-degree temperatures. When the races were run in the afternoon there was typically a lot of attrition, due to both wrecks and motors going. Heat, drivers, and engines just don’t seem to mix well. Thus, if you’re really getting down to statistics when handicapping this week’s race, you may want to consider just looking at the last two years’ events. Those were both at night, and both in the COT.
The stats show Tony Stewart leading the way in average finish in the last two visits to Chicagoland, at 4.5. he has 4th & 5th place finishes to his credit, adding to five other Top 5’s he had beforehand at this venue. That leads the career list. Interestingly, Stewart, for his overall success, has only led 12 laps in the two races here of ’08 & ’09. The drivers most frequently at the front have been Mark Martin (195 – all in ’09 win) and Kyle Busch (165 – all in ’08 win). Jimmie Johnson is next among non-winners with 73 laps led while Greg Biffle has paced 43 laps. Johnson has also averaged a 5th place finish in the last two events with Jeff Gordon third in that category at 6.5. The drivers that have really struggled here the last two years have been Jeff Burton (28.0 avg. fin.), Carl Edwards (23.0), Kurt Busch (22.5), and Denny Hamlin (22.5). For Hamlin, the last two years have continued a trend that finds him averaging just a 19th place finish in four career Joliet starts.
Overall, as you handicap this race, take a look at the recent action at the so called “cookie cutter” tracks, the 1-1/2 mile ovals like Texas, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Lowe’s, particularly those at Lowe’s where the action is also under the lights. Incidentally, Kurt Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May. Neither qualifying nor practice speeds have amounted to much when it comes to indicators of success here, with only one of the nine previous winners starting in the Top 5 (average 14.9) and only one of the last five practicing better than 12th (17.8). The green flag for the Lifelock.com 400 is set to drop on Saturday night at 7:46 PM ET on TNT again. As always, the StatFox NASCAR Race Report, Driver Pages, and Matchup Analyzer are below to get you prepared for all of the action…again take heed of the projections, as the StatFox Race Simulator is on a 3-week winning streak.
Gordon needs to win at Chicagoland
By Greg Engle
After the madness and fireworks at Daytona, the NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads to the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway.
This weekend marks the second of 10 races until the field for the Chase for the NASCAR Championship is set. And for some it’s time to step up their game.
The first five in the points seem relatively safe but if the Chase were to start today, one driver would start with a pretty big handicap over the others.
NASCAR awards 10 bonus points for wins accumulated over the course of the first 26 races and those points are used to help seed the top 12 for the Chase. Out of the Top 5, only one driver has yet to win this season. Jeff Gordon(+800) is currently second in the standings, but if the Chase were to start today he would be seeded in sixth.
For Gordon, the motivation to win has never been stronger. Chicagoland is normally a reasonably sedate affair with long fuel mileage runs. The teams who are the masters of this strategy usually rise to the top and Gordon has proven time and time again that he can manage the long fuel runs and come out a contender.
Add to that the approach of two milestones for the four time champion this weekend. Gordon will make his 600th consecutive career start Saturday and if he doesn’t win he will set a new winless streak of 48 races. Currently, that streak stands at 47 which ties the longest in his career.
Gordon has one win, one pole, five Top-5, six Top-10 finishes and all the motivation to win Saturday night.
There are other fuel mileage masters, however, who will look to send Gordon’s losing streak to new record.
Kevin Harvick (+1200) won the first two races here and has five Top 5s and six Top-10 finishes. He also won the 2002 race from the 32nd starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has ever started at Chicago. He’s also coming off a win last week at Daytona and has led the points for 13 weeks this season, including the last nine consecutively - a career high.
Kyle Busch (+700) won the 2008 race from the pole. He also has two and two Top 10s in only five starts. Busch could easily be a spoiler Saturday night.
Others to watch
Jimmie Johnson (+350)
As he has shown more than once this year, Johnson is ready to score wins at tracks he’s never won at, like Chicagoland. He has one pole five Top 5s and seven Top 10s here. He and wife Chandra gave birth to a daughter, “Baby J”, Wednesday reliving Johnson of a great deal of stress and setting him up for success this weekend.
Denny Hamlin (+600)
Like Johnson, Hamlin has never won here. But like Johnson, he has surprised more than once this year. Hamlin has one Top-5 showing and one Top 10 at Chicagoland and could easily be a contender.
Head to head
Tony Stewart vs. Kurt Busch
Stewart has a record that seems to easily put him among the favorites with two wins, one pole, seven Top 5s and seven Top-10 finishes. However, his last win came in 2007 before he became a team owner. Busch has never won here but has five Top 5s. Busch has shown promise this season and this will be a great matchup Saturday. But look for Stewart to come out ahead.
Matt Kenseth vs. Jeff Burton
A battle of former teammates and neither has won here. Kenseth has two Top 5s and four Top 10s. Burton has one pole, one Top 5 and three Top-10 finishes, but two DNFs. With two finishes in the garage, Burton will need to temper his aggressiveness. Kenseth, however, is known for slow-and-steady patience and that should be the difference that will allow Kenseth to finish ahead of Burton.
Practice Notes - Chicagoland
By Micah Roberts
Top 8 Driver Rating Following All Chicagoland Practice Sessions
Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Practice 2 Qualifying Coca-Cola 600*
1 Jimmie Johnson 7/2 5th 4th 2nd 37th
Notes: One of four tracks he’s never won at, but holds track record of 8.1 average finish.
2 Jeff Gordon 8/1 4th 8th 6th 6th
Notes:Won 2006 Chicago race; 9.2 career average finish, runner-up in 2009.
3 Kasey Kahne 15/1 13th 15th 12th 12th
Notes:Top-12 finish on all four 1.5-mile tracks this year. Third-place at Chicago in 2009.
4 Jamie McMurray 30/1 21st 2nd 1st 2nd
Notes:Using chassis that finished runner-up from the pole at Darlington. Best finish of eighth in 2003.
5 Tony Stewart 20/1 22nd 12th 3rd 15th
Notes:Two-time Chicago winner; 9.6 career average finish. Strong average speeds in practice.
6 Kevin Harvick 12/1 15th 27th 27th 11th
Notes:Won the first two Chicago races; 8.7 career average finish. Top-12 finish on all four 1.5-mile tracks.
7 Mark Martin 30/1 16th 16th 21st 4th
Notes:Won at Chicago last year; using chassis that finished fourth at Charlotte. Finished fourth at Las Vegas.
8 Kurt Busch 10/1 10th 18th 22nd 1st
Notes:Using chassis that finished third at Michigan. Career best of sixth in 2007. Two 1.5-mile track wins in 2010.
Only two scheduled practice sessions run, followed by qualifying. First practice was the most telling and relative to how the teams will run in race conditions.
* Coca-Cola 600 results from Charlotte; the last 1.5-mile track raced on.
Driver Handicaps: Chicagoland
Racingone.com
JOLIET, Ill. - This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Chicagoland Speedway for Saturday's LifeLock.com 400. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, Motor Racing Network brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 267-lap event.
Who's HOT at Chicagoland
• Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with an 8.5 average finish and a 112.8 driver rating.
• Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick are the only multiple winners.
• 2003 winner Ryan Newman has finished in the top 10 in his last three starts.
• Jeff Gordon has one win and six top-10 finishes.
• Mark Martin led 195 en route to the win in 2009.
• Matt Kenseth has captured two runner-up finishes and has led 300 laps.
• Kyle Busch swept both races in 2008 and led 165 laps in the Cup race that year.
Keep an Eye on at Chicagoland
• Kasey Kahne has a 7.5 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.
• Kurt Busch has two wins and has led the most laps (383) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.
• Denny Hamlin Will return in the same car that won at Texas in April.
• Jeff Burton has the third-best driver rating this season.
• Jamie McMurray will pilot the same car that won the pole and finished second at Darlington.
• Clint Bowyer has finished in the top 10 in three of his four starts at Chicago.
Track Performers
Series points leader Kevin Harvick leads all drivers with a 7.3 average finish on the 1.5-mile tracks in 2010. Kurt Busch, who is fourth in average finish in the four races, is the only driver with multiple wins (Atlanta, Charlotte). Jimmie Johnson (Las Vegas) and Denny Hamlin (Texas) are the other winners. Kurt Busch also leads all drivers in laps led with 383 with Jeff Gordon the only other driver with more than 150 laps led with 346. Kasey Kahne (7.5), Matt Kenseth (9.3) Kyle Busch (11.5) round out the top five in finishing average.
Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings
(All stats/notes are in regards to Chicagoland Speedway unless noted)
1. Kevin Harvick: Winner of the first two Chicago races; 19th-place finish in 2009 ended three consecutive top fives; Leads all drivers with a 7.3 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Seventh-best average finish (11.0) in the two races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 301) that finished 11th in the Coca-Cola 600.
2. Jeff Gordon: Winner of the 2006 race after leading 20 laps; Finished second in 2009 for fifth top five in nine starts; Third-best average finish (6.5) in the two races with the COT; Second in laps led (346) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.
3. Jimmie Johnson: Leads all drivers with an 8.1 average finish; Second-best average finish (5.0) in the two races with the COT: Finished eighth in 2009 after leading 58 laps; 13.0 average finish and 93 laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 610) in the LifeLock.com 400.
4. Kurt Busch: 22.5 average finish in the two races with the COT; Last of five top 10s (sixth) came in 2007; Leads all drivers in wins (2) and laps led (383) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 725) that finished third from the pole at Michigan last month.
5. Denny Hamlin: Scored first top 10 last year with a fifth-place finish; Has yet to lead a lap in four starts; 14.5 average finish and 47 laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 270) that won at Texas in April.
6. Kyle Busch: Swept Chicago weekend in 2008 in his track debut with Joe Gibbs Racing; Led 165 laps en route to the win in the Sprint Cup race; Fifth-best average finish (11.5) on the 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 265) that finished first at Dover and third at Charlotte this season.
7. Matt Kenseth: Two runner-up finishes in nine starts; Finished seventh in the 2008 race, the first at the track with the COT; Third-best average finish (9.3) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 646) in the LifeLock.com 400.
8. Jeff Burton: 28.0 average finish in the two races with the COT; Won the pole and finished second in 2006; Finish was one of two top 10s in five starts with Richard Childress Racing; 18.5 average finish and 10 laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 305) that finished eighth at Darlington and seventh at Pocono.
9. Tony Stewart: Winner of the 2004 and 2007 races; Only finished outside the top five twice in nine starts; 396 laps led leads all drivers; 16.8 average finish and 82 laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 583) that finished seventh at Las Vegas and fifth in the All-Star race.
10. Greg Biffle: Only top 10 (fourth) in seven starts came in 2008; 15.0 average finish and 17 laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 571) that last finished fourth at Indianapolis in 2009.
11. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 15.5 average finish in two starts with Hendrick Motorsports; 2005 win was one of three top 10s with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; 15.3 average finish and 56 laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 556) that ran in the All-Star race.
12. Carl Edwards: Worst non-restrictor plate track based on his average finish of 21.6; Only top 10 (third) in five starts came in 2007; 25.0 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 558) that finished 12th at Pocono.
13. Mark Martin: Defending event winner; Won the race after leading 195 laps in his track debut with Hendrick Motorsports; Sixth-best average finish (11.8) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 600) that finished fourth in the Coca-Cola 600.
14. Clint Bowyer: 12.5 average finish in four starts; Coming off third top 10 with a ninth-place finish; 18.5 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 306) that made contact with the wall in practice at Michigan; This car has yet to compete in a race.
15. Ryan Newman: Winner of the 2003 race; Coming off his fifth top 10 in eight starts; Sixth-place finish in 2009 came in first track start with Stewart-Haas; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 531) that most recently finished 32nd at Michigan.
16. Kasey Kahne: Coming off first top 10 (third) in six starts; Second-best average finish (7.5) on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.
17. David Reutimann: Coming off best finish (12th) in three starts; 23.8 average finish and three laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.
18. Joey Logano: Finished 18th in first start in 2009; 20.5 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 272) that finished 10th at Michigan.
19. Jamie McMurray: Only top 10 (eighth) in seven starts came in first start in 2003; 23.8 average finish and 39 laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1006) that finished second from the pole at Darlington.
20. Martin Truex Jr: 20.0 average finish in four starts; Only top 10 (ninth) came in 2008; 19.8 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will make first track start with Michael Waltrip Racing.
21. Juan Montoya: Coming off first top 10 (10th) in three starts; 28.0 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 1003) that finished 38th in the Coca-Cola 600 after being involved in an accident.
22. AJ Allmendinger: Finished 13th in each of his two starts; 14.5 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will pilot chassis No. 288 for the fourth time this season. Most recently this car finished 10th at Pocono.
23. Paul Menard: 34.3 average finish in three starts; 16.3 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 566) that finished 18th at Bristol.
24. Scott Speed: Started second and finished 36th in first start in 2009; 19.5 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.
25. Brad Keselowski: Finished 32nd in 2009 with Hendrick Motorsports; 24.0 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will make first track start with Penske Racing driving the same car (chassis No. 707) that finished 14th at Richmond in May.
26. David Ragan: 19.3 average finish in three starts; Finished eighth in 2008 for only top 10; 24.8 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will race the same car (chassis No. 617) that finished 24th at Charlotte.
27. Marcos Ambrose: Finished 11th in first start in 2009; 19.5 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.
28. Elliott Sadler: 22.7 average finish in nine starts; Only top 10 came in 2003 with Yates Racing; 21.3 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.
29. Sam Hornish Jr: 37.5 average finish in two starts; 23.0 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.
30. Regan Smith: Finished 34th in only start in 2008; 18.5 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.
David Reutimann ???
Hard to figure that one.