Glance at 12 drivers in the Chase
A glance at the 12 drivers competing in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship heading into this weekend's race at Kansas Speedway (in order of points):
DRIVER: Mark Martin
CHASE POINTS: first, 5,400 points
CAR: No. 5 Carquest/Kellogg's Chevrolet
TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports
POSITION CHANGE: None
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 8
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 13.1 (won in 2005)
LAST WEEK: Maintained his lead in the Chase by finishing second behind teammate Jimmie Johnson at Dover, though even he marveled at how the three-time defending champion dominated the field.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We're going to race our guts out no matter where we wind up, and no matter how they are,'' Martin said. ``That dude still is Superman in my book.''
DRIVER: Jimmie Johnson
CHASE POINTS: second, -10
CAR: No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet
TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports
POSITION CHANGE: None
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 7
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 10.7 (won in 2008)
LAST WEEK: There seemed to be a certain amount of inevitability in the way Johnson won at Dover. He led 224 laps and was in such total control that it served notice to the rest of the Chase field that he remains the driver to beat.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We brought a different race car; a car that we thought was going to be better than we had in the spring,'' crew chief Chad Knaus said. ``Man, I am glad it worked cause I would have looked pretty dumb if it hadn't.''
DRIVER: Juan Pablo Montoya
CHASE POINTS: third, -65
CAR: No. 42 Target Chevrolet
TEAM: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 2
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 24.0 (finished 20th in 2008)
LAST WEEK: Another strong outing for the Colombian at Dover. He qualified second and finished fourth to move up to third in the standings. Remains a factor, but is heading to a stretch of tracks where he hasn't run well.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We have just always had problems here (at Dover) in the past,'' Montoya said. ``To come here and have a clean day is huge.''
DRIVER: Kurt Busch
CHASE POINTS: fourth, -75
CAR: No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge
TEAM: Penske Racing
POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 8
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 20.8 (Two top-10s)
LAST WEEK: So much for the drama surrounding crew chief Pat Tryson's imminent departure. Busch moved up a spot in the Chase after finishing fifth at Dover. Seems having Tryson in the shop for just one day a week won't be a problem the rest of the way.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We put it up front most of the day and put ourselves in position (to win), but a couple of guys were quicker than us at the end,'' Busch said.
DRIVER: Tony Stewart
CHASE POINTS: fifth, -106
CAR: No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet
TEAM: Stewart/Haas Racing
POSITION CHANGE: Plus 1
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 8
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 14.8 (won in 2006)
LAST WEEK: Here's how you become a champion: Stewart accidentally started the chain-reaction that send Joey Logano flipping end over end, a wreck that also caused front end damage on Stewart's car. He somehow finished ninth to keep his Chase hopes alive.
CHASE CHATTER: ``I can't say I'm satisfied because I still lost points,'' said Stewart. ``That's how competitive this Chase is, too - I got a top-10 and I'm not happy with it. I'm proud of the effort from the team, really proud of that. We dodged another bullet.''
DRIVER: Denny Hamlin
CHASE POINTS: sixth, -108
CAR: No. 11 FedEx Toyota
TEAM: Joe Gibbs Racing
POSITION CHANGE: Minus 3
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 4
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 22.4 (11th in 2008)
LAST WEEK: A lost weekend at Dover for one of the hottest drivers in the Chase. He fought handling issues to finish 22nd, though the lowlight may have been his tussle with Brad Keselowski following the Nationwide Race on Saturday.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We definitely came out here thinking we could win the race just like any other weekend, but as soon as the green flag fell, I knew we were in trouble,'' Hamlin said. ``It was just a bad day.''
DRIVER: Ryan Newman
CHASE POINTS: seventh, -110
CAR: No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet
TEAM: Stewart/Haas Racing
POSITION CHANGE: None
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 8
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 18.0 (won in 2003)
LAST WEEK: Started third and finished 10th at Dover but did little to dispel the notion that he can make a serious run at the title.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We've been consistent, but we need to be consistent with better results,'' said Newman. ``This is a brutally tough competition and we can still do it.''
DRIVER: Jeff Gordon
CHASE POINTS: Eighth, -122
CAR: No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet
TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports
POSITION CHANGE: Plus 2
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 8
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 9.8 (won in 2001, 2002)
LAST WEEK: Moved up two spots in the Chase after finishing sixth at Dover, but it wasn't the performance he knew he needed to try and stay within range of teammates Martin and Johnson.
CHASE CHATTER: ``I feel like we had a second-place car and when you have a second-place car you've got to finish second or contend for the win,'' Gordon said.
DRIVER: Greg Biffle
CHASE POINTS: ninth, -138
CAR: No. 16 3M Scotch Brand Ford
TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing
POSITION CHANGE: None
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 7
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 9.9 (won in 2007)
LAST WEEK: Posted his worst finish at Dover in four years with a 13th-place finish at the Monster Mile and blamed part of his lack of success on the ability of Johnson and Montoya to conduct tire tests at Dover earlier this year.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We were obviously at a disadvantage,'' Biffle said. ``It was a completely different tire and it has us off our game right when we unloaded off of the truck. We had a decent car today but we're not going to beat guys that came here and tested.''
DRIVER: Brian Vickers
CHASE POINTS: 10th, -151
CAR: No. 83 Red Bull Toyota
TEAM: Red Bull Racing
POSITION CHANGE: Minus 2
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 4
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 13.3 (finished eighth in 2006)
LAST WEEK: Struggled to an 18th-place finish at Dover. The hot streak that carried him into the Chase is officially over.
CHASE CHATTER: ``The car wasn't as good as we wanted it to be,'' Vickers said. ``We made some wholesale changes (Saturday) night. Some I think helped. Some hurt us.''
DRIVER: Carl Edwards
CHASE POINTS: 11th, -153
CAR: No. 99 Aflac Ford
TEAM: Roush Fenway Racing
POSITION CHANGE: None
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 5
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 14.0 (finished second in 2008)
LAST WEEK: Salvaged an 11th-place finish at Dover and heads to the track where he made his infamous kamikaze pass on Jimmie Johnson last year, a move that didn't work out but proved how badly he wants to win.
CHASE CHATTER: ``That's the best possible finish we could've hoped for with this race car. I'm really proud of my guys on pit road,'' Edwards said. ``It's frustrating, but not as bad as it could've been. I was racing my guts out for 15th to 20th, too.''
DRIVER: Kasey Kahne
CHASE POINTS: 12th, -189
CAR: No. 9 Budweiser Dodge
TEAM: Richard Petty Motorsports
POSITION CHANGE: None
CAREER KANSAS STARTS: 5
AVERAGE KANSAS FINISH: 18.8 (ninth in 2007)
LAST WEEK: Bounced back after his nightmare engine failure at New Hampshire to finish eighth at Dover.
CHASE CHATTER: ``We didn't pick up as many spots in the Chase like we'd like to, but we performed well and didn't lose any ground,'' Kahne said. ``There's plenty of racing left.''
Price Chopper 400 preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
NASCAR rolls into Kansas this week for the third race of the Chase for the Championship. Kansas is a track that runs similar to a lot of the modern day cookie cutters, but is unique on it’s own because of its flatter 15 degree banking in the turns.
If there was one track it resembles, it would be the old configuration of Las Vegas Motor Speedway before their fantastic changes to the facility. Of the existing configurations, Chicagoland, California, and Michigan may be the closest.
The only driver with two wins on the track since its debut in 2001 is Jeff Gordon. Gordon won the first two races ever on the 1.5-mile track, but finds himself down 122 points in the Chase after the first two races were run.
Of all the tracks on tour, Kansas fit’s the mold as being a player in the chase who could perform best for Gordon using his 1.5-mile track experience this season. He’s been pretty solid on all occasions.
"I think our chances are really good," Gordon said about this weeks race at Kansas. "I've been really excited about the mile and a half’s in the final 10 races in the Chase. I feel like that's something that we have really done a great job with improving from last season, and I feel like that's where this championship can really get turned around for us in the DuPont Chevrolet."
"I feel like we learned a lot from Chicago earlier in the year," Gordon said. "Obviously Mark Martin is very strong in Chicago and I look for him to be strong again in Kansas but I feel like we have a great shot at winning there."
In the final eight chase races, Gordon is looking at five of those races that fall under the 1.5-mile to 2-mile tracks that he should be on a higher plateau than most based on this season.
"California was a track earlier in the year where I felt like we let one slip away. And I'm hoping that we can get that one back the next time we go. Martinsville I feel like is a great track for us but we have been getting beat by Jimmie and a couple other guys have been doing a little bit better than us there. So we have got to make some improvements."
A for the remainder of the season, Gordon feels pretty confident based on their past performances that he can legitimately win the title, especially after getting his first career win at Texas in the spring.
"I feel like Talladega is a great track for us," he said. "I feel like Texas, I can't wait to get back there after the win earlier in the season; it's totally changed our attitude about being able to go and win at Texas. I feel like we have been really good at Homestead, not a winning car but I feel like we have been a Top 5 car and maybe we can make that into a winning car."
Gordon’s odds will vary at different bet shops, bet he be expected to be around the 8 to 1 range as the third or fourth choice to win. He looks like nice value this week.
Last years Kansas winner was last weeks winner at Dover, Jimmie Johnson, who swept the Delaware season. He’s 10 points behind Mark Martin for the season lead.
Despite all of Johnson’s greatness coming in, Martin has been just as effective in only one more start at the track. Each have one win on the track and each also have two top-5’s.
It was a bit disappointing that Greg Biffle didn’t finish better last week, but he’ll back on the prowl this week again after having an unsatisfactory finish at Dover last week. Biffle is a former winner at Kansas and has a total of four top-5 finishes in his seven starts on the track making him one of the top rated drivers in NASCAR‘s loop data timing.
Not quite sure what has gotten into the Juan Pablo Montoya squad, but they are putting some quality cars out there for the former Formula-One star. They have been right up there the last few weeks with the best of NACAR competing for a win each week. Look for his style to drop a notch this week, but yet still be competitive with his fellow Chasers.
Clint Bowyer is from Kansas and has shown how important it is to win on his hometown track by having the best finish among all drivers at the track with a 7.7 average finish. Chances are, Bowyer will not be as good as the top drivers of the day, but he could squeak out a top-10.
Another driver from the area who considers Kansas his home track is Carl Edwards who is sitting a miserable 11th in points. In five career starts he has two top-5 finishes. He hasn’t been close to what he showed last season on the 1.5 mile tracks and is still looking for his first win of the season.
Look for Jeff Gordon to take control of the race late as he hangs around and battles teammates Martin and Johnson for most of the race. Gordon needs this race to catapult him higher from his seventh position in points.
Top 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)
3) #5 Mark Martin (8/1)
4) #16 Greg Biffle (12/1)
5) #11 Denny Hamlin (18/1)
Driver Highlights - Kansas
VegasInsider.com
1 - Mark Martin (No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.0
2009 Rundown:
# Five wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s; six poles
# Average finish of 14.6
# Led 18 races for 775 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# One win, two top fives, three top 10s
# Average finish of 13.1 in eight races
# Average Running Position of 11.9, fourth-best
# Driver Rating of 99.4, fifth-best
# 674 Laps in the Top 15 (66.7%), eighth-most
2 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 111.9
2009 Rundown:
# Four wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 12.0
# Led 23 races for 1,537 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# One win, two top fives, five top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 10.4 in seven races
# Average Running Position of 6.4, second-best
# Series-best Driver Rating of 123.1
# Series-high 156 Fastest Laps Run
# 243 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
# Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 162.512 mph
# 929 Laps in the Top 15 (91.9%), second-most
# Series-high 153 Quality Passes
3 - Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Polaroid Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.1
2009 Rundown:
# Four top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 13.1
# Led 7 races for 269 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# Average finish of 24.0 in two races
# Average Running Position of 26.4, 34th-best
# Driver Rating of 53.3, 37th-best
4 - Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.3
2009 Rundown:
# One win, eight top fives, 16 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.4
# Led 15 races for 523 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# Two top 10s
# Average finish of 20.8 in eight races
# Average Running Position of 20.0, 20th-best
# Driver Rating of 80.3, 16th-best
# 45 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
# 247 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
5 - Tony Stewart (No. 14 Burger King Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.4
2009 Rundown:
# Three wins, 13 top fives, 19 top 10s
# Average finish of 9.3
# Led 15 races for 327 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# One win, three top fives, five top 10s
# Average finish of 14.8 in eight races
# Average Running Position of 12.9, eighth-best
# Driver Rating of 91.3, ninth-best
# 30 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 161.444 mph, seventh-fastest
# 685 Laps in the Top 15 (67.8%), fourth-most
# 123 Quality Passes, sixth-most
6 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.0
2009 Rundown:
# Two wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s
# Average finish of 12.3
# Led 13 races for 1,014 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# Average finish of 22.5 in four races
# Average Running Position of 21.1, 24th-best
# Driver Rating of 74.8, 21st-best
# Average Green Flag Speed of 161.227 mph, 12th-fastest
7 - Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.7
2009 Rundown:
# Five top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 13.6
# Led 13 races for 187 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# One win, three top fives, three top 10s
# Average finish of 18.0 in eight races
# Average Running Position of 27.3, 38th-best
# Driver Rating of 51.6, 38th-best
# 262 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
8 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.6
2009 Rundown:
# One win, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s
# Average finish of 10.9
# Led 14 races for 698 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# Two wins, five top fives, six top 10s
# Average finish of 9.8 in eight races
# Average Running Position of 10.1, third-best
# Driver Rating of 103.0, third-best
# 27 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 162.022 mph, third-fastest
# 861 Laps in the Top 15 (85.2%), third-most
# 142 Quality Passes, third-most
9 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.1
2009 Rundown:
# Eight top fives, 13 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.3
# Led 11 races for 432 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# One win, four top fives, four top 10s
# Average finish of 9.9 in seven races
# Series-best Average Running Position of 6.4
# Driver Rating of 117.4, second-best
# 88 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 162.250 mph, second-fastest
# Series-high 962 Laps in the Top 15 (95.2%)
# 141 Quality Passes, fourth-most
10 - Brian Vickers (No. 83 Red Bull Toyota)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.1
2009 Rundown:
# One win, four top fives, 13 top 10s; six poles
# Average finish of 14.9
# Led 10 races for 101 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# One top 10
# Average finish of 13.3 in four races
# Average Running Position of 15.2, 13th-best
# Driver Rating of 84.1, 14th-best
# 108 Quality Passes, ninth-most
11 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.6
2009 Rundown:
# Seven top fives, 11 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.0
# Led 10 races for 161 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# Two top fives, three top 10s
# Average finish of 14.0 in five races
# Average Running Position of 12.6, seventh-best
# Driver Rating of 95.8, seventh-best
# 69 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 161.452 mph, sixth-fastest
# 681 Laps in the Top 15 (67.4%), sixth-most
# 129 Quality Passes, fifth-most
12 - Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.9
2009 Rundown:
# Two wins, five top fives, 11 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.6
# Led 6 races for 180 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
# One top 10; one pole
# Average finish of 18.8 in five races
# Average Running Position of 17.1, 17th-best
# Driver Rating of 79.4, 17th-best
# 233 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
Odds and Ends - Kansas
VegasInsider.com
Kansas Speedway Data
Race #: 29 of 36 (10-4-09)
Track Size: 1.5 miles
Banking/Corners: 15 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 10.4 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch: 2,685 feet
Backstretch: 2,207 feet
Driver Rating at Kansas
Jimmie Johnson 123.1
Greg Biffle 117.4
Jeff Gordon 103.0
Clint Bowyer 100.2
Mark Martin 99.4
Matt Kenseth 98.4
Carl Edwards 95.8
Casey Mears 91.4
Tony Stewart 91.3
AJ Allmendinger 89.3
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2008 races (4 total) at Kansas.
Qualifying/Race Data
2008 pole winner: Jimmie Johnson (172.007 mph, 31.394 seconds)
2008 race winner: Jimmie Johnson, 133.549 mph, 9-28-08)
Qualifying record: Matt Kenseth (180.856 mph, 29.858 seconds, 10-8-05)
Race record: Mark Martin (137.774 mph, 10-9-05)
Estimated Pit Window: Every 40-44 laps, based on fuel mileage.
Driver Handicaps: Kansas
Racingone.com
This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway for Sunday's Price Chopper 400. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 267-lap event.
Who's HOT at Kansas
• Jeff Gordon is the only multiple race winner.
• Clint Bowyer leads all drivers with a 7.7 average finish.
• 2005 winner Mark Martin has an average finish of 8.5 in his last four starts.
• Tony Stewart has five top 10s, including a win in 2006.
• Defending race winner Jimmie Johnson has the best driver rating in the last four races.
• 2007 winner Greg Biffle has posted an average finish of 5.3 in the last three races.
Keep an Eye on at Kansas
• Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers each have an 8.0 average finish on the 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Kevin Harvick has finished in the top 10 in his last two Kansas starts and will be driving the same car that finished second at Atlanta.
• Kyle Busch has led 250 laps on the 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.
• Denny Hamlin finished fifth at Kansas' sister track Chicagoland in July.
• Carl Edwards finished second at Kansas last year and will be driving the same car that finished fourth at Michigan.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be driving the same car that was competitive at Indianapolis and Michigan.
• Juan Pablo Montoya is coming off consecutive top fives in the Chase.
Track Performers
Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with a 5.5 average finish on the 1.5-mile tracks in 2009. Gordon won in the series' third trip to a 1.5-mile track this season after taking the checkered flag at Texas Motor Speedway. Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne, who won the last 1.5-mile track (Atlanta), are the only other drivers with average finishes of 10.0 of better. Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Mark Martin are the only drivers that have led more than 200 laps on 1.5-mile tracks. Based off 1.5-mile tracks: Las Vegas, Atlanta (1.54-mile), Texas, Lowe's and Chicago
RacingOne Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Mark Martin
Pete Pistone: Jimmie Johnson
Rachael West: Jeff Gordon
Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings
(All stats/notes are in regards to Kansas unless noted)
1. Mark Martin: 2005 winner; Win was one of three top 10s with Roush Racing; Sunday will mark track debut with Hendrick Motorsports; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 527) that went to Victory Lane at Darlington and Chicagoland.
2. Jimmie Johnson: Defending race winner; Three-time pole winner; Led 124 of his 251 laps led in this event last year; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 558) that started third at Atlanta, but finished 36th after suffering a broken axle.
3. Juan Pablo Montoya: Has yet to post a top 10 in two starts; Finished third in last race on a 1.5-mile track (Atlanta); Will debut a new car (chassis No. 906) in The Price Chopper 400.
4. Kurt Busch: Has posted a 22.0 average finish in three starts with Penske Racing; Two top 10s came in previous five starts with Roush Racing; Finished 38th in last race on a 1.5-mile track (Atlanta) after a crash took him out of contention; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 629) in The Price Chopper 400.
5. Tony Stewart: 2006 winner; Win was one of five top 10s with Joe Gibbs Racing; Will make track debut with Stewart-Haas Racing; Finished fourth this season at Kansas' sister track Chicagoland; Will race the same car (chassis No. 509) that finished fourth at Texas and seventh at Michigan in the spring.
6. Denny Hamlin: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in four starts; Best finish came last season in 11th; Finished fifth this season at Kansas' sister track Chicagoland; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 256) that finished second at New Hampshire to kick off the Chase.
7. Ryan Newman: Posted a 1.7 average finish in first three starts; Won the 2003 event; Has yet to post a top 10 in five starts since his win; Will make track debut with Stewart-Haas Racing.
8. Jeff Gordon: Leads all drivers with a 9.8 average finish that have started every race; Only multiple winner; Finished in the top five in last two starts.
9. Greg Biffle: 2007 winner; Finished third in this event last season for fourth top five; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 671) in The Price Chopper 400.
10. Brian Vickers: Finished 15th in first track start with Red Bull Racing in 2008; Lone top 10 (eighth) in four starts came with Hendrick Motorsports in 2006.
11. Carl Edwards: Led 31 laps and finished second in this event last year; Finish was third top 10 in five starts; Will return in the same car that finished fourth at Michigan in June.
12. Kasey Kahne: Only top 10 (ninth) in five starts came in 2007; Won the pole for the 2006 race; Finished third this season at Kansas' sister track Chicagoland.
13. Matt Kenseth: Won the pole in 2005 and went on to finish fifth; Finished fifth again last year for third top 10 in eight starts; Has combined to lead 98 laps in the last two starts.
14. Kyle Busch: Has recorded an average finish of 26.8 in five starts; Only top-20 finish (seventh) came with Hendrick Motorsports in 2006; Finished 28th last year in track debut with Joe Gibbs Racing; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 257) in The Price Chopper 400.
15. Clint Bowyer: Finished second in 2007; Has a 7.7 average finish in three starts; Will race the same car (chassis No. 277) that finished 18th at Indianapolis.
16. David Reutimann: Finished 19th in 2008; Finish lowered his average to 25.0 in two starts; Finished 12th this season at Kansas' sister track Chicagoland.
17. Marcos Ambrose: Finished 36th in first start in 2008; Finished 11th this season at Kansas' sister track Chicagoland.
18. Jeff Burton: Coming off second top 10 in five starts with Richard Childress Racing; 18.0 average finish in eight starts; Will race the same car (chassis No. 280) that finished 37th at Chicagoland after a crash took him out of contention.
19. Casey Mears: Has posted a 7.0 average finish in last four starts; Will make track debut with Richard Childress Racing; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 286) that finished 25th at Atlanta last month.
20. Joey Logano: Finished 39th in first track start driving for Hall of Fame Racing; Will pilot the same No. 20 Toyota (chassis No. 247) that finished 12th at Indianapolis.
21. Kevin Harvick: Has finished sixth in his last two starts; 14.9 average finish in eight starts; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 281) that finished second at Atlanta earlier this month.
22. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Finished 13th in first track start with Hendrick Motorsports; Four top 10s came in previous starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Best finish (sixth) came in 2002 when he won the pole; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 556) that finished third at Michigan International Speedway in August.
23. Jamie McMurray: Has posted an average finish of 27.7 in three starts with Roush Fenway; His two top 10s came in first two starts with Ganassi Racing; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 618) that finished ninth in the All-Star race.
24. AJ Allmendinger: Finished ninth in track debut in 2008 with Team Red Bull; Will make first track start with Richard Petty Motorsports; Finished 13th this season at Kansas' sister track Chicagoland.
25. Elliott Sadler: Has finished in the top 10 in last two starts; 19.6 overall average finish in eight starts.
26. Martin Truex Jr.: Has a 30.7 average finish in three starts; Led 27 laps last year, but finished 43rd after transmission problems; Will race the same car (chassis No. 070) that ran at Atlanta and Texas this past spring.
27. Sam Hornish Jr.: Finished 33rd in track debut in 2008; Has a 26.5 average finish on 1.5-mile tracks in 2009.
28. Reed Sorenson: Finished seventh in 2007; 25.3 average finish in three starts.
29. David Ragan: Finished eighth in 2008 for first top 10 in two starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 615) that finished 38th at Darlington.
30. David Stremme: Has posted an average finish of 21.5 in two starts with Ganassi Racing; Will make track debut with Penske Racing; Finished 26th this season at Kansas' sister track Chicagoland.
NASCAR races to Kansas
By Brobury Sports
NASCAR’s third Chase race is Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson won last week at Dover and is barely leading Mark Martin in the Sprint Cup title odds. Martin continued his impressive year by finishing second last week after winning in New Hampshire in the Chase opener.
Juan Pablo Montoya and Kurt Busch have also done very well the last two weeks and they’re shooting up the title odds-board.
Updated Sprint Cup Title Odds (points in parenthesis)
Jimmie Johnson +150: (5,390)
Mark Martin +200: (5,400)
Juan Pablo Montoya +400: (5,335)
Kurt Busch +600: (5,325)
Tony Stewart +600: (5,294)
Jeff Gordon +1000: (5,278)
Denny Hamlin +1500: (5,292)
Ryan Newman +2500: (5,290)
Carl Edwards +4000: (5,247)
Greg Biffle +4000: (5,262)
Brian Vickers +7500: (5,249)
Kasey Kahne +10000: (5,211)
Here are the favorites for this week’s Price Chopper 400. It will be broadcast on ABC at 2 pm EST.
Jimmie Johnson (+450)
Johnson has one win, two Top 5’s and five Top 10’s in seven Kansas starts. He won here last year and his 9.8 average finish is only behind Clint Bowyer (7.7).
Mark Martin (+600)
Martin has one win, two Top 5’s and three Top 10’s in eight Kansas starts. Martin is red-hot right now with Top 5 finishes in his last five Sprint races.
Jeff Gordon (+800)
Gordon has two wins, five Top 5’s and six Top 10’s in eight Kansas starts. His two wins came in 2001 and 2002 and he is a very good value this week.
Denny Hamlin (+800)
Hamlin has no wins, no Top 5’s or Top 10’s in four Kansas starts. Hamlin cooled off last week at Dover, finishing 22nd. He dropped from 3rd to 6th in the season standings.
Tony Stewart (+800)
Stewart has one win, three Top 5’s and five Top 10’s in eight Kansas starts. He has struggled in his last two Kansas starts, 40th in 2008 and 39th in 2007.
More of The Field
Brian Vickers: (+1200)
Greg Biffle: (+1200)
Carl Edwards (+1200)
Juan Pablo Montoya: (+1200)
Kyle Busch: (+1200)
Kurt Busch: (+1500)
Kasey Kahne: (+2000)
Matt Kenseth: (+2000)
Clint Bowyer: (+2500)
Kevin Harvick: (+2500)
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: (+3000)
Ryan Newman: (+3000)
Martin breezes in qualifying to take pole at Kansas
By Sports Network
Mark Martin overcame very windy conditions during Friday's qualifying at Kansas Speedway to capture the pole for the Price Chopper 400 -- the third race in the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" championship.
Martin, the current points leader and 2005 race winner at Kansas, turned a lap around the 1.5-mile track at 175.758 m.p.h. (30.724 seconds) for his series- leading and career-high seventh pole of the season. The 50-year-old driver also recorded his 48th pole in his Sprint Cup career.
"Today was a tough day on my heart, and it's making it very strong," Martin said. "That was such a stressful day and a very stressful lap. If my heart survives the next couple of years, I'm sure it will make it to 100."
Martin and Jimmie Johnson, who presently trails his Hendrick Motorsports teammate by 10 points, are amid controversy when NASCAR warned their teams this week after Johnson's winning car and Martin's second-place car barely passed post-race inspection last weekend at Dover. The measurements of the No.48 (Johnson) and No.5 (Martin) were found to be outside of NASCAR's tolerated measurements. Both teams were not penalized.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified second, while Brad Keselowski, running a limited Sprint Cup schedule this year, was third, giving Hendrick the top three starting positions.
Earnhardt held the pole, which pleased the crowd on hand for qualifying at Kansas, until Martin knocked him off the top spot.
"The track was real good," Earnhardt said. "We've been wanting to run good, and we just hope we can keep it up for the rest of the year."
Jamie McMurray and Chase contender Tony Stewart rounded out the top-five. Stewart was the first driver to qualify when wind gusts topped close to 40 m.p.h.
"It was terrible," Stewart said. "I wouldn't even try to go near as fast as where we practiced."
Kasey Kahne, Joe Nemechek, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon and Scott Speed qualified sixth through 10th, respectively. Kahne and Gordon are Chase drivers.
Johnson, the three-time defending series champion and last year's winner at Kansas, will start 11th.
The remaining drivers in the Chase and their starting positions include: Brian Vickers (12th), Juan Pablo Montoya (14th), Carl Edwards (17th), Denny Hamlin (22nd), Ryan Newman (30th) and Greg Biffle (31st). Kurt Busch, currently fourth in points, qualified a disappointing 39th.
David Gilliland, Michael McDowell and Kevin Hamlin failed to qualify.
Sunday's 400-mile race is scheduled to start just after 2:00 p.m. (et).
Price Chopper 400 Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard
Jimmie Johnson cut Mark Martin’s lead to ten points in the Chase for the Sprint Cup last week at Dover, but Martin finished second giving Hendrick Motorsports a one-two finish and increased the lead between second and Juan Pablo Montoya to -55 points as NASCAR heads to Kansas Speedway for the Price Chopper 400 on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Gamblers interested in investing in Sunday’s race should note that in the last five years Chevrolet and Ford have alternated wins at Kansas with Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet Impala winning last year while the last four winners at Kansas; Johnson, Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, and Mark Martin are all currently participating in the Chase.
Who will win the 2009 Price Chopper 400?
Don’t be surprised to see the Johnson-Martin show continue this week at Kansas as both drivers are among the best when it comes to intermediate tracks. Despite this both drivers have a cushion going into this race and I think Martin is due for a let down this week while with Johnson, set at 7/2 to win, you can obviously never count him out. In fact a fun thing you might want to consider doing is betting Johnson to win the next eight Chase races. In my opinion he has the ability to win 50 percent of the remaining Chase races and each race the odds will be about 7/2. Factor that in and you will cover your losses by almost a 2/1 margin-and all you have to do is DVR the excitement since most likely you are watching the No Fun League on Sundays. But if you want to invest in each race individually and not squat on your Johnson then this is who I like on Sunday.2009 NSCS point’s leader Stewart moved up one spot in the Sprint Cup standings but is bogged down in fifth place and -106 points behind the leader Martin. Stewart had a great season going into the Chase and then ran into a bit of bad luck with a broken axle at NHMS and then with an awful hit on Joey Logano that sent the No. 20 car into 7.5 barrel rolls 30 laps into the race last week. Stewart will need to outrun that bad luck soon as there are only seven races until Homestead.
Stewart won at Kansas in 2006 and had compiled an impressive string of two straight top-five finishes. “Smoke” will try to outrun his recent spate of bad luck at Kansas where he has not run well in the past two years. Last year he finished 40th and in 2008 was only slightly better with a 39th position. This year Stewart-Haas Racing has the added benefit of getting their chassis and loop data from Hendrick Motorsports and that has given SHR a marked advantage over their competition seeing how HMS has dominated NASCAR; especially strong during the ten races that make up the Chase.
Pick! Tony Stewart, No. 14, (10/1)
2009 Price Chopper 400 - Lucky Dog Long Odds Special
Richard Childress Racing’s Clint Bowyer hails from Emporia, Kansas and grew up racing five miles from Kansas Speedway at Lakeside Speedway. Bowyer is currently 16 the in the standings and won’t be able to win the Sprint Cup this year since he did not make the Chase for the first time since its inception. However, that means Bowyer will be racing for owner’s points and for his hometown fans. In three starts at Kansas, Bowyer has two top-tens. He finished as high as second in 2007 and last year finished this race in 12th place and in 2006 Bowyer finished ninth. What is impressive about Bowyer’s stats at Kansas is that he improves five places during the race as his average start position is 13.37 and his average finish is 7.67. Last week Bowyer was running in fifth position when his team opted not to change tires on one of the two last cautions of the race. This gamble did not pay off and Bowyer finished the race 15th on the grid. I don’t see him making the same mistake this week.
Pick! Clint Bowyer, No. 33, (25/1)
2009 Price Chopper 400 - Odds for Top 3 Finish
HMS cars dominated the AAA 400 last week with both Johnson and Martin finishing in the top-two positions as well as sixth for Jeff Gordon and another disappointing 20th place for Dale Junior. Gordon picked up two spots in the standings moving from tenth to eighth place; this was good enough for the largest improvement of all the Chase drivers. Gordon now sits -122 points behind the leader and if he hopes to make up the difference he’ll need to start this week as Kansas. Gordon has only one win this season, but what has kept him competitive is his 12-top five finishes; good for second behind Stewart who leads all drivers in that category with 13 top-fives finishes this season. Keep in mind that Gordon won his first two races at Kansas in 2001-02 and brings in five top-fives and six top-ten finishes in his last eight cars. It seems like Gordon’s big problem recently is that his car starts well at the beginning of the races and his crew over-tunes it during the race causing him to have a worse car than when he started. This week if Steve Latarte can duplicate the improvement in the 24 Chevy as he did last week, improving to sixth from seventh, Gordon might have a realistic chance of giving Johnson a run for the Sprint Cup.
Pick! Jeff Gordon, No. 24, 12/5
Practice Notes - Kansas
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
Jimmie Johnson has many in the NASCAR world saying, “oh no, here we go again” as the all-time leader in Chase wins (15) is running as good as ever in his quest for a fourth straight title. At Kansas this week, you had better brace yourself, because Johnson is dialed in.
He had a dominant first session Saturday with the fastest lap time by a large margin along with the top average speed, a sign that he’ll be tough to chase down late if doesn’t encounter any issues on the track. During happy hour, he laid down the fastest lap at 172.983 mph early in the session and continued on with his great average times which were second best while running 47 laps.
Johnson won this race last season and has a total of five top-10 finishes in his seven career starts. He brought his chassis from the last Atlanta race where he started third but finished 36th after suffering a broken axle. The car was brand new for that race and Johnson was fastest in the more relevant practice prior to the race. He’s only 10 points from points leader Mark Martin, and much to the dismay of many, it’s possible he could take the lead for good this week.
Matt Kenseth is watching the Chase from afar for the first time since it was introduced, but Kansas has seemed to reinvigorate the slumping team. He finished fifth there last season and has led 98 laps combined over the last two seasons. He’s not usually a driver that tops the speed charts during practice, especially this season, but he looks very strong this weekend with great runs in both sessions Saturday. He was third fastest in both.
Juan Pablo Montoya brought a new Chassis for this race, as he’s been the last few weeks showing the seriousness of his organization to improve upon their third place status in points. In the first session, Montoya had the 17th quickest lap but was second only to Johnson in average speeds. During happy hour Montoya laid down a big lap with the fourth fastest time and was fastest overall in average speeds even though he ran half the laps as most with only 23.
David Reutimann’s best runs this season have been on the 1.5-mile tracks this season and based on his practice runs Saturday, Kansas will be no different as he was fourth fastest in the first session and 11th in happy hour, where he ran the most laps of the late session with 64.
This season Ruetimann has finished fourth in Vegas, 11th at Texas, 12th at Chicago, and won the rain shortened Charlotte race. He was equally as good on the 2-mile tracks of California and Michigan this year, which because of the similar banking are similar to the setup needed for Kansas. He may not win, but he should have a car capable of running near the top-5 this week.
Jeff Gordon has won twice at Kansas and has finished in the top-5 in his last two starts. Of all drivers with at least four starts on the track, Gordon leads with an average finish of 9.8. In the first session, Gordon was eighth quickest with great average times. During happy hour, Gordon came right back another great run with the sixth quickest lap.
Mark Martin is sitting on his seventh pole of the season this week using the chassis that he won with at Darlington and Chicagoland. Of all the 1.5-mile tracks, Chicago is probably the most similar to Kansas which may spell bad news for everyone chasing him this week. Martin was sluggish in the first practice with the 19th fastest lap, though he had great average times. During happy hour, he came strong with the second fastest lap in the 20th minute and had the third best average times.
Clint Bowyer has an average finish of 7.7 in three starts at his home track and came out with the fifth quickest lap in happy hour. He brought the same chassis that finished 18th at Indianapolis.
Kasey Kahne was 10th quickest in the early session and 12th best in happy hour, but should be considered to be rated higher on the basis of his Atlanta win and finishing third at Chicago.
Top 5 - Saturday’s Early Practice Session:
1) Jimmie Johnson 173.388 mph - AVG 23 laps @ 168.765
2) Denny Hamlin 172.574 mph - AVG 22 laps @ 168.287
3) Matt Kenseth 172.552 mph - AVG 30 laps @ 168.037
4) David Reutimann 172.079 mph - AVG 32 laps @ 167.029
5) Tony Stewart 172.079 mph - AVG 8 laps @ 169.919
Best Average Speeds: Jimmie Johnson & Juan Pablo Montoya (min. 20 laps)
Top 5 - Saturday’s Final Practice (Happy Hour)
1) Jimmie Johnson 172.983 mph - AVG 47 laps @ 168.085
2) Mark Martin 172.855 mph - AVG 35 laps @ 167.083
3) Matt Kenseth 172.205 mph - AVG 38 laps @ 167.404
4) Juan Pablo Montoya 172.018 mph - AVG 23 laps @ 168.214
5) Clint Bowyer 171.161 mph - AVG 40 laps @ 167.349
Top 10 Rated Drivers at Kansas based on Saturday’s practice sessions, past performances at Kansas, Chicagoland, Michgan, and California, current state of team, with a mix 2009 runs on the 1.5-mile tracks.
1) Jimmie Johnson
2) Mark Martin
3) Jeff Gordon
4) Juan Pablo Montoya
5) Matt Kenseth
6) Denny Hamlin
7) Kasey Kahne
8) David Reutimann
9) Clint Bowyer
10) Brian Vickers
Price Chopper 400 Betting Matchups
By NASCAR JACK
Mark Martin (9-2) asks if I have ever stepped on a cat’s tail. Well, he asked everybody else too but it’s the way he said it.
“Has anybody stepped on a cat’s tail before?” he asked. “Well, I have and it’s pretty funny how fast it takes off and the noise it makes. That’s how it was with my car today. It had that much horsepower.”
Yes, I have Mark and it wasn’t pretty. The yowl from the cat gave me a heart attack and I lost control of my bladder.
He won his seventh pole of the season putting him in excellent position to maintain his lead in the Chase and also widen that leathery grin that has more wrinkles than an old deflated football.
In a surprise appearance beside Martin in the front row is Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10-1), NASCAR’s DOY (disappointment of the year).
Is this the race where Junior finally overcomes wrecks, pit errors, broken motors and just plain old bad karma?
Could be, but he will have to stick with his teammates Martin and Jimmie Johnson (9-2) and that’s tougher than a two-dollar steak.
I say it’s worth risking some coin and am picking Dale Jr. to finally vanquish his demons.
Here are my matchups as posted by World Sports Exchange:
Carl Edwards (-120) vs Denny Hamlin (-110)
This is Carl’s sixth visit to Kansas. He has no wins, two Top 5s, three Top 10s and an AF of 14.0. It’s Denny’s fifth race here and he has all zeros and an AF of 22.5. This doesn’t make me feel good, so I am picking Edwards.
Ryan Newman (-125) vs Kevin Harvick (-105)
Newman has a win, 3 Top 5s, 3 Top 10s and an AF of 18.0. Not bad at first glance but the tires go flat when you see his AF in his last five races here is a lovely 28th. Harvick has zero wins, zero Top 5s, three Top 10s and an AF of 14.9. Not stellar numbers, but he finished sixth in the last two Kansas trips. This is a Harvick pick for sure.
David Reutimann (-125) vs Jamie McMurray (-105)
Here are a couple of losers when it comes to Kansas. Jamie has two Top 10s and an AV of 19.5 in four trips to Kansas. Root is all zeros with an AF of 25 in only two races here. McMurray has been stringer lately as he looks for a ride for next year. I am going with the desperation factor. Pick McMurray.
Greg Biffle (-120) vs Matt Kenseth (-110)
Biff has been hot in his last five trips to the corn field with an AF of 4.2. Matt has two Top 5s in the last four trips but he also has placed 35th and 23rd as well. Heck, Biffle could win this race. I’m picking him.