Samsung Mobile 500 News and Notes

Odds & Ends - Texas

Texas Motor Speedway Data

Race #: 8 of 35 (4-18-10)

Track Size: 1.5 miles

Race Length: 501 miles

# Banking/corners: 24 degrees
# Banking/straights: 5 degrees
# Frontstretch: 2,250 feet
# Backstretch: 1,330 feet

Driver Rating at Texas

Tony Stewart 106.1
Matt Kenseth 105.0
Carl Edwards 99.7
Kyle Busch 98.6
Jimmie Johnson 96.1
Denny Hamlin 95.6
Greg Biffle 95.4
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 94.4
Kurt Busch 93.8
Jeff Gordon 91.4

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2009 races (10 total) at Texas

Qualifying/Race Data

2009 pole winner: David Reutimann (190.517 mph, 28.344 secs.)
2009 race winner: Jeff Gordon, 146.372 mph, 4-5-09)
Track qualifying record: Brian Vickers (196.235 mph, 27.518 seconds, 11-3-06)
Track race record: Carl Edwards (151.055 mph, 11-6-05)

Pit Window: Every 50-55 laps, depending on fuel mileage.

Samsung Mobile 500 Preview
By Micah Roberts

NASCAR is going deep into the heart of Texas this week for the eighth race of the season. It’s hard to believe the season is almost a quarter of the way over, but here we are going to our third 1.5-mile high banked track of the season. We get a nice preview and indicator for what might happen this week just because of what we saw in Las Vegas and Atlanta not too long ago.

We also get to look at the two day Charlotte test session where every team went out and tested the new spoiler which could make a difference in this race. Whoever has the quickest and best read on the set-up of their car -- in regards to how the new spoiler responds -- will be the team that will have a head start this week in Texas and a leg up at all the down force tracks.

During the two days test session at Charlotte on March 23-24, a couple teams really stood out beginning with the Richard Childress cars of Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer.

Kevin Harvick has already had success at Las Vegas and Atlanta with the old spoiler with second and ninth place finish respectively. He’s fallen in points since getting off the fast tracks and his rise back up should coincide with what looks to be Childress’ best performing tracks, one’s like this week in Texas.

Harvick’s week started off pretty good for him as a Yankee fan. He went to opening day at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday and watched as the team was presented with their World Series rings. The inspiration could be useful as Harvick hasn’t won a race since the 2007 Daytona 500. He’s been close and he’s knocking at the door and Texas looks like a great opportunity to snap the losing streak.

Juan Pablo Montoya surprised everyone with a great Phoenix after tweeting that he hated his car in Friday’s practice and said it was going to be a long race day. During the Charlotte testing, Montoya was at or near the top on each day. In Atlanta, Montoya also came home with a third place finish which makes him a nice candidate to win this week.

Jimmie Johnson’s world class crew would seem like the natural choice to be ahead of the curve with any new change to the car, especially as to how it relates to the down-force track that they’re always so good at. Johnson won at Las Vegas and finished 12th in Atlanta already this year. During the testing, Johnson didn’t dominate as would be expected, but he was in the top-10.

Jeff Gordon has gone 36 races without a win. The last race he won was this very same Texas race last season. Prior to that win, Gordon had gone an entire season without a win, the first time that happened since his rookie season. It’s not like he hasn’t been competitive, because he has. In fact he probably should have won the last two races this year. In both instances, at Martinsville and Phoenix, Gordon had victory within his grasp but let it go.

Could it be that his family life has softened Gordon a bit, or is it just age and maturation, or maybe the combination of all of the above. The Gordon from a decade ago would not have let both of those races go without winning at least one of them. We can’t blame the car or the crew in either instance because each gave Gordon a chance to win. The blame for not winning those two races falls squarely on the driver.

Texas was one of the last races Gordon was able to check off on his things to do check-list. The only race track that Gordon hasn’t won at now is Homestead-Miami. He’s a smarter, more cautious driver than ever before, but it has cost him some wins along the way; that and the brilliant idea of giving Jimmie Johnson a ride with the best organization in NASCAR.

Matt Kenseth didn’t do anything special in the testing with the new spoiler, but we should believe that he’ll be good on race day based on what he did at Las Vegas and Atlanta where he’s the only driver to finish in the top-5 for each. He’s a former winner at Texas and has the best average finish position of anyone with a 9.1 average finish. He’s on a current streak of six straight top-10 finishes. He should present good value in odds to win this week.

Kenseth fall under the category of being a Roush driver who drives a Ford, something that has been very favorable over the years since Texas debuted in 1997. Despite the track arriving during Gordon’s hey-day along with the most dominating driver and team in modern NASCAR history, Hendrick Motorsports has won only three races; one each by Gordon, Johnson, and Terry Labonte. RCR cars have one win with Jeff Burton, DEI with Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Joe Gibbs with Tony Stewart.

Only six wins by Chevy cars for 18 races is well under the normal ratio of Chevy on most tracks in the Cup circuit. Roush Racing kicked off the track’s first two races with wins and followed up in later years with wins by Kenseth, Greg Biffle, and three other times by Carl Edwards.

An interesting driver in a Ford to take a look at this week who will have great long shot possibilities is Paul Menard. He was fastest in one of the test sessions and finished fifth in Atlanta this year.

Kasey Kahne has shown some horsepower on the high-banked 1.5-mile tracks this year. He led the most laps in Atlanta and finished fourth. He’s also one of only four drivers to have top-10 finishes at both Las Vegas and Atlanta. He hasn’t been so special on the other tracks, but it’s likely he’ll have the same type of horsepower this week and contend for another good finish. While driving a Dodge, Kahne won at Texas in 2006.

Brian Vickers has never cracked the top-10 over his career at Texas, but these are the type of tracks he does well at and made his run into the chase last season by doing well on them. He looked fast in the Charlotte testing with the new spoiler and could be another semi-long shot to take notice of.

Kyle Busch moved four points in the standings after a great run at Phoenix and is currently in 12th. Had there been no caution late at Phoenix, or had his team made the inning call be taking two tires in the last pit, or perhaps not even pit at all, Busch might have won the race. The good run at least shows that his is team might finally be moving in the right direction. During testing, Busch was rather ordinary as were his finishes at Las Vegas and Atlanta this year, but did lead the most laps at Texas last fall.

Kurt Busch won in Atlanta this season and last season along with taking the last Texas race as well. He dropped eight points in the standings following a poor Phoenix run, but he’s been on of the most consistent drivers all season. Look for a great run this week as he has more positives pointing his names than most this week.

Top 5 Finish prediction:

1) #17 Matt Kenseth (15/1)
2) #2 Kurt Busch (10/1)
3) #42 Juan Pablo Montoya (15/1)
4) #29 Kevin Harvick (18/1)
5) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)

Hamlin expects to go distance at Texas

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Denny Hamlin said Wednesday his knee is feeling better and he expects to run the full race this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

Hamlin had surgery March 31 to repair a torn ligament in his left knee. He tore his ACL playing basketball during the offseason, and had surgery two days after his win at Martinsville to prevent further damage.

Although he had Casey Mears on standby last weekend at Phoenix, where Hamlin raced 10 days after the surgery, Hamlin didn't get out of his car even after dropping two laps off the lead.

I definitely thought about it,'' he said. But I never want to give up on anything and I wasn't going to give up on the team on Saturday night. They worked hard to get that car ready for me, they were patient with me and I owe to it to them to give it my best effort.

That's as true when you are running up front as it is when you are struggling. It was actually an easy decision from the seat.''

Hamlin said his knee is feeling better this week, and he's been able to keep up with his rehabilitation despite going from Phoenix to Los Angeles for a two-day commercial shoot.

I don't see any reason that I will have trouble with my knee by the time we get to Texas, he said. Unlike Phoenix where we had to use a ton of brake, Texas is much different so I will be in the car and expect to go the full distance, just as I did at Phoenix last weekend.

Mears is still scheduled to be on standby.

Driver Handicaps: Texas
Racingone.com

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

Who's HOT at Texas
• Matt Kenseth, who won in 2003, has finished ninth or better in eight of the last nine races.
• Jimmie Johnson, the 2007 fall winner, has finished second in the last two spring events.
• Kurt Busch is coming off a win and two top 10s.
• Carl Edwards is the only multiple winner in the four starts with the COT.
• Jeff Gordon is the defending race winner.
• Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch each have average finishes of 9.5 or better with the COT.
• Greg Biffle, who led 93 laps in this event last year, is coming off three consecutive 10s.

Keep an Eye On at Texas
• Clint Bowyer has finished in the top 10 in three of his last four starts at Texas.
• AJ Allmendinger and Paul Menard were among the fastest in the final two sessions in the spoiler test at Charlotte.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has spent the most laps (2,790) in the top 15 in the last 10 races at Texas.
• Juan Pablo Montoya will return in the same car that finished third at Atlanta last month.
• Kevin Harvick is coming off his sixth top 10 at Texas and will pilot the car he tested at Charlotte.
• Brad Keselowski appeared to be headed to his first top 10 on a 1.5-mile Sprint Cup track last month at Atlanta up until the contact from Carl Edwards.
• Kasey Kahne has finished in the top 10 in both races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

COT Performers
Matt Kenseth leads all drivers in average finish (6.5) and top 10s (4) in the four races with the new car at Texas Motor Speedway. Carl Edwards, who has a 12.8 average finish, is the only driver with multiple wins, with two. Kurt Busch won at Texas last fall and has scored consecutive top 10s. Jeff Gordon is the defending event winner and Jimmie Johnson has finished second in both spring events with the new car. Along with Kenseth and Busch, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin and Greg Biffle recorded average finishes of 5.5 or better in 2009 at Texas. This weekend will mark the debut for the spoiler on the new car at a 1.5-mile speedway.

Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings

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

1. Jimmie Johnson: Winner of the fall race in 2007; Finished second in last two spring events; 10.8 average finish in 13 starts; 6.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 580) that won at Las Vegas earlier this season.

2. Matt Kenseth: Winner of the 2002 race; Leads all drivers with a 6.5 average finish in the four races with the new car; Has finished ninth or better in eight of the last nine races; 3.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 646) that finished fifth at Las Vegas.

3. Greg Biffle: Winner of the 2005 spring race; Led 93 laps and finished third in this event last year for third top five; Coming off fifth top 10 with an eighth-place finish last fall; 9.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010. Will debut a new car (chassis No. 646) in the Samsung Mobile 500.

4. Kevin Harvick: Coming off sixth top 10 with a fifth-place finish last fall; Has only led four laps in 14 starts; 5.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 301) in the Samsung Mobile 500. This car was tested at Charlotte last month.

5. Jeff Gordon: Defending race winner; Win is one of seven top fives; Has led 324 laps in last six starts; 10.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Led 219 laps at Las Vegas earlier this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 554) that finished 23rd at Bristol last August.

6. Clint Bowyer: Coming off fourth top 10 with a seventh-place finish last fall; Has only one finish outside the top 20 in eight starts; 15.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 257) that finished eighth at Auto Club in February.

7. Jeff Burton: Winner of the inaugural and 2007 spring race; Has posted six top 10s with Richard Childress Racing; 15.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 302) in the Samsung Mobile 500.

8. Carl Edwards: Three-time winner; Leads all drivers in wins (2) and laps led (344) in the four races with the new car; A crash in last fall's event raised his finishing average to 16.0 in 10 starts; 25.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 565) that finished 12th at Las Vegas.

9. Tony Stewart: Finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in first track starts with Stewart-Haas last year; Posted one win and eight top 10s in previous 14 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; 10.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 564) that finished sixth at Texas last fall.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Won the 2000 race for first of seven top 10s with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Has one pole and an average finish of 19.3 in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; 15.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 599) in the Samsung Mobile 500.

11. Joey Logano: Coming off best finish (19th) in three starts; 20.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

12. Kyle Busch: 9.5 average finish in four starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Four top-10 finishes in 10 starts; Second-most laps led (286) in the four races with the new car; 20.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

13. Mark Martin: Finished sixth and fourth, respectively, in first track starts with Hendrick Motorsports last year; Finishes are two of 10 top 10s in 18 starts; Won the 1998 race with Roush Racing; Second-best average finish (7.5) in the four races with the new car; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 527) that won at Chicagoland last July.

14. Kurt Busch: Coming off first win in 14 starts; Led 89 laps last fall en route to the win; Finish lowered his average to 16.8 in eight starts with Penske Racing; Latest winner on a 1.5-mile track with his victory at Atlanta; Will return in the Atlanta car (chassis No. 715) in the Samsung Mobile 500.

15. Paul Menard: Scored best finish (13th) in this event last year in track debut in a Ford; Previous five starts came in a Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet; 11.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 594) that finished fifth at Atlanta.

16. Ryan Newman: Finished 15th and 12th, respectively, in first track starts with Stewart-Haas last year; Posted one win and three top 10s in previous 11 starts with Penske Racing; 17.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

17. Brian Vickers: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in 11 starts; 19.0 average finish in the four starts with the new car; 19.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

18. Denny Hamlin: Coming off first top five (second) in nine starts; Fourth-best average finish (9.0) in the four races with the new car; Finished 12th in this event last year; 20.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 270) in the Samsung Mobile 500.

19. Martin Truex Jr.: Making track debut with Michael Waltrip Racing; Scored one pole and four top 10s in previous nine starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (Earnhardt Ganassi in 2009); 23.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

20. Jamie McMurray: Last of six top 10s (third) came in the 2008 fall race with Roush Racing; Will make first track start in an Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet; Best finish (second) came in this event in 2005 in a Ganassi Dodge; 31.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 1004) in the Samsung Mobile 500. This car was tested at Charlotte last month.

21. Juan Pablo Montoya: Two top 10s in six starts; Track best seventh-place finish in this event last year; Led 10 laps at the track in the fall of 2007 after starting third; 23.2 average finish; Bringing chassis No. 819; Last raced this car at Atlanta this season to a third-place finish.

22. Scott Speed: Track best 18th in last fall's event; 25.5 average finish in two starts.

23. AJ Allmendinger: Netted first top-10 finish in four starts last fall; 10th-place result came driving a Ford; 27.2 average finish.

24. Marcos Ambrose: 25.7 average finish in three starts; Was running in second position last fall before he ran out of fuel on the penultimate lap resulting in 15th-place finish; That result is best at track.

25. David Reutimann: Won the pole for this event last year; Led 40 laps en route to 11th-place finish; Has finished 16th or better in last three starts with a track best 10th-place finish in fall of 2008; 24.2 average finish in five starts.

26. Kasey Kahne: Won this event in 2006 from the pole; Only other top-10 result came in track debut in 2004; Led a combined 211 laps en route to two top 10s; Average finish of 26.0 in two starts with Richard Petty Motorsports; 6.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

27. Brad Keselowski: Made career Cup debut at track in fall of 2008; Debuted with Penske in fall of 2009 at track with 35th-place finish; Average finish of 25.7 in three starts; Bringing brand-new chassis PRS-726.

28. David Ragan: Track best 11th-place finish in fall of 2008; 25.7 average finish in six starts; 30.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

29. Elliott Sadler: Site of one of Sadler's three career Cup Series victories; Three top 10s in 16 starts and average finish of 23.4; Finished 32nd and 22nd with RPM in 2009.

30. Sam Hornish Jr.: One finish inside the top 20 in four starts; 28.0 average finish.

Samsung Mobile 500: NASCAR Betting Preview
By Greg Engle

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway for Sunday's Samsung Mobile 500. The 1.5-mile track will give the new blade spoilers recently introduced on the Sprint Cup cars their first real chance to show how they will affect performance.

Favorites

Mark Martin (+1000)

Martin learned this week who will replace him in the No. 5 Chevy. Will it be in 2012 or could it be sooner? Martin finished fourth last week at Phoenix and has one win, six Top 5s and 10 Top 10s here. Look for Martin to step up his game this week knowing his end, even if it's not for two years, is in sight.

Tony Stewart (+1200)

Flush from the win of his team’s last week at Phoenix, Stewart will be working hard to one up his teammate and employee this week. His 400th start here this week. Stewart has one win, four Top 5s and 10 Top-10 finishes and the momentum to go all the way.

Carl Edwards (+1500)

Edwards needs to win, wants to win and has a great chance to do so this weekend. He leads active drivers with three wins at Texas. He also has three Top 5s and four Top 10s. Coming off a season-best seventh place last week, look for Edwards to make some noise Sunday.

Others to watch

Jeff Gordon (+800)

Gordon came up short again at Phoenix, finishing second. He heads to Texas with a record of one win, seven Top 5s and nine Top 10s along with two poles. Gordon has been so close to winning several times this season and it's only a matter of time until he does so.

Jimmie Johnson (+450)

Johnson finished third last week after leading the most laps (actually tying for that honor). At Texas Johnson has one win, six Top 5s and nine Top 10s here. As Johnson showed last week and every week, he's always a threat and will be again Sunday.

Kyle Busch (+1000)

Busch tied with Johnson for the most laps led last week at Phoenix but came up short finishing eighth. At Texas, Busch has three Top 5s and four Top 10s. Despite a slow start to the season, Busch has continued to get stronger week after week and Texas may be the place where it finally all comes together.

Head to head

Jeff Burton vs. Greg Biffle

Burton has two wins at Texas along with three Top 5s and nine Top 10s, while Biffle has one win, three Top 5s and five Top 10s. Burton is the favorite of many this week, but has yet to show the strength necessary to seal the deal. Biffle has put together a string of consistent finishes and took over second in the points last week. Biffle finished ahead of Burton at Phoenix and should do the same Sunday.

Kurt Busch vs. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Kurt Busch looked strong early in the season, Earnhardt looked less than stellar. Last week though, the roles seemed reversed. Busch finished 35th after losing a tire early. For Earnhardt, the most important thing was the team actually put together a decent outing and finished on the lead lap. Busch has one win, two Top 5s and nine Top 10s here. Earnhardt also has a win along with three Top 5s, seven Top 10s and two poles. Look for a possible breakthrough for Earnhardt this week or at the very least a finish ahead of Busch.

Denny Hamlin vs. Matt Kenseth

Hamlin was driving injured last week as he recovered from knee surgery. While he said it didn't affect him, it combined with several mechanical problems Hamlin suffered all day and finished an uncharacteristic 30th. At Texas, Hamlin has three Top 5s and six Top-10 finishes. Kenseth finished sixth last week and seemed a contender for most of the race. Kenseth has one win, seven Top 5s, and 10 Top 10s here. Hamlin won at Martinsville prior to his surgery and said he's a great deal better heading into this week. Kenseth has been strong every week, but Hamlin will be looking for redemption. This will be the best battle in the field but look for Hamlin to come out on top.

Both Saturday practices at TMS canceled due to rain
By NASCAR.COM

FORT WORTH, Texas - Rainy conditions Saturday left Cup Series teams without final practice sessions, but the spoiler, according to most, won't be an issue Sunday.

Kevin Harvick, after running 11 laps during Friday's practice session -- the only one of the weekend -- said he won't know how it will be in race conditions but in practice he saw no difference.

"It has been no different since the Charlotte Motor Speedway test, it has been no different at any other race tracks," Harvick said.

David Reutimann and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who worked mainly on qualifying runs and not race runs, agreed and said there is no major difference or concerns for Sunday.

"Overall it doesn't feel like it drives a whole lot different," Reutimann said. "My car seems a little tighter on entry and stuff than what we've had here in the past. Of course we've changed a lot of things to help that as well."

Seemingly, there is still no definitive answer as of yet pertaining to the spoiler and what bearing it will have on Sunday's race.

Tony Stewart, whose Stewart-Haas driver Ryan Newman won last weekend at Phoenix, said everyone is still in an "adjustment phase."

"I think everybody has to keep in mind, it's just like when we came out with the [new car] ... just because one team figures it out first doesn't mean that they're going to stay there. It just means that they figured it out quicker than everybody else did," Stewart said. "I would say by looking at practice [Friday], you're not going to get somebody that's just going to go off and take off."

Stewart added that teams have had enough time in the wind tunnels running simulation programs to figure out how to proceed. Nevertheless, some drivers feel the spoiler can make a difference Sunday and Clint Bowyer is anxious to see how it will affect teams' aero packages.

"This is always a track where you really get aero tight behind cars. Speeds are always really fast and you just get aero tight. I think everybody is really looking forward to seeing how that is going to be and seeing how the cars are going to react behind cars," Bowyer said.

The challenge is just trying to find aero balance from front to rear, he added.

"Just like [we] did with the wing," Bowyer said. "We were behind last year and it seemed like we really caught on but a day late and a dollar short. Now we have to be on the leading edge of that and be able to beat everybody to the punch."

Greg Biffle, who was fastest in Friday's practice and qualified third, has his car figured out and said the spoiler can do things the wing lacked.

"I think the setup is fairly similar," Biffle said, referring to the difference between the wing and spoiler. "My car seems to be a little bit freer with the wing on it, and turning a little bit better on corner exit is what I'm noticing with the spoiler. I noticed that when we did the tire test. That's about the difference that I feel. I feel like the car has a little bit more yaw to it and it'll get a little bit freer, but the setup is not drastically different. The car still sees about the same amount of down force, it just changes when the car goes into yaw."