Subway Fit 500 News and Notes

Subway Fresh Fit 500 preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Get ready Folks! This weeks NASCAR race is a good old fashioned Saturday night special in the cool desert air of Phoenix and it’s on Prime-time television. Though the season is only seven races old, the fans get a nice change of pace in date, time, and configuration of track. Phoenix also starts the first of six races run on the flat mid-range tracks that also include New Hampshire and Richmond.

Phoenix, New Hampshire, and Richmond look nothing alike, however, most of the crew chiefs that have success on one of those tracks do equally well on the other two. In most cases a successful team will bring the same car to all 3 tracks and sometimes for all six races over the course of a season. Obviously, the teams that don’t experience success have the need to try something different for each of those races.

History shows several drivers in recent history having multiple wins and top 5 finishes on the three tracks during a season. Basically, once the foundation has been laid on a certain group of candidates, there isn’t much need to search elsewhere for viable candidates at long shot prices.

The advantage that a bettor may have this season into the first of the 6 races on these type of tracks is the data from last season. Unlike some of the tracks this season where the new car will run for the first time, the COT ran a full schedule in all six races. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were the only drivers to finish in the top 10 of all six races with Johnson winning three and Gordon one. Johnson’s average finish in the 6 races was 3rd while Gordon was close with a 3.8.

Following the two Hendrick drivers with the 3rd best rate of success on the six tracks was Denny Hamlin. He finished with a 7.3 average finish, but that was in a Chevy. This season Hamlin is in the new Toyota, but it’s apparent already that the team hasn’t missed a beat yet by switching cars and just might even be a little better. Hamlin has shown a real knack for driving on the flatter tracks. He took Martinsville a few weeks ago and that is about as flat a track gets.

Two seasons ago Kevin Harvick won five races in a season. Four of those won were on the 3 tracks we have been discussing. He won twice at Phoenix, and once each at Richmond and New Hampshire. Last season Harvick finished in the top 10 in five of the six races with a worst finih of 17th at New Hampshire. This season Harvick has really put it all together. Currently, he’s 2nd in points behind his teammate Jeff Burton and has two top 5 finishes. He hasn’t been the best in any race this season but has probably been the most consistent. His worst finish this year has been 14th in the season opener at Daytona. Look for a good run out of Harvick this week.

Other drivers who have had great success on the three tracks combined in a season include Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, and Tony Stewart. How some of these drivers did in the past is little help in identifying who will be good this week. However, once this race is run Saturday night in Phoenix, the blue print will have been made for who to invest in on May 3rd’s Richmond race.

Last season Carl Edwards couldn’t crack the top 10 in any of the 6 COT races at Phoenix, New Hampshire, and Richmond. In 2006, it was a completely different story with Edwards having two top 5 finishes in Phoenix. Obviously the mediocre finishes last season were more attributed to the car than Edwards as a driver. This season Edwards has it dialed in pretty good. He’s won three races in the first seven races. The last driver to that was Jimmie Johnson last season and then Jeff Gordon a decade ago. In both cases Johnson and Gordon went on to win the Championship. Edwards’ equipment may not be good enough to contend for a win this week, but his value to win the Championship is great right now simply because of how good he is on the intermediate tracks. He has won 3 of the 4 races run on them thus far.

We’ll take a page out of last season and expect to see the same cast of characters that excelled then to do the same this week. Jimmie Johnson is much overdue for a win this season. The data his team has from last seasons races will help propel Johnson to the top.

TOP 5 Finish Prediction:

1) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
2) #29 Kevin Harvick (12/1)
3) #18 Kyle Busch (7/1)
4) #24 Jeff Gordon (6/1)
5) #11 Denny Hamlin (12/1)

Mayfield leaves Haas CNC Racing, Johnny Sauter to drive car at Phoenix
April 8, 2008

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (AP) -Jeremy Mayfield parted ways Tuesday with Haas CNC Racing, and Johnny Sauter will drive the No. 70 in Phoenix this weekend.

The team said the split was mutual, but it comes after his 38th-place finish Sunday in Texas. It dropped Mayfield to 36th in the standings, and the car must now qualify on speed to make the race at Phoenix International Raceway.

Mayfield has five finishes of 30th or worse in seven events this season, and his best result was 16th in Las Vegas.

``Jeremy's proven resume behind the wheel of a Cup car was a real benefit to our team,'' team general manager Joe Custer said. ``He stepped into the seat and did everything we asked him to and more. Ultimately, we were unable to provide him with the right balance, handling and speed he needed to be successful.''

Sauter, meanwhile, returns to the ride he drove all of last season. But he was replaced by Mayfield at the end of the year when the team dumped Sauter and Jeff Green to hire Mayfield and Scott Riggs.

Sauter had an average finish of 26th in the car and finished 30th in the points.

The team was not clear if Sauter will remain in the car the rest of the season, saying only that several scenarios are being considered for a replacement driver.

Analyzing The Subway Fresh Fit 500 At Phoenix International Raceway

With his win at Texas Motor Speedway, Carl Edwards joined Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Bill Elliott as active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers to win three of the first seven races of a season.

Johnson did it last year, and went on to win the championship.

Gordon has accomplished the feat three times, following it up with championships in two of those seasons – 1995 and 1997 (he finished second in the final points standings in 1996, the other year he won three of the first seven).

Elliott has done it twice – in 1985 and 1992 – and finished second in the final standings both times.

In other words, Edwards’ performance could lead to the title – it has happened before.

Likely, the key for Edwards will be his performance on tracks less than 1.5 miles in length. Of his 10 career victories, only two have come on tracks less than 1.5 miles in length (Dover and Bristol last year).

This Saturday night, Edwards will get a chance to prove his mettle on the smaller one-mile Phoenix International Raceway layout.

He has been solid there. Last November, he led 87 laps, but engine problems relegated him to a 42nd-place finish. Prior to that, Edwards finished in the top 10 in four of the previous five Phoenix races.

Since 2005, Edwards has a Driver Rating of 102.1 (seventh-best), an Average Running Position of 13.6 and 130 Fastest Laps Run (third) at Phoenix.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2008 Top 12 at Phoenix International Raceway

Selected Driver Highlights – Phoenix International Raceway-specific
Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Phoenix International Raceway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last six races at Phoenix. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Two top fives
• Average finish of 17.4
• Average Running Position of 15.3, 16th-best
• Driver Rating of 102.4, sixth-best
• Series-high 214 Fastest Laps Run
• 1,120 (59.8%) Laps in the Top 15, 11th-most

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
• One win, two top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 13.4
• Average Running Position of 8.4, fourth-best
• Driver Rating of 103.7, fourth-best
• 121 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
• 1,328 (85.1%) Laps in the Top 15, fourth-best percentage
• 114 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), sixth-most

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
• Two top fives, four top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 16.0
• Average Running Position of 13.6, ninth-best
• Driver Rating of 102.1, seventh-best
• 130 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
• 1,373 (73.3%) Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most
• 122 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• One win, eight top fives, 15 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 8.3
• Average Running Position of 8.0, third-best
• Driver Rating of 107.0, third-best
• 60 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
• 1,666 (89.0%) Laps in the Top 15, third-most
• 99 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
• Two wins, three top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 13.2
• Average Running Position of 7.0, second-best
• Driver Rating of 110.3, second-best
• 127 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
• 1,669 (89.2%) Laps in the Top 15, second-most
• 125 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• One win, four top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 6.6
• Series-best Average Running Position of 5.7
• Series-high Driver Rating of 115.9
• 155 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• Series-high 1,758 (93.9%) Laps in the Top 15
• 133 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
• One win, five top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 17.0
• Average Running Position of 14.3, 11th-best
• Driver Rating of 97.0, eighth-best
• 103 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
• 1,329 (71.0%) Laps in the Top 15, eighth-most
• 153 Quality Passes, third-most

Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)
• One top 10
• Average finish of 15.3
• Average Running Position of 11.5, sixth-best
• Driver Rating of 93.0, ninth-best
• 58 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
• 921 (73.8%) Laps in the Top 15, seventh-highest percentage
• 66 Quality Passes (16.5 per race), tied for 13th-best per race figure

Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
• One win, six top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 9.4
• Average Running Position of 10.1, fifth-best
• Driver Rating of 103.5, fifth-best
• 80 Fastest Laps Run, seventh
• 1,450 (77.5%) Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most
• 148 Quality Passes, fourth-most

At Phoenix International Raceway:

History
• Construction on Phoenix International Raceway was completed in January 1964. The configuration consisted of a one-mile oval and a 2.5-mile road course.
• Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix on Nov. 6, 1988.
• The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debuted at Phoenix on Feb. 5, 1995. Mike Skinner became the series’ first winner.
• The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix was on Nov. 11, 1999.
• The first spring race at PIR was held on April 23, 2005. Also the first night race, it was won by Kurt Busch.

Notebook
• There have been 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988 through 2004 and two each season since.
• Geoffrey Bodine won the first pole at the Phoenix International Raceway in 1988.
• Alan Kulwicki won the inaugural race at Phoenix in 1988.
• There have been 14 different pole winners at Phoenix, led by Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace – each with three.
• Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon are the only drivers to win consecutive poles at Phoenix. Newman won three straight (2002-04) while Gordon won the fall of 2006 and spring 2007.
• There have been 19 different race winners at Phoenix.
• Davey Allison (1991 and 1992), Jeff Burton (2000 and 2001), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2004) and Kevin Harvick (both 2006) are the only drivers to score two victories at Phoenix. All posted back-to-back victories.
• Roush Fenway Racing has won five races at Phoenix, more than any other organization.
• The race has been won from the pole just once at Phoenix: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007).
• The race at Phoenix has been won from a top-10 starting position only 11 of 23 times.
• Ricky Rudd won in 1995 from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started at Phoenix.
• Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon both have posted eight top-five finishes at Phoenix, more than any other driver. Martin has one victory and five second-place finishes in his 22 races, while Gordon has one victory and three third-place runs in his 18 appearances in the Arizona desert. Gordon (15) leads Martin in top-10 finishes by one. Both have just one DNF at Phoenix – both coming in their respective first race there.

The Local Flavor
• There have been 28 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Arizona.
• 24 NASCAR drivers (all-time) have their home state recorded as Arizona. There have been no race winners on the top-three NASCAR series from Arizona:

Phoenix International Raceway Data
Race # 8 of 36 (4-12-08)
Track Size: 1 mile
• Banking/1 and 2: 11 degrees
• Banking/3 and 4: 9 degrees
• Banking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees
• Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
• Frontstretch: 1,179 feet
• Backstretch: 1,551 feet

Driver Rating at Phoenix
Jimmie Johnson 115.9
Kevin Harvick 110.3
Jeff Gordon 107.0
Kurt Busch 103.7
Tony Stewart 103.5
Greg Biffle 102.4
Carl Edwards 102.1
Matt Kenseth 97.0
Martin Truex Jr. 93.0
Mark Martin 90.1
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2007 races (6 total) at Phoenix.

Qualifying/Race Data
2007 pole winner: Jeff Gordon (133.136 mph, 27.040 seconds)
2007 race winner: Jeff Gordon, 107.710 mph, 4-21-07)
Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (135.854 mph, 26.499 seconds, 11-5-04)
Track race record: Tony Stewart (118.132 mph, 11-7-99)

Pit Window: Every 70-78 laps, based on fuel mileage

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 – And Beyond

Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 along with other notable drivers, going into the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on April 12.

1 – Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.7
2008 Rundown
• One win, three top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 7.1
• Led five races for 60 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• Two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 11.4
• Finished ninth in November’s Phoenix race
• Led four of 17 races for 215 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high 2,382 laps run on the lead lap (of a total of 2,387)

2 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.9
2008 Rundown
• Two top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 8.3
• Led two races for 33 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• Two wins, three top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 13.2
• Finished sixth in November
• Led three of 10 races for 316 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 2,206 laps run on the lead lap (of a total of 2,387), fourth-most

3 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 112.0
2008 Rundown
• One win, four top fives
• Average finish of 11.1
• Led six races for 386 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• One win, four top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 16.3
• Finished eighth in November
• Led three of six races for 78 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 8.8, second-best

4 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 104.8
2008 Rundown
• Three top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 11.0
• Led five races for 268 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• Two wins, four top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 19.0
• Finished 43rd in November
• Led three of 11 races for 310 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 165 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

5 – Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.6
2008 Rundown
• Three top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 11.6
• Led three races for 289 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• One win, six top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 9.4
• Finished fourth in November
• Led four of 12 races for 293 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 2,020 Laps in the Top 15, third-most

6 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.5
2008 Rundown
• Three top fives
• Average finish of 13.6
• Led five races for 291 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• One win, four top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 6.6
• Won the November race at Phoenix
• Led four of nine races for 168 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 162 Laps in the Top 15, third-most

7 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.0
2008 Rundown
• One win, two top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 13.4
• Led three races for 212 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• Two top fives; one pole
• Average finish of 13.8
• Finished 16th in November
• Led two of five races for 93 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 327 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fourth-most

8 – Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 84.0
2008 Rundown
• One win, two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 13.6
• Led two races for 11 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• Three top fives; three poles
• Average finish of 20.6
• Finished fifth in November
• Led four of 11 races for 118 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 552 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

9 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.6
2008 Rundown
• Three top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 13.6
• Led three races for 17 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• Two top fives
• Average finish of 17.4
• Finished second in November
• Led three of eight races for 342 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high 355 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)

10 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 111.2
2008 Rundown
• Three wins, four top 10s
• Average finish of 12.7
• Led four races for 306 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• Two top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 16.0
• Finished 42nd in November
• Led one of seven races for 87 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high 312 Fastest Laps Run

11 – Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.0
2008 Rundown
• One top five, four top 10s
• Average finish of 14.3
• Led three races for 137 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• One top five
• Average finish of 18.6
• Finished 11th in November
• Led one of five races for 21 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 90 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

12 – Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.8
2008 Rundown
• Four top 10s
• Average finish of 14.1
• Led three races for three laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• One top five, three top 10s
• Average finish of 19.0 in seven Phoenix races
• Finished 40th in November
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 323 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), sixth-best

13 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.2
2008 Rundown
• One top five, four top 10s
• Average finish of 16.9
• Led four races for 143 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• One win, five top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 17.0
• Finished third in November
• Led five of 11 races for 154 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 92 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

14 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.3
2008 Rundown
• Three top fives
• Average finish of 19.7
• Led five races for 183 laps
Phoenix International Raceway Outlook:
• One win, eight top fives, 15 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 8.3
• Finished 10th in November
• Led eight of 18 races for 247 laps
Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 150 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

RacingOne Power Rankings
RacingOne.com

Jeff Burton remains in the top spot in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup standings and in RacingOne's weekly power rankings as the series heads to Phoenix International Raceway. RacingOne's rankings are based on a combination of season-to-date loop data, season standings and staff selections by Jeff Wackerlin and Rachael West.

1. Jeff Burton: Jeff Burton remains on a tear in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, holding onto both the top spot in the point standings after Texas and in this week's Power Rankings. With his battle from the 35th-starting spot to finish sixth in Sunday's Samsung 500, Burton added 20 points to his lead over RCR teammate Kevin Harvick. With his record at Phoenix, Burton should be able to hold onto his lead. He hasn't finished worse than 15th in his last 14th starts at the 1-mile track. While driving for Jack Roush, Burton scored back-to-back wins in the desert in 2000 and 2001. Since joining RCR in 2004, he's posted four of his nine track top-10 finishes, including a ninth-place finish in the fall last year.

Last Week's Rank: First

2. Carl Edwards: Carl Edwards made a leap in our power rankings this week after his commanding performance Sunday at Texas, where he led the most laps en route to his third win this season. Edwards has mastered the new Sprint Cup car on the intermediate tracks and implores all drivers complaining about the new car to do their jobs and concentrate on racing. When he gets back to racing this weekend, Edwards will try to take his skills on the intermediate tracks and apply them to the 1-mile track at Phoenix Saturday night. Since his awful debut at the track of 37th in 2004, Edwards was on a steady streak of finishes of 11th or better until last fall when an engine failure relegated him to a 42nd-place finish. He had started on the pole for that race and led 87 laps before his engine expired 125 laps into the race.

Last Week's Rank: 11th

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has just been cruising along this season and remains in the third spot in the rankings this week after finishing 12th Sunday. He maintained his fourth-place spot in the standings but lost a little bit of ground to points leader Burton when his promising day starting from the pole was lost when he chased the handling of the car the entire day. Junior is a two-time winner at PIR, though, and may be able to gain in the standings if he can capitalize on that past success in his debut at the track with Hendrick Motorsports.

Last Week's Rank: Third

4. Kevin Harvick: Kevin Harvick didn't let his 21st-qualifying result, his worst start so far this season, hold him back at TMS. He managed to continue his streak this season of finishes 14th or better with an 11th-place finish Sunday. The finish was good enough to keep him in the second spot in the standings, but he lost 20 points to leader Burton. The driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet has a good track record at PIR, though. Harvick swept the Cup races there in 2006 and finished 10th and sixth there respectively last year. He has an average finish of 13.2 in 10 starts.

Last Week's Rank: Second

5. Kyle Busch: Although he completed the most quality passes at 51 (passing a car running in the Top 15 while under a green flag), Busch battled an ill-handling race car at Texas en route to his fourth top five of the season. Busch continues to lead the season driver ratings (112.0) heading into Phoenix where he has one win and four top 10s.

Last Week's Rank: Eighth

6. Denny Hamlin: Denny Hamlin had a strong race Sunday at Texas finishing fifth from the 14th starting spot. He jumped one spot, to seventh, in the standings and stays in our sixth spot in the rankings. Hamlin came close to winning his first race at Phoenix in this event last year. He led 70 laps, the second most of the race, en route to his second straight third-place finish there. Those are the only finishes he's posted within the top 10 there in five starts.

Last Week's Rank: Sixth

7. Tony Stewart: Tony Stewart's getting closer to winning his first race driving under the Toyota banner. He was able to battle back from a 24th-place starting spot in Texas to post his fifth top 10 of the season (seventh). But the outspoken Stewart was one driver voicing his displeasure with the handling at Phoenix. After the race Stewart spoke about how he was loose on entry and exit in the corners and tight in the middle and felt if he started with better track position he could've possibly pulled off an even better finish. For this weekend's race at PIR, Stewart might be able to post an even better finish as he's posted top five finishes in half of his starts there. Stewart won in his first start there in 1999 and posted second and fourth-place finishes there, respectively, last year.

Last Week's Rank: Fourth

8. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson said after the race that he was "shocked in how the bad the cars drove in traffic" at Texas. That said, Johnson was the worst driver that finished in the top 10 in quality passes after he only completed 19 passes while running in the top 15 in green flag conditions in the Samsung 500. But Johnson was able to jump four positions to sixth in the standings after finishing second in the Samsung 500. This weekend Johnson will look to gain more ground in the standings at Phoenix where he has a fourth-place finish and a win with the new car.

Last Week's Rank: 10th

9. Clint Bowyer: Although he dropped a few spots in the rankings, Bowyer still sits comfortable after capturing his fourth consecutive top 10 of the season. Since his Kansas Jayhawks won the NCAA title, Bowyer hopes to celebrate in Phoenix with a win of his own.

Last Week's Rank: Seventh

10. Matt Kenseth: A possible top five run at Texas for Kenseth was hindered after the team opted to stay out on old tires on the last pit stop under caution. Kenseth wound up finishing ninth after the cars behind him pitted. Kenseth was one of only four drivers that held an average running position of 5.0 in the 339-lap race. He was also one of four drivers that led 50 or more laps. This weekend Kenseth is set to make his 300th career Sprint Cup start. Last year he finished fifth and third, respectively, at Phoenix.

Last Week's Rank: 15th

11. Ryan Newman: Despite going a lap down while running in the the 11th position, Newman was able to return to the rankings after battling back to finish fourth. But the good day turned bad after the race when the No. 12 Dodge failed post race inspection for being too high in the right rear. Newman lost 25 points as a result, but will look to gain them back at Phoenix where he's coming off a fifth-place run. Since making his first career Sprint Cup start at PIR in 2000, Newman has gone on to post three top fives.

Last Week's Rank: N/A

12. Jeff Gordon: Gordon looked like Morgan Shepherd or Carl Long on Sunday, by just running a few laps and then collecting the prize money. Texas Motor Speedway still remains one of two tracks Gordon has yet to visit victory lane at. The 1.5-mile track is also now home to his only 43rd-place finishes in the Sprint Cup Series after a terrible day with the new race car. This weekend Gordon will look to get back on track at Phoenix International Raceway, which is his best track, of 1-mile or more, on the circuit based on his 8.3 finishing average.

Last Week's Rank: Fifth

13. Greg Biffle: Greg Biffle fell six spots, to ninth in the point standings, and four in our power rankings after finishing 39th at Texas due to mechanical failure. He's coming off his second career second-place finish at Phoenix in the fall last year. The driver of the No. 16 Ford has a 17.4 average finish at PIR with eight starts.

Last Week's Rank: Ninth

14. Jamie McMurray: Jamie McMurray battled back from a 32nd-starting position to finish 14th Sunday at Texas and gain five spots in the point standings. It was his second top-15 finish this season. He heads to Phoenix this weekend hoping to continue the success he's had of late to improve upon his 24.3 average finish there. In nine starts, McMurray posted a best finish of 12th in the 2003 race. Since joining Roush Fenway Racing in 2006, he's averaged a 20th-place finish at PIR.

Last Week's Rank: 13th

15. Kasey Kahne: Kahne dropped to the 15th and final slot in the rankings after finishing 25th in the Samsung 500. He still maintains the 12th position in the point standings, but is losing ground to Kenseth who trails by 54 points. Kahne averaged a running position of 12.3 in the race at Texas up until he had to make an unscheduled pit stop for a vibration. It wound up being a front splitter issue, which caused him to lose a bunch of track position. Kahne will have to turn it up a notch if he plane to remain in the rankings. In his last two races at Phoenix he has finished 31st and 40th, resepctively.

Last Week's Rank: 12th

Subway Fresh Fit 500 PreQ

The big question on everyone’s mind is when will Hendrick Motorsports get their first win of the season? So far Penske Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing (2), and Roush Fenway Racing (3) have been to victory lane through seven events. This after Hendrick won four of the first seven races last season. Expect Jimmie Johnson to get Hendrick on the board at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend where he has been solid in his career. In nine career starts Johnson has finished each event in the top 15 with one win (Fall 2007) and seven top 10s as he averages a 7th place finish. Johnson has picked it up over the last two races posting back-to-back top 5s as he has worked his way into the top 12 in the point standings. He should move up the charts even move after the Subway Fresh Fit 500.

Mark Martin did not participate in the fall race at Phoenix last season but did post a 12th place finish in this race in ’07. Throughout his career Martin has run well at the track recording six top 10s in the last 12 starts at the track finishing each race in the top 20 with an average finish of 9th place. Martin posted his first top 10 of the season at Texas as he again runs part-time this year. With Martin running the limited schedule he will do all he can to record a decent finish – especially at tracks he likes. Expect Martin to have a good day in the desert before he steps aside once again.

While Martin Truex Jr. is not off to a bad start in 2008 he has not been a factor in the majority of races. He has just one top 10 in the first seven races but has not finished worse than the 21st position as he sits 13th in the point standings. More was expected out of Truex after he assumed the No. 1 spot on the team with the departure of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Truex could get his second top 10 of the season at Phoenix where he finished 7th during the Chase for the Championship last season. The youngster is still adapting to the pressure of carrying the organization and a good run this weekend could do wonders for the entire #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team.

There seems to be a pattern forming with David Ragan. He had some rough times at certain tracks as a rookie but has been running much better at the same tracks this season. It could be the case once again this weekend but we are predicting that he will have a tough time at the speedway of Phoenix. In his two starts last season Ragan finished outside the top 30 (much like he did at Texas only to finish 13th) with an average finish of 35th place. Unlike the high-bank superspeedways, where Roush Fenway cars always run well, Ragan has struggled on the speedway tracks in his career. In eight starts he has yet to post a top 10 finish while posting five finishes outside the top 20 with an average finish of 27th place. Ragan has been running much better this season but we are still not sold – especially for the race at Phoenix.

Although Jamie McMurray has moved solidly up the point standings after being outside the top 35 after five races there are still some questions as to whether or not he is on the hot seat. McMurray must continue to improve throughout the season and he needs to demonstrate that improvement on tracks where he has historically struggled – such as Phoenix. In nine career starts at Phoenix he has finished inside the top 20 just three times with zero top 10 finishes and an average finish of 25th place. McMurray has run well the last two races but it is doubtful that will continue this weekend.

profantasysports.com

Hall of Famers would take one NASCAR victory

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- It's homecoming weekend for Hall of Fame Racing, a NASCAR team hoping to buck the odds and become competitive despite fielding only one car in the premier Sprint Cup Series.

The series' eighth race of the season is Saturday night at the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway here, and Hall of Fame's driver is Phoenix native J.J. Yeley. That team is co-owned by former sports agent Jeff Moorad and Tom Garfinkel, who also are top executives of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Yeley's No. 96 Toyota Camry this weekend will carry a logo celebrating the Diamondbacks' 10th anniversary. Qualifying to set the 43-car field for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 is scheduled today.

Jeff Gordon won this race last year from the pole for Hendrick Motorsports.

Multi-car teams such as Hendrick rule NASCAR, and Yeley and Hall of Fame Racing are struggling this year. But Moorad and Garfinkel are convinced that they too can eventually reach Victory Lane.

"Conventional wisdom would suggest that a one-car team can't be successful," said Moorad, who, with partner Leigh Steinberg, negotiated contracts for such athletes as Boston Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez and former NFL quarterback Steve Young.

"The reality is we believe that with the right strategy and plan in place, we have every chance to be successful."

The key is building strong sponsor ties, spending efficiently, assembling the right crew members and being patient, Moorad and Garfinkel said.

And they pointed to their record in Major League Baseball as an example of what can be done in NASCAR.

"In 2004 [the Diamondbacks] lost 111 games, but in 2007 they had the most wins in the National League [90] with the fifth-lowest payroll in baseball," Garfinkel said. "There's a similar opportunity [in NASCAR]."

But they acknowledged that the Diamondbacks' turnaround didn't happen overnight, just as it won't at Hall of Fame Racing.

"We believe we can win a race," said Garfinkel, who grew up in Walnut Creek, Calif., and spent five years with Chip Ganassi's racing teams before joining with Moorad. "With that said, we understand how difficult that's going to be and how competitive this sport is. We've got a long way to go."

That's evident by Yeley's year so far.

After seven races, he is yet to start or finish a race in the top 20. He also has dropped to 33rd in owner points, only two spots inside the coveted top 35 that are assured starting spots in the next race. If he fell to 36th or lower, Yeley would risk missing the race if he wasn't fast enough in qualifying.

Matters didn't improve Sunday, when Yeley spun and crashed midway through the race at Texas Motor Speedway, slamming into the inside retaining wall. Yeley wasn't hurt but finished next to last in 42nd.

He's looking for redemption in Arizona.

"You always want to run well in front of family and friends and, obviously, with Tom and Jeff living out there, it's an important race and we want to put on a good show for everyone," he said.

Yeley, 31, took over this season for Tony Raines, who mostly drove the car in the first two years of Hall of Fame's existence. The team finished 26th in owner points in 2006 and 25th last year.

The team was started by a group led by two NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman -- a former client of Moorad's. They sold control to Moorad and Garfinkel last August.

"We approached them" about buying the team, Moorad said, after he and Garfinkel met with NASCAR Chairman Brian France and President Mike Helton a year ago about what teams might be available. "We felt that the opportunity at Hall of Fame Racing was the most intriguing of all, given the fact that a great foundation had been built by Roger and Troy."

Hall of Fame Racing probably would draw more sponsors if Yeley started running up front with the series' leading drivers.

But even as the team struggles, its primary sponsor, Texas Instruments' DLP brand, recently extended its backing through next year.

latimes.com

Another pole for Newman at PIR

Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Ryan Newman captured the pole for Saturday night's Subway Fresh Fit 500 at the Phoenix International Raceway. The No.12 Alltel Dodge circled the flat one-mile oval in 26.975 seconds (133.457 m.p.h.).

The pole victory was Newman's first of the season, record fourth at PIR and 43rd of his Sprint Cup career. It's been an eventful week for the Penske driver who received a 25-point penalty earlier in the week after failing post- race inspection in Texas.

"It wasn't a perfect lap, but it was a very good lap," said Newman, the track qualifying record holder (26.499 seconds in 2004). "I want to thank everybody at Penske Racing."

Starting alongside Newman will be Elliott Sadler who posted a time of 26.984 seconds.

Row two will consist of Carl Edwards (26.991), who won last week's race and Mark Martin (26.993). They were the only drivers to break the 27-second barrier.

"I think we are going to be pretty competitive on Saturday night," said Edwards, who leaders the series with three wins.

Other drivers of note and their starting positions: Kasey Kahne (fifth), Kyle Busch (sixth), two-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson (seventh), Martin Truex Jr. (ninth), Jeff Gordon (11th), Tony Stewart (12th), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (13th), Kevin Harvick (17th) and Matt Kenseth (27th).

Kyle Petty and John Andretti failed to qualify for the race.

If the Chase for the Sprint Cup started today, there would be some very big names left without a "ticket to the dance." NASCAR invites just 12 drivers to compete in the "Chase." Currently outside the top-12 are: Kenseth, Gordon and Kurt Busch - all former series champions. Others who would be left off the list include: Truex Jr., who made last year's Chase, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray and Casey Mears.

Kenseth, the 2003 Sprint Cup Champion, is the closest to qualifying for the "Chase," just 54 points behind both Kahne and Clint Bowyer.

Gordon, part of the Hendrick Motorsports team of drivers which dominated in 2007 winning 18 of 36 events, has been frustrated for much of the season trying to find the right setup.

"I can't remember the last time we struggled this bad," said the four-time series champion.

In 2008 a Kurt Busch sighting in the top-10 has been a rare event. After pushing Penske teammate Ryan Newman to the victory at Daytona in February, Busch, the 2004 Sprint Cup Champion, has failed to earn a top-10.

But the good news for these guys and the rest of the drivers outside the top-12 is that there is plenty of time left to get it together and make the "Chase." There are still 19 races remaining before the Sprint Cup "regular" season ends in Richmond on September 6th.

Gordon is the defending champion both at PIR and the next race in Talladega.

The race is scheduled to drop the green flag on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. (et).

Subway Fresh Fit 500 HOT! Sheet

It’s the farewell tour that probably will never really have a farewell, but Mark Martin is making the most of semi-retirement again this season. This year he is splitting time in the famed #8 car for DEI, and as you can see on our chart that’s exactly what his average finish is over the last three races. Of course, that stat is a little deceiving because he’s only participated in one of the last three. But, in his five races overall he has finished solidly in the top 20, including a pair of top 10s. This has always been a good track for him so you can feel confident having him on your roster this week.

The man driving the car number that Martin made famous #6, David Ragan, has been pretty impressive this year. Ever since wrecking out of the Daytona 500 in 42nd, he has strung together a series of events in which he has a 14.8 average finish. His best finish (7th) came at Las Vegas, which, ironically, is the place where he had his worst start so far (38th). He’s coming off of back-to-back top 10 starts that resulted in 11th and 13th. Look for him to do well again.

It’s kind of odd that this is the 8th race of the season and we have yet to mention the current points leader, Jeff Burton, in this column. Well, it’s finally time. If there’s one word you could use to describe the #31 team, it’s consistent. There have only been two races in which they have not led a lap. They’re worst showing so far was 13th in the season opener. The average finish in the last three weeks is about 3rd, including the thrilling win at Bristol. He’s a multi-winner at Phoenix, so we consider him a must have on Saturday night.

At the very bottom of the sheet this week is a man who just can’t seem to catch a break, Brian Vickers. From the late race accident at Bristol with less than 15 laps to go, to running out of gas at Martinsville with less than five laps to go, this team has fallen on some really hard times. A big reason for the lack of success on race day is the lack of success on qualifying day. On average, the #83 car has started in 36th position. Until things start to improve, stay away.

There has been a lot of questions pop up recently about the future of Bobby Labonte. He currently drives the #43 for Petty Enterprises. However, it was just announced that the sponsor for that car is leaving for Richard Childress Racing, and rumor has it, the driver may follow. It has clearly been a distraction as his average finish in the last three races has been about 28th. Despite high hopes at his home track in Texas, he was only able to cross the line 20th. He may have a cheap price tag, but we don’t think he’ll be worth it.

profantasysports.com

Fantasy preview: Phoenix

Live from Phoenix, it's Saturday night!

This weekend's Subway Fresh Fit 500 marks the first of eight Sprint Cup races that will be run on Saturday night this season. That's one more than last year, with the July 12 Chicagoland 400 being the new addition to the group.

Saturday night races provide more of a party atmosphere, compared with Sunday afternoon starts that feel more like picnics. Lights around the track make the 43 cars shinier, sparks are more readily seen, fans can swill beer all day as compared to just the morning hours, and the possibility exists for a full moon. Maybe that's the way to bring out the wolf in a driver and have that fella throw his helmet in disgust at the competitor turning him around or into the fence. Matt Kenseth and David Gilliland, here's your chance to really get it on.

But before we sit back and enjoy this one, let's be thankful for the safety of Michael McDowell following the hardest wreck I've ever seen in my life. For McDowell to walk away from last week's wreck during qualifying at Texas and be able to race on Sunday and again this week in his hometown of Phoenix says so much about NASCAR's safety advancements. You know when the "Today" show and Ellen DeGeneres want to interview you, you were part of something spectacular (in a bad way, of course). I wish McDowell nothing but the best as he tries to maintain his spot in the top 35 in points.

I don't think much of McDowell as a fantasy performer, but his value did rise $300,000 in Sporting News' Fantasy Stock Car Challenge last week. It's hard to turn your back on a guy who was the second-highest gainer from the previous week, even if he's destined for a 30th-place finish.

Then again, this might be the week he does well. Call it the theory of hometown boy does well in front of his home fans.

TOP TIER

Carl Edwards. If you bought Edwards prior to Texas or are thinking about doing it now for Phoenix, realize that this race is the last one you'll want Edwards in until the series heads to Darlington. Edwards started on the pole here last November and led 87 laps before his engine expired. This is an incredible run he's on, and owners in salary cap leagues should begin figuring out what it takes to get Edwards on their rosters. Also interesting to note is that fellow Roush drivers Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth finished second and third last year at Phoenix, respectively.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Throw out his 82.7 driver rating here, because it's not applicable anymore. Hendrick Motorsports' strength at Phoenix gives Earnhardt new life at a track where he used to dominate in 2002-04. All of the notes-sharing that HMS does is helping Junior, and that gives him a fighting shot to win this weekend. This upcoming stretch is also a terrific time to own Junior -- he has multiple wins at Talladega (five) and Richmond (two), the next two tracks on the schedule.

Kevin Harvick. In the past four Phoenix races, Harvick has four top-10 finishes, including wins in both of the 2006 events. He's second to only Jimmie Johnson in driver rating, and his 1,669 laps in the top 15 in the past six races also are only second to Johnson. He's also typically good at Talladega and Richmond, making him another good guy to buy for the longer term.

MIDDLE TIER

Martin Truex Jr. Had he not blown an engine in the closing laps last week at Texas, Truex would be entering Phoenix with a top-10 finish. I remember Truex leading 72 laps in the November race here last year, so I'm not going to dismiss him after just one blown engine. However, knowing how many blown engines Dale Earnhardt Jr. had last year with DEI, I hope this is not the start of a trend for Truex.

Jeff Burton. Seriously, when the Sprint Cup points leader costs only $10.11 million in Fantasy Stock Car Challenge -- or about $4.5 million less than Jimmie Johnson, you have every reason to add Burton to your roster. Burton isn't on just some unexplained run -- all of Richard Childress Racing is running well. In the past four races, no RCR car has finished worse than 12th. This group is getting it done, and Burton is the cheapest of the three.

Greg Biffle. Yes, his last two races at Martinsville and Texas were bad (20th and 39th, respectively), but Phoenix should be a different story. Biffle did not lead any laps at either Phoenix race last season, but no one has led more in the past six races than he. Biffle finished second here last November, so I anticipate the No. 16 getting back on track.

BOTTOM TIER

Johnny Sauter. Had there been assurances that Sauter would be in the No. 70 for more races beyond Phoenix, I would have considered picking him up in Stock Car Challenge. If trades limits aren't an issue for you, Sauter is worth taking a look at. Two of Sauter's three career top-10 finishes have come at Phoenix, and he even qualified fifth in last November's race. I anticipate Haas CNC sticking with Sauter, but you just never know if a Ward Burton comes out of the woodwork.

J.J. Yeley. He's on his second crew chief and still hasn't finished any better than 25th this season. But like McDowell, Phoenix is Yeley's hometown, and Yeley typically has fared well at this track. He qualified fifth here in the No. 18 last season, and he finished 14th. The No. 96 car that he now drives, Tony Raines qualified that car eighth last year. Give him a look only if others don't look good to you.

sportingnews.com

NASCAR: Subway Fresh Fit 500

Carl Edwards won his series-leading third race of the season last week, but he’s still well back of points leader Jeff Burton thanks to the 100-point penalty he incurred at Las Vegas last month.

Edwards has dominated the shorter tracks this season with his three wins coming at the shorter drives in California, Las Vegas and in Texas last week. With another short track, the Phoenix International Raceway, coming up this weekend Edwards could be in line for another checkered flag finish in the Subway Fresh Fit 500.

Last season at Phoenix the Hendrick Motorsports boys dominated with Jeff Gordon winning the Subway Fresh Fit 500 and Jimmie Johnson winning the Checkers Auto Parts 500. Both former Cup champions are still looking for their first victory of the season, and they’re both coming of completely different finishes at Texas last week. Johnson was second behind Edwards in last week’s Samsung 500, while Gordon was dead last in 43rd place.

Before Hendrick took over at Phoenix last year, Kevin Harvick owned the track during the 2006 season. Harvick, who is currently second in points, swept both races at Phoenix during the 2006 season and has been one of the more consistent drivers on the circuit so far this season with at least a Top 15 finish in every race, which includes four Top 10 finishes.

Other than Harvick, the only other drivers in this weekend’s race field with multiple wins at Phoenix will be Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton. Earnhardt Jr. won the Checkers Auto Parts 500 back-to-back in 2003 and 2004 and will be looking to match that success with his first win of this season this weekend. Burton, the current points leader, also posted back-to-back wins in the Checkers Auto Parts 500 in 2000 and 2001.

Gordon still a favorite at Phoenix for NASCAR Sprint Cup race

He has struggled in the standings so far this season.

It would be safe to say that Jeff Gordon is off to a disappointing start to the NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

Gordon, regarded as a preseason favorite to win this year's Sprint Cup championship, has had three DNFs (did not finish) in seven starts this season and a week ago, he finished last in a 43-car field at Texas Motor Speedway.

But Gordon is still a proven force in NASCAR and that's why Las Vegas oddsmakers have ranked him among the top favorites for tonight's Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Gordon, who finished behind teammate Jimmie Johnson in the race for top driver last year, is listed at 6-1, at bodoglife.com. Carl Edwards, who has won three races already this season, and Johnson are the co-favorites at 11-2, while Kyle Busch joins Gordon at 6-1, followed by Tony Stewart at 8-1, Denny Hamlin at 9-1, Matt Kenseth at 11-1, and Martin Truex Jr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 12-1.

One source behind Gordon's strong odds is his track record competing in Arizona.

Gordon, who along with Mark Martin are the only drivers with eight top-five finishes at Phoenix, won last year's race and has three third-place finishes in 18 appearances on the track.

Gordon needs to turn things around to move up in the Sprint Cup standings. Jeff Burton leads teammate Kevin Harvick by 59 points for the overall lead, while Gordon sits 91 points out of the top 12.

Although the odds to win this year's Sprint Cup championship have changed since the start of the season, Gordon still attracts good numbers.

At Sportsbetting.com, Gordon is listed at 6-1 along with Johnson, behind Stewart and Earnhardt (9-2) and Edwards (5-1). Burton is listed at 15-1.

latimes.com

Trading Paint: Subway Fresh Fit 500 picks

Welcome to Trading Paint, a weekly entry where a statewide panel of four auto racing "experts" will make picks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. This week: Saturday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 in Phoenix.

The rules are simple:
1. A panelist can't pick the same driver in back-to-back weeks.
2. Standings will be calculated each week based on the actual points earned by the drivers each panelist picks to win.

After seven weeks, the standings are as follows, with their pick of last week's winner in parentheses:

1. Steve Kaminski (Carl Edwards) -- 1,140
2. Jeff Bleiler (Jeff Burton) -- 1,021
3. Mike Pryson (Kurt Busch) -- 920
4. Antoine Pitts (Greg Biffle) -- 853

Jeff Bleiler -- Jackson Citizen Patriot
Picks were all over the board last week, so it didn't register to me that while I was hooting and hollering Jeff Burton to a sixth-place finish, Kaminski's guy was flattening the field out front -- much like he seems to be doing to us. I don't know how he does it, but I'm getting impressed -- and ticked off. So here goes ...

• Winner -- Kevin Harvick. I'm not in love with this pick, but Harvick did sweep the Phoenix races two years ago and followed up with top 10s in each of the two races last year. Hope he can stay hot in the desert.

• Sleeper -- Matt Kenseth. The unassuming driver posted a pair of top-five finishes at Phoenix last year and could very well take the checkered flag this weekend.

• No chance -- Juan Pablo Montoya. Team owner Chip Ganassi blasted his entire racing operation last weekend, painting a picture Montoya disagreed with. Montoya will prove his owner right this weekend.

Steve Kaminski -- The Grand Rapids Press
Carl Edwards' victory at Texas gave me my second consecutive win and third win of the season. Forget about Bleiler, Pryson and Pitts catching me. Will the Detroit Tigers run me down?

• Winner -- Kyle Busch. He has been tough everywhere else, and it won't be any different at the Phoenix mile.

• Sleeper -- Kevin Harvick. He has a string of four consecutive top-10 Phoenix finishes, including two wins.

• No chance -- Kasey Kahne. So much for his fast start. Kahne has dropped to 11th in points.

Antoine Pitts -- The Ann Arbor News
I'm having a hard time keeping up with all of you as we go from track to track. I guarantee this is the last week you'll have me at a disadvantage.

• Winner -- Carl Edwards. You have to stick with the hot guy while you can, right?

• Sleeper -- Mark Martin. The old fella still has a little in him.

• No chance -- Joe Nemechek. Not much going well for him this season.

Mike Pryson -- Jackson Citizen Patriot
Before bowing to Mr. Kaminski for picking more winners than the late Jimmy the Greek, let's not forget that this thing is a marathon, not a sprint. Wait, it is Sprint this year. OK, now that we have that cleared up, it's time to get on a roll here, and Pryson Racing will start with this week's race at Phoenix (Hey, Kaminski, don't forget that objects in your rearview mirror are closer than they appear.)
AP PhotoTony Stewart has four top-5 finishes in his last six starts in Phoenix.

• Winner -- Tony Stewart. It's great to see that Stewart is back on the Subway train, and the Subway colors will be on the No. 20 this week. If he remembers to hold the cheese and mayo, Stewart will come out on top. Stewart has four top-5s, including a pair of runner-up finishes, in his last six Phoenix starts.

• Sleeper -- David Ragan. Just a hunch, but the guy is quietly a Chase contender. He is 18th overall and just 31 points behind 14th-place Jeff Gordon in the points. Plus, Ragan has scored more points the last five races than Gordon. This might be the week that Ragan, who finished a solid 13th last week, gets noticed.

• No chance -- Jeremy Mayfield. In an effort to get at least one thing right this week, the pick here is easy (OK, maybe even cheating). Mayfield was released by Haas CNC Racing as the driver of the No. 70 car this week. Look for Jeremy in the garages this week. He'll be the one with the resume.

mlive.com

Subway Fresh Fit 500 Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard

NASCAR brings it's ready for prime-time, back-flippin' road show under-the-lights for the first time this season to Phoenix International Raceway in Phoenix for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. EST.

PIR is a one-mile tri-oval that sits at the foothills of the Estrella Mountains. The drivers that are successful at PIR are the ones who are best able to manage the track. Although it's an intermediate track it has the feel of a short track with very tight corners on one end, a dog-leg on the backstretch and grand sweeping turns on the other end of the track that makes finding a good line of paramount importance. The driver who can overcome these challenges successfully often ends up winning at this streaky track.

Who will win the Subway Fresh Fit 500?

It appears that Johnson has recovered from a horrible outing at Texas a few weeks ago. While it's tempting to say what's wrong with Johnson this year, it's easy to overlook the positive strides he has made over the season. He is still a legitimate threat to win when he races.

Keep in mind Johnson has won four poles this season if you count the Bud Shootout. The improvement has been obvious the last two races. Johnson started 10th two weeks ago at Martinsville and finished fourth and last week at Texas he started fifth and finished second place behind Carl Edwards. HMS Crew Chief Chad Knauss has made the right adjustments on the No. 48 car to bring Johnson back in the top 10 in the Sprint Cup standings.

Of Johnson's 33 career wins, 25 have come on intermediate tracks. Johnson is not only a winner but he has recorded an astounding 96 top 10 and 61 top five finishes on this type of track. At PIR Johnson has seven top 10s, four top fives and one win. Make that two.

Pick! Jimmie Johnson (6/1)

Subway Fresh Fit 500 Solid Gold Picks

I knew that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was going to do well and perhaps even win at Martinsville two week's ago, but I did not expect him to win the pole. As things turned out the race could have been won, and almost was, by any driver of the Hendrick Motorsports stable. As Gordon (2nd place), Johnson (4th place), Earnhardt, Jr, (6th place), and Casey Mears (7th place) figured pack mentality was as good a strategy as any and ran bumper to bumper for the later part of the Goody's Cool Orange 500. This made it difficult for the rest of the field and for our purposes helped out in the end as Junior bested Edwards who finished in ninth place. Sportsbook.com has listed many matchups on the Subway Fresh Fit 500 but here are a few picks I like to cash under the lights on Saturday. Over the wall I am a blistering 3-0 in the last three weeks with my NASCAR match-ups bringing my record to positive territory at 6-5 as I fall just below the money mark down -.75 units on the season.

Long Odds Value Pick

Continuing our hex on drivers we pick for value and long odds our pick, Greg Biffle (20/1), finished in 39th place the Goody's Cool Orange 500. This week in Phoenix we are going to maintain our Richard Childress Racing thread and look at the third driver in the stable, Clint Bowyer. Bowyer has quietly had a very consistent year for RCR with four top 10 finishes and one top five which is good enough to put him in 11th place in the Sprint Cup standings. Moreover, in the past four races Bowyer has finished not higher than 10th place. Bowyer seems to do well when you least expect it and considering how well RCR drivers have done this year with the CoT. I wouldn't be surprised if Bowyer does well at PIR.

Pick! Clint Bowyer (16/1)

Square Tire Pick

Kevin Harvick (+1.10)/Jeff Gordon (-1.40)

Currently Harvick sits in the two-spot on the Sprint Cup leader board, a scant 59 points behind teammate Jeff Burton, while PIR defending champion Gordon, thanks to another DNF last Sunday at the Samsung 500, is in 14th place and 282 points behind first. Keep in mind, however, that while Harvick has more top 10 finishes this year than Gordon at four he has two top five finishes to Gordon's three. But you can throw stats out the window when they race under the lights on Saturday night. What makes this matchup a standard square tire play is name recognition (public will see Jeff Gordon as a medium favorite and toss good money after him). What I see is the four-time Cup champion's downward momentum. While it looked like he'd figured things out two week's ago when he finished second at Goody's last weekend's crash seems like it is becoming the norm for Gordon this year. Meanwhile, RCR's Harvick seems to be doing everything right this season. Harvick also swept races at PIR in 2006 while HMS drivers Gordon and Johnson split victories here last year.

Pick! Kevin Harvick (+1.10)

* Subway Fresh Fit 500 Odds

Bill Elliott 150/1
Bobby Labonte 100/1
Brian Vickers 100/1
Carl Edwards 5/1
Casey Mears 50/1
Clint Bowyer 16/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 9/1
Dario Franchitti 200/1
Dave Blaney 150/1
David Gilliland 125/1
David Ragan 65/1
David Reutimann 100/1
Denny Hamlin 15/2
Elliott Sadler 100/1
Greg Biffle 14/1
J.J. Yeley 100/1
Jamie McMurray 50/1
Jeff Burton 16/1
Jeff Gordon 9/1
Jimmie Johnson 6/1
Joe Nemechek 200/1
John Andretti 200/1
Johnny Sauter 150/1
Juan Pablo Montoya 80/1
Kasey Kahne 30/1
Kevin Harvick 12/1
Kurt Busch 35/1
Kyle Busch 7/1
Kyle Petty 200/1
Mark Martin 50/1
Martin Truex Jr. 28/1
Matt Kenseth 9/1
Michael McDowell 200/1
Michael Waltrip 125/1
Mike Skinner 150/1
Patrick Carpentier 150/1
Paul Menard 100/1
Reed Sorenson 100/1
Regan Smith 150/1
Robby Gordon 125/1
Ryan Newman 30/1
Sam Hornish Jr. 100/1
Scott Riggs 100/1
Tony Stewart 8/1
Travis Kvapil 125/1

*Odds courtesy of Bodog.

docsports.com