TOP 10: DOWNFORCE TRACKS
Top 10 drivers on Downforce tracks, Thursday look for our Top 30 for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 from Kansas Speedway.
KANSAS SPEEDWAY
HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400
Oct 5th, 2PM ESPN TV
1.5 miles 15 Degrees of Banking
Kansas hosted their first race in 2001. This is the fourth year Kansas will host two races. There have been 11 different winners in 17 races here, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart being the repeat winners. Hendrick Motorsports has won five races here and Roush Fenway Racing has won four races, making them the two dominate teams. Will one of these teams keep their command of the track or will we see a challenger in victory lane? We’ll know on Sunday.
Tuesday look for our Top 10 Drivers by track type. Thursday we rank the Top 30 drivers for the Hollywood Casino 400 from Kansas Speedway.
AAA 400
My #5 driver is a former-winner here, #2 Brad Keselowski. Brad comes into the First State with nine starts, one win and three Top 5’s. Those three Top 5’s all came in his last four starts.
The #4 pick doesn’t have the best stats here, #22 Joey Logano. Joey comes into the Monster Mile with 11 starts, no wins and two Top 5’s. But Joey is #1 hottest over the last six weeks and he is coming off a big win in New Hampshire. Look for the momentum to continue here.
My #3 driver is second hottest over the last six weeks, #4 Kevin Harvick. Kevin has 27 starts at the Monster Mile – no wins and just three Top 5’s. Kevin knows he’ll make it to the next round of Chase races and should be running fast and loose.
The #2 pick is a four-time winner here at the Monster Mile, #24 Jeff Gordon. Three of Jeff’s last four races here were Top 5’s, he is #6 hottest over the last six weeks and has the #3 highest average finish.
My #1 driver is a nine-time former winner, #48 Jimmie Johnson. Here at Dover Jimmie has nine wins in just 25 starts and 11 Top 5’s. He has six wins in his last 11 starts including the last two stops here! Jimmie has 20 straight Top 20 finishes, 15 of those were Top 10’s. He has the #1 highest average finish.
Monday look for our preview of the Good Sam 500 from Talladega.
AAA 400 from DOVER INT SPEEDWAY
Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers to watch.
TOP 10: INTERMEDIATE TRACKS
Top 10 on Intermediate tracks, Wednesday look for our Top 10 teams, Thursday look for our Top 30 rankings for Sunday’s AAA 400 from Dover Int. Speedway.
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
AAA 400
September 28th 2PM ESPN TV
1 mile, 24 Degrees of Banking
Coming out of the New Hampshire Motor Speedway –known as the Magic Mile- it is hard to maintain that same level of excitement, but the Monster Mile at Dover comes pretty close. The banking is high and the sight lines are amazing. Take the 12 degrees of banking at New Hampshire and double it to 24 degrees. Just about wherever you sit you have a great view of the track. There is never a dull moment at the Monster Mile and the drama surrounding the Chase only adds to it. This year, for the first time, we have the elimination element – after this race four of the sixteen drivers will be eliminated based on the last three races. Something to keep in mind here at Dover: Hendrick Motorsports has won seven races here in the past ten years. Roush Fenway has five race wins in the last 10 years and Matt Kenseth won the most recent race for Roush Fenway. Very few of the sixteen Chase drivers are completely safe from elimination. A win gets you in, so will this race be won in a late race restart? We’ll find out Sunday.
Tuesday look for our Top 10 Drivers by track type for Sunday’s AAA 400 from Dover.
NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY SYLVANIA 300
My #5 driver only has one start here, #42 Kyle Larson. In his first start in July, Kyle finished 3rd. Kyle runs all out with no boundaries and if I’m Rad Bad Brad I would be advised to look out-even under caution.
My #4 driver is a former-winner here, #18 Kyle Busch. Kyle has 19 starts, one win and seven total Top 5’s. In fact his last three races here were second place finishes. He is 27th hottest over the last six weeks, but now that it is Chase time the program appears to be back on track.
The #3 pick is another former-winner, #20 Matt Kenseth. Matt comes into the Granite Planet with 29 starts, one win and seven Top 5 finishes. He is the defending champion of this race and in July he finished 4th.
My #2 pick is a three-time former-winner here, #24 Jeff Gordon. Jeff has 39 starts, three wins and 16 Top 5’s. Here in New Hampshire Jeff has the #1 highest-average finish and 17 of the last 18 were Top 15 finishes, ten of those were Top 10’s and seven were Top 5’s.
The #1 pick has won the last two races this season, #2 Brad Keselowski. Brad has ten starts here with one win and four Top 5’s. He is ranked #1 for me on flat tracks, is #1 in points and was #1 here in July. More importantly because of his win last week he is locked into the Chase at least until Talladega. So he has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Monday we’ll preview the AAA 400 from Dover.
SYLVANIA 300:NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers to watch in the Sylvania 300 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
*STILL MUST QUALIFY
TOP 10 TEAMS POST CHICAGO
I thought that after 26 races that after the Chase began and we completed 27 races we wouldn’t see much change in the team ranks. I was wrong. The top three spots are steady but there is still plenty of change in the Top 10. Team Penske with the most wins of any driver in Brad Keselowski stay at #1 and the team they displaced two weeks ago Hendrick Motorsports stay at #2. The team that seems to surprise of just about everyone Chip Ganassi Racing stay at #3. Joe Gibbs Racing make the move of the week moving from #8 to #4! Stewart Haas Racing slide into the Top 5 from #6. Roush Fenway Racing drop two spots to #6. JTG Racing moves up two places to #7. Richard Childress Racing drop four spots to #8. Michael Waltrip Racing drop two spots to #9. Richard Petty Motorsports stays at #10.
These are the Top 10 Teams, Thursday look for our Top30 drivers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
TOP 10: FLAT TRACKS
Top 10 drivers on Flat tracks, Wednesday look for our Top 10 teams and Thursday look for our Top 30 rankings for Sunday’s Sylvania 300 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
