TOP FIVE DRIVERS

TOYOTA OWNERS 400 from RICHMOND

My #5 driver is on a two race winning streak, #48 Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie won at Texas and then got a short track win at Bristol. Even with the two wins he only ranks 5^th hottest over the last six races. Here he has 29 starts, three wins and eight Top 5’s.

The #4 driver has not exactly dominated here, #2 Brad Keselowski. Brad did get a win here in September of 2014, but hasn’t been great in Richmond – he only has three Top 5’s in 15 starts. But he has won twice so far this season and sits #4 in points. He did finish 4^th here in September of last year.

My #3 driver to watch is the hottest driver on the circuit, #42 Kyle Larson. Kyle has just six starts, no wins, and one Top 5 finish. He finished 2^nd here in September and is #1 hottest over the last six weeks. He also sits at #1 in points.

My #2 driver to watch is three time winner here, #4 Kevin Harvick. Kevin has 32 starts, three wins, and 11 Top 5’s. Kevin last won here in this race in 2013. Four of his last five races were Top 5’s including both races last year, helping him to #2 in average finish. He has had a tough start to the season but he did get a 3^rd place finish last week at Bristol.

The #1 driver to watch is my #1 rated short track driver, but has yet to win a race this season, #22 Joey Logano. Joey comes in here where he has a single win in 16 starts and five Top 5’s. His last six races here have all been Top 10’s and half were Top 5’s including his one win in this race in 2014.

 

 

Monday we’ll preview the Geico 500 from Talladega.

TOP 30 DRIVERS

TOYOTA OWNERS 400 from RICHMOND INT RACEWAY

 

1. JOEY LOGANO #22
2. KEVIN HARVICK #4
3. KYLE LARSON #42
4. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
5. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
6. CHASE ELLIOTT #24
7. DENNY HAMLIN #11
8. JAMIE McMURRAY #1
9. MARTIN TRUEX #78
10. KYLE BUSCH #18
11. KASEY KAHNE #5
12. DALE EARNHARDT JR #88
13. KURT BUSCH #41
14. RYAN NEWMAN #31
15. ERIK JONES #77
16. MATT KENSETH #20
17. CLINT BOWYER #14
18. ARIC ALMIROLA #43
19. TREVOR BAYNE #6
20. A. J. ALLMENDINGER #47
21. RYAN BLANEY #21
22. AUSTIN DILLION #3
23. DANIEL SUAREZ #19
24. RICKY STENHOUSE #17
25. DANICA PATRICK #10
26. TY DILLION#13
27. PAUL MENARD #27
28. CHRIS BUESCHER #37
29. MICHAEL McDOWELL #95
30. DAVID RAGAN #23

 

 

Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers to watch.

TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP 10 TEAMS POST BRISTOL

1. TEAM PENSKE (LW #1)
2. CHIP GANASSI RACING (LW #2)
3. FURNITURE ROW RACING (LW #3)
4. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS (LW #5)
5. WOOD BROTHERS RACING (LW #4)

 

6. STEWART HAAS RACING (LW #6)
7. JOE GIBBS RACING (LW #7)
8. ROUSH FENWAY RACING (LW #8)
9. RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS (#9)
10. GERMAIN RACING (LW #10)

 

Team Penske remain at #1 for the third straight week. Chip Ganassi Racing are right at their heels trying to retake the #1 slot. up a spot to #2. Furniture Row Racing stay at #3. Hendrick Motorsports get the win and go up a place to #4. Wood Brothers Racing swap spots with HMS and stay in the Top 5. Stewart Haas Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports and Germain Racing all remain in place from last week. That leaves many teams outside the Top 10 including Richard Childress Racing and JTG Racing who are very close to returning to the Top 10.

 

These are the Top 10 Teams, Thursday look for our Top30 drivers at Richmond.

TOP TEN DRIVERS by TRACK TYPE

TOP 10: SHORT TRACK

1. JOEY LOGANO #22
2. KEVIN HARVICK #4
3. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
4. JAMIE McMURRAY #1
5. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
6. RYAN NEWMAN #31
7. DENNY HAMLIN #11
8. KYLE BUSCH #18
9. CHASE ELLIOTT #24
10. MATT KENSETH #20

Top 10 on Short tracks, Wednesday look for our Top 10 team rankings for Sunday’s Toyota Owner’s 400 from Richmond International Raceway.

RACE PREVIEW

TOYOTA OWNERS 400

RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

APRIL 30th, 2:00PM CHARLOTTE TIME FOX TV

¾ MILE 14 DEGREES of BANKING

The last race of the spring short track season promises the one constant of all short tracks:  short tempers. Success here will depend on how well you qualify and whether or not you can stay up front and hopefully out of the sheet metal bumping and bending that you usually find in the back and middle of the pack. New this year is stage racing. The race will be run in three stages the first and second 100 laps each and the third is 200 laps. In the last ten years, Joe Gibbs Racing has the most wins of any team: nine or 45% that includes the last three straight. Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are next with three wins each in the last ten years. Denny Hamlin driving for Joe Gibbs Racing is the most recent winner here. JGR has yet to win any races so far this year, at this point last year they had four. Will JGR dominance continue? We’ll know Sunday when we return to daylight racing.

Tuesday look for our Top 10 drivers on short tracks.

TOP FIVE DRIVERS

FOOD CITY 500 from BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

The number #5 driver to watch has won two races here, #2 Brad Keselowski. Brad has those two wins in just 14 starts! He has four total Top 5’s. Brad already has two wins so far this season and is #2 hottest over the last six races. He is my #5 ranked short track driver so this could be just the place for Brad to return to his Top 5 ways.

My #4 driver has only raced here twice, #24 Chase Elliott. Chase has just the two starts, he was 4^th in this race last year and finished 15^th in the night race. Not bad for a rookie! He is #3 hottest over the last six races and is showing no signs of cooling off anytime soon.

My #3 driver is coming off a big win at Texas, #48 Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie has 28 starts with one win and ten Top 5 finishes. He has gotten off to a rough start this year but he did get a stunning win in the lone star state. Hopefully this #3 ranked short track driver will stay hot in Thunder Valley.

The #2 driver to watch is the most recent winner here, #4 Kevin Harvick. Kevin has 32 starts, two wins, and 11 Top 5’s. Kevin won here in August of last year in the night race.  He is my #2 ranked short track driver BUT also 11^th hottest over the last six weeks.

The #1 pick won two of the summer night races here but never in the spring, #22 Joey Logano.  Joey has 16 starts, those two wins, and three Top 5’s. He is my #1 ranked short track driver and is #5 hottest over the last six weeks.

Monday look for our preview of the Toyota Owners 400 from the Richmond Int. Raceway.

TOP 30 DRIVERS:BRISTOL

TOP 30 POWER RANKINGS

FOOD CITY 500-BRISTOL

 

1. JOEY LOGANO #22
2. KEVIN HARVICK #4
3. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
4. CHASE ELLIOTT #24
5. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
6. RICKY STENHOUSE #17
7. JAMIE MCMURRAY #1
8. RYAN NEWMAN #31
9. CLINT BOWYER #14
10. KYLE BUSCH #18
11. TREVOR BAYNE #6
12. DENNY HAMLIN #11
13. KYLE LARSON #42
14. DALE EARNHARDT JR #88
15. RYAN BLANEY #21
16. AUSTIN DILLION #3
17. ERIK JONES #77
18. KURT BUSCH #41
19. MARTIN TRUEX #78
20. KASEY KAHNE #5
21. ARIC ALMIROLA #43
22. MATT KENSETH #20
23. PAUL MENARD #27
24. A. J. ALLMENDINGER #47
25. CHRIS BUESCHER #37
26. DANICA PATRICK #10
27. DANIEL SUAREZ #19
28. TY DILLION#13
29. MATT DiBENNEDETTO #32
30. MICHAEL McDOWELL #95

 

 

 

Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers to watch.

TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP 10 TEAMS POST TEXAS

1. TEAM PENSKE (LW #1)
2. CHIP GANASSI RACING (LW #2)
3. FURNITURE ROW RACING (LW #4)
4. WOOD BROTHERS RACING (LW #3)
5. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS(LW #5)

 

6. STEWART HAAS RACING (LW #6)
7. JOE GIBBS RACING (LW #7)
8. ROUSH FENWAY RACING (LW #8)
9. RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS (#9)
10. GERMAIN RACING (LW #OFF)

 

Team Penske hold the #1 spot. Chip Ganassi Racing stay at #2. Furniture Row Racing slide up a spot to #3. Wood Brothers Racing slip back a place to #4. Hendrick Motorsports continue their stay in the Top 5 at #5. No move even with their first win of the year. Stewart Haas Racing stay at #6. Last year at this time Joe Gibbs Racing sat at #1, this week we find them at #7. Not having driver Carl Edwards isn’t their only difficulty this season. Roush Fenway remain in the #8 spot again this week. Richard Petty Motorsports also stay in place from last week at #9. The big change of the week is the debut in the Top Ten this season of Germain Racing at #10 and the departure of Richard Childress Racing. Our guess is RCR won’t be out of the Top 10 for too long.

 

These are the Top 10 Teams, Thursday look for our Top30 drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway.

TOP TEN DRIVERS by TRACK TYPE

TOP 10 DRIVERS:  SHORT TRACKS

1. JOEY LOGANO #22
2. KEVIN HARVICK #4
3. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
4. JAMIE McMURRAY #1
5. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2

 

6. KYLE BUSCH #18
7. RYAN NEWMAN #31
8. DENNY HAMLIN #11
9. DALE EARNHARDT JR. #88
10. KURT BUSCH #41

Top 10 on short tracks, Wednesday look for our Top 10 team rankings for Sunday’s Food City 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway.

RACE PREVIEW

FOOD CITY 500

BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

April 23rd, 2 PM CHARLOTTE TIME FOX TV

.5 MILES 30 DEGREES OF BANKING

“Racin’ the Way it Ought to Be” might have been invented by Bristol’s marketing department, but it sure rings true as this IS racing the way it should be. As companies plan to build new tracks, I hope they keep the size and the banking of this track in mind. While there are other short tracks, this is THE short track: 1/2 mile in length and 30 degrees of banking make this the best door-to-door racing of the season. If your car isn’t beaten up at the end of the day, then you ain’t racing. New this year we’ll see the race run in three stages 125 laps in stage one & two, 250 laps in stage three. In the last ten years Joe Gibbs Racing has the most wins with eight. Kyle Busch has four of those. His teammate Matt Kenseth has two of those and Denny Hamlin has one. Recently departed Carl Edwards had one. The closest team is Team Penske with four wins in the last 20 races. Will JGR domination continue here? We’ll see on Sunday.

Tuesday look for our Top 10 Drivers on Short Tracks.