TOP FIVE DRIVERS

O’REILLY 500 from TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

 

My #5 driver has only two Top 5’s here, #12 Ryan Blaney. Ryan has just eight starts, no wins and the two Top 5’s (25%). But those two Top 5’s came in the last two races. Ryan finished 5^th in this race last year and returned in November of last year with a 2^nd place finish. Also he has three straight Top’s 5’s so far this season starting in Phoenix. Ryan is on a roll here and he should just continue to get better.

 

My #4 pick has less experience here than Ryan Blaney, #9 Chase Elliott. Chase has just six starts here, no wins, and two Top 5’s (33%). Every one of his finishes has been 11^th or better. He is rated #2 on tracks like this, he is very good on the higher banked tracks. The good news for Chase is he is the highest ranked driver in points at Hendrick Motorsports. The bad news is he is at #9 in points. HMS is struggling and Chase and the group are thinking this is the place to start turning things around.

 

My #3 driver is the defending champion of this race, #18 Kyle Busch. Kyle comes into Texas with 26 starts, three wins and 12 Top 5’s. 46% Top 5! He is #1 hottest over the last six weeks and #1 in points. happy to be here where six of his last nine races were Top 5’s including a win in April of 2016 and this race last year.

 

The #2 driver is on a hot streak here, #22 Joey Logano. Joey has 21 starts, one win, and nine Top 5’s. Joey has six straight Top 10’s, actually they were all 7^th or better. He has been great here. He comes in loaded with confidence and since he has a win in the bank he can really push hard on Sunday.

 

My #1 pick is the most recent winner here, #4 Kevin Harvick. Kevin has 32 starts, two win’s and ten Top 5’s. Kevin is #3 rated on tracks like this and #3 hottest over the last six weeks. Kevin has nine straight Top 10’s, seven of those were Top 5’s and two were wins. Kevin and his team are winless thus far this season, they need that to change here and I think they will.

 

 

Monday look for our preview of the Food City 500 from Bristol.

 

TOP 30 DRIVERS

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 500 from TEXAS

 

1. KEVIN HARVICK #4
2. JOEY LOGANO #22
3. KYLE BUSCH #18
4. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
5. RYAN BLANEY #12
6. MARTIN TRUEX #19
7. KURT BUSCH #1
8. ERIK JONES #20
9. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
10. DENNY HAMLIN #11
11. RICKY STENHOUSE #17
12. KYLE LARSON #42
13. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
14. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
15. WILLIAM BYRON #24
16. ALEX BOWMAN #88
17. DANIEL SUAREZ #41
18. RYAN NEWMAN #6
19. CLINT BOWYER #14
20. TY DILLON #13
21. AUSTIN DILLON #3
22. CHRIS BUESCHER #37
23. DARRELL WALLACE JR. #43
24. PAUL MENARD #21
25. MICHAEL MCDOWELL #34
26. RYAN PREECE #47
27. DAVID RAGAN #38
28. MATT DIBENEDETTO #95
29. DANIEL HEMRIC #8
30. LANDON CASSILL #00

 

Friday we break down the Top 5 drives to watch.

TOP TEN TEAMS

 

TOP 10 TEAMS POST MARTINSVILLE

1. JOE GIBBS RACING (LW #1)
2. TEAM PENSKE (LW #2)
3. STEWART HAAS RACING (LW #3)
4. CHIP GANASSI RACING (LW #4)
5. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS (LW #6)
6. ROUSH FENWAY RACING (LW #5)
7. WOOD BROTHERS RACING (LW #7)
8. GERMAIN RACING (LW #8)
9. RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING (LW #9)
10. JTG DAUGHERTY RACING (LW #OFF)

 

 

For the sixth week in a row Joe Gibbs Racing are in the #1 spot. Team Penske stay at the #2 place even with the dominate win from #2 Brad Keselowski. It is stunning that six races into the season these are the only two teams to find victory lane. Stewart Haas Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing remain at # and #4. Hendrick Motorsports move up a spot to #5. Roush Fenway Racing drop back a spot to #6.  Wood Brothers Racing, Germain Racing and  Richard Childress Racing all stay put this week.  JTG Daugherty Racing return to the Top Ten after being gone for a week. Leavine Family Racing drop out of the Top Ten.

 

Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers at Texas Motor Speedway.

TOP TEN DRIVERS by TRACK TYPE

TOP 10: INTERMEDIATE TRACKS

1. MARTIN TRUEX #19
2. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
3. KEVIN HARVICK #4
4. KURT BUSCH #1
5. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
6. KYLE BUSCH #18
7. KYLE LARSON #42
8. ERIK JONES #20
9. JOEY LOGANO #22
10. DENNY HAMLIN #11

Top 10 on Intermediate tracks, Wednesday look for our Top 10 teams and Thursday look for our Top 30 driver rankings for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 from Texas.

RACE PREVIEW

O’Reilly Auto Parts 500

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

MARCH 31st, 3:00 PM CHARLOTTE TIME FOX TV

1.5 MILES, 24 DEGREES of BANKING

It’s time for an action-packed, high-banked mile & a halfer and Texas Motor Speedway is just the place. Texas is very similar to Atlanta and Charlotte Motor Speedway. The wide, flat back straightaway makes for great passing. In the last ten years or twenty races Chevrolet has eight wins to Toyota’s six and Ford’s five.  Leading the charge for Chevy we have Hendrick Motorsports who have seven of those wins. Jimmie Johnson has six of those Hendrick Motorsports wins. Joe Gibbs Racing is close behind with six wins in ten years with three of them from #18 Kyle Busch. Will Chevy and HMS dominance continue? We’ll find out on Sunday.

Tuesday look for our Top ten drivers on intermediate tracks.

TOP FIVE DRIVERS TO WATCH

STP 500 from MARTINSVILLE

 

Since Rusty Wallace won the spring race here in 2004 only 12 drivers have won at this track. That’s 29 races & only 12 different winners and 17 of those motors came from one place, Hendrick Motorsports.

 

The #5 pick has only one win here compared to Jimmie  Johnson’s nine, #4 Kevin Harvick. Kevin has five Top 5’s in 35 starts and that win in spring of 2011.  He is #2 rated on short tracks and sits #3 hottest over the last six races. Kevin is looking for his first win of the season and if he doesn’t get it here he will definitely be in the mix.

 

My #4 driver is trying to break into that group of winners, #19 Martin Truex. Martin is #7 hottest coming out of California and #8 in points. He has 26 starts, no wins and just five Top 5 finishes. Amazingly three of his top 5’s came in his last three races including a 3^rd place finish here in the October race last year.

 

My #3 driver to watch is the most recent winner here, #22 Joey Logano.  Joey won the race in October of last year in just his 20^th start. In addition to his win he has six Top 5’s. Joey is my #1 rated short track driver and currently sits #2 hottest over the last six races. He finished 6^th in this races last year.

 

The #2 pick used to struggle here at Martinsville, #2 Brad Keselowski. Brad has 18 starts and seven Top 5’s. Brad is only getting better here: His last six straight races here were Top 10’s including a win in this race last year, five of them were Top 5’s. Brad comes in here #5 hottest over the last six races.

 

My #1 pick is the hottest driver on the circuit right now, #18 Kyle Busch. Kyle has 27 starts, two win’s, and 15 Top 5’s. His last seven starts were all Top 5’s and his last 12 were all Top 15’s. He is off to a great start to the season. He has won the last two races, Phoenix and Auto Club Speedway and he sits #1 in points and #1 hottest. Kyle is looking for a big win on this little track.

 

 

 

 

 

Monday look for our preview of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 from Texas.

 

TOP 30 DRIVERS

STP 500:MARTINSVILLE

 

1. KYLE BUSCH #18
2. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
3. JOEY LOGANO #22
4. MARTIN TRUEX #19
5. KEVIN HARVICK #4
6. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
7. DENNY HAMLIN #11
8. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
9. RYAN NEWMAN #6
10. KURT BUSCH #1
11. ALEX BOWMAN #88
12. CLINT BOWYER #14
13. RYAN BLANEY #12
14. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
15. KYLE LARSON #42
16. DANIEL SUAREZ #41
17. ERIK JONES #20
18. AUSTIN DILLON #3
19. PAUL MENARD #21
20. RICKY STENHOUSE #17
21. CHRIS BUESCHER #37
22. WILLIAM BYRON #24
23. TY DILLON #13
24. MICHAEL MCDOWELL #34
25. DAVID RAGAN #38
26. RYAN PREECE #47
27. DANIEL HEMRIC #8
28. MATT TIFFT #36
29. ROSS CHASTAIN #15
30. COREY LAJOIE #32

 

Friday we’ll break down the Top 5 drivers.

 

TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP 10 TEAMS POST CALIFORNIA

1. JOE GIBBS RACING (LW #1)
2. TEAM PENSKE (LW #4)
3. STEWART HAAS RACING (LW #3)
4. CHIP GANASSI RACING (LW #2)
5. ROUSH FENWAY RACING (LW #5)
6. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS (LW #6)
7. WOOD BROTHERS RACING (LW #7)
8. GERMAIN RACING (LW #8)
9. RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING (LW #9)
10. LEAVINE FAMILY RACING (LW #OFF)

 

Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing get their second win of the year and stay locked in the #1 spot. Team Penske has two of their drivers in the top 3 and that helps send them up two places to #2. Stewart Haas Racing stay steady at #3. Chip Ganassi Racing drop back two places to #4.  Roush Fenway Racing remain at #5 again this week. Hendrick Motorsports are holding at #6. Wood Brothers Racing are also enjoying stability and they stay in the #7 spot. Germain Racing are again at #8 followed closely be their allied team Richard Childress Racing. Lastly this week we see JTG Daugherty Racing drop out of the Top 10 and are replaced by Leavine Family Racing.

 

Thursday look for out Top 30 drivers at Martinsville Speedway.

TOP TEN DRIVERS by TRACK TYPE

TOP 10: SHORT TRACK

1. 48 JOEY LOGANO #22
2. KEVIN HARVICK #4
3. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
4. KYLE BUSCH #18
5. DENNY HAMLIN #11
6. ALEX BOWMAN #88
7. RYAN NEWMAN #31 BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
8. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. #19
10. KYLE LARSON #42

Top 10 drivers on Short tracks, Wednesday look for our Top 10 teams for Sunday’s STP 500 from Martinsville Speedway.

 

RACE PREVIEW

STP 500

MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

MARCH 24th, 2 PM CHARLOTTE TIME FOX SPORTS 1 TV

.5 MILES 12 DEGREES of BANKING

Spring short track race #1. Like Bristol Motor Speedway, this is a half-mile track, but that is where the similarities end. This track has less banking on the turns than Bristol has in the front stretch. Flat and shaped like a paper clip. We’ll also see patience in short supply, and with tempers boiling over from California, this race could be a powder keg. More short tempers, more chrome horns, and more wrecked sheet metal are about the only things you can bank on at the short track that lacks serious banking. Again this year we’ll see racing in three stages, the first 130 laps, the second 130 laps and the final stage of 340 laps. In the last ten years the Hendrick guys have won seven of 20 races, with nine-time winner Jimmie Johnson being their premiere driver. The Hendrick motor shop has 10 wins in the last 20 races! But if you look at the last six races Ford has three wins, Toyota two and Chevy just one. Is Hendrick Motorsports domination starting slide? We’ll find out Sunday.

Tuesday look for the Top 10 drivers on short tracks.

NU 3/19