TOP FIVE DRIVERS

CALIFORNIA Auto Club 400

 

My #5 driver has never won here, #22 Joey Logano. Joey has 12 starts here and five Top 5’s. Three of those Top 5’s came in the last three straight races. Joey is #5 ranked downforce track driver and is #6 hottest driver over the last six races. His Top 5 streak should continue again this year.

 

The #4 driver is a former winner here, #2 Brad Keselowski. Brad won here four years ago. He has that one win in just ten starts. He has three Top 5’s and they have come in his last four starts. Brad is my #4 ranked downforce track driver and is #5 hottest over the last six races.  He finished fourth here last year.

 

The #3 pick is a driver who not only has won here before but has done it three times, #18 Kyle Busch. Kyle has 20 starts here, three wins and nine Top 5’s! But his last win was in 2014. He came close last year with a 3^rd place finish. He comes in #1 in points and #1 hottest over the last six races. Look for Kyle keep up the heat! 

 

My #2 driver is the defending champion of this race, #19 Martin Truex. Martin comes in with 18 career starts, and only two Top 5’s. Both Top 5’s came in the last two years. Martin is our #1 rated downforce driver and unlike the previos three drivers he is looking for his first win of the year.

 

My #1 driver to watch is a former winner and finished 35^th here last year, #4 Kevin Harvick. Kevin has 25 starts with one win and six Top 5’s. He won here in 2011. Kevin came in here last year with three wins for the season and a Playoff spot locked in and he finished 35^th. This year Kevin finds himself winless after four races and this should be the place he notches his first 2019 win. Kevin is our #3 ranked Downforce driver and is #2 hottest over the last six races. Lookout for the closer!   

 

 

 

Monday we’ll preview the STP 500 from Martinsville Speedway.

 

 

TOP 30 DRIVERS

AUTO CLUB 400

 

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

 

 

Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers in Sunday’s Auto Club 400.

TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP TEN TEAMS POST PHOENIX

1. JOE GIBBS RACING (LW #1)
2. CHIP GANASSI RACING (LW #4)
3. STEWART HAAS RACING (LW #2)
4. TEAM PENSKE (LW #3)
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. JTG DAUGHERTY RACING (LW #10)

 

Four races into the season and the Top Ten should be stable but there is enough movement to keep things exciting. The top five teams are all very close and we may see some shift for weeks to come.  Joe Gibbs Racing had another good weekend and a win, no surprise they stay at #1. Both Chip Ganassi Racing drivers had good races in the desert and they move up again, this time two places to #2.  Team Penske stay in place at #3. Stewart Haas Racing did not show their typical desert domination and slip back to #4. Roush Fenway are off to an amazing start for the year and are showing no signs of sliding back to the bottom of the top ten where they spent the most of last season. They remain at #5 again this week. Hendrick Motorsports stay at #6. Wood Brothers Racing also hold in place they are at #7. Germain Racing remain in the #8 place, again. Richard Childress Racing stay in the Top Ten at #9. JTG Daugherty Racing also just barely stay in the top ten at #10.

 

Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers for the Auto Club 400 from Auto Club Speedway.

TOP TEN DRIVERS by TRACK TYPE

TOP TEN DRIVERS ON DOWNFORCE TRACKS

1. MARTIN TRUEX #19
2. KYLE BUSCH #18
3. KEVIN HARVICK #4
4. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
5. JOEY LOGANO #22
6. KYLE LARSON #42
7. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
8. DENNY HAMLIN #11
9. KURT BUSCH #1
10. RYAN BLANEY #12

Top 10 drivers on Downforce tracks, Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 from Auto Club Speedway.

RACE PREVIEW

AUTO CLUB 400

AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

MARCH 17TH, 3:30PM CHARLOTTE TIME FOX TV

2 Miles, 14 Degrees of Banking

We are now four races into the year and the drivers have raced on a Plate track, Flat track, Downforce track and an Intermediate track. I classify this as a Downforce track so it will be the first time we repeat a “track type.” On the minds of drivers will be handling: the battle between making your car go fast combined with “grip” or “downforce” will be paramount. The team that finds the best mix of speed and downforce can win this race. And of course we have a new rules package. Always looming on the horizon at California is fuel mileage. Because this track is wide and cautions few, sometimes it comes down to the team with the best fuel strategy. The new twist again this year are the addition of stages. The first stage ends after 60 laps, the second after 120 laps and the third and last stage goes 80 laps. There have been 12 races run here in the last ten years. Interestingly, seven of those races have been won by Chevrolet teams. Hendrick Motorsports has three of those wins. They are tied with Stewart Haas Racing have the most wins here in the last ten years. The HMS motor shop provided motors in all six races plus they supplied the motor to #42 Kyle Larson in his 2017 win. But the Toyota’s of Joe Gibbs Racing have won three of the last six here challenging HMS. Will Chevy domination continue? We’ll know on Sunday.

Tuesday look for our Top 10 Drivers on Downforce Tracks

TOP FIVE DRIVERS

 

TICKET GUARDIAN 500  from PHOENIX

The #5 driver to watch has been much better here since they repaved and rebanked the track in the middle of 2011, #2 Brad Keselowski. Brad is my #3 rated flat track driver and he has had six Top 5’s in his 19 starts including a 2^nd place finish last year in the Playoffs.

 

My #4 driver to watch has had a tough start to the season, currently he sits 14^th in points, #9 Chase Elliott. I’m sure Chase thought he’d be running up front much more and sit higher in the points right now. He is coming off a Top 10 in Las Vegas so it looks like things are coming together. Chase only has six starts here in the Cup series and four were Top 10’s. He also has two Top 5’s, both Top 5’s came in his last three races.  He comes in here #11 hot over the last six races and he is looking for a big turnaround. His team Hendrick Motorsports used to be very dominate here, but the last win for them came in 2015, hopefully Chase can lead the Hendrick resurgence.

 

My #3 pick has also found success here since the repave #11 Denny Hamlin. Denny got a win in just the second race following the repave. Denny has 27 starts, 11 Top 5’s and the 2012 win on the new surface. Four of the last six races were Top 10’s. Denny is ranked #3 in points and sits #7 hottest over the last six races.

 

My #2 driver is the defending champion of this race, #18 Kyle Busch. Kyle not only won here last year but also won on the old configuration. Kyle won here in his second visit in the fall of 2005. In total Kyle has 27 starts the two wins and nine Top 5’s.  He is the #2 hottest driver over the last six races and sits #4 in points so far in the first three races of the year.

 

My #1 driver to watch this week is the driver who has the highest average finish in Phoenix, #4 Kevin Harvick. In total Kevin has 32 starts, nine wins and 16 Top 5’s. In the last 11 straight races Kevin has finished 6^th or better, six of those were wins. You should never count out Harvick but if you do, this is the last place to do it. He has #1 Average finish, sits #1 hottest, is ranked #1 on flat tracks and is #2 points after the first three races.

 

Monday look for our preview of the Auto Club 400 from Auto Club Speedway.

 

 

TOP 30 DRIVERS:PHOENIX

TOP 30 DRIVERS

TICKET GUARDIAN 500:PHOENIX

 

1. KEVIN HARVICK #4
2. KYLE BUSCH #18
3. DENNY HAMLIN #11
4. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
5. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
6. ERIK JONES #20
7. KYLE LARSON #42
8. MARTIN TRUEX #19
9. WILLIAM BYRON #24
10. JOEY LOGANO #22
11. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
12. KURT BUSCH #1
13. RYAN NEWMAN #31
14. ALEX BOWMAN #88
15. RYAN BLANEY #12
16. DANIEL SUAREZ #19
17. AUSTIN DILLON #3
18. RICKY STENHOUSE #17
19. CLINT BOWYER #14
20. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
21. TY DILLON #13
22. PAUL MENARD #21
23. DARRELL WALLACE JR. #43
24. MATT DIBENEDETTO
25. ROSS CHASTAIN #15
26. MICHAEL MCDOWELL #34
27. CHRIS BUESCHER #37
28. DAVID RAGAN #38
29. LANDON CASSILL #00
30. DANIEL HEMRIC #8

 

 

Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers to watch in Sunday’s TICKET GUARDIAN 500.

TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP TEN TEAMS POST LAS VEGAS

1. JOE GIBBS RACING (LW #1)
2. STEWART HAAS RACING (LW #2)
3. TEAM PENSKE (LW #4)
4. CHIP GANASSI RACING (LW #3)
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 #OFF)
10. JTG DAUGHERTY RACING (LW #9)

 

Three races into the season and the Top Ten is beginning to settle down. Joe Gibbs Racing had another good weekend and they stay at #1. Stewart Haas Racing also had a good weekend and they remain in the #2 spot. On the heels of a one-two finish Team Penske move up a place to #3. Chip Ganassi Racing are put back a place to #4. Roush Fenway Racing who have had a fantastic start to the season hold at #5. Hendrick Motorsports still coming together as a unit stay at #6. Wood Brothers Racing also hold in place they are at #7. Germain Racing remain in the #8 place.  Richard Childress Racing return to the Top Ten after being out for just a week. JTG Daugherty Racing drop a place but stay in the Top 10. Premium Motorsports drop out of the Top 10.

 

Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers for the TicketGuard 500 from Phoenix.

 

TOP TEN DRIVERS by TRACK TYPE

TOP TEN DRIVERS by TRACK TYPE

TOP 10: FLAT TRACKS

1. KEVIN HARVICK #4
2. KYLE BUSCH #18
3. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
4. DENNY HAMLIN #11
5. KYLE LARSON #42
6. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
7. WILLIAM BYRON #24
8. JOEY LOGANO #22
9. KURT  BUSCH #41
10. RYAN NEWMAN #31

 

Top 10 drivers on Flat tracks, Wednesday we rank the Top 10 teams and Thursday look for our Top 30 rankings for Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 from ISM Speedway.

RACE PREVIEW

TICKET GUARDIAN 500

ISM RACEWAY

March 10th, 3:30 PM CHARLOTTE TIME FOX TV

1 MILE, TURNS 1&2 12 DEGREES, TURNS 3&4 10 DEGREES of BANKING

What a place to be for the first flat-track race of the year: a one mile flat-track where every turn is slightly different. There is no such thing as “get your car right and cruise around.” Most drivers have a good set-up for turns 1 & 2 or for turns 3 & 4. Some try to get a compromise in between both, and some drivers are simply trying to find any set-up that gets them fast and keeps them off the wall. No matter what your strategy is, this track can be very, very tough. Rookies typically struggle here. Plus four wins with one time partner Stewart Haas Racing who used their motors for a time. Speaking of Stewart Haas Racing, those wins came from driver Kevin Harvick who won four consecutive races starting in Nov 2013, that streak was broken in November of 2016 with a 2^nd place finish. Over his career he has won here nine times, seven on the new configuration. FiveIn the last ten years SHR is tied with Hendrick Motorsports for the most team wins with five each. Joe Gibbs Racing is right behind with three. With seven wins in the last ten years, Bakersfield’s Kevin Harvick will be the man to beat.

Tuesday look for our Top 10 Drivers on a flat track.