TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP 10 TEAMS POST TALLADEGA

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

 

After ten races so far this year we still just one #1 team, Joe Gibbs Racing. They are in the top spot for the tenth straight time. Having three drivers locked into the playoffs and the most wins-six goes a long way to keeping them on top. Team Penske stay #2 after a crazy weekend in Alabama. Stewart Haas Racing stay at #3 and won’t be able move up until they begin to win. They are the only team in our top 4 how have not scored a win. Hendrick Motorsports had a HUGE week at Talladega, their first win of the year from #9Chase Elliott and a second place from #88 Alex Bowman. Is HMS fully back? The results from Dover will tell us much.  Chip Ganassi Racing drop back a place this week to #5. Wood Brothers Racing also drop back a place to #6. The fourth and last Ford team in the top 10 is right behind them at #7. Rousch Fenway Racing stay in the #7 spot again this week.  Richard Childress Racing move up a place to #8 and allied team Germain Racing drop a place to #9. JTG Daugherty Racing hang in a again in the top 10 at #10.

 

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

TOP TEN DRIVERS BY TRACK TYPE

TOP 10: INTERMEDIATE TRACKS

1. MARTIN TRUEX #19
2. KEVIN HARVICK #4
3. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
4. KURT BUSCH #41
5. ERIK JONES #20
6. KYLE BUSCH #18
7. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
8. DENNY HAMLIN #11
9. JOEY LOGANO #22
10. KYLE LARSON #42

 

 

Top 10 drivers on Intermediate tracks, Wednesday look for our Top 10 teams ranked and Thursday look for our Top 30 driver rankings for Sunday’s GANDER OUTDOOR RV 400 from Dover Int. Speedway.

RACE PREVIEW

GANDER RV 400

DOVER INT SPEEDWAY

May 5th, 2PM Charlotte Time on FS1 TV

1 Mile, 24 Degrees of Banking

Segment 1/120 Laps, Seg 2/120, Seg 3/160

 

Race #11 of the year takes us to the “concrete jungle” Dover Int Speedway, AKA the Monster Mile. I love this track! The banking is high and the site lines are amazing. Just about wherever you sit you have a great view of the track. In the last ten years one team has dominated here, Hendrick Motorsports. They have ten wins, eight by Jimmie Johnson alone. The second highest number of wins in the last 20 races, just three, from both Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart Haas Racing. SHR driver #4 Kevin Harvick is the defending champion of this race. Will Hendrick Motorsports maintain their domination? Or will another team take a victory? We’ll find out Sunday.

 

Tuesday look for our Top 10 drivers on intermediate tracks and Thursday look for our Top 30 driver rankings for Dover.

TOP FIVE DRIVERS

GEICO 500 from TALLADEGA

 

My #5 driver is the most recent winner here, #10 Aric Almirola. Aric won here during the Playoffs last year. He won in his 18^th start. In his 18 starts he has just three Top 5’s but all of those Top 5’s came in his last four starts. He is my #4 rated driver on the Super Speedways but also just #13 hottest over the last six weeks.

 

My #4 driver is another former winner here in ‘dega, #17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ricky has 11 starts, a win in this race in 2017 and 11 Top 5’s (45%). Last year he finished 5^th in this race and snagged a 3^rd place finish here in the Playoffs.  He has the highest percentage of Top 5 finishes and is my #2 rated Super Speedway driver.

 

The number 3 pick is my lone Toyota driver,  #11 Denny Hamlin. Denny has 26 starts, one win and six Top 5’s. Denny is the #3 Super Speedway driver, sits #3 in points and is #3 hottest over the last six weeks. He is locked into the Playoffs and here that is a BIG advantage. He can take some risks.

 

My #2 pick got his very first win here, #2 Brad Keselowski. In 20 starts Brad has won here five times, his first win in spring 2009, spring 2012, fall 2014, spring 2016 and his last win in the Playoffs in 2017. He has seven total Top 5’s (35%).  Brad comes here 5^th in points and 7th hottest over the last six weeks.

 

My #1 driver is the defending champion of this race, #22 Joey Logano. Joey has 20 starts, three wins and seven Top 5’s. He comes in here second in points, and #2 hottest over the last six weeks. Most importantly he is my #1 rated Super Speedway driver and very happy to be here where Team Penske have won six of the last nine races.

 

 

Monday we’ll preview the Gander RV 400 from DOVER.

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TOP 30 DRIVERS

Top 30 DRIVERS:GEICO 500 from TALLADEGA

 

1. JOEY LOGANO #22
2. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
3. DENNY HAMLIN #11
4. RICKY STENHOUSE #17
5. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
6. KURT BUSCH #1
7. KYLE BUSCH #18
8. KEVIN HARVICK #4
9. CLINT BOWYER #14
10. PAUL MENARD #21
11. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
12. RYAN NEWMAN #6
13. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
14. DANIEL SUAREZ #19
15. TY DILLON #13
16. RYAN BLANEY #12
17. KYLE LARSON #42
18. AUSTIN DILLON #3
19. MARTIN TRUEX JR. #19
20. CHRIS BUESCHER #37
21. DARRELL WALLACE JR #43
22. DAVID RAGAN #38
23. ALEX BOWMAN #88
24. WILLIAM BYRON #24
25. ERIK JONES #20
26. RYAN PREECE #47
27. BRENDAN GAUGHN #62
28. LANDON CASSILL #00
29. MATT DIBENNEDETTO #95
30. ROSS CHASTAIN #15

 

 

Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers for the Geico 500 from Talladega.

TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP 10 TEAMS POST RICHMOND

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

 

Martin Truex got his first win of the year at Richmond and the sixth win of the year for his team  Joe Gibbs Racing. It is no surprise then that they stay at #1 for the ninth straight week. That leaves Team Penske, the only other team with wins this year (three), in #2 place. Stewart Haas Racing remain in the #3 spot. Chip Ganassi Racing stay in the #4 spot. Wood Brothers Racing make the move of the week and move up two places to #5. That puts three Ford teams in the Top 5. Hendrick Motorsports slid back a place to #6. Roush Fenway Racing also go back a place they go to #7. Germain Racing and allied team Richard Childress Racing stay in place at #8 and #9 respectively. Finally at #10 JTG Daugherty Racing remain in the Top Ten.

 

These are the Top 10 Teams, Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers at Talladega Superspeedway.

TOP TEN DRIVERS by TRACK TYPE

TOP 10: SUPER SPEEDWAY TRACKS

1. JOEY LOGANO #22
2. RICKY STENHOUSE #17
3. DENNY HAMLIN #11
4. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
5. RYAN NEWMAN #6
6. KURT BUSCH #41
7. PAUL MENARD #21
8. CLINT BOWYER #14
9. KYLE LARSON #42
10. AUSTIN DILLION #3

Top 10 on Super Speedway tracks, Wednesday look for our Top 10 team rankings for Sunday’s GEICO 500 from Talladega Super Speedway.

RACE PREVIEW

TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
APRIL 28th, 2 PM CHARLOTTE TIME FOX TV
2.66 MILES, 33 Degrees of Banking

Stage 1/55 laps Stage 2/55 laps Stage 3/78 laps

 

This is race ten and the second superspeedway race of the year. Beginning with this race superspeedway cars will utilize a new downforce aero package and a smaller tapered spacer to restrict air flow to each engine that will offset the need for a restrictor plate, which has been used at this track since 1987. As a result, the cars will have more horsepower and more maneuverability, along with more downforce and stability to provide even more passing opportunities throughout the entire field. This track already holds the record for most lead changes (88) in NASCAR. We should still see what we have almost always seen here-pack racing, a tightly bunched pack of cars two and three wide for most of the day. We are only nine races into the season and no one wants to get caught up in someone else’s mistake or misfortune. Many times drivers who know each other will move thru traffic on the track together nose to tail – “drafting” – and with the season just beginning, it will be interesting to see if old alliances stay intact or if new ones are formed due to team loyalties or drivers wanting to hook up with others they think can take them farther. Ford  has won 12 of the last 20 races here, including the last seven in a row. Team Penske has eight of those wins and Stewart Haas driver Aric Almirola won here during the Playoffs last year for the most recent Ford win. Will Ford dominance continue? We’ll know on Sunday.

 

Tuesday, April 23rd look for our Top 10 drivers on superspeedway tracks in advance of the Geico 500 from Talladega.

TOP FIVE DRIVERS

TOYOTA OWNERS 400 from RICHMOND

The #5 driver has not exactly dominated here, #9 Chase Elliot. Chase has seven starts here and two top 5’s. He notched both of those top 5’s here last year, a second place finish in this race last year and a fifth place finish in the fall. Chase is my #6 ranked short track driver and is #6 hottest over the last six weeks.

My #4 driver to watch is a three time winner here, #4 Kevin Harvick. Kevin has 36 starts, three wins, and 14 Top 5’s. Kevin last won here in this race in 2013. That is 12 races ago, in that time Kevin finished in the Top 5 eight times and every one of those 12 races was Top 15 or better. Kevin is #4 ranked on short tracks and fourth hottest over the last six weeks.

The #3 driver to watch won this race two years ago, #22 Joey Logano. Joey is one of only four drivers that have won a race this year. Here Joey has two wins in 20 starts and eight Top 5’s. His last ten races here have all been Top 15’s and six were Top 5’s including both of his wins. Joey is my #3 ranked short track driver and is #2 hottest over the last six races.

My #2 driver to watch is the hottest driver on the circuit and the winning-est current driver here, #18 Kyle Busch. Kyle has 27 starts, six wins, and 17 Top 5 finishes (63%). He is #1 hottest over the last six weeks and he also sits #1 in points. He just won in Bristol so we know he is a pretty good short track driver….And he won both races here last year.

My #1 driver is the hometown hero here, #11 Denny Hamlin. Denny grew up not from here. He is also one of the current top three winning-est drivers here with three career wins. He has 25 start, those wins and 11 Top 5’s, speaking of Top 5’s, four of his last five starts were Top 5’s including his latest win in the September race in 2016. Denny is also my #1 ranked short track driver.

Monday we’ll preview the Geico 500 from Talladega.

TOP 30 DRIVERS

TOYOTA QWNERS 400-RICHMOND

1. DENNY HAMLIN #11
2. KYLE BUSCH #18
3. JOEY LOGANO #22
4. KEVIN HARVICK #4
5. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
6. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
7. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
8. MARTIN TRUEX #19
9. KYLE LARSON #42
10. KURT BUSCH #1
11. RYAN BLANEY #12
12. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
13. DANIEL SUAREZ #41
14. CLINT BOWYER #14
15. ALEX BOWMAN #88
16. AUSTIN DILLON #3
17. ERIK JONES #20
18. RYAN NEWMAN #6
19. RICKY STENHOUSE #17
20. WILLIAM BYRON #24
21. PAUL MENARD #21
22. TY DILLON #13
23. RYAN PREECE #47
24. MICHAEL MCDOWELL #34
25. CHRIS BUESCHER #37
26. DARRELL WALLACE JR #43
27. DAVID RAGAN #38
28. MATT DIBENNEDETTO #95
29. MATT TIFFIT #36
30. DANIEL HEMRIC #8

Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers to watch.