TOP FIVE DRIVERS

TOP FIVE DRIVERS

The #5 driver to watch probably feels like this course owes him, or at least #14 Chase Briscoe owes him, #11 Denny Hamlin. Denny was leading on the last lap last year at the inaugural race and Chase got a little aggressive and took Denny and himself out of contention for the win. Denny is my #5 rated Road Course driver and you know feels very confident about this course. After Last Sunday he may even feel lie has a bit to prove.

My #4 driver is a four time Road Course winner, #19 Martin Truex Jr. He has those four wins from the two “Classic” tracks Sonoma and Watkins Glen. Martin is my #4 rated Road Course driver and is currently #7 hottest over the last six races.  

My #3 driver to watch is turning into a road regular, #5 Kyle Larson. Kyle swept the two “Classic “tracks Sonoma and Watkins Glen last year and this year a 3^rd place at Road America. He is my #3 rated Road Course driver and sits #2 hottest over the last six races.

The #2 driver to keep an eye on doesn’t always come in in road course conversations, but he should, #12 Ryan Blaney. Ryan did finish here in 2^nd place last year after the two leaders removed themselves. More importantly he is my #2 rated Road Course driver and is #4 hottest. His luck coming out of Pocano has to turn around.

The #1 driver to watch is the winning-est current Road Course driver and the winning-est driver so far this year, BUT he has yet to win a Road Course this year, #9 Chase Elliott. Chase is by far the #1 rated Road Course driver AND sits #1 hottest. He finished 4^th here last year (almost 6^th) and is looking to improve on that.

Monday look for our preview of the Firekeepers 400 from Michigan Int. Speedway.

TOP 30 DRIVERS

TOP 30 DRIVERS INDIANAPOLIS G.P. CIRCUIT

1. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
2. RYAN BLANEY #12
3. KYLE LARSON #5
4. MARTIN TRUEX JR #19
5. DENNY HAMLIN #11
6. KEVIN HARVICK #4
7. CHASE BRISCOE #14
8. A. J. ALLMEDINGER #16
9. AUSTIN CINDRIC #2
10. ALEX BOWMAN #48
11. ROSS CHASTAIN #1
12. ERIK JONES #43
13. JOEY LOGANO #22
14. CHRIS BUESCHER #17
15. TYLER REDDICK #8
16. WILLIAM BYRON #24
17. CHRISTOPHER BELL #20
18. TY GIBBS #45
19. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
20. BRAD KESELOWSKI #6
21. KYLE BUSCH #18
22. DANIEL SUAREZ #99
23. RICKY STENHOUSE #47
24. BUBBA WALLACE #23
25. MICHAEL MCDOWELL #34
26. AUSTIN DILLON #3
27. COLE CUSTER #41
28. JUSTIN HALEY #31
29. TODD GILLILAND #38
30. HARRISON BURTON #21

Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers.

TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP TEN OWNERS

1. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS (Last Week #1)
2. TRACKHOUSE RACING TEAM (Last Week #2)
3. TEAM PENSKE (Last Week #3)
4. JOE GIBBS RACING (Last Week #4)
5. STEWART HAAS RACING (Last Week #5)
6. 23XI RACING (Last Week #6)
7. RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING (Last Week #7)
8. PETTY GMS MOTORSPORTS (Last Week #8)
9. RFK RACING (LAST WEEK #10)
10. FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS (Last Week #9)

After a hot race at Pocano and fines and disqualifications we don’t see much change in Top 10. Only two teams changed place this week. The team with the most wins get a win and are at #1 again, Hendrick Motorsports. Trackhouse Racing Team remain at #2. Team Penske is next at #3. Joe Gibbs Racing have two drivers put to the back yet hold at #4. At #5 we have a team that has been there for most of the year, Stewart Haas Racing.

23XI even with fill in driver Ty Gibs in the #45 remain at #6. Richard Childress Racing hold steady at #7. RCR allied team Petty GMS Racing is next at #8. After returning to the Top 10 last week at #10 RFK Racing move up a spot to #9. Front Row Motorsports slid back a place to #10.

Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers for the Verizon 200 from Indianapolis.

TOP TEN DRIVERS BY TRACK TYPE

TOP TEN DRIVERS BY TRACK TYPE

1. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
2. RYAN BLANEY #12
3. KYLE LARSON #5
4. MARTIN TRUEX JR #19
5. DENNY HAMLIN #11
6. ALEX BOWMAN #48
7. CHRIS BRISCOE #17
8. JOEY LOGANO #22
9. KEVIN HARVICK #4
10. KURT BUSCH #45

Top Ten drivers on Road Course Tracks, Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers at Indianapolis.

RACE PREVIEW

VERIZON 200

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY GP CIRCUIT

2.439 Miles, 14 Turns

Stages end after 15/35/82 Laps

This is the 22^nd race of the year and the fourth Rad Course. This track is located on the inside of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is the second on the road course. Last year we saw A. J. Allmendinger get a win for Kaulig Racing. The Xfinity series has had two races here #14 Chase Briscoe won the first and #2 Austin Cindric won here last year. #14 Chase Briscoe took out the #11 of Denny Hamlin on the last lap trying to get a road course win. Will Chase aand Denny run up front again? Will they run into each other? We’ll know on Sunday.

Tuesday look for our Top Ten drivers on A Road Course.

TOP FIVE DRIVERS

TOP FIVE DRIVERS TO WATCH POCANO

The #5 driver to watch got his first win here two years ago, #4 Kevin Harvick. Kevin has 42 starts, that win and 14 Top 5’s, 33%. He is my #1 ranked Flat Track driver. He got yet another Top 5 at New Hampshire. He is #9 hottest coming out of there. He has eight Top 5’s in his last 11 starts, 73%.

My #4 pick is the most recent winner here, #18 Kyle Busch. Kyle won the second race of the weekend last year. Kyle has 34 starts, four wins and 11 Top 5’s, 32%. Kyle is the #8 ranked flat track driver and sits 14^th hottest. Forget the stats, he spun out twice at New Hampshire and still came back with a Top 5 finish.

My #3 driver finished 5^th and 6^th here last year, #12 Ryan Blaney. Ryan has 12 starts, a win in 2017 and two Top 5’s, 17%. He is the #6 ranked flat track driver and more importantly is #2 hottest driver over the last six weeks.

My #2 driver is the winning-est current driver here, #11 Denny Hamlin. Denny is a six time winner here! He did that 32 starts AND has 14 Top 5’s, 44%. He is my #2 flat driver and is #17 hottest over the last six weeks. Time to bring the HEAT, a 6^th place at New Hampshire is a good start, he needs to back that up with a Top 5 here.

My #1 pick is a driver who has been winless here, #5 Kyle Larson. Kyle has 14 starts and 4 Top 5’s. One of those was a 2^nd place finish in the last race here. His team Hendrick Motorsports used to dominate here but were on a winless streak from the Dale Jr sweep in 2014 to the Saturday win last year from #48 Alex Bowman.

Monday look for our preview of the Verizon 200 from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

TOP 30 DRIVERS

TOP 30 DRIVERS POCONO

1. KYLE LARSON #5
2. DENNY HAMLIN #11
3. RYAN BLANEY #12
4. KYLE BUSCH #18
5. KEVIN HARVICK #4
6. WILLIAM BYRON #24
7. KURT BUSCH #45
8. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
9. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
10. MARTIN TRUEX JR #19
11. JOEY LOGANO #22
12. ALEX BOWMAN #48
13. AUSTIN CINDRIC #2
14. ERIK JONES #43
15. BRAD KESELOWSKI #6
16. DANIEL SUAREZ #99
17. CHRISTOPHER BELL #20
18. BUBBA WALLACE #23
19. TYLER REDDICK #8
20. ROSS CHASTAIN #1
21. CHRIS BUESCHER #17
22. MICHAEL MCDOWELL #34
23. AUSTIN DILLON #3
24. CHASE BRISCOES #14
25. COLE CUSTER #41
26. RICKY STENHOUSE #47
27. JUSTIN HALEY #31
28. TY DILLON #42
29. TODD GILLILAND #38
30. COREY LAJOIE #7

Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers.

TOP TEN OWNERS

TOP TEN OWNERS

1. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS (Last Week #2)
2. TRACKHOUSE RACING TEAM (Last Week #1)
3. TEAM PENSKE (Last Week #3)
4. JOE GIBBS RACING (Last Week #4)
5. STEWART HAAS RACING (Last Week #5)
6. 23XI RACING (Last Week #7)
7. RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING (Last Week #6)
8. PETTY GMS MOTORSPORTS (Last Week #9)
9. FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS (Last Week #8)
10. RFK RACING (LAST WEEK OFF)

After a hot and sometimes nasty race in New Hampshire we have another reshuffled Top 10. Seven teams changed place this week. The team with the most wins is at #1 again. Trackhouse Racing Team return to #2. Team Penske is next at #3. Joe Gibbs Racing who have the win from #20 Christopher Bell weeks are at #4. At #5 we have a team that has been there for most of the year, Stewart Haas Racing.

23XI led by #5 Hottest #45 Kurt Busch move up a place to #6. Richard Childress Racing slips a place to #7. RCR allied team Petty GMS Racing is next at #8 up a place from last week. Front Row Motorsports slid back a place to #9. Returning to the Top 10 this week at #10 we have RFK Racing. JTG Daugherty Racing leave the Top 10 but I am sure they won’t be gone long.

Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers for the M&Ms Fan Appreciation 400 from Pocano.

TOP TEN DRIVERS BY TRACK TYPE

TOP TEN DRIVERS BY TRACK TYPE

1. KEVIN HARVICK #4
2. DENNY HAMLIN #11
3. BRAD KESELOWSKI #6
4. JOEY LOGANO #22
5. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
6. RYAN BLANEY #12
7. WILLIAM BYRON #24
8. KYLE BUSCH #18
9. KYLE LARSON #5
10. CHASE ELLIOTT #9

Top Ten drivers on Flat Tracks, Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers at Pocano.

RACE PREVIEW

M&Ms Fan Appreciation 400

POCANO RACEWAY

July 24^th, 3:00 PM Charlotte Time USA TV

2.5 Miles, Turn #1 14 degrees, #2 8 Degrees #3 6 Degrees of Banking

Stages End after Laps 30/95/160

After 20 races it’s time for something a little bit different, the tricky triangle. Is this a road course, flat track and or a tri oval? How about all of the above? Only three turns, yet everyone is different. When you attend this race in this spectacular part of the country it is like watching a road course race because you can’t really see every turn on the track. This race could be dominated by the drivers and crews that make the best adjustments on Sunday. Two teams have really dominated here. Joe Gibbs Racing have won eight races here in the last ten years, 40%. Nine wins for the TRD JGR engine shop. Followed by Hendrick Motorsports with six wins in ten years, 30%. Eight for the HMS moto shop. Six of the last nine races have been won by Joe Gibbs Racing, seven by their engine shop. Will the JGR dominance continue? We’ll know on Sunday.

Tuesday look for our Top Ten drivers on Flat tracks.