TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP TEN OWNERS

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

26 races race’s complete in the regular season, we are about to begin the 10 race Playoffs and we have increased volatility in the Top 10. Eight teams changed place this week. The team with the most wins this season stay at #1 again, Hendrick Motorsports. Joe Gibbs Racing was able to hang onto the #2 place again. Team Penske get a 3^rd place finish from #2 Austin Cindric, and they move up a spot to #3. Richard Childress Racing move up two places to #4 with a win from #3 Austin Dillon. Trackhouse Racing Team slid back two spots to #5.

Stewart Haas Racing slide back a spot to #6 after spending most of the year at #5. 23XI with fill in driver Ty Gibbs in six races in the #45 move up a spot to #7. RCR allied team Petty GMS Racing move up a place to #8. Both RFK Racing drivers have a rough day at the beach and they move back two places to #9. JTG Daugherty Racing return to the Top 10 at #10. Front Row Motorsports drops out of the Top 10.

Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers for the Cook Out Southern 500 from Darlington.

TOP TEN DRIVERS BY TRACK TYPE

TOP TEN DRIVERS BY TRACK TYPE

1. RYAN BLANEY #12
2. DENNY HAMLIN #11
3. BUBBA WALLACE #23
4. AUSTIN CINDRIC #2
5. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
6. MICHAEL MCDOWELL #34
7. KEVIN HARVICK #4
8. AUSTIN DILLON #3
9. MARTIN TRUEX JR #19
10. JUSTIN HALEY #31

Top Ten drivers on tracks like Daytona Int Speedway, Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers at Daytona.

RACE PREVIEW

COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500

DARLINGTON RACEWAY

September 4^th, 6:00 PM Charlotte Time, USA TV

1.366 Miles, 25 Degrees of Banking in Turn 1 & 2, 23 Degrees of Banking in Turns 3 & 4.

Stages end after laps 115/230/367

Here is a track that could have gone the way of North Carolina Motor Speedway (Rockingham) or North Wilkesboro Speedway; both of which stopped running NASCAR sanctioned racing races. In 2003 we saw the last Southern 500 on Labor Weekend until 2015 when it returned. When it went away I thought the days of thunder at this incredible egg shaped track where over. Track owner International Speedway Corporation decided to give this track a chance and kept a race earlier in the year. Lights were added and we have had bigger crowds and they have added more seats. Why? Better marketing? Lower prices? New Amenities? Nope, just great close-up racing under the lights and old school night racing excitement at the ultimate old school track. I love being on Labor weekend really love kicking off the Playoffs. Built in 1950 this track began the Speedway era in NASCAR. Called “the track too tough to tame” it could have been called the “the track with no turn the same” because of the disproportionately different east and west turns. Add in a very tight racing groove and pavement that eats up tires and you have “the track that is very tough to claim” (victory that is). Most racers find it smarter to race the track than to race the other drivers. And it is the start of the Playoffs! There have been 13 races here in the last ten years. Joe Gibbs Racing have won seven of those 13. Stewart Haas Racing has three wins all from Kevin Harvick. Team Penske has two wins in ten years including the race win in the spring from #22 Joey Logano. Those are the three winning-est teams in the last ten years. Joe Gibbs Racing/Toyota motor shop has eight wins in 13 races! Big advantage to Toyota and JGR. Will anyone else challenge Toyota/JGR? Stewart Haas Racing, Team Penske or someone else? We’ll find out Sunday.

Tuesday, look for Top 10 drivers on tracks like this.

TOP FIVE DRIVERS TO WATCH

TOP FIVE DRIVERS

The # 5 driver to watch is the most recent winner here at Daytona, #2 Austin Cindric. Austin won here in February in the Daytona 500. Even though Austin is a rookie he has two starts here, he finished 14^th in the 2021 Daytona 500 and the win here in February. He is locked into the Playoffs and is #4 rated on track like this.

My #4 driver to watch is already locked in as the regular season champion, #9 Chase Elliott. Chase will be top of the stack when they re-order the drivers for the Playoffs. Here he has 13 starts and just two Top 5’s, 15%, not great past performance, but he is the best so far in the new Gen 7 car. He is the regular season champion, the hottest over the last six weeks and the #5 ranked super speedway driver.

At #3 we see the man who came close to winning the 500 earlier in the year, #23 Bubba Wallace. Bubba got moved right at the end of the race and had to finish second. Bubba has ten starts and four Top 5’s, 40%. He is a #3 rated super speedway driver and is #8 hottest over the last six weeks.

The #2 driver is a three time winner here, #11 Denny Hamlin. Denny is the winning-est current driver here. Denny has 33 starts, three wins and 11 Top 5’s, 33%. He is 7^th hottest over the last six weeks and is my #2 rated speedway driver.

Did someone say another first time driver for the season? My #1 pick is hanging by the thread to stay in the Playoffs and a win will get him in, #12 Ryan Blaney. Ryan has 14 stats, a win in this race last year and four total Top 5’s, 29%. He is my #1 rated super speedway driver and he finished 4^th here in February the first time we saw this new car in a race.

Monday look for our preview of the Cook Out Southern 50 from Darlington.

TOP 30 DRIVERS

TOP 30 DRIVERS COKE ZERO 400

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

Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers.

TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP TEN OWNERS

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

25 races race’s onto the season we still have not seen lessened volatility in the Top 10. Five teams changed place this week. The team with the win at Watkins Glen and the most wins this season stay at #1 again, Hendrick Motorsports. Joe Gibbs Racing was able to hang onto the #2 place again. Trackhouse Racing Team get a 5^th place finish from #99 Daniel Suarez and they move up a spot to #3. Team Penske did not get a great finish from all three drivers, although they did get a 3^rd place finish from #22 Joey Logano, and they slip a spot to #4. Stewart Haas Racing get three drivers in the Top 25 and that helps keep them in the Top 5 where they have been most of the year at #5.

Richard Childress Racing move up a spot to #6 with #8 Tyler Reddick finishing 7^th and #3 Austin Dillon 17^th.  Both RFK Racing drivers finish in the Top 20, #17 Chris Buescher finished 9th, and they move up a place to #7. 23XI with fill in driver Ty Gibbs in five races in the #45 slip back two spots to #8 with neither driver finishing in the Top 25. RCR allied team Petty GMS Racing see both drivers in the Top 16 and they stay at #9. Front Row Motorsports stays in the Top 10 at #10.

Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers for the Coke Zero Calorie 400 from Daytona.

TOP TEN DRIVERS BY TRACK TYPE

TOP TEN DRIVERS BY TRACK TYPE

1. RYAN BLANEY #12
2. DENNY HAMLIN #11
3. BUBBA WALLACE #23
4. AUSTIN CINDRIC #2
5. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
6. MICHAEL MCDOWELL #34
7. KEVIN HARVICK #4
8. AUSTIN DILLON #3
9. MARTIN TRUEX JR #19
10. JUSTIN HALEY #31

Top Ten drivers on tracks like Daytona Int Speedway, Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers at Daytona.

RACE PREVIEW

COKE ZERO SUGAR 400

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

August 27^th, 7:00 PM Charlotte Time, NBC TV

2.5 Miles, 31 Degrees of Banking

Stages end after laps, 35/95/160

If it’s the 4^th of July it must be time for the Firecracker 400, oops, make that Coke Zero Sugar 400, oops wait, for the third straight year not in July. It is the regular season ender. Whatever you call it, whenever it runs, there it is, nothing like a super speedway race. I remember many a July 4^th listening to this race wherever I was. I remember even more vividly sweating profusely in the stands at Daytona on a couple of hot July 4^th weekends. As much as I revere tradition, I fully supported the idea of making this a night race. I also support making this the season ender. In the last ten years, Chevrolet and Ford each have eight wins a piece, Toyota four. But the last three straight wins were in Fords. Team Penske had the last two wins. In the last ten years three teams have dominated here, Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins with five, the last being #24 William Byron in this race in 2020. Joe Gibbs Racing has four wins with #11 Denny Hamlin the most recent in the 500 in 2020 and Team Penske also has four including the big win from Austin Cindric in February in the Daytona 500.

This is the third super speedway race of the year and we have 15 different drivers after 25 races run this season. There is a very good chance we’ll have a first-time winner in this race. Our season began here with a win in the Daytona 500 from #2 Austin Cindric in his first full season cup start. His first cup win at the biggest race of the year! Will Ford and Chevrolet dominance continue? Who will be the last regular season winner? Will we see a 16^th different winner for the season or a return victor to victory lane? There are 15 different drivers that, if they win, could lock up a Playoff spot. Who will get the final Playoff spot? We’ll know on Saturday night.

Tuesday look for our Top 10 drivers on tracks lile Daytona, Thursday we’ll have our Top 30 drivers for the Coke Zero Calorie 400 from Daytona.

TOP FIVE DRIVERS TO WATCH

TOP FIVE DRIVERS WATKINS GLEN

The #5 pick has just one Top 5 here, #12 Ryan Blaney. Ryan is a great road course driver who has gotten just good results here. The plan is to up the ante here. Ryan has five Starts, no wins and one Top 5, in 2019, 20%. Ryan is my #3 rated road racer and with time running out in the season it’s all on the line to get a win or maximum points here to make the Playoffs. He does sit 8^th hottest and that needs to change going to the Playoffs.

The #4 driver to watch is a former winner here, #11 Denny Hamlin. Denny has 15 starts, a win in 2016 and five Top 5’s, 33%. Denny is my #2 rated road course ace. Last year he finished 5^th here. He is 7^th hottest over the last six weeks.

My #3 driver to watch is the defending champion of this race, #5 Kyle Larson. Kyle hasn’t exactly dominated here but he has done well leading up to last year’s win. Kyle has seven starts, the win last year and one other Top 5, 29%. He sits #3 in points, #5 hottest and #7 ranked on the roads.

My #2 driver is a former winner here and NEEDS a win or HUGE points day, #19 Martin Truex Jr. Martin’s average finish over the last four races is 2. He has 15 starts, the win in 2017 and seven Top 5’s, 47%. He is currently #3 hottest and is #4 rated on the roads.

The #1 driver to watch has an average finish over the last three races of 1.33, #9 Chase Elliott. Chase has 5 starts, two wins in 2018 & 19 and 3 Top 5’s, 60%. He is #1 rated on the roads, #1 in points and #1 hottest. He is the winning-est current driver on Road Courses with seven wins. His team Hendrick Motorsports has won the last three races here.

Monday look for our preview of the Coke Zero 400 from Daytona.

TOP 30 DRIVERS

TOP 30 DRIVERS WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL

1. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
2. MARTIN TRUEX JR #19
3. KYLE LARSON #5
4. RYAN BLANEY #12
5. DENNY HAMLIN #11
6. CHRISTOPHER BELL #20
7. KEVIN HARVICK #4
8. KYLE BUSCH #18
9. AUSTIN CINDRIC #2
10. WILLIAM BYRON #24
11. TYLER REDDICK #8
12. ERIK JONES #43
13. ALEX BOWMAN #48
14. CHASE BRISCOE #14
15. CHRIS BUESCHER #17
16. JOEY LOGANO #22
17. DANIEL SUAREZ #99
18. TY GIBBS #45
19. ROSS CHASTAIN #1
20. BRAD KESELOWSKI #6
21. A. J. ALLMEDINGER #16
22. MICHAEL MCDOWELL #34
23. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
24. COLE CUSTER #41
25. JUSTIN HALEY #31
26. RICKY STENHOUSE #47
27. HARRISON BURTON #21
28. KIMI RAIKONNEN #91
29.  TODD GILLILAND #38
30. AUSTIN DILLON #3

Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers.