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Handicapping the Chase Drivers: Homestead-Miami Speedway

Have a cigar, Jimmie Johnson. Go ahead, seriously. This year’s Chase is as good as over, and it’s your team that’s on top. All it takes is a 36th-place finish, and your fate is sealed as the first three-time champion since Cale Yarborough three decades ago.

In other words, thanks for taking the fun out of the Chase. (Just kidding.)

So we’re headed to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend for the Sprint Cup season finale, after which NASCAR’s stars take a two-month break from their day jobs. Homestead is typically a Roush Fenway Racing-dominated track, as their cars have won every race here since the Chase’s inception. Greg Biffle won in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and Matt Kenseth won last year.

Here’s how each of the 12 Chase drivers will do this week at Homestead:

1. Jimmie Johnson: He’ll just be trying to survive and wrap up that third title. Anything more than playing it safe will be a bonus.

2. Carl Edwards: If anything happens to Johnson (and even if it doesn’t), you can bet Cousin Carl will be gunning for the win at all times. If Johnson blows up on lap one and he leads the most laps and wins, the title’s his. With no more races left in the season, he might as well go for it.

3. Greg Biffle: Too bad Da Biff’s not still in the title hunt. This is by far his best track, and a three-man shootout between Johnson, Edwards, and Biffle would’ve been fun to watch.

4. Jeff Burton: Burton’s worst finish here with Roush was 14th in five starts. With RCR, his best finish is 8th (last year), with two finishes of 25th or worse in four starts. He won’t be as good in this car as he would be were he still at Roush.

5. Kevin Harvick: Happy hasn’t finished worse than 20th all Chase or at Homestead for his career. He hasn’t won since the 2007 Daytona 500, so don’t expect a win, but Harvick should be up towards the front to finish off the season.

6. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer’s only made two starts here, so it’s hard to tell based on his past experience, especially when his finishes are 10th and 39th. He’s been between 5th and 20th all Chase, though, so expect that to repeat.

7. Jeff Gordon: Gordon hasn’t had a winless season since his rookie year in 1993. While he’s never won at Homestead, he’s only finished worse than 10th twice in nine starts. He’s got nothing to lose by going for the victory. Then again, after qualifying 37th, he’ll have a ways to go.

8. Matt Kenseth: Roush car? Check. Defending race winner? Check. Trying to avoid a big fat zero in the win column for the year? Check. Kenseth’s going to push hard this weekend.

9. Denny Hamlin: Here’s the real battle: the battle for the last seats at the end-of-season banquet. 9th through 12th places are separated by 31 points, and Hamlin leads the pack. If 3rd-place finishes each of the past two years mean anything, he’ll stay in the top 10.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior’s best finish at Homestead is 13th in his rookie season, and his average finish is 21.2 in eight starts. He’ll have to improve on that if he wants a seat at the banquet in December.

11. Kyle Busch: If anyone deserves to be on stage in New York this December, it’s a guy who completely ran away with the regular season. Too bad Busch’s track record at Homestead includes a best finish of 20th and an average finish of 33.0.

12. Tony Stewart: Cheers for ten great years with the Gibbs organization, Tony, and here’s to ten more with your own. I don’t expect you to do much this weekend, but enough to claim that final seat in New York for JGR.

So who would I pick to win this weekend? Any of the Roush cars. Biffle’s got the track record, Kenseth’s defending the win from last year, and Edwards is going to do whatever it takes to set himself up for a title if Johnson falters. Bet on Edwards, with the others close behind, a la the Dover race a couple months ago.

Image credit: Icon Sports Media

Handicapping the Chase Drivers: Phoenix International Raceway

Sorry, guys. For some reason, I thought I posted my column last week, but when I looked for it here on the site, it was mysteriously not there. I picked the winner correctly, I called everybody but Jimmie Johnson irrelevant (oh, how wrong I was), and I even made reference to Tommy Tutone when I wrote about Denny Hamlin. So, of course, my best work goes for naught when I don’t actually end up putting it up for the world to see. (Then again, now I can recycle my “Denny, Denny, who can I turn to” next year.)

In other words, it looks like I had a massive brain fart. Or, as Jack Roush would suggest, I’ve had my “mulligan” for the Chase. Just read the best nine columns out of ten, right?

Here’s what to expect from each of the 12 Chase drivers this week at Phoenix:

1. Jimmie Johnson: Best average finish of every driver at Phoenix, incredible Chase, last guy to win here, blah, blah, blah. Johnson’s run last week, while not catastrophic, left the door open for Edwards. Then again, don’t be surprised if Jimmie comes through in the clutch. That’s what Team 48 does.

2. Carl Edwards: Carl’s average finish of 14.5 is negatively affected by the 42nd place he had at this race last year, when his engine let go in the first half of the race. That can’t happen again. Carl’s got a lot of momentum from the past two weeks, and he has a chance at winning four in a row and mimicking Johnson’s huge run at the end of last year. Given his record at Phoenix when things go right (5 top-10s), it’s definitely possible.

3. Greg Biffle: Da Biff is painfully average overall at Phoenix, with an average finish of 16.4, but the finishes themselves are often polarized. Biffle has two 2nd place finishes at the track, as well as two finished of 34th place or lower. The question is simply whether the team will have one of the former or the latter come race day. With the way the team’s been since the debacle at Talladega, look for the former.

4. Jeff Burton: Betcha didn’t know that JB’s got two wins here. It’s true - he won this race in 2000 and 2001. Betcha also had no idea that Burton’s worst finish at Phoenix in the past decade is 15th in fall 2005. His 11.1 average finish here is in the top five of all active drivers. There’s no reason he can’t pull off another decent finish.

5. Jeff Gordon: Gordon’s only win at Phoenix was here in 2007, but he still has an average finish of 8.5. Here’s to hoping he wins this weekend, if only because winning at least once every year since 1994 is a huge accomplishment. His average finish of 8.5 is second only to Johnson.

6. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer made his Cup debut at Phoenix, finishing 22nd in the spring of 2005. Since then, he’s only failed to complete eight laps at the track, and has two top-5s, including a 2nd place this spring. The team is a far cry from where they were at this time last year, but a 4th at Texas last week proves that they’re still capable of top finishes.

7. Kevin Harvick: Happy hasn’t won at Phoenix since sweeping in 2006, but he’s also been a solid contender for the past few years. Since the spring of 2006, his average finish is an astounding 7.6 with four top-10s. Then again, Harvick’s only spent 23 laps at the front of the field all Chase, so don’t count on a momentum-based win.

8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth’s average finish of 18.8 is due to an extreme polarization of finishes. When he’s good (a win in 2002, six top-10s), he’s good. When he’s bad (five finishes of 32nd or worse), he’s bad. Case in point: Kenseth led 93 laps to finish 3rd in this race last year, but finished 38th here this year in the spring. He’s a high-risk, high-reward pick, but given his last three finishes (average: 7.0), the reward may be there for the taking.

9. Tony Stewart: Stewart has been running at the finish all 13 times he’s started a Phoenix race. His average finish of 9.8 is tops among Toyota drivers, and he’s only finished worse than 18th once. Smoke wants to go out at Joe Gibbs Racing with a bang, and building on that impressive Phoenix resume would sure help. An interesting note: Stewart’s eight top-10s are as many as his teammates, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, have combined for in the same amount of starts between them.

10. Kyle Busch: Cheers to Shrub regaining the final position at NASCAR’s end-of-season awards banquet - for now. Securing that seat, however, will require him to build on his somewhat stellar record at Phoenix. Busch has five top-10s in seven starts here, with the only exceptions coming in 2006. He’s led laps at the track before, and he’s been stellar in most of the past few races. There’s a chance that he might snag one more Cup win before the year is out.

11. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: One point behind Busch for the final banquet spot, Junebug goes to a track where he has two wins, four top-5s, and six top-10s. He led 87 laps at Phoenix in the spring on the way to a 7th place finish. It’ll take another performance like that to bring him back into the top 10.

12. Denny Hamlin: I predict Hamlin will finish 3rd this weekend. Hey, when it’s happened three times in six starts at the track, it seems like a safe enough bet. For the record, his other finishes are 13th, 34th, and a 16th at this time last year.

So who would I pick to win this weekend? I’m going to go out on a limb and say Jeff Gordon’s due. Hendrick ought to do his best to give Gordon the best car on the track this weekend and keep that 14-year winning streak alive, even if it means making Johnson a bit more vulnerable for Homestead. Let’s make the title fight a real fight, boys.

Handicapping the Chase Drivers: Atlanta Motor Speedway

I feel like a fool for picking Kyle Busch last week at Martinsville, when I had such obvious better choices in front of me (Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin… the list goes on). I take no consolation in the fact that I called them “easy” or “cop-out” picks, because the fact is that I should have gone with one of them. I’m not making that mistake again this weekend.

Atlanta may be the best track for the 12 Chase drivers overall, because the drivers with the top eight finishing averages at Atlanta (excluding active drivers and those with under five starts) are all eligible for the championship. Only one of them, Kevin Harvick, has an average finish worse than 20.0, and he started his Atlanta career 1-for-1 in one of the biggest upsets in NASCAR history. The bottom line is, since every Chaser is so good here, one has to examine momentum coming into the event before making any predictions. As has been most of the Chase, it’s all about who’s got the momentum.

Here’s what to expect from each of the 12 Chase drivers this week at Atlanta:

1. Jimmie Johnson: Nobody has more momentum going into the final four races of the season than Johnson, and everybody knows it. He won this race last year as part of a four-race winning streak that propelled him to his second consecutive championship. He’s also won four of the last eight races on the tour, including last week at Martinsville. He has the best average finish of active drivers at Atlanta, a 9.6. It’s getting old to write the same sorts of things about Johnson every week, so take this word of advice: Johnson has one of the best chances to win of anyone this weekend. (Duh.)

2. Greg Biffle: Da Biff had his second-best career finish at Martinsville last week, a lead-lap 12th. Given his abysmal track record there, the team’s spirits are high coming into Atlanta. He won the pole for this race last year and finished 4th here in the spring. In 2004 and 2005, when his team last performed at this level, his average finish was 7.0 in four starts. Another solid finish for Biffle seems to be in the cards, but will he continue to lose points to Johnson?

3. Jeff Burton: Usually 16.5 is a solid average finish at a track, but not when eight of your championship rivals rank ahead of you. Such is Burton’s predicament. He’s not helped by last week’s struggle, in which he wound up off the lead lap in 17th. A total of 13 top 10s and no DNFs at Atlanta since March 2003 are both good signs, but Burton also hasn’t led more than five laps in an Atlanta race since spring 1994, in his fifth career Sprint Cup start. A win is unlikely; a decent finish, however, isn’t out of the question.

4. Carl Edwards: Cousin Carl would have won at Atlanta this spring if not for engine troubles. He’s only finished outside the top 10 at Atlanta twice, and although both of those were finishes of 40th or worse, Edwards is generally a pretty reliable bet here. Edwards seems poised to regain momentum after a 3rd place finish at Martinsville, and he certainly has a chance to capture win no. 7 of the season at Atlanta.

5. Clint Bowyer: Clint has finished 6th in his past three starts at Atlanta, which makes him a reliable bet to finish well here again. He hasn’t finished any worse than 12th since Michigan, and although he hasn’t finished any better than 5th in that span of nine races, he’s been consistently towards the front. Don’t expect that to change for any reason.

6. Kevin Harvick: Here’s a shocker. Since his dramatic win in the spring of 2001 and a 3rd place finish that fall, Happy hasn’t finished in the top 5 at Atlanta. He didn’t even finish in the top 10 again until this spring. His average finish of 23.3 here is worst of all 12 Chase drivers. One reason for hope, however, is the fact that Harvick’s only finished outside the top 10 twice since the debacle at Indianapolis.

7. Jeff Gordon: It has been five years since Gordon’s won at Atlanta, but that doesn’t mean he’s been a slouch here. Gordon’s average finish at Atlanta in his past six starts is a fantastic 6.0. Gordon’s led significant amounts of laps the past two weeks as well, and his desire to avoid his first winless season since 1993 is probably at its peak. Gordon could surprise this weekend – although, if you look at the team’s performance the past two weeks, it shouldn’t be a surprise at all.

8. Tony Stewart: Smoke finished second here in the spring. Since the fall race in 2001, he’s only finished outside of the top 10 twice – a lead lap 17th in spring 2005 and a 30th in this race last year after losing oil pressure in the middle of the race. Most of Stewart’s momentum from Talladega is gone, however, after a 26th place run last week at Martinsville. Stewart should keep up his stout Atlanta record, but a win for the hometown sponsor might be a lot to ask.

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junebug’s got a lot of momentum after having one of the strongest cars in the field at Martinsville. He has no chance at a championship, but he can certainly go out and steal some races from the contenders for the final month or so. His average finish of 8.7 in his past six starts here is certainly stout, and it would be higher if he didn’t crash late in this race last year and finish 25th. Important to note is that Earnhardt Jr. has four top 5s in those six starts, the best of which came at Atlanta in the spring. There’s no reason he can’t win this weekend.

10. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth’s average finish of 6.2 with four top 10s in his last six starts here is one of the best in the business. His Chase has been terrible, with Martinsville last week one of the lone bright spots, but that gives the team a push to do well in these final four races. Although Kenseth’s never won at Atlanta and has only led 12 laps here in the past six years, he knows how to get to the finish without too many issues.

11. Denny Hamlin: Atlanta is one of the few tracks in the Chase where Hamlin has not consistently run well over his brief career. An 8th place finish in this race two years ago is the brightest spot on a record that includes four finishes of 19th or worse. It’s important to note that while Hamlin has only failed to complete six laps in his career at Atlanta, he’s only finished on the lead lap once. You can’t win a race if you can’t finish on the lead lap.

12. Kyle Busch: Shrub’s record at Atlanta looks like his record at a few other tracks: Save a fantastic performance this spring, in which he won after leading 173 of 325 laps, he hasn’t done much in the way of top 10 finishes. However, he did lead 77 laps in this race last year, when he finished 20th. He also has three 12th place finishes, and has only failed to complete seven laps here since becoming a full-time Cup driver.

A brief aside: I feel really bad for Busch. Kyle’s 2008 has been one of the greatest seasons in NASCAR history, and the Chase format has robbed him of a chance to win his first well-earned championship. In this age of NASCAR parity, winning 20 out of the 73 races he’s contested in the face of adversity is quite the accomplishment. One can only hope that we’ll someday see another season this dominant (from a driver other than Jimmie Johnson, anyway – this sort of year seems to come naturally to him).

So who would I pick to win this weekend (other than Jimmie Johnson)? I have to go with Jeff Gordon. He’s got the same equipment as Johnson, he’s had a similar sort of career here, and he desperately wants to avoid a goose egg in the win column for this year.

Atlanta Motor Speedway: Only the Top Teams Need Apply

G’wan home you guys. That’s what the stats are saying to all but the members of NASCAR’s 2008 royalty. That being the cars and drivers of Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Roush-Fenway and Richard Childress. All others are mear pretenders to the Sprint Cup throne, at least for this race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The top ten Loop Driver Ratings all belong to members of those four teams. DEI pilots, Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr come in 11th and 12th with the Dodges of Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch right behind them. But the talent of the big four teams looks too tuned-in to AMS to be upset by those guys. It would be a huge surprise.

General Johnson’s March Through Georgia

Once again, Jimmy Johnson holds most of the Loop cards. There are 16 categories that make up the Loop Data Box Score. Jimmy has the top stat in 11 of those columns for Atlanta. Significantly Johnson holds the edge in Ave Position and Finish - 6.6 and 5.9. He has led more laps - 326 for 14.3 percent - and run the most Laps in the Top 15 - 2142 for 94.0 percent. His number one Driver Rating is 113.4. J J has the top season-to-date Driver Rating too, at 107.2.

The next four guys in the Atlanta Loop all have Driver Ratings of 102.3 or better. So Johnson won’t have the track to himself Sunday. Both Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr are past winners at AMS and have the second and third DRs - 104.4 and 103.6. Stewart has led 318 laps - 14.0 percent and just behind Johnson. Junior is right there with 299 laps led. Ave Finishes of 9.4 for Smoke and 10.9 for Junior are significantly behind Johnson.

The Challenge of the Roushketeers

The two Roush-Fenway drivers who most closely chase Jimmy Johnson in the Chase are Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle. Edwards year-to-date Driver Rating is second only to Johnson at 105.4. His AMS rating is fourth at 102.8 and he has 2nd best 197 Fastest Laps Run. Carl is a two-time winner at Atlanta and is typically Roush strong on the fast mile-and-a-half tracks.

Greg Biffle has the fifth best DR - 102.3 - second best Ave Running Position and Laps in the Top 15 percentage - 9.8 and 83.4 percent - and series high 211 Fastest Laps Run. But Biffle is win-less at AMS as are Chasers Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth (Driver Ratings - 92.8 and 94.1). But all three drivers are very capable on intermediate tracks.

Jeff Gordon has only four races left in which to claim his first win of 2008. Gordon has an amazing string of 14 straight years with at least two wins. Time is running out but Atlanta could get him started on an end of season run. He has four wins at AMS, is the sixth rated driver in the Loop Stats. 

Twenty One Anyone?

Kyle Busch has twenty NASCAR major wins in 2008. It’s been awhile since he scored in the Cup Series, though he still has the third season-to-date Driver Rating at 104.2. Kyle was the winner the last time we went to Atlanta and AMS has produced plenty of sweeps over the years. Carl Edwards was the last to pull it off. But Kyle’s teammate, Denny Hamlin, claimed that the Hendrick Motorsports’ cars have an advantage on what Joe Gibbs Racing is fielding right now. I believe him.

The pick, this week is Dale Earnhardt Jr - Jimmy Johnson can’t win them all, can he? - with a dark-horse shout out to DEI’s Regan Smith.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Handicapping the Chase Drivers: Martinsville Speedway

So thanks to some shrewd picking last week - a fleet of Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, and Jeff Burton - my picks from last week finished 6th, 4th, and won at Charlotte. Picking three guys just isn’t fair, especially when my “dark horse” won eight races earlier this year, my “sleeper” is 2nd in points, and my lead pick has been the same for the past couple weeks. No more. From now on, I only pick one driver a week.

We head to Martinsville Speedway to kick off the second half of this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. Martinsville is the stock car racing equivalent of taking the Monaco Formula 1 track’s famous hairpin 1,000 times. It’s a punishing track for both man and machine. Only the best can say they’ve conquered Martinsville - and even some of NASCAR’s all-time greatest short track drivers, such as Terry Labonte, have never won at the bullring.

Here’s what to expect from each of the 12 Chase drivers this week at Martinsville:

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson hasn’t finished outside of the top 10 at Martinsville since April 14, 2002. He hasn’t finished outside the top 5 at Martinsville since April 10, 2005. He hasn’t led less than 100 laps at a Martinsville race since October 23, 2005. To top it off, his average finish here is 6.0; for drivers with 10 or more career starts here, that’s second only to Lee Petty‘s 5.5. You get the picture.

2. Jeff Burton: Burton hasn’t won here since 1997, but he’s led laps in both of the series’ last visits to Martinsville. He finished 6th and 12th here last year, and he was 3rd earlier this season.

3. Greg Biffle: True, Da Biff’s never crashed out at Martinsville, or suffered brake failure. But his only top 10 in 11 starts here was in this race last year, when he finished 7th. Biffle’s as risky a pick as it gets this week, unless he has another flash of luck.

4. Carl Edwards: Carl’s got no momentum after the past two weeks, has never led a lap at Martinsville, and has a pedestrian average finish of 19.1 here. True, he hasn’t failed to finish on the lead lap since 2005, but just completing all 500 circuits on a regular basis here isn’t enough to make you a smart pick. Edwards’ best finish at Martinsville is 9th.

5. Clint Bowyer: The good news: In five starts and 2506 possible laps here, Clint has only failed to complete four circuits. The bad: Like Edwards, he’s never led a lap, his best finish here is 9th, and that’s not enough to make him anything more than a backup pick.

6. Kevin Harvick: Anyone remember the time Happy got suspended here after a Truck Series incident? That was pretty cool.

All kidding aside, Harvick can be solid, if not spectacular, at Martinsville when he doesn’t run into issues. It’s been four years since he led here - when he led 104 laps and finished 8th - but in his last six starts here, five of them have seen the No. 29 come home 15th or better. Slightly better than Edwards and Bowyer, for sure, but his performance still leaves a little to be desired.

7. Tony Stewart: In his last six attempts at Martinsville, Stewart’s worst finish is 13th. In that same timeframe, he has four top 5s and a win, which occurred in spring 2006. Of Chase drivers, Stewart’s average finish of 11.9 in 19 career starts is fourth best. After two straight weeks of decent runs and double-digit laps led, Stewart has the momentum to capitalize this weekend.

8. Jeff Gordon: Though eclipsed by protégé Johnson, Gordon’s average finish of 7.0 in 31 starts isn’t half bad. Gordon knows how to get around the track - his worst starting spot was 25th, way back in 1993, and he has seven poles, including poles in the last two races here. He also hasn’t finished outside the top 10 here since October 2002, and has led at least one lap at the track every year since 2001, inclusive. Given his below-average season this year, Gordon may be a steal for this weekend.

9. Kyle Busch: Despite a poor finish here earlier this year, Shrub’s actually been relatively decent at Martinsville throughout his career. He led laps in both races last year, finishing 4th in each event. His average finish of 16.7 is brought down by an overheating issue in 2005 and an early spin this past spring. Busch’s past record here, combined with momentum from a 4th place finish last week, hint at a solid run this weekend.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junebug hasn’t failed to complete a lap here since October 2004, when he crashed late in the race. He’s also led laps in each of the past three Martinsville events, leading a race-high 146 earlier this year on the way to a 6th place finish. It also helps that Hendrick Motorsports usually dominates at Martinsville. Even without momentum after a string of poor runs, Junior should be a factor to win.

11. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth rarely leads laps at Martinsville (23 total since 2004), and rarely scores the sort of top finishes one would hope for here (two top 10s since 2004), but he’s also only failed to complete 11 laps since 2002. Usually Kenseth finishes inside the top 20 here (11 out of 17 starts), but there are definitely better drivers out there.

12. Denny Hamlin: With an average finish of 9.5 in six starts, it’s obvious that Hamlin’s good at Martinsville. Only once has he finished outside the top 10. Subtract that accident-induced 37th place finish from his records, and his average finish is a solid 4.0. Given the past few weeks, Denny may be a bit of a shaky pick, but if he drives up to his track record, he could definitely surprise a few people.

So who would I pick to win this weekend? Picking Johnson is too easy. Despite his recent struggles, Gordon’s also almost too certain to do well this weekend. Even suggesting Denny Hamlin feels like a cop-out.

I’m going to go with the interesting pick and say that Kyle Busch will win this weekend. Busch has reset his focus on winning as many races as possible this year over NASCAR’s big three series. Last weekend’s Nationwide Series win and 4th place in Sprint Cup show that he still has the necessary fire inside to win. If his team has found its stride again as well, they could pull off the upset this weekend.

Handicapping the Chase Drivers: Lowe’s Motor Speedway

Thank you very much, Carl Edwards, for “really trying to screw up everyone’s day” at Talladega last week, because you kinda screwed up mine too. My lead pick, Jimmie Johnson, wound up 9th (the worst any of my lead picks has finished in the Chase). Sleeper Kevin Harvick wound up 20th, and dark horse Greg Biffle wound up 24th, both victims of Edwards’ aggressive bump drafting. (At least I didn’t pick Jeff Gordon or Denny Hamlin. Yikes!)

Thankfully, without the high speeds, restrictor plates, and unpredictability of Talladega, Charlotte is a much easier track to pick drivers on. Charlotte is built to the same specifications as Atlanta and Texas, and the three tracks combine for seven races per year (counting the All-Star event). For that reason, Charlotte’s a lot easier to predict than Talladega, and hopefully I’ll have better luck this week.

Here’s what to expect from each of the 12 Chase drivers this week at Charlotte:

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has five wins and 11 top 10s in 14 races at Charlotte. He’s got three wins and six top 10s in the last six races this year. If those two factoids aren’t enough for you, the racetrack is named after Lowe’s, Johnson’s longtime sponsor. The No. 48 team always tries a little harder to win for their sponsor at Charlotte, and with Johnson as hot as he is, this weekend should be no exception.

2. Carl Edwards: Cousin Carl lost all his momentum from the past couple months with his wreck at Talladega. Fortunately, Charlotte is one of his best tracks, with an average finish of 7.6 in seven starts, six of which were top 10 finishes. There should be no reason that Edwards’ team can’t rebound this weekend, but after last weekend, he’s not the most well-liked driver in the garage area.

3. Greg Biffle: With only four top 10s in 11 starts at Lowe’s, Biffle isn’t exactly a popular pick this weekend. However, of those four top 10s, two came in 2005, when the No. 16 was the hottest team in the garage, and one came in this year’s Coca-Cola 600, where he finished 2nd. If Biffle’s team stays as hot as it has been, another great run at Charlotte may happen.

4. Jeff Burton: Burton’s finished in the top 10 at Charlotte in 14 out of 29 starts, with wins in 1999 and 2001. Since joining Richard Childress Racing, his average finish is a stellar 8.0 in 8 starts at Charlotte. As for momentum, Burton hasn’t finished worse than 9th in the past 5 races.

5. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer’s only decent finish at Charlotte was his 2nd in this race last year, finishing .579 seconds behind Jeff Gordon for the win. Excluding that race, Bowyer has never finished on the lead lap at Charlotte, and only led three laps in this race in 2006. Bowyer still has momentum from finishing 5th at Talladega last weekend, and they’ll have to cash it all in to have a chance this weekend.

6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 2nd and 8th here in 2001, but ever since it’s been a downward spiral. His average finish of 20.7 at Charlotte is second worst of the 12 Chase drivers. He’s only led two laps here, none since 2003, and has only finished on the lead lap three times since 2001. Harvick’s anger after last week is another factor: will driving angry help or hurt him? After his altercation with Carl Edwards, it may not help.

7. Tony Stewart: Smoke has plenty of momentum from last week’s (unfairly awarded… sorry) win at Talladega. His two-car team has secured sponsorship for next year, so his mind is a little clearer. Now Stewart heads to Charlotte, a track at which he’s led laps at every year of his career except 2004 and 2006. He hasn’t ripped off top 5s here since the early stages of his career, but he always runs up front for at least part of the race. It’s all about what time he gets there and if he can hold on.

8. Jeff Gordon: Gordon has five wins here in 31 starts, including one in this race last year. Since 2002, his average finish is 7.4 in races which he’s completed. Granted, Gordon didn’t finish either Charlotte race in 2005 or 2006, and crashed out of last year’s Coca-Cola 600. If he doesn’t have bad luck like he did last week at Talladega, Gordon should be a contender.

9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has led at least one lap in every Charlotte race from the 2006 Coca-Cola 600, inclusive. However, he hasn’t won at the track since the 2000 Coca-Cola 600, the first win of his Cup career. Eight top 10 finishes in 18 starts, nearly a 1 to 1 ratio of good finishes to bad, compares well with Burton and Gordon. Kenseth could surprise this weekend, if the No. 17 team doesn’t let last week’s disappointment at Talladega get to them.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: In 18 starts, Junebug has nine top 10s but no wins at Charlotte. He hasn’t done too well in the Chase so far, finishing 5th, 24th, 13th, and 28th in four races. On the bright side, he led 79 laps in the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this year, eventually finishing 5th. This weekend could be a shot for Junior to rebound and put himself back in the title hunt.

11. Kyle Busch: Busch won the Nationwide race this weekend, but he’s had terrible luck on the Cup side of things for a few weeks now. He also has the worst average finish of any Chase driver at Charlotte, a paltry 23.3, with 3rd-place finishes in his past two starts the only bright spots. One never knows when a driver will break out of a slump, however, and this could be the weekend for Shrub.

12. Denny Hamlin: Forget the stats for a minute. Hamlin isn’t up to 100% health after a hard hit at Talladega. To expect him to run well this weekend after sitting out the Nationwide race isn’t a smart idea. He almost skipped the Cup race, too, for the sake of his health. He’ll probably ride around this weekend, but not do much in the way of anything spectacular.

So, who would I pick to win this weekend? I hate picking Jimmie Johnson again, but the numbers don’t lie. This is the No. 48 team’s territory, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Jeff Burton, given his recent string of good luck and solid track record here, may also have a chance to win. For a dark horse, I’d suggest Kyle Busch - it’s about time he breaks out of his recent slump, and Biffle’s surprise win at Loudon suggests that nothing is impossible.

Image Credit: Icon Sports Media

Handicapping the Chase Drivers: Talladega Superspeedway

So last week wasn’t quite a bust for me, with my best bets - sure thing Greg Biffle, dark horse Jeff Gordon, and sleeper Clint Bowyer - finishing 3rd, 4th, and 12th, respectively. My lead picks - Tony Stewart at New Hampshire, and Biffle at both Dover and Kansas - have finished 8th, 1st, and respectively, scoring 502 points between them. In other words, if I was in the Chase, I’d be fourth right now, 73 points behind Jimmie Johnson in first.

Talladega, however, offers the biggest challenge for any race forecaster in the entire Chase. A driver can go from 3rd to 30th in half a lap, or the exact opposite. Everyone knows about the Big One, a 20-plus car wreck that more often than not eliminates one of the sport’s top drivers from contention, especially late in the race. In other words, this weekend is a crapshoot. Before picking anybody to win, have a look at the speed charts from every practice, go with a gut feeling, and wear your lucky underwear - you’ll need it. Just don’t drop a deuce and have to wash all the luck out of it.

Here’s what to expect from each of the 12 Chase drivers this week at Talladega:

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s got momentum on his side, the top cars in the garage, an average start of 8.2 (so you know he’s fast here), and only one start in which he hasn’t led a lap, when his engine blew up in fall 2002. He’s almost a lock - as much as any driver can be at Talladega. Any questions?

2. Carl Edwards: Come Chase time, Edwards does well at Talladega: the past three years, he’s finished 5th, 9th, and 14th in this race (although that 9th came in 2006, when he missed the 10-man cutoff). Despite two engine failures, Edwards has never retired from a race due to an accident. Given his recent momentum, with seven finishes of 3rd or better from Indianapolis to now, don’t expect Cousin Carl to slow down any on Sunday.

3. Greg Biffle: Biff’s never finished better than 13th at Talladega in 2005, even when he hasn‘t gotten caught up in wrecks. He’s led 19 laps at the track in his Cup career. And somehow he’s excited for this race. Biffle’s stated that he’s going to hang around Johnson and Edwards all race to minimize any potential losses in the standings, but expect him to try to break away and lead a few laps if it’ll help him in the points.

4. Jeff Burton: In 29 career starts at Talladega, Burton’s only crashed out twice - and one of those times was his track debut in 1994. His 10 top 10s at the track for his career rank tied for third of all Chase drivers, but he only has two top 5s at the track, in 2001 and 2006. Burton’s almost certain not to wreck, however, so he’s a reliable if not spectacular choice.

5. Kevin Harvick: Happy’s one of the few top-caliber drivers who can say he’s never had a day completely ruined by getting caught up in the Big One. As such, he has an average finish of 14.3 at Talladega in 15 starts. The only Chaser with more than five seasons’ experience to finish every race he’s started at the track, Harvick should bring the car home in one piece on Sunday, with a top 10 finish very plausible (7 in his career).

6. Jeff Gordon: Jeff won both races here last season. He’s in dire need of a win this year, but after only finishing 19th at ‘Dega in the series’ spring visit, he‘s not a shoo-in. In 31 starts, however, Gordon’s finished in the top 10 16 times (with six wins) and crashed out only three times. He’s due, and this is a track that Gordon’s found more success on than a lot of drivers, so it’s possible that Gordon can find victory lane this weekend.

7. Clint Bowyer: When Clint completes every lap at Talladega (his last 2 starts at the track, in last year’s Chase and earlier this year), his average finish is 10.0. When he doesn’t (his first 3 starts at the track), his average finish is 36.7. If he finishes the race, he’ll do just fine, but not much more than that.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: From 2001 to 2004, Junebug’s worst finish at Talladega was 8th. Twice he finished 2nd. The other five times, he won. In the spring, he led 46 laps and finished 10th. Junior’s not a sure thing to win this weekend, though, as he hasn’t won here since 2004 and the team is using a backup car due to a nightmare practice. On the other hand, it should be noted that, as DEI were the kings of the restrictor plate in the early 2000s, so too Hendrick has been in the latter half of this decade.

9. Matt Kenseth: When Matt’s on at Talladega, he’s on (67 laps led with an average finish of 6.0 from 2005 to 2006). When he catches a bad break, however, he’s gone (5 finishes outside of the top 20, including his last two starts). An interesting note, however: Each time Matt’s finished inside the top 10 at Kansas, he’s also led laps and finished decently at Talladega. Matt finished 5th last weekend.

10. Denny Hamlin: Denny’s finished in the top 5 twice at Talladega, a 4th in fall 2007 and a 3rd earlier this year. In the three races before that, though, he finished 22nd, 21st, and 21st. Hamlin’s capable of running up front at Talladega, though, after leading at least one lap in all five of his starts. If Denny’s timing is on, we could see the No. 11 surprise a lot of folks by winding up in Victory Lane.

11. Tony Stewart: Smoke’s 13.9 average finish here is tops of all Chase contenders. He also led 61 laps here in the spring before an accident relegated him to 38th place. Tony lost a lot of momentum after finishing 40th at Kansas, but last year he rebounded from another poor Kansas run to finish 8th at ‘Dega. Keep in mind, Stewart’s only led 36 laps in the past 12 races, and didn’t have too much momentum to begin with. Don’t expect a surprise victory, but Stewart should be there in the end.

12. Kyle Busch: With career finishes of 41st, 33rd, 32nd, 11th, 37th, 36th, and 1st, it’s not hard to pick out the outlier in Busch’s ‘Dega stats. Forget the massive streak of bad luck the past few weeks; Busch is too accident prone here in the first place. Of course, I could be wrong, and he could break out this weekend and win (his only win here was this year), but all the signs point otherwise. Sorry, Kyle.

So who would I pick to win this weekend? Johnson, plain and simple. You can’t argue with momentum, horsepower, and flat-out talent. In the midst of a nine-race top 10 streak, Harvick also has the potential to put Richard Childress Racing in victory lane. As for a dark horse, look no further than the momentum-charged Biffle, who sounds legitimately excited for this race, despite his track record. Remember, he didn’t have too much going for him at Loudon, either.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

The Biff May be a Stiff at Talladega

They say anything can happen - and anyone can win at Talladega Super Speedway.  I’m not buyin’ it.

I know that  ”Dega is supposed to be the “wild card”.  That I CAN buy because somebody - maybe several somebodies -  who are in Cup contention, or appear to be (there are a lot of “ors” in this conversation) will almost, for sure get caught up in an Alabama Big One and, by that fact, be able to blame their failure to win the 2008 Sprint Cup on something other than their own culpability.

I try to use useful statistics when writing these Chase posts.  But try as I might, I couldn’t find a stat that pointed me, specifically  towards those drivers who have most consistently participated in Talladega “Big Ones”.  Almost makes one think of conspiracy theories - but I don’t subscribe.

I can tell you, based upon NASCAR’s Loop data for the last seven races run at Talladega; of the 2008 Chase contenders, Greg Biffle sucks.  No offense meant Greg, but I’m guessing you’ve spent more than your share of time as a pinball than you would care to admit.  

Now the Biff has been as good as anyone in the first three Chase races and the top Roush-Fenway Racing cars - Biffle, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth - are stout.  But the best Loop rated Roushketeer at Talladega is  Jamie McMurray for cryin’ out loud!  McMurray’s Driver Rating is fourth best - 92.1 - compared to Biffle’s 68.0.

The only regular Cup series drivers with worse DR’s that Biffles’s are Casey Mears, David Gilliland, Robby Gordon, Dave Blaney and, surprisingly, Mark Martin.

Plate tracks are different animals.  The temptation is to discount Greg’s Talladega stats as “big one syndrome” or something.  He has been really good these first three Chase races.  But his loop stats for those races were very strong too.  Some drivers - and teams - do extremely well on the plate tracks.  The Earnhardts, Richard Childress Racing and DEI have dominated in the past.  Roush has not.  Biffle is not the pick this week.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, inc.

Handicapping The Chase Drivers: Kansas Speedway

Fool me once, Greg Biffle, shame on you - but you’re not fooling me two weeks in a row. Neither are you, Matt Kenseth, my dark horse pick of last week, or Carl Edwards, who I called a “no-brainer,” or Jeff Gordon, who was “reasonably near the front” all day, just like I said. In other words, I had a heck of a week last week at Dover, when most of my picks finished right around where I expected them to.

Kansas, however, is a whole different animal. The Car of Today has never raced at the relatively new track, and as such, it’s a little more difficult to predict who’s going to finish where based on past races alone. A good barometer for where Chase drivers are going to finish might be the July race at Chicagoland Speedway, a track very similar in design to Kansas.

Here’s what to expect from each of the 12 drivers this week at Kansas:

1. Carl Edwards: Carl didn’t finish too well at Chicagoland, ending up 32nd after falling a lap down, although he did lead with as little as 60 laps to go. He finished 3rd here in 2005 and 6th in 2006, although he crashed out with Tony Stewart last year and wound up 37th. Keep in mind that from the first race at Richmond until now, a span of 19 races, Carl has only finished outside of the top ten three times. Based on momentum alone, it’s hard to go wrong with picking Edwards this weekend.

2. Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie’s average starting position at Kansas is a fantastic 5.5, but his average finish is 12.0, and he hasn’t ever really contended for the win here except in 2006, when Stewart passed him with five laps to go. Johnson has been pretty hot since finishing 2nd at Chicagoland, however, so he should at least be good for a top 10 finish.

3. Greg Biffle: In the last 6 races at Kansas, Da Biff has the most points of anyone, with 849. He won here last year, and he’s won the last two races this year. He also finished 4th at Chicagoland this year. Nobody in the garage has more momentum coming into this weekend, and a career average finish of 11.0 (which bumps up to 6.0 if you only count his starts in Roush Fenway vehicles) says that Biffle will contend for three wins in a row on Sunday.

4. Jeff Burton: Aside from a 5th here in 2006, there hasn’t really been much for Burton to smile about at Kansas. It’s not exactly easy to predict where Burton will finish this week either, because his finishes have been all over the place since joining RCR: 15th in 2004, 28th in 2005, the aforementioned 5th in 2006, and 36th last year. Burton also only finished 19th at Chicagoland, despite starting the race 3rd. Be wary of the AT&T team this weekend, if only because Burton could either be a huge hit or huge miss this weekend.

5. Kevin Harvick: Happy is 5th all-time in points scored at Kansas, with 827. He’s only failed to compete 109 laps at the track, and 107 were because his car overheated in 2004. In other words, Harvick is usually consistently towards the front at Kansas - although he’s never led more than 48 laps in a race, and his highest finish is 6th, he has an average finish of 13.0 when his car completes the race. Harvick also finished 3rd at Chicagoland this year. If you can pick up Harvick for insurance purposes, he shouldn’t let you down.

6. Clint Bowyer: Home track advantage? Clint’s finished 9th and 2nd in two starts at his home track, putting him third overall in that two-race span. In the Nationwide Series the past two years, he finished 5th in 2006 and 4th last year. He’s generally good at Chicagoland too, with an average finish of 13.7. One more kicker: Clint’s only failed to complete two laps from the first Michigan race up to now. Bowyer might be one of the smartest picks in the field for Sunday.

7. Tony Stewart: Stewart’s second all-time in points scored at Kansas, with 966 in 7 starts. Even though he wrecked out here last year with Edwards, but it’s his only finish at the track worse than 14th. His average finish is an excellent 11.1 with one win, two years ago. Stewart was also 5th at Chicagoland earlier this year. Expect Stewart to be up towards the front, if not contending for another victory, come Sunday.

8. Jeff Gordon: The only driver to outrank Stewart here at Kansas is Gordon, who’s scored 18 more points than Stewart in the same amount of starts. Keep in mind, that translates to an average finish of 10.6 (or, if you discount a failed fuel pump in 2006, an excellent 5.8) with two wins. He finished 11th in Chicagoland this year, leading 6 laps towards the beginning of the event. Gordon’s a great pick if you want a potential steal this weekend.

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Seventh-best all time at Kansas with 810 points, Junebug’s only failed to complete two laps at Kansas since 2002. Although his best finish is 6th in 2002, his average finish is a respectable 17.1. Junior finished 16th at Chicagoland after starting 2nd, remaining on the lead lap all race. All signs point to a top-15 finish for Junior, if not a top-10, but don’t bet on a win.

10. Matt Kenseth: An average finish of 22.1 isn’t going to do much for you this weekend. Then again, when Kenseth’s on a hot streak coming into Kansas, he can pull off some decent finishes: in 2002, he finished 7th for his fourth straight top-10, and in 2005 he finished 5th, capping an eight race stretch in which his average finish was 7.3. Kenseth’s got some momentum from Dover and could surprise this weekend.

11. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin’s never finished on the lead lap at Kansas, despite only failing to complete four laps in three Cup starts at the track. He won’t wreck out, sure, but a best finish of 18th isn’t exactly top-tier material. Even in the Nationwide Series, his average finish is only 17.0 after three starts with no top-5 finishes. Hamlin also only finished 40th at Chicagoland this year, four laps down. Avoid him if you can.

12. Kyle Busch: Damaged goods - do not touch. Everyone knows about Shrub’s meltdown the past two races, finishing 34th at Loudon and 43rd at Dover. His average finish of 26.5 at Kansas, partially buoyed by wrecks in 2004 and 2007, doesn’t help matters. Busch may have won the Nationwide Series race here last year, but as we saw last week at Dover, Nationwide and Sprint Cup success do not go hand in hand. Even though Busch won at Chicagoland this year, that was during a period where the M&M’s team could do no wrong, winning six times in an 11-race stretch. Don’t even think about him.

So who would I pick to win this weekend? Good things come in threes - each owner in the Chase has three cars in it, Johnson’s attempting to win his third championship, and I think Da Biff can pull off his third consecutive win this weekend. Clint Bowyer, given that Kansas is his home track, could be another solid pick to run up front. For a dark horse, if you can ever call him that, consider Jeff Gordon, the best driver of all-time at this track. Gordon’s another driver due for a win this season, and Kansas may be his best opportunity yet.

Kansas Speedway: Round Three of NASCAR’s Chase

Greg Biffle won this race in 2007.  But Biffle wasn’t in the Chase last year.  Three of the last four Kansas Speedway Sprint Cup race winners were non-Chase contenders in fact. 

The Biff is in the Chase this time and coming off a sweep of the first two rounds of the 2008 Chase to the Cup.  He has the number one Loop Data Driver Rating for Kansas Speedway - 118.5 - and the second best combined Driver Rating - 106.5 - when averaging in the season-to-date stats.  His average position in the three Loop Data races is 6.4 and he has run more laps in the top 15 - 702 for 94.4 percent - than anyone else.  And only one driver has won more races than Biffle - 13 -  on NASCAR’s intermediate tracks in the last five years.  Greg Biffle looks pretty studdly this week.

And so does the only driver with more intermediate track wins than the Biff.  That would be Jimmy Johnson with 23.  Johnson has something else that Biffle wants.  Greg is going for three straight Sprint Cup wins.  The last driver to pull that off is Johnson, who won four in a row at the end of the 2007 Chase.  Jimmy has the second best Kansas Driver Rating - 115.6 - but the top combined DR at 110.5.  Johnson has one top five and four top tens, but is winless at Kansas.

Anybody but Johnson

Carl Edwards leads the Sprint Cup standings.  His Driver Ratings for Kansas are a ninth best 90.2 for the Speedway and a combined fourth - 98.5 - when factoring in 2008 season-to-date.  Carl is part of  the surging Roush-Fenway organization.  Along with Biffle and Matt Kenseth, Edwards heads a three pronged assault on the Cup by the Cat in the Hat.  The trio took the top three spots at Dover International Speedway in race two.

Kenseth’s performance was the biggest surprise, based upon what had been happening with that team.  The no. 17 had the second best Dover Loop stats, but it was hard to look his way before the race.  A strong second at the Monster Mile makes this week’s outlook more positive.  Matt’s DR is eighth best for Kansas and he has the second most top ten finishes on intermediates the last five years.

Is Kyle Busch Really Toast?

Kyle Busch still has the best season-to-date Driver Rating, despite finishing 34th and 43rd the last two races.  But for the third straight week, his track specific DR is sub-top ten at 16th best 80.0, with just one top ten in four races.  The Shrub has been good on intermediates, finishing top ten in nearly half of his starts.  The question is, can the Joe Gibbs Racing no.18 right the ship.  If Kyle was feeling championship pressure, that should be gone - at least for now.

Gibb’s team leader - I think he’s still the team leader - Tony Stewart has the third best Kansas and combined DR.  He has won at Kansas and eight wins on intermediate tracks.  Can Tony win another race before he leaves Joe Gibbs Racing for good? 

Jeff Gordon is the only driver to win more than once at Kansas with two to go with ten other intermediate track wins the last five years.  Gordon has the fifth best combined DR and he’s coming off a solid seventh at Dover. His average finish at Kansas - 10.6 - is better than all but Clint Bowyer’s 5.5.

I’m hearing a lot about the Richard Childress Racing drivers being tough this week.  Bowyer actually has the fourth best Kansas DR at 106.5.  But he’s only races here twice in the Cup Series.  Bowyer finished eighth at Dover.  Kevin Harvick’s DR is 11th for Kansas - 83.3 and Jeff Burton has a 22nd best 70.4.  Their combined DRs are 86.6 and 79.9.  None of the RCR guys has a Kansas Cup win and they have six intermediate track wins between the three of them.

Dale Earnhardt Jr  finished 24th and with a Kansas DR of 82.0 and four intermediate track wins, Junior doesn’t look like a pick this week.  I need to see this team finish a race strong before I can take them.

But if you want a wild, dark-horse pick, go with Hendrick Motorsports’ Casey Mears.  Mears has the tenth best Kansas DR at 88.2 and a category leading Ave Finish of 4.7.

The pick to win here is Jimmy Johnson.  Roush teams are good on the mile and a half tracks but Jimmy is the king.

Looking for other fantasy thoughts on this week’s Kansas action?  Check out Backstretch Motorsports’ Pure Stats for week 3 or go to Roto Experts for their take.  And check out Mike Maruska’s fantasy advice at One Bad Wheel.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media , Inc.

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