Driver Chassis Selections: Phoenix Subway Fresh Fit 600

by Jeff Wackerlin
MotorRacingNetwork.com

1. Jimmie Johnson: Winner of four of the last five races; 5.1 average finish leads all drivers; Finished fourth in this event last year; Has combined to lead 631 laps in last five races; Last finish outside the top seven was 15th in this event in 2005; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 540) that led 238 laps en route to the win last fall at Phoenix.


2. Greg Biffle: Has an 8.2 average finish in last five starts; Finished fifth in this event last year for third top five in 12 starts; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 634) in the Subway Fresh Fit 600.

3. Matt Kenseth: Winner of the 2002 race; 17.7 average finish in six starts with the new car; Last of six top 10s (third) came in the 2007 fall race when he led 93 laps; Finished 27th in this event last year.

4. Kevin Harvick: Won both Cup races in 2006; Has posted a 16.0 average finish in the six races at the track with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 304) in the Subway Fresh Fit 600.

5. Jeff Burton: Coming off sixth top five in 21 starts with a second-place finish last fall; Third-best average finish (9.0) among drivers that have raced in all six events with the new car; Won the 2000 and 2001 events with Roush Racing; Last fall's finish was seventh top 10 in 11 starts with Richard Childress Racing; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 280) that ran at Phoenix last November.

6. Kurt Busch: Best track on the circuit based on 12.0 average finish; 3.7 average finish in last three starts; Second-best driver rating in last 10 races; Won the 2005 race with Roush Racing; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 701) that finished eighth at Auto Club Speedway last October in its debut. This car was tested at Gresham Motorsports Park last month.

7. Jeff Gordon: Coming off 16th top 10 (ninth) in 22 starts; Won the 2007 spring race from the pole; Three-time pole winner; 16.5 average finish in the six races with the new car.

8. Tony Stewart: Finished second in this event last year in track debut with Stewart-Haas Racing; 25th-place finish last fall raised his average finish to 11.0 in 16 starts; Posted one win and six top fives in previous 14 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Bringing chassis No. 14-535; Car brought team a second-place finish in this event last year.

9. Clint Bowyer: Coming off third top 10 (seventh) in nine starts; 13.3 average finish in the six starts with the new car; Finished 26th in this event last year; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 265) that was rebuilt during the offseason after finishing sixth (Atlanta) and 36th (Charlotte) last season.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 19.8 average finish in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Has led a combined 150 laps with the team in the spring races; Won the events in 2003 and 2004 with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 586) in the Subway Fresh Fit 600.

11. Paul Menard: 24.3 average finish in six starts; Finished 23rd in this event last year in first track start driving a Ford; Will pilot a 2009 chassis (No. 574) in the Subway Fresh Fit 600. This car has yet to make a start in 2010.

12. Brian Vickers: 29.0 average finish in five starts with Team Red Bull; Best finish (19th) with the team came in this event last year; Only top 10 came in the 2005 spring race, in eighth, when he was driving for Hendrick Motorsports.

13. Joey Logano: Finished 21st in both events in 2009; Taking brand new chassis No. 269 to Phoenix.

14. Carl Edwards: 14.5 average finish in the six races with the new car; Has finished in the top 10 in three of his last four starts; Led 87 laps in the 2007 fall race from the pole before an engine failure; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 647) that finished 16th last fall at Phoenix.

15. Denny Hamlin: Second-best average finish (6.0) among drivers that have raced in all six events with the new car; Has finished sixth or better in last four starts; Will have Casey Mears on standby because of his knee surgery last week; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 263) that finished third at Phoenix last fall.

16. Kyle Busch: 11.8 average finish in four starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Won this event in 2005 driving for Hendrick Motorsports; Has yet to lead a lap in last seven starts.

17. Mark Martin: Won this race from the pole last year in first track start with Hendrick Motorsports; Finished fourth in the fall; 8.8 average finish in 25 starts; Also won the 1993 race with Roush Racing; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 588) in the Subway Fresh Fit 600.

18. Martin Truex Jr.: 15.0 average finish in the six races with the new car; Coming off consecutive top 10s; Scored only top five (fifth) last year in the fall race from the pole; Will make first track start in a Toyota.

19. Jamie McMurray: Only top 10 (third) in 13 starts came in the 2008 fall race; Will make first track start in a Chevrolet with Earnhardt-Ganassi; This is the same team that finished in the top 10 in both races in 2009 with driver Martin Truex Jr.; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 1008) in the Subway Fresh Fit 600.

20. Kasey Kahne: One top five and three top 10s in 11 starts; 19.2 average finish; Celebrating 30th birthday on race day.

21. Scott Speed: Track debut in 2008 ended in bad accident and 40th-place finish; Average finish of 35.7 in three starts.

22. Ryan Newman: Three top-five finishes in 15 starts; Best finish was runner-up spot in 2004; Recorded 18.0 average finish with SHR in 2009; Leads all drivers in poles (4); Piloting chassis No. 39-536, which was raced at both Phoenix and Richmond races in 2009; Posted two top-10 finishes at Richmond with the car.

23. Elliott Sadler: Only top 10 in 16 starts was in a Ford for Yates Racing in 2002 fall event; 26.6 average finish; Making 400th Cup start; Driving brand new chassis No. 609.

24. David Reutimann: Posted two top-10 finishes in 2009; Track best eighth place in this event last year; 18.6 average finish in five starts.

25. Juan Pablo Montoya: Finished eighth last fall for best finish in six starts; 19.2 average finish; Driving chassis No. 909; Same chassis he used in last fall's event.

26. AJ Allmendinger: Finished 13th in a Ford in last fall's race; 21.3 average finish in three starts; Bringing chassis No. 277 for second race this season; Finished 25th at ACS in February with this car.

27. Brad Keselowski: One start in fall of 2009 resulted in 37th-place finish; Bringing brand new chassis PRS-716.

28. David Ragan: One top-10 finish in six starts came in fall of 2008; Piloting chassis RK-613; Car was driven to 23rd-place finish in fall 2009 race.

29. Marcos Ambrose: 14.3 average finish with three top-20 finishes; Best finish of 11th came in fall 2009.

30. Sam Hornish Jr.: Finished ninth in this event last year for first Cup Series top-10 finish; 21.8 average finish in five starts.