Drivers Chassis Selections For Texas: Some New and Some With Great History

by Jeff Wackerlin
MotorRacingNetwork.com

1. Jimmie Johnson: Winner of the fall race in 2007; Finished second in last two spring events; 10.8 average finish in 13 starts; 6.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 580) that won at Las Vegas earlier this season.

2. Matt Kenseth: Winner of the 2002 race; Leads all drivers with a 6.5 average finish in the four races with the new car; Has finished ninth or better in eight of the last nine races; 3.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 646) that finished fifth at Las Vegas.

3. Greg Biffle: Winner of the 2005 spring race; Led 93 laps and finished third in this event last year for third top five; Coming off fifth top 10 with an eighth-place finish last fall; 9.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010. Will debut a new car (chassis No. 646) in the Samsung Mobile 500.

4. Kevin Harvick: Coming off sixth top 10 with a fifth-place finish last fall; Has only led four laps in 14 starts; 5.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 301) in the Samsung Mobile 500. This car was tested at Charlotte last month.

5. Jeff Gordon: Defending race winner; Win is one of seven top fives; Has led 324 laps in last six starts; 10.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Led 219 laps at Las Vegas earlier this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 554) that finished 23rd at Bristol last August.

6. Clint Bowyer: Coming off fourth top 10 with a seventh-place finish last fall; Has only one finish outside the top 20 in eight starts; 15.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 257) that finished eighth at Auto Club in February.

7. Jeff Burton: Winner of the inaugural and 2007 spring race; Has posted six top 10s with Richard Childress Racing; 15.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 302) in the Samsung Mobile 500.

8. Carl Edwards: Three-time winner; Leads all drivers in wins (2) and laps led (344) in the four races with the new car; A crash in last fall's event raised his finishing average to 16.0 in 10 starts; 25.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 565) that finished 12th at Las Vegas.

9. Tony Stewart: Finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in first track starts with Stewart-Haas last year; Posted one win and eight top 10s in previous 14 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; 10.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Won the 2000 race for first of seven top 10s with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Has one pole and an average finish of 19.3 in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; 15.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 599) in the Samsung Mobile 500.

11. Joey Logano: Coming off best finish (19th) in three starts; 20.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

12. Kyle Busch: 9.5 average finish in four starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Four top-10 finishes in 10 starts; Second-most laps led (286) in the four races with the new car; 20.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

13. Mark Martin: Finished sixth and fourth, respectively, in first track starts with Hendrick Motorsports last year; Finishes are two of 10 top 10s in 18 starts; Won the 1998 race with Roush Racing; Second-best average finish (7.5) in the four races with the new car; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 527) that won at Chicagoland last July.

14. Kurt Busch: Coming off first win in 14 starts; Led 89 laps last fall en route to the win; Finish lowered his average to 16.8 in eight starts with Penske Racing; Latest winner on a 1.5-mile track with his victory at Atlanta; Will return in the Atlanta car (chassis No. 715) in the Samsung Mobile 500.

15. Paul Menard: Scored best finish (13th) in this event last year in track debut in a Ford; Previous five starts came in a Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet; 11.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 594) that finished fifth at Atlanta.

16. Ryan Newman: Finished 15th and 12th, respectively, in first track starts with Stewart-Haas last year; Posted one win and three top 10s in previous 11 starts with Penske Racing; 17.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

17. Brian Vickers: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in 11 starts; 19.0 average finish in the four starts with the new car; 19.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

18. Denny Hamlin: Coming off first top five (second) in nine starts; Fourth-best average finish (9.0) in the four races with the new car; Finished 12th in this event last year; 20.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 270) in the Samsung Mobile 500.

19. Martin Truex Jr.: Making track debut with Michael Waltrip Racing; Scored one pole and four top 10s in previous nine starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (Earnhardt Ganassi in 2009); 23.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

20. Jamie McMurray: Last of six top 10s (third) came in the 2008 fall race with Roush Racing; Will make first track start in an Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet; Best finish (second) came in this event in 2005 in a Ganassi Dodge; 31.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 1004) in the Samsung Mobile 500. This car was tested at Charlotte last month.

21. Juan Pablo Montoya: Two top 10s in six starts; Track best seventh-place finish in this event last year; Led 10 laps at the track in the fall of 2007 after starting third; 23.2 average finish; Bringing chassis No. 819; Last raced this car at Atlanta this season to a third-place finish.

22. Scott Speed: Track best 18th in last fall's event; 25.5 average finish in two starts.

23. AJ Allmendinger: Netted first top-10 finish in four starts last fall; 10th-place result came driving a Ford; 27.2 average finish.

24. Marcos Ambrose: 25.7 average finish in three starts; Was running in second position last fall before he ran out of fuel on the penultimate lap resulting in 15th-place finish; That result is best at track.

25. David Reutimann: Won the pole for this event last year; Led 40 laps en route to 11th-place finish; Has finished 16th or better in last three starts with a track best 10th-place finish in fall of 2008; 24.2 average finish in five starts.

26. Kasey Kahne: Won this event in 2006 from the pole; Only other top-10 result came in track debut in 2004; Led a combined 211 laps en route to two top 10s; Average finish of 26.0 in two starts with Richard Petty Motorsports; 6.5 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

27. Brad Keselowski: Made career Cup debut at track in fall of 2008; Debuted with Penske in fall of 2009 at track with 35th-place finish; Average finish of 25.7 in three starts; Bringing brand-new chassis PRS-726.

28. David Ragan: Track best 11th-place finish in fall of 2008; 25.7 average finish in six starts; 30.0 average finish in the two races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.

29. Elliott Sadler: Site of one of Sadler's three career Cup Series victories; Three top 10s in 16 starts and average finish of 23.4; Finished 32nd and 22nd with RPM in 2009.

30. Sam Hornish Jr.: One finish inside the top 20 in four starts; 28.0 average finish.