Richmond Driver Chassis Selections; Lots of Phoenix Cars Returning This Week

1. Jimmie Johnson: Three-time winner; Only multiple winner with the COT; Last win came in the 2008 fall race; Finished 36th in this event last year; Tied for ninth-best average finish (13.3) in six starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 540) that finished third at Phoenix earlier this month.

2. Kevin Harvick: Coming off 11th top 10 in 18 starts; Won the 2006 fall race; Eighth-best average finish (12.0) in six starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 304) that finished 13th at Phoenix earlier this month.

3. Greg Biffle: Five consecutive top-10 finishes from fall 2004 to fall 2006 are only top 10s; 19.3 average finish in six starts with the COT; Coming off best finish with the COT in 13th; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 576) in the Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400.

4. Matt Kenseth: Nine top-10 finishes in 20 starts; Led 192 combined laps in eight of his starts; Has finished outside the top 10 in his last five starts; 23.2 average finish in the six races with the COT; will return in the same car (chassis No. 645) that finished sixth at Phoenix earlier this month.

5. Kyle Busch Defending event winner; Coming off eighth top five (three runner-up finishes) in 10 starts; Third-best average finish (7.5) in six starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 251) that most recently led 113 laps en route to a eighth-place finish at Phoenix.

6. Mark Martin: Coming off four consecutive top five finishes; 4.5 average finish in two starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Fifth-best average finish (9.2) in six starts with the COT; Scored one win (1990) and 22 top 10s with Roush Racing; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 561) that finished 21st at Martinsville in March.

7. Kurt Busch: Four top 10s in eight starts with Penske Racing; Coming off third top five finish (second); Won the 2005 summer race with Roush Racing; Tied for ninth-best average finish (13.3) in six starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 709) that led 278 laps en route to a third-place finish at Bristol last month.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 16.8 average finish in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Led 90 laps en route to a fourth-place finish in the 2008 summer race; Captured three wins and nine top 10s in previous 17 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc; Will race the same car (chassis No. 586) that finished 12th at Phoenix earlier this month.

9. Denny Hamlin: Coming off first win in eight starts; Lap leader (861) in the six races with the COT; Fourth-best average finish (8.5) with the COT; Two-time pole winner; Will race a car (chassis No. 248) that holds a perfect record with three wins in as many starts; The last victory for the car came at Homestead last season.

10. Jeff Gordon: Only driver to finish in the top 10 in all six races with the COT; Second in laps led (504) with the COT; Combined to lead 193 laps in 2009; Two-time winner with last coming in 2005.

11. Clint Bowyer: Winner of this event in 2008; Coming off fourth top 10 with a sixth-place finish; Sixth-best average finish (9.7) in six starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 267) that finished seventh at Martinsville last month.

12. Jeff Burton: 16.5 average finish in six starts with the COT; Third-place finish in this event last year was 14th top 10 in 31 starts; Will drive the same car (chassis No. 280) that finished 25th at Phoenix this month.

13. Carl Edwards: Last of three top 10s (seventh) came in this event in 2008; 19.2 average finish in the six races with the COT; Only laps led (15) came in the 2007 summer race before the engine expired; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 570) that finished 20th at Martinsville last October.

14. Tony Stewart: Leads all drivers in average finish (5.8) in the six races with the COT; Finish in this event last year was one of three runner-ups in the last five races; Three-time winner with last coming in the 2002 spring race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 525) that most recently finished ninth at Dover last fall.

15. Martin Truex Jr.: Lone top 10 (fifth) came in the 2008 spring race; Finished 22nd in this event last year; Will make track debut with Michael Waltrip Racing.

16. Joey Logano: 16.5 average finish in two starts; Track best 14th-place finish in fall event last year.

17. Jamie McMurray: Three top-10 finishes in 14 starts; Track best seventh-place finish came in this event last year; 25.6 average finish; Piloting chassis No. 1007, which was last raced to a 30th-place finish at Martinsville this season.

18. Ryan Newman: Scored top-10 finishes in all six short track races in 2009, including fourth and 10th-place results in Richmond; Seventh-best average finish (11.7) in six starts with the COT; Has finished in the top 10 in 10 Richmond events, including in all but one of the spring events; 11.6 average finish in 16 starts; Has led a total of 433 laps in nine races.

19. Paul Menard: Only finished on lead lap in track debut in 2007; 16th-place finish in that race is best in six starts; 27.5 average finish; Bringing brand-new chassis No. 573 to Richmond.

20. Juan Pablo Montoya: Only top 10 in six starts came in this event last year with 10th-place finish; 26.3 average finish; Piloting chassis No. 909 for second time this year; This chassis last led 104 laps en route to fifth-place finish at Phoenix.

21. Scott Speed: Finished 33rd and 36th, respectively, last year during rookie season.

22. David Ragan: Finished third in fall of 2007 for only top-10 finish in six starts; 21.3 average finish; Bringing chassis RK-635 this weekend, which last finished 16th at Martinsville.

23. Kasey Kahne: Won from the pole in this event in 2005 after leading a race high 242 laps; Victory was first in series and is one of five top-10 finishes at track; Last top 10 came in this event in 2008; 18.0 average finish in 12 starts; Making track debut in Ford.

24. AJ Allmendinger: Has yet to finish inside top 20 in six starts; 30.2 average finish; Making track debut in Ford; Piloting chassis No. 289, which was raced to a 25th-place finish in Las Vegas this year.

25. Brian Vickers: Site of first career pole where he still holds track record of 129.983 mph set in this event in 2004 in track debut; Finished eighth in that race; Only other top 10 in 11 starts was a seventh-place finish last fall; 25.9 average finish.

26. Brad Keselowski: Finished 38th in only track start in fall of last year; Piloting the same car (chassis No. 707) that finished 13th at Bristol in March.

27. David Reutimann: Led race-high 104 laps en route to track best ninth-place finish in 2008 fall event; 20.2 average finish in six starts.

28. Sam Hornish Jr: Posted top-10 finishes in two races in 2009; Best track result was sixth-place in this race last year; 18.8 average finish in four starts.

29. Elliott Sadler: Has yet to post top-five finish in 22 starts; 24.7 average finish; Best track result and only top 10 was seventh in this event in 2005 with Yates Racing; Finished 25th and 34th in first year with Richard Petty Motorsports; Driving new chassis No. 270 this weekend; Celebrating 35th birthday on Friday.

30. Marcos Ambrose: Finished track-best 11th in his debut in this event last year; Recorded 22nd-place finish in the fall.