Thursday, June 10, 2010

Michigan Driver Chassis Selections: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400

by Jeff Wackerlin
MotorRacingNetwork.com

1. Kevin Harvick: Six top 10s in 18 starts; Seventh-best average finish (12.5) in the four races with the COT; Has yet to lead a lap in the last 12 races; Will race the same car (chassis No. 299) that finished second at Las Vegas in February.

2. Kyle Busch: Eighth-best average finish (12.8) in the four races with the COT; Only top five (second) came with Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2008 August race; Started second and finished 13th in this event last year.

3. Denny Hamlin: 16.5 average finish in the four races with the COT; Scored best finish (third) in eight starts in this event last year.

4. Matt Kenseth: Fifth-best average finish (10.5) in the four races with the COT; Two wins and 13 tops 10s in 21 starts; Finished 20th in this event last year because he had to pit late due to a loose wheel; Will race the same car (chassis No. 644) that finished 18th at Martinsville in March.

5. Kurt Busch: 25.2 average finish in the four races with the COT; Finished eighth in this event last year; Only other top 10 in seven starts with Penske Racing was a win the 2007 August race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 725) that finished third at Darlington in May.

6. Jimmie Johnson: 19.5 average finish in the four races with the COT; Only driver to lead more than 110 laps with the COT (356); Led 146 laps in this event last year; Finished 22nd in that event after running out of fuel on the last lap while leading; Has recorded six top 10s in 16 starts; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 580) that he won the Las Vegas race with in February.

7. Jeff Gordon: 16.0 average finish in the four races with the COT; Finished second in both races in 2009; Has recorded two wins and 22 top 10s in 34 starts.

8. Jeff Burton: 17.5 average finish in the four races with the COT; Has yet to finish in the top 10 in 11 starts with Richard Childress Racing; Eight top 10s came with Roush Racing; Will race the same car (chassis No. 307) that finished 25th at Charlotte last month after cutting a left-rear tire.

9. Carl Edwards: Two-time winner; Leads all drivers with a 4.0 average finish in the four races with the COT; Has finished seventh or better in the last six races; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 565) that finished 33rd at Texas in April after a late-race accident.

10. Greg Biffle: Two-time winner; Sixth-best average finish (12.2) in the four races with the COT; Led 42 laps and finished fifth in this event last year; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 648) that finished 22nd at Darlington last month.

11. Mark Martin: Leads all full-times drivers in wins (5), top fives (17) and top 10s (29); Won this event last year on fuel mileage; 15.8 average finish in the four races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 523) that won last year at MIS and finished fourth at Auto Club in February.

12. Clint Bowyer: Scored first top 10s in eight starts in last year's races; Eighth-place finish last August is best-to-date; 16.0 average finish in the four races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 306) in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400.

13. Tony Stewart: Finished seventh and 17th, respectively, in first two track starts with Stewart-Haas; Scored one win and 13 top 10s in previous 20 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Fourth-best average finish (10.2) in the four races with the COT; Has only led a combined five laps in last nine starts.

14. Ryan Newman: Finished 23rd and 15th,respectively, in first two track starts with Stewart-Haas; Recorded two wins and four top 10s in 15 starts with Penske Racing.

15. Martin Truex Jr: Only top 10s in eight starts is a pair of runner-up finishes in 2007; Finished 36th in this event last year; Will make ninth start - first with Michael Waltrip Racing - this weekend.

16. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Won 2008 June race in first track start with Hendrick Motorsports; Has posted a 10.2 average finish in four starts with HMS; Coming off seventh top 10 in 21 starts with a third-place run last August; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 599) that finished eighth at Texas and 22ns at Charlotte this season.

17. Joey Logano: 16.0 average finish in two starts; Coming off best finish in seventh; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 272) that finished 13th at Charlotte last month.

18. Jamie McMurray: Finished 10th in both races in 2008; Has four top 10s in 14 starts; Will make track debut in a Chevrolet.

19. David Reutimann: Coming off first top 10 (ninth) in six starts; Finished 19th in this event last year; 19.2 average finish in the four races with the COT.

20. Juan Pablo Montoya: Coming off best finish of sixth in this event last year; Only top-10 finish in six starts; 26.2 average finish; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 1015) in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400.

21. Paul Menard: Yet to finish in the top 10 in seven starts; 23.7 average finish with a best result of 11th coming in this event in 2008; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 683) that finished eighth in the Coca-Cola 600.

22. AJ Allmendinger: 27.8 average finish in five starts; Will race the same car (chassis No. 294) that finished 14th at Charlotte.

23. Kasey Kahne: Won this event in 2006 from the pole after leading just 19 laps; Has scored five top-five finishes in 12 starts; 16.3 average finish; Making track debut in a Ford.

24. Brad Keselowski: Made first track start in second event last year; Finished 24th after starting 12th; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 706) that finished seventh in the All-Star Race.

25. David Ragan: Posted two top-10 finishes in 2008, with a best third in the second event; 15.8 average finish in six starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 640) that finished 15th at Texas.

26. Scott Speed: Ran both races in 2009 with a best finish of 34th coming in the second event; 35.5 average finish with two starts.

27. Sam Hornish Jr.: Coming off his best track finish in four starts with a fifth-place finish in the second event last year; 19.5 average finish.

28. Regan Smith: Made only two Cup starts at track in 2008 with an average finish of 30.5.

29. Elliott Sadler: Five top-10 finishes in 22 starts, including two ninth-place finishes in both 2008 races; 22.2 average finish, with only top-five finish coming with a Ford in this event in 2004; Bringing same car (Chassis No. 283) that finished 21st at Darlington.

30. Marcos Ambrose: 36.3 average finish in three starts.



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