Driver Chassis Selections for Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol

by Jeff Wackerlin
MotorRacingNetwork.com

1. Kevin Harvick: 15.0 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Winner of the 2005 spring race; Started 33rd and finished 11th in the spring; 12.2 average in 19 overall starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 297) that he finished sixth with at Darlington in May.

2. Jeff Gordon: Five-time winner; 11.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Started fifth and finished 14th in the spring; Leads all drivers with 2,438 laps led.

3. Denny Hamlin: Coming off worst finish (19th) in nine starts; Came from the back of the field and a lap down to finish fifth last summer; 13.1 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Top five finishes in three of the last four races; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 259) that he raced in March.

4. Tony Stewart: Coming off first top five (second) in three starts with Stewart-Haas: 16.1 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Scored seven top 10s in 20 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Winner of the 2001 summer race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 530) that he raced in the spring.

5. Jimmie Johnson: Coming off first win in 17 starts; Has finished in the top 10 and led a combined 279 laps in the last three races; 14.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 580) that finished sixth at Michigan in June.

6. Carl Edwards: Coming off fifth top 10 (sixth) in 12 starts; Winner of the 2007 and 2008 summer races; Finished 16th in this event last year; Third-best average finish (9.6) in the seven races with the COT; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 596) that he most recently finished eighth with at Dover in May.

7. Jeff Burton: Winner of the 2008 spring race; Coming off seventh top 10 in 12 starts with Richard Childress Racing; 13.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 307) that he most recently finished eighth with at Michigan.

8. Kyle Busch: Swept both races in 2009; Leads all drivers in average finish (5.7) and laps led (900) in the seven races with the COT; 6.0 average finish in five starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Won the 2007 spring race with Hendrick Motorsports; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 249) that he most recently finished 11th with at New Hampshire.

9. Matt Kenseth: Coming off eighth top five (fifth) in 21 starts; Winner of the 2005 and 2006 summer races; 16.7 average finish in the seven races with the COT.

10. Kurt Busch: Coming off 11th top 10 (third) in 19 starts; One win and four top 10s in nine starts with Penske Racing; Four other wins came with Roush Racing; 11.9 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 709) that he led 278 laps with in the spring.

11. Greg Biffle: Coming off sixth top five (fourth) in 15 starts; Also finished fourth in this event last year; Has combined to lead 154 laps in last two starts; 11.0 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 608) that he finished sixth with at Dover.

12. Clint Bowyer: Recorded four-straight top 10s from 2007 to 2008; Finished 40th in the spring due to an engine failure; 13.6 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 303) that he finished seventh with at Charlotte and New Hampshire.

13. Mark Martin: Won both poles and posted an average finish of 4.0 in first two starts with Hendrick Motorsports in 2009; Finished 35th in the spring; Previous 21 top 10s came with Roush Racing; Last of two victories came in 1998; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 600) that he most recently finished 15th with at Chicago.

14. Ryan Newman: 9.7 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas; Sixth-place finish in this event last year was ninth top 10 in 17 starts; Only top five finish (second) came in this event in 2004 with Penske Racing; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 516) that he finished 16th with in the spring.

15. Jamie McMurray: Coming off fifth top 10 (eighth) in 15 starts; Four of his top 10s have come with Ganassi; Has yet to lead a lap in last 11 starts; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 803) that Martin Truex Jr. finished 22nd with at Auto Club last fall.

16. Kasey Kahne: Last of four top 10s came in this event in 2009 in fifth; Led 305 laps en route to a runner-up finish in this event in 2007; 19.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT.

17. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Best track on the circuit based on 11.4 average finish; 10.6 average finish in five starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Scored one win and nine top 10s with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in previous 16 starts.

18. David Reutimann: 22.4 average finish in five starts; Best finish came in the 2009 spring race in 12th; Finished 38th in March after an engine failure.

19. Juan Pablo Montoya: Ninth-place finish in the 2009 spring race is only top 10 in seven starts; 20.4 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Led first laps (29) in March; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 903) that he finished 26th with in the spring after being involved in a 13-car incident.

20. Martin Truex Jr: Has yet to score a top-10 finish in nine starts; Finished 12th in March in track debut with Michael Waltrip Racing; 22.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT.

21. Joey Logano: 33.0 average finish in three starts; Won the pole and finished 27th in March.

22. AJ Allmendinger: 29.8 average finish in six starts; Finished 17th in March; Has yet to lead a lap; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 265) that he finished sixth with at Atlanta in the spring.

23. Paul Menard: 23.2 average finish in six starts; Best finish (16th) came in the 2008 night race; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 561) that he finished 16th with at Pocono in June.

24. David Ragan: Only top 10 (10th) came in this event in 2008; Has yet to lead a lap in seven starts; 24.0 average finish; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 626) that he finished 26th with at Dover.

25. Brad Keselowski: Led 26 laps and finished 13th in first start in March; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 720) that he finished 19th with at Indianapolis.