Driver Chassis Selections: Richmond Air Guard 400

by Jeff Wackerlin
MotorRacingNetwork.com

1. Kevin Harvick: Coming off 12th top 10 in 19 starts; Won the 2006 fall race; Sixth-best average finish (10.7) in seven starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 304) that finished third with at Richmond in May.

2. Jeff Gordon: Only driver to finish in the top 10 in all seven races with the COT; Second in laps led (648) with the COT; Combined to lead 337 laps in last three races; Two-time winner with last coming in 2000; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 542) that he finished third with at Martinsville and fourth at New Hampshire.

3. Kyle Busch: Coming off second win and third top five in the last three races; Led 226 laps in May; Second-best average finish (9.7) in seven starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 277) that he finished 23rd with at Pocono in August.

4. Tony Stewart: Third-best average finish (5.8) in the seven races with the COT; 14.0 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas; Three-time winner with last coming in the 2002 spring race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 525) that he finished 23rd with at Richmond in May.

5. Carl Edwards: Coming off first top five in 12 starts; Fifth-place finish in May was fourth top 10 in 12 starts; 17.1 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 570) that he raced at Richmond in May (Fifth-place).

6. Jeff Burton: Coming off 15th top 10 in 32 starts; Fourth-place finish in May was fourth top 10 in 12 starts with Richard Childress Racing; 14.7 average finish in seven starts with the COT; Will drive the same car (chassis No. 302) that he finished second with at Dover in May.

7. Jimmie Johnson: Three-time winner in the seven races with the COT; Last win came in the 2008 fall race; Ninth-best average finish (12.9) in seven starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 590) that he finished ninth with at Martinsville in March.

8. Kurt Busch: Coming off worst finish in last four starts in 18th; Four top 10s in nine starts with Penske Racing; Finished second in this event last year for sixth top 10 in 19 overall starts; Won the 2005 summer race with Roush Racing; Tied for 10th-best average finish (14.0) in seven starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 702) that he won the All-Star race with in May.

9. Matt Kenseth: Nine top-10 finishes in 21 starts; Has finished outside the top 10 in his last six starts; 21.7 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 698) in the Air Guard 400.

10. Denny Hamlin: Defending event winner; Led 299 from the third starting position in that event; Lap leader (861) in the seven races with the COT; Fourth-best average finish (8.9) with the COT; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 276) that he finished 15th with at Indianapolis.

11. Greg Biffle: Five consecutive top-10 finishes from fall 2004 to fall 2006 are only top 10s; 19.7 average finish in seven starts with the COT; 13th-place finish in this even last year is best with COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 634) that he finished 16th with at New Hampshire in June.

12. Clint Bowyer: Winner of this event in 2008; Scored fourth top 10 in this event last year with a sixth-place finish; Fifth-best average finish (10.0) in seven starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 303) that he finished fourth with at Bristol.

13. Ryan Newman: Seventh-best average finish (11.1) in the seven races with the COT; Coming off third consecutive top 10 (all with Stewart-Haas); 11 top 10s in 17 overall starts.

14. Jamie McMurray: Finished 19th in first track start in an Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet; Three top 10s in 15 starts; Best finish came in the 2009 spring race with Roush Racing in seventh; 28.0 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1007) that he raced at Richmond in May; This was tested last month at Gresham Motorsports Park.

15. Mark Martin: 25th-place finish in May ended a streak of four consecutive top fives; 11.3 average finish in three starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Eighth-best average finish (11.4) in the seven races with the COT; Scored one win (1990) and 22 top 10s with Roush Racing from 1988-2006; This weekend's chassis (No. 561) was tested at Pikes Peak International Raceway; This is the same car he raced at Richmond in May.

16. David Reutimann: Led race-high 104 laps en route to track best ninth-place finish in this even in 2008; Started second and finished 15th in May; 19.4 average finish in seven starts.

17. Juan Pablo Montoya: Coming off best finish in seven starts in sixth; Finish was second top 10; Best finish in the Summer race came last year in 19th; Has yet to lead a lap; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 1005) that he finished 36th with at Martinsville.

18. Kasey Kahne: 19.9 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Won from the pole in the 2005 after leading a race high 242 laps; Victory was first in Sprint Cup Series and is one of five top-10 finishes at track; Last top 10 came in the 2008 spring race; Finished 21st in May in first track start behind the wheel of a Ford.

19. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 19.8 average finish in five 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 he finished 32nd with at Richmond in May after a cut tire forced an unscheduled pit stop.

20. Martin Truex Jr: Coming off second top 10 (seventh) in nine starts; Finish came in first track start with Michael Waltrip Racing; 18.9 average finish in the seven races with the COT.