Thursday, October 21, 2010

Driver Chassis Selections for Martinsville Tums Fast Relief 500

MotorRacingNetwork.com


1. Jimmie Johnson: Six-time winner; Has won five of the last eight races; 5.4 average finish leads all drivers; Tied with Denny Hamlin for the best average finish (2.7) in the seven races with the COT; Has led 1,551 laps in 17 starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 540) that finished first and 25th, respectively, with this season at New Hampshire.
2. Denny Hamlin: Winner of the last two races; 1.3 average finish and 674 laps led in last three races; Three wins and a 2.7 average finish in the seven races with the COT.
3. Kevin Harvick: Scored seventh top 10 in 18 starts last year in this event; Led 57 laps in the spring before brake problems relegated him to a 35th-place finish; 18.0 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 322) that he finished fifth with at New Hampshire last month.
4. Jeff Gordon: Leads active drivers in wins (7), top fives (23), top 10s (29), laps led (2,888) and poles (7); Has finished ninth or better in last 15 starts; Led 92 laps and finished third in the spring; 3.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 616) that he finished sixth with at New Hampshire last month; This car was also tested at Rockingham.
5. Kyle Busch: Fourth-place finish in this event last year is only top 20 in five starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Previous four top 10s came with Hendrick Motorsports; Led 106 laps in the 2007 fall race; 17.9 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 277) that he most recently finished second with at Richmond.
6. Tony Stewart: Two top 10s and a 12.7 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas; Posted 11 top 10s and two wins in previous 20 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; 12.7 average finish in seven starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 587) that he most recently finished 24th with at New Hampshire last month.
7. Carl Edwards: Coming off third top 10 in 12 starts; Best finish came in this event in 2008 in third; Has yet to lead a lap; 13.4 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 647) that he finished 11th with at New Hampshire last month.
8. Greg Biffle: Coming off second top 10 in 15 starts; 15 of 21 laps led have come in the last two fall events; 19.1 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 700) that he finished 17th with at New Hampshire last month.
9. Kurt Busch: 23.1 average finish in nine starts with Penske Racing; Four top 10s, including one win, came in previous 11 starts with Roush Racing; 24.3 average finish and 19 laps led in the seven races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 740) in the TUMS Fast Relief 500; This car was tested at Gresham Motorsports Park.
10. Jeff Burton: Three top 10s in 12 starts with Richard Childress Racing; Scored one win and 11 top 10s with Roush Racing; 12.6 average finish and 232 laps led in the seven races with the COT; Led 140 laps in the spring before a cut right-front tire in the closing laps relegated him to a 20th-place finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 293) that he finished 10th with at Bristol in March.
11. Matt Kenseth: Last of six top 10s came in the 2008 fall race; Finished 18th in the spring; 15.4 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 704) that he finished 23rd with at New Hampshire.
12. Clint Bowyer: Coming off fifth top 10 in nine starts; 19th-place finish in this event last year ended a streak of four consecutive top 10s; Fourth-best average finish (10.0) in the seven races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 327) in the TUMS Fast Relief 500.
13. Jamie McMurray: Finished 30th in the spring in first track start in an Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet; Posted nine top 10s in previous 14 starts; 19.0 average finish in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1007) that he most recently finished 17th with at Richmond last month.
14. Ryan Newman: Has finished in the top 10 in his three starts with Stewart-Haas; Scored six top 10s in previous 14 starts with Penske Racing; 7.7 average finish in 11 combined starts on the short-tracks with Stewart-Haas; Fifth-best average finish (10.7) in the seven races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 492) that he's posted an average finish of 5.7 with in three starts at Martinsville.
15. Mark Martin: 12.0 average finish in three starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Starts with HMS are his only in a COT; Won the spring race in 1992 and 2000 with Roush Racing; 13.3 average finish in 45 starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 561) that he posted respective finishes of eighth and 21st in his last two trips to Martinsville.
16. Juan Pablo Montoya: Best oval on the schedule based on his 14.6 average finish; 13.0 average finish in three track starts in an Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet; Led 37 laps in this event last year en route to first top five; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1005) that he most recently finished seventh with at Richmond last month.
17. David Reutimann: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in seven starts; Best finish came in this event last year in 16th; 25.3 average finish in the seven races with the COT.
18. Joey Logano: Coming off best finish in three starts in second; 15.3 average finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 275) that he most recently finished third with at Dover last month.
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 12.0 average finish in five starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Posted seven top 10s in previous 16 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Best finish came in the 2008 fall race in second; Best track on the circuit based on laps led with 758; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 562) that he finished 15th with at Martinsville in March.

20. AJ Allmendinger: Only top 10 in six starts came in the 2009 spring race; Finished 38th in the spring after a crash took him out of contention; 28.2 average finish in six starts with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 289) that he most recently finished eighth with at Richmond last month.

No comments: