Thursday, June 2, 2011

Driver Chassis Selections For STP 400 at Kansas

Note: Not all teams list their chassis in PR release

New chassis for Carl Edwards this week at Kansas (Getty)
1. Carl Edwards: Coming off fifth top 10 in seven starts; 12.3 average finish; Seventh-best driver rating in the past six races; Second-best average finish (6.7) in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 768) in the STP 400.

2. Kevin Harvick: Coming off fourth top five in 10 starts; 14.6 average finish; Ninth-best driver rating in the past six races; 12.7 average finish in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 318) that he posted three top-10s with in 2010, including Kansas in third.

3. Jimmie Johnson: Won the 2008 race; 9.3 average finish in nine starts; Has finished ninth or better in last four races; Second in laps led with 304; Second-best driver rating in the past six races; 17.3 average finish in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 669) in the STP 400.

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Recorded four top-10s with Dale Earnhardt, Inc; 23.7 average finish in three starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Fourth-best average finish (8.0) in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 657) that he finished 14th with at Darlington Raceway in May.

5. Kyle Busch: Recorded one top 10 with Hendrick Motorsports in 2006; 20.3 average finish in three starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; 28.7 average finish in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 308) in the STP 400.

6. Kurt Busch: Recorded two top-10s with Roush Racing; 18.0 average finish in five starts with Penske Racing; 10th-best driver rating in the past six races; Third-best average finish (7.7) in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 754) in the STP 400.

Kenseth using winning Dover chassis
7. Matt Kenseth: Coming off fourth top 10 in seventh; 20.6 average finish in 10 starts; Third in laps led with 210; Fifth-best driver rating in the past six races; Fifth-best average finish (8.7) in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 763) that he won with at Dover International Speedway last month.

8. Clint Bowyer: 11.8 average finish in five starts; Finished second in 2007; Eighth-best driver rating in the past six races; Tied for the ninth-best average finish (10.7) in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 360) in the STP 400.

9. Tony Stewart: Two-time winner; 2.5 average finish in last two starts; Fourth-best driver rating in the past six races; Eighth-best average finish (10.3) in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 583) that he finished 12th with at Texas Motor Speedway in March.

10. Ryan Newman: Won the 2003 race with Penske Racing; 15.5 average finish in two starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; 16.7 average finish in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 531) that he finished fifth with at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

11. Greg Biffle: Two-time winner; Leads all drivers with a 8.1 average finish; Leads all rivers with 323 laps led; Has finished third or better in last four races; Best driver rating in the past six races; 15.0 average finish in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 734) that he led 46 laps with in last month's All-Star Race.

12. Denny Hamlin: Fifth-place finish in 2009 is only top 10 in six starts; 17.8 average finish; Tied for the Ninth-best average finish (10.7) in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season.

13. AJ Allmendinger: Coming off second top 10 in three starts; 12.0 average finish; 14.3 average finish in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 736) that he last finished seventh with at Richmond International Raceway in April.

Martin and Earnhardt Jr both using Darlington car (Getty)
14. Mark Martin: Won the 2005 race with Roush Racing; 11.0 average finish in two starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Fifth in laps led with 152; Sixth-best driver rating in the past six races; 29.3 average finish in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 656) that he finished 19th with at Darlington Raceway in May.

15. Juan Pablo Montoya: Fourth-place finish in 2009 is only top 10 in four starts; 20.2 average finish; Sixth-best average finish (9.3) in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1105) that he most recently finished 23rd with at Darlington Raceway.

16. Jeff Gordon: Two-time winner; Has finished in the top five in his last four starts; Fourth in laps led with 204; Third-best driver rating in the past six races; 26.3 average finish in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season;

17. Marcos Ambrose: 28.0 average finish in three starts; Leads all drivers with a 5.3 average finish in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will pilot chassis No. 703 for the first time this season.

18. David Ragan: 18.8 average finish in four starts; Seventh-best average finish (10.3) in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 730) that he finished 22nd with at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

19. Kasey Kahne: Won the pole and led 27 laps last year up until a crash took him out of contention; 19.6 average finish in seven starts; Will make first track start with Team Red Bull; 19.0 average finish in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season;

20. Paul Menard: Coming off first top 10 (eighth) in four starts; 23.0 average finish; 15.3 average finish in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 351) that he finished fifth with at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

- compiled by Jeff Wackerlin, MotorRacingNetwork.com

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