Saturday, June 11, 2011

Final Pocono Driver Ratings Following All Practice and Qualifying Sessions

Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
5-Hour Energy 500
Pocono Raceway
Sunday, June 12, 2011 - 10:15 am (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds     Practice 1  Practice 2   Qualified   2010 Results* 

 1. Jimmie Johnson 6/1          3rd               5th            14th               10th       
Swept 2004 season; second fastest 10 consecutive lap average in Friday‘s practice.             
 2. Denny Hamlin 4/1             10th             1st              4th                5th
Four-time winner with track best 8.2 average finish; second best average practice speeds.     
 3. Tony Stewart 10/1             4th              12th            15th               2nd                           
Two-time winner with a series best 3.6 average finish in his last five starts.  
 4. Carl Edwards 7/1               1st               3rd              6th               3rd      
Two-time winner; using chassis that won at Las Vegas and was runner-up ant Darlington. 
 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 12/1    13th            13th             21st              27th                   
Two-time runner-up; top average speeds in final practice. Using Dover/Fontana car this week.               
 6. Mark Martin 40/1               15th             6th              10th              7th                                  
Six-time runner-up with 11.1 average finish in 48 starts; had a terrific final practice.
 7. Kurt Busch 25/1                 5th               9th              1st               33rd
Two-time winner; wrecked primary car in final practice and is using backup, but it’s very fast.                    
 8. Kevin Harvick 12/1            21st            25th             32nd              4th                           
Finished fourth in both 2010 races tying a career best; using winning 2010 Michigan chassis.       
 9. Ryan Newman 40/1           6th               8th               8th               12th            
2003 winner with 13.1 average finish in 18 starts; using fifth-place Fontana chassis this week.                  
10. Jeff Gordon 12/1               9th             20th               3rd                6th         
Four-time winner, the last coming in 2007. Career average finish of 10.5 in 36 starts. 
 
* Results from the August 1, 2010 race held at Pocono, the last race run there.

Note: This will be the first Pocono race since 2004 that all teams don’t have to abide by the same gear ratio rule which should allow for a lot more passing than seen the past six seasons.
                    
Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former race and sports Director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com.

Pocono Starting Lineup

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