Final 2015 AAA Texas 500 Driver Ratings and Practice Notes

Keselowski might be in for a season best run on a 1.5-mile track. Surprisingly, his best was 5th at Texas in April. 

Micah Roberts’ Top-10 Driver Ratings
AAA Texas 500
Texas Motor Speedway  
Sunday, November 8, 2015 -  11:16 am (PT)

RATING    DRIVER   ODDS          PRAC 1    QUALIFIED          FALL CMS*     KANSAS*    
 1. Joey Logano 5/1              5th            4th                 1st            1st 
2014 winner with fifth-place average in past five; won on past two 1.5-mile tracks.
 2. Kevin Harvick 9/2            2nd           2nd                 2nd           16th 
No wins in 25 starts, but runner-up in past two; using winning Dover chassis this week.
 3. Brad Keselowski 6/1        1st            1st                 9th             9th  
2012 runner-up, third last fall and in fifth April; ninth or better in all nine races on 1.5s.
 4. Denny Hamlin 15/1         13th           9th                 4th             2nd 
Two-time winner (2010 sweep); fourth or better in past four races on 1.5s -- won at Chicago.
 5. Kyle Busch 6/1                11th           3rd               20th            5th 
2013 winner, 3.5 average finish; missed spring race (leg); won on 1.5 track at Kentucky (July).
 6. Jimmie Johnson 6/1        14th           8th               39th            3rd 
Track best five-time winner and 8.7 average finish; won three of first four 2015 races on 1.5s.
 7. Kurt Busch 12/1              10th           7th                 5th             6th 
2009 winner; sixth or better in past three races on 1.5s; using seventh-place Darlington chassis.
 8. Carl Edwards 12/1            3rd          13th                6th             8th  
Three-time winner, 2008 sweep; seventh or better in past five on 1.5s -- won Coca-Cola 600.
 9. Martin Truex Jr. 12/1       20th          23rd               3rd            15th 
2013 runner-up; has been one of best on 1.5s all season -- second at Las Vegas.
10. Jeff Gordon 30/1            19th          18th                8th            10th 
2009 winner; makes 30th and final Texas start -- only driver to have raced in every Cup event.

Note: Saturday’s final two practices cancelled due to rain. Friday’s lone practice was used primarily by most drivers for mock-qualifying runs.

* Results from the past two races on 1.5-mile tracks: Oct. 11 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Oct. 18 at Kansas Speedway. Charlotte and Texas are the most similar among all 1.5s. Data from those recent races are more relevant to rating than what happened in April 11 race at Texas

Odds courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

Micah Roberts is a former Las Vegas sports book director who has been setting NASCAR odds since 1994. Follow him on Twitter: MicahRoberts7