Saturday, April 8, 2017

Final Texas Driver Ratings: 2017 O'Reilly Auto Parts 500

Kyle Larson has been the best overall on these type of tracks this season. 
Micah Roberts' Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver Ratings
O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
Texas Motor Speedway
Sunday, April 9, 2017 - 1:46 pm ET

RATED DRIVER     ODDS                PRAC 1    START     PRAC 2    PRAC 3
 1. Kyle Larson (6/1)               6th     32nd      2nd       3rd
Career-best 5th-place in 2014; finished 2nd at Atlanta and Las Vegas, won at Fontana.
 2. Kyle Busch (8/1)              19th     34th      18th       8th
Two-time winner, including this race last season; best 10-consecutive lap average in practice 3.
 3. Chase Elliott (7/1)            20th     33rd       5th       2nd 
Top-5s in both 2016 races and also has top-5s in both races on 1.5-mile tracks this season.
 4. Brad Keselowski (6/1)      21st       5th       1st        9th
Two-time runner-up, the last in 2015; won at Texas' sister-track in Atlanta last month.
 5. Martin Truex Jr. (6/1)       16th       7th      22nd     16th
Runner-up in 2013, ninth or better past four starts; won at Texas' sister track in Las Vegas.
 6. Matt Kenseth (15/1)          29th      8th      10th       5th
Two-time winner with 9.4 avg finish; only JGR driver with top-5 between ATL, LV & Fontana.
 7. Jimmie Johnson (10/1)     14th     24th      15th       1st
Six-time winner with 8,3 avg finish and 1,023 laps led; no top-10s between ATL, LV & Fontana.
 8. Kevin Harvick (7/1)           10th      1st      19th      12th
No wins in 28 starts, but has averaged 12th-place finish; led 292 of 325 laps at Atlanta.
 9. Joey Logano (7/1)            11th      4th        6th      25th
2014 winner, and was 2nd and 3rd in 2016; 6th-place at Atlanta, 4th at Vegas, 5th at Fonatna.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr (25/1) 15th     37th       4th        7th
Won first Cup race in 2000, but winless in last 27 Texas starts; 6th or better in past four starts.
11. Ryan Blaney (40/1)           1st      2nd      16th      21st
Career-best 12th last fall; 7th-place at LV. Second-best 10 consecutive lap avg in final practice.
12. Kurt Busch (40/1)             24th    10th        8th      18th
2009 winner with 15.6 avg finish in 28 starts; had good average speeds in final practice.

Note: This is the third of 11 races on 1.5-mile tracks this season. The series also raced on the 2-mile layout of Fontana. Data from all three races run so far are relevant for the repaved Texas Motor Speedway.

Opening odds courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

Micah Roberts, a former Las Vegas sports book director, has been setting auto racing odds in Las Vegas since 1994.

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