Joe Gibbs Racing gaining ground since the break

Denny Hamlin has both Joe Gibbs Racing wins.

After a historic 19-win NASCAR Cup Series season in 2019 – including Kyle Busch’s second series championship – the Joe Gibbs Racing organization is still largely fine-tuning its winning form this year.

Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, won his second consecutive Daytona 500 to open the season in the same triumphant way JGR closed out the 2019 season. And since then, Hamlin won the second Darlington race after NASCAR returned to racing.

But those two races have been the only visits to Victory Lane for the stars of JGR through the opening nine races. A year ago, they had combined for six wins in the opening nine events – three from Kyle Busch (Phoenix, Auto Club, Bristol-1), two from Hamlin (Daytona 500, Texas-1) and a Richmond win by Martin Truex Jr.

Three JGR drivers – Busch, Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. – qualified for the Championship 4 season finale last year. And after a rough four races of the season that found all three outside the top 10 leaving Phoenix, the trio has worked their way into the top 10 since NASCAR returned to racing at Darlington.

Truex leads the pack in sixth place in the standings while Hamlin is seventh. Kyle Busch sits in ninth. And the fourth JGR driver, Erik Jones, is in Playoff contention in 14th.

This is his first season for Truex without longtime crew chief Cole Pearn, so there is a natural learning curve for the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with James Small taking over atop the pit box. And the break in racing did the duo good.

Through the first four races, they had an average finish of 24.5 – and didn’t crack the top 10. But in the five races back, their average finish has been 10.2, with a 20th-place effort at Bristol being the only result outside the top 10.

And there’s more good news in that Truex has a good history at this week’s Atlanta Motor Speedway venue and was the race runner-up just last spring. He leads all drivers in laps run in the top 15 at Atlanta (80.7 percent) and quality passes (883). He’s scored top-10 finishes in nine of his 21 starts.

Busch has put together top-five finishes in three of the last four races this season, and leads the Gibbs’ contingent with two wins (2008 and 2013) at Atlanta. The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has five top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 21 races there, and was sixth at Atlanta last year.

Three of Hamlin’s top-five runs this year have come since NASCAR returned at Darlington, including his win at Darlington-2. He has a victory at Atlanta (2012). And he has four top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 20 starts there.

Jones’ improvement since the break has mirrored that of his teammates. He’s finished in the top 10 in three of the five races since returning, and added an 11th-place result in a fourth race. He finished fifth at Darlington-2 and last weekend at Bristol.

Jones has only three Atlanta starts, but the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has never finished worse than 14th (first start in 2017). He has one top 10 in three races and was a career best seventh there last spring.

Toyota Racing Daytona Preview

Denny Hamlin has been Toyota's best restrictor-plate racer past few seasons.

Camrys in the Clash… Four Camry drivers are eligible to compete in the Clash at Daytona International Speedway Sunday afternoon – Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones and Martin Truex Jr. Toyota drivers have won four of the last six exhibition races, with two triumphs by Hamlin (2014 and 2016) and one by former Camry driver Matt Kenseth (2015). Busch won the pre-season event with the Camry in 2012 and was the highest-finishing Toyota driver in the event in 2017 with a runner-up result.

Truex ready to defend title in 2018… Toyota driver Truex was crowned the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) champion with his Furniture Row Racing team after overcoming an incredible amount of adversity. Truex had a season for the ages on his way to his first Cup Series title – winning a series-best eight races in a campaign that also included an impressive 19 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes in 36 races. Eight of his top-five finishes were either runner-up or third-place showings. After an off-season of championship celebrations, the Camry driver has his sights set on Daytona and is ready to defend his title in 2018.

Toyota Racing aims for three-peat in Manufacturer’s Championship… After capturing the NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer’s championship the past two seasons (2016 and 2017), Toyota is eyeing a third-consecutive title in 2018. In 2017, Toyota scored a series-best 16 race wins and capped off the season with the driver’s championship by Truex. In 2016, Toyota also captured 16 race wins to earn its first manufacturer’s title since joining the series in 2007. A Toyota driver has won two of the last three driver’s championships with Truex (2017) and Busch (2015) both capturing titles in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Rookies no more, Erik Jones and Daniel Suárez set for sophomore leap… Following their rookie seasons in the MENCS, Toyota drivers Erik Jones and Daniel Suárez are equipped to make strong sophomore jumps in 2018 as teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). Jones, who will move to the JGR No. 20 Camry in 2018, experienced a stout first season in Cup for Furniture Row Racing – winning the Rookie of the Year honors after scoring five top-fives, 14 top-10s and winning one pole (Bristol, fall). Suárez also made successful strides in his rookie season – collecting one top-five and 12 top-10s in the No. 19 Camry

Looking for second Daytona 500 victory in three years… Hamlin delivered Toyota its first Daytona 500 victory in 2016, edging out fellow Camry driver Truex by 0.011 seconds for the closest win in race history. Toyota will look to capture its second Daytona 500 victory in a three-year-span when the five Camry entries between Joe Gibbs Racing and Furniture Row Racing compete in the 60th running of the Great American Race on Feb. 18.

Bell takes on NASCAR Xfinity Series … Toyota’s NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will have a new look in 2018 as 2017 NASCAR Truck Series champion Christopher Bell joins the ranks. Bell had an exciting championship campaign in a Tundra last season – winning five races, scoring 15 top-fives and 21 top-10s. In 2017, Bell raced in eight NXS events, capturing his first series win at Kansas Speedway in October. The Oklahoma native will make his first-career Daytona NXS start, while he has two NCWTS starts there, with a best finish of eighth (2017). He will drive JGR’s No. 20 Camry in 2018. Joining Bell at JGR will be Brandon Jones in the No. 19 Camry and Ryan Preece racing a partial schedule in the No. 18 Camry. Preece found tremendous success in four races in a Camry last season – scoring one win (Iowa) and finishing in the top-five in all four starts. Jones brings a wealth of Xfinity Series experience with 71 career starts. Jones captured the pole in last year’s February NXS Daytona race, before joining Toyota.

Gragson gears up for 2018 with Toyota Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports… Tundra driver Noah Gragson is coming off a successful 2017 rookie campaign in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). The Tundra driver won one race (Martinsville) and scored four top-fives, with 13 top-10s and three poles. He will look to lead the Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) team in 2018 as their lineup will have multiple new faces. Spencer Davis, Riley Herbst and B. Jones will see time in a Tundra at KBM in 2018. Davis is slated to compete in the No. 51 Tundra at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 16. Toyota has enjoyed continued success in the NCWTS at Daytona as Tundra’s won eight-consecutive races at the superspeedway from 2007-2014 and also hold the most manufacturer wins at the 2.5-mile track.

Decker and Deegan making debuts in Florida… Toyota drivers Hailie Deegan and Natalie Decker are ready to kick off their 2018 season during Speedweeks. Deegan will race in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) season opener at New Smyrna Speedway Sunday, Feb. 11, while Decker will make her first-career start at Daytona International Speedway Saturday, Feb. 10 in the ARCA Series with Venturini Motorsports, which she will run all season. Deegan will compete full-time in 2018 with Bill McAnally Racing in the K&N Pro Series West, in addition to select NKNPSE events.

Toyota Camry to lead Daytona 500 field to green… The 2018 Toyota Camry XSE is the official pace car vehicle of the 2018 and 60th running of the Daytona 500. This will be the third time the Camry has led the field for the Daytona 500, after previously pacing the field in 2015 and 2016.

Toyota Injector at Daytona… In 2016, Toyota opened the Toyota Injector, a four-level concourse entryway into Daytona International Speedway filled with Toyota-themed content. The Injector was built as part of Daytona Rising, a $400 million re-imagining of Daytona as a stadium. Fans can enjoy interactive displays, check out the latest Toyota vehicles, grab a bite to eat at the Toyota Roadhouse and see a replica nose of the Endeavour Space Shuttle. The Toyota Injector also features historic Toyota race cars throughout, including Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 78 championship winning Camry and Hamlin’s 2016 Daytona 500 winning Camry as well as the latest Toyota vehicles. Fans can also experience the Toyota Thrill Ride and Toyota Owner’s Hub, which is exclusive for Toyota and Lexus owners.

Daytona 500 Military Viewing Party… Toyota has partnered with FOX to sponsor a Daytona 500 watch party at Fort Campbell in Kentucky – which is approximately 230 miles from Georgetown, KY – where the Toyota Camry is built. The watch party will include approximately 400 servicemen and servicewomen enjoying food, beverages, giveaways and raffles.

Staying Connected… You can follow Toyota Racing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and online at www.toyotaracing.com. For media images, please visit www.toyotaracingmedia.com.

Toyota at Daytona: Notes & Numbers…

Camry drivers have won two MENCS races at Daytona, four NXS events and eight NCWTS contests … Martin Truex Jr. led all Camry finishers in the 2017 Daytona 500 – finishing 13th … 2017 Rookie of the Year Erik Jones had the best finish among the Camry group in the July 2017 MENCS race – placing ninth … Four Camry drivers placed in the top-13 in the spring Daytona NXS event in 2017, while two Camrys finished inside the top-four in the summer NXS contest … Six Tundra’s scored inside the top-12 in the NCWTS race in 2017.

Toyota Wins at Daytona:
Cup Series (2 & 4 Exhibition):

2016 Daytona 500 – Denny Hamlin
2016 Clash* – Denny Hamlin
2015 Clash* – Matt Kenseth
2014 Clash* – Denny Hamlin
2012 Clash* – Kyle Busch
2008, July – Kyle Busch

*Exhibition Race

Xfinity Series (4):

2013, July – Matt Kenseth
2011, July – Joey Logano
2008, July – Denny Hamlin
2008, Feb – Tony Stewart

Truck Series (8):

2014 – Kyle Busch
2013 – Johnny Sauter
2012 – John King
2011 – Michael Waltrip
2010 – Timothy Peters
2009 – Todd Bodine
2008 – Todd Bodine
2007 – Jack Sprague

Toyota 2017 Statistics:

Series	Races	Starts (Drivers)	Wins	Tops-5s	Tops-10s	Poles	Times Led	Laps Led
Cup	36	311 (18)	16	64	116	16	267	5,757
Xfinity	33	234 (30)	12	39	62	15	115	2,185
Truck	23	224 (21)	12	59	119	13	132	2,186

Dover Betting Preview: 2017 AAA 400 Drive for Autism

Is this the week a Joe Gibbs Racing driver finally wins in 2017?

LAS VEGAS -- This week we get the first race of the season in the northeastern part of the country with the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway's 1-mile high-banked concrete layout known as the Monster Mile. It's a fast track track with lots of room and multiple grooves, but it's still kind of a short track so drivers get in the way of each other and keep things interesting. All drivers respect the Monster.

“It’s called the Monster Mile for a reason – the track can chew up cars and spit them out," said 2011 Dover winner Kurt Busch. "It’s because of those tough transitions into the corners with the high banking and even the high-banked straightaways. It’s tough to do that sharp of a turn on a mile racetrack. It’s like you literally jump down into the corner and then jump back up out of the corner onto the straightaway, and so those points of the track are the toughest part – the transition from straightaway to corner. It’s a fun track to drive.”

There's no other track like the Monster Mile on the circuit, but the best comparison would probably be Bristol's half-mile concrete track. Because of the steep banking and concrete, crew chiefs that do well at Bristol usually brings the same car and set-up the Dover. So before you make your wagers this week, take a look at what happened in April at Bristol.

Jimmie Johnson won that race, taking the the lead from Kevin Harvick with 21 laps to go. Kyle Larson led the most laps (202) and finished sixth while Martin Truex Jr. led the second-most laps (116) and finished eighth. Clint Bowyer would finish second and Matt Kenseth would finish fourth.

Kenseth might be someone to keep an eye on this week and seek out high odds before practice begins. He hasn't won a race all season, nor has any of his Joe Gibbs teammates, but this is a place he likes very much and you have the Bristol thing going for you as well. You should be able to get 15-to-1 or higher on him. He's a three-time winner at Dover, including winning this race last year. He's been seventh or better in six of his last seven starts there and has a 12.8 average finish in 36 starts.

Read More Here......Top-5 Finish Prediction on VegasInsider.com

Joe Gibbs Racing puts on drafting show in final Clash practice

Daniel Suarez fit right in with his Gibbs teammates in practice.

After not seeing the track at a in the first practice session for the Advanced Auto Parts Clash, Joe Gibbs Racing swept the top four in the second and final session.

Denny Hamlin, who will start second in the exhibition race, was fastest at 196.528 mph. That came as all four Joe Gibbs Racing cars drafted alone for most of the 55-minute session.

Hamlin was followed by rookie Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Joey Logano completed the top five and Danica Patrick was sixth fastest.

Brad Keselowski, the pole-sitter for the Clash, was fastest in the first session, which was devoted to single-car runs. He was 10th fastest when working in the draft.

Read More Here....NBC Sports


Final Practice Speeds

Richmond Betting Preview: 2016 Federated Auto Parts 400

Joe Gibbs Racing has been incredible at Richmond.

LAS VEGAS -- Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway will be the last chance for a few drivers to dance as the race ends the 26-race regular season before the 10-race Chase, or playoffs start. Think of it in terms like the college basketball conference tournaments where lesser teams can play their way into the NCAA Tournament by simply winning out.

Four drivers are vying for the three open positions and up to 17 drivers are eligible to qualify if they win which is going to make for some intense racing on the flat 3/4-mile layout throughout the field.

"The second Richmond race each year is especially intense just because you know that there’s a lot on the line," said three-time Richmond winner Kevin Harvick, who leads the series in points and qualified for the Chase a long time ago. "There are a lot of people racing for different things. It’s the end of our regular season. If you’re not in the Chase, it’s your last chance to win a race. There are some guys who will probably be fighting for points spots as you go in there, but Richmond is kind of your perfect short track. It has good speed, a short-track feel to it, and the tires wear out. That’s kind of what we all grew up racing on. It’s got a little bit of everything and that makes it a fun place to race."

Some drivers like Chase Elliott, who sits comfortably in the 14th slot with a 25-point cushion on 17th-place Ryan Newman, will play it safe and just look to finish well and stay out of trouble. He would love to get his first career win this week, but making the playoffs is more important at this juncture.

Austin Dillon, sitting 15th, only has a 16-point lead over Newman and knows he could be in jeopardy of falling back just because of his track history where he's averaged a 24.2 finish in five career starts, including his career-best of 20th in the April race.

"Our mindset and our goal is to just do whatever it takes to make it into the Chase for the Sprint Cup," said Dillon. "It would be huge to make it. It’s a big boost of confidence and that’s what we all do it for."

Newman has a 2003 Richmond win to his credit along with 16 top-10s and an 11.7 average finish over 29 starts. That's some pretty strong stuff over time while driving for three different teams. He's currently 100/1 odds at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook to win the Sprint Cup and in 2014 he was a few laps from winning it all without even winning a race that season. His consistency makes him a candidate to do well in the Chase format.

Jamie McMurray currently has a seven-point lead in 16th over Newman, and like Dillon, Richmond hasn't been his best track with a 20th-place average in 27 starts. However, he's finished fourth there three times in his last six starts. He also got a solid sixth-place finish at New Hampshire in July, which is relevant because of it being a flat one-mile track. You can throw Phoenix into that grouping as well with the thought process being if a driver is good one one of those tracks, they'll be good on the other because the set-ups are similar.

McMurray can look at his New Hampshire result and feel good that last years sixth-place finisher at New Hampshire in July, Matt Kenseth, won at Richmond in the same situation. This year, Carl Edwards finished second at Phoenix in March and then won the April race at Richmond. They're all correlated, and it's not to say McMurray will win -- I wouldn't bet him, but he should have confidence of finishing well.

Read More Here......Top-5 Finish Prediction on VegasInsider.com

Final 2016 New Hampshire 301 Driver Ratings

Is Kyle Busch due to win this week? He looks real fast.

LAS VEGAS -- Joe Gibbs Racing swept the 2015 season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and following Saturday's final practices they look dialed in the most to win Sunday's New Hampshire 301.

Their domination started Friday when Martin Truex Jr., using JGR equipment, had the fastest lap and three other JGR drivers finished in the top-five. On Saturday, Carl Edwards was fastest followed by Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth in the top-three. During happy hour, four of the top-eight fastest speeds were JGR drivers. They're fast on the short runs and also on the the long runs -- Edwards had best 10-consecutive lap average in the first and second practices and was second-best during happy hour.

Mix in what JGR has done in the past -- winning four of the past seven at NHMS -- as well as what they did on the similar tracks of Phoenix and Richmond this season and it's easy to see why the four teammates top the rating chart. Kyle Busch and Edwards were two of the three drivers to finish in the top-five at both Phoenix and Richmond (Kevin Harvick is the other).

Harvick had the best 10-consecutive lap average during happy hour and is looking for his first win since Phoenix in March. Last fall at NHMS he led 216 of the 300 laps but ran out of fuel with three laps to go and finished 21st, a lap down. He had finished third in his previous two starts and won in 2006, the same year he swept Phoenix and also won at Richmond. He is still the top candidate to win for Chevrolet who is currently on a seven race winless streak at NHMS.

Read More Here......on TheLinemakers.com

 
Micah Roberts' Sprint Cup Driver Ratings
New Hampshire 301
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Sunday, July 17, 2016 - 10:46 am PT

RATING  DRIVER    ODDS      PRACTICE 1       QUALIFIED       PRACTICE 2      PRACTICE 3 
 1. Kyle Busch 5/1                     3rd                 2nd                7th                5th
Two-time winner, including last July. Second-best 10-consecutive lap average in practice 2.
 2. Carl Edwards 8/1                 2nd                13th                1st                8th
No wins in 23 starts (13.2 avg.), but had best 10-consecutive lap average in practice 1 and 2.
 3. Matt Kenseth 8/1                10th                18th                3rd                3rd
Two-time winner, including last fall. Seventh at both similar tracks of Phoenix and Richmond.
 4. Denny Hamlin 8/1                 5th                  5th                2nd               2nd 
Two-time winner (2007, 2012) with series-best 10.2 average finish; runner-up last fall.
 5. Kevin Harvick 5/1                 21st                8th                 4th                4th 
2006 winner, third in two of past three starts. Best 10-consecutive lap average in practice 3.
 6. Brad Keselowski 6/1            11th                 9th                 8th                6th
2014 winner, runner-up last July and 2011 with 10.4 average finish. Goes for third straight win.
 7. Martin Truex Jr. 15/1            1st                  3rd               11th               13th 
No wins in 20 starts, but using awesome JGR equipment in 2016 makes him automatic contender.
 8. Kurt Busch 20/1                   4th                  4th                 9th               15th 
Three-time winner, none since 2008. His last top-five was in 2010. Top-10s at Phoenix, Richmond.
 9. Jimmie Johnson 8/1             15th                 1st                14th                7th
Three-time winner, the last in 2010. Winless in 13 races since winning at Fontana in week 5.
10. Joey Logano 8/1                 16th                 6th                 12th              18th 
Site of his first career win 2009; also won in 2014 and then was fourth and third last year.

Note: Best handicapping strategy to begin with is review results from earlier races run at Phoenix and Richmond because both require similar set-ups to New Hampshire's flat 1-mile layout. Drivers that are good at one are usually just as good on the other.

Odds courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. Follow on Twitter @MicahRoberts7

Final Kansas Speedway Driver Ratings: 2016 GoBowling.com 400

Will Martin Truex Jr. finally win at Kansas already......lots of drama.

LAS VEGAS -- Martin Truex Jr. laid down the fastest lap in Friday's final practice session and qualifying at Kansas Speedway in preparation for Saturday night's GoBowling.com 400. Truex, with a speed at 187.696 mph, led a race-high 95 laps at Kansas last spring before settling for ninth. He's part of the Joe Gibbs Racing gang that all looked stellar during the sessions.

JGR's Matt Kenseth had the second fastest lap (187.617) in the final session and also had the best 10-consecutive lap average, which is a sign he's going to be very good on long runs. He doesn't have a top-five through 10 races, but he's got two wins at Kansas and it's the ideal spot for him to turn in his best run of season, maybe even win.

Because of Jimmie Johnson's Kansas history, which is the best, and also his run on 1.5-mile tracks this season -- Fontana's 2-mile speedway too -- he still remains the driver to beat and has the top overall rating.

Micah Roberts' Top-10 Rated NASCAR Drivers
GoBowling.com 400
Kansas Speedway
Saturday, May 7, 2016 - 4:46 pm (PT)   
 
Rating     Driver       Odds     Practice 1   Practice 2  Qualified    '16 Las Vegas*
 1. Jimmie Johnson 5/1             11th            4th             15th               3rd
Three-time winner, including last spring; best 10-consecutive lap average in practice 1.
 2. Martin Truex Jr. 10/1            2nd             1st               1st             11th 
Two-time runner-up, led race-high 95 laps last spring and 346 laps overall in 15 starts.
 3. Kyle Busch 8/1                     21st            5th                6th              4th
No top-10s in first 14 starts, but top-fives in past two; won at last 1.5-mile track (Texas).
 4. Matt Kenseth 8/1                10th            2nd               2nd            37th
Two-time winner, led race-high 153 laps last fall; best 10-consecutive lap average practice 2.
 5. Joey Logano 8/1                   14th          16th             14th              2nd 
Top-five in past five starts, including wins in two of past three; still looking for first 2016 win.
 6. Carl Edwards 8/1                   3rd           12th             12th            18th
Considers this his home track; second-best 10.6 average finish in 17 starts -- runner-up in 2008.
 7. Brad Keselowski 12/1          19th           13th              5th              1st 
2011 winner. Mr. consistency: 15 straight top-10 finishes on 1.5-mile tracks ended at Texas.
 8. Denny Hamlin 15/1                6th             3rd              3rd            19th
2012 winner, runner-up last fall; second-best 10-consecutive lap average in practice 2.
 9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 12/1        13th           20th           22nd             8th 
No wins in 19 starts, third last spring. Runner-up in two of three races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2016.
10. Kevin Harvick 5/1                  7th           30th           26th              7th
2013 winner, runner-up past two spring races. Bad news is no top-fives on three 1.5s in 2016.

* Results from March 6, 2016 Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a track that runs most similar to Kansas Speedway among three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season.

Odds courtesy of the Westgate SuperBook.

Micah Roberts, a former Las Vegas sports book director, has been setting NASCAR odds since 1994. Follow him on twitter @MicahRoberts7

Four Joe Gibbs Drivers posted 8/1 or less for Richmond

Think Phoenix when betting Richmond this week.

LAS VEGAS -- Joe Gibbs Racing has won the past three Sprint Cup races, and this week all four of its drivers have odds to win posted at 8-to-1 or less for Sunday's Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Kyle Busch is listed as the 9-to-2 favorite at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook on the basis of current form and leading most track statistical categories among active drivers, such as wins and average finish.

One of the best handicapping strategies for Richmond races is to see what happened in the most recent races at Phoenix or New Hampshire. Although Richmond's three-quarter-mile layout is considered a short track, it is most comparable to the two one-mile flat tracks. If it's good enough for crew chiefs to use similar setups, and sometimes even the same chassis, it should be good enough for bettors to follow.

Last year's New Hampshire fall race won by Matt Kenseth, two weeks after he won at Richmond, isn't as relevant as usual because the new, low-downforce package wasn't used. It was used at Phoenix in March, and Kevin Harvick won that race.

NASCAR at Richmond betting odds

Kyle Busch, 9/2: His 7.1 average finish at Richmond is tops in the series. In 21 starts, he has had four wins and 14 top five finishes. His next win in the capital of the old Confederacy will tie Dale Earnhardt for sixth all time. It would also give Joe Gibbs Racing its 11th win as an organization there, which would break the tie at top of the owners list with Hendrick Motorsports. Busch finished fourth at Phoenix after leading 75 laps, which is a great sign of matching success at Richmond.

Kevin Harvick, 6/1: He's a three-time winner, all coming while with Richard Childress Racing. His best finish with Stewart-Haas Racing in four starts was second in this race last season. He won at Phoenix like he always does, but his Richmond success has always come on the heels of Phoenix. In 2006 he swept Phoenix, but also won at Richmond and New Hampshire. In 2012, his lone win of the season came at Phoenix and were sandwiched between a 2011 fall Richmond win and a 2013 spring Richmond win. A top three finish — likely second, again — looks like a good bet.

Denny Hamlin, 6/1: The Virginian loves racing in his home state and it shows with his 10.7 average finish in 19 starts, which is second-best among all active drivers. He's won twice and his 1,404 laps led are the most in the series. Beyond his affinity for the track, he also grabbed a third-place finish six weeks ago at Phoenix, a track that compares well to Richmond. He'll be using that Phoenix chassis again this week. The Westgate has the proper low number on Hamlin, but it's possible you'll find 8-to-1 or higher at other books — 10-to-1 would be really nice. Could he be the fourth straight Joe Gibbs Racing driver to win on the schedule?

Read More Here........complete list of odds on TheLinemakers.com

Richmond International Raceway Track Facts: 2016 Toyota Owners 400

THE VIRGINIAN: Denny Hamlin has two wins on his home track. Expect all the Gibbs cars to be fast on Sunday. 

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2016 Top 16 at Richmond International Raceway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Kevin Harvick	30	1	3	9	18	0	10.8	110.1
2	Carl Edwards	23	1	1	4	11	1	14	88.3
3	Jimmie Johnson	28	2	3	6	11	1	16.7	90.1
4	Joey Logano	14	2	1	5	6	1	13.8	85.5
5	Kyle Busch	21	1	4	14	15	0	7.1	110.4
6	Dale Earnhardt Jr	33	1	3	10	14	1	13.2	87.2
7	Kurt Busch	30	0	2	6	11	1	16.5	94.2
8	Brad Keselowski	13	1	1	2	5	1	16.2	93.9
9	Denny Hamlin	19	2	2	7	10	0	10.8	108.8
10	Martin Truex Jr	20	0	0	1	5	3	22	79.7
11	Austin Dillon	4	0	0	0	0	0	25.2	62.0
12	Chase Elliott	1	0	0	0	0	0	16	76.9
13	Jamie McMurray	26	0	0	3	6	4	20.3	78.6
14	AJ Allmendinger	17	0	0	0	3	1	19.7	71.0
15	Kasey Kahne	24	1	1	4	8	2	17.2	86.5
16	Ryan Newman	28	1	1	6	16	0	11.5	91.1

* – Based on last 22 races at Richmond International Raceway (2005 – 2015).

NASCAR Pre-Race Loop Data Leaders At Richmond International Raceway
Driver Rating	Kyle Busch	110.4
Average Running Position	Kevin Harvick	7.495
Closer – Avg. Spots Gained	Casey Mears	1.6
Fastest Driver Early In The Run	Kevin Harvick	119.603 mph
Fastest Driver Late In The Run	Chase Elliott	115.241 mph
Fastest Laps Run	Denny Hamlin	8.3% (631 laps)
Fastest On Restarts	Michael Annett	138.067 mph
Green Flag Passes	Casey Mears	1,180
Quality Passes	Kevin Harvick	702
Green Flag Speed	Kyle Busch	116.447 mph
Laps Led	Denny Hamlin	18.4% (1,404 laps)
Laps In The Top 15	Kevin Harvick	93.1% (8,211 laps)
*Loop Data was established in 2005; based on drivers with more than one start

Richmond International Raceway Data Season Race #: 09 of 36 (04-24-16) Track Size: 0.75-miles Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 14 degrees Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 14 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 8 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees Frontstretch Length:  1,290 feet Backstretch Length:  860 feet Race Length: 400 laps / 300 miles Top 10 Driver Ratings at Richmond Kyle Busch............................... 110.4 Kevin Harvick............................ 110.1 Denny Hamlin............................ 108.8 Clint Bowyer............................... 98.6 Kurt Busch.................................. 94.2 Brad Keselowski......................... 93.9 Ryan Newman............................. 91.1 Jimmie Johnson.......................... 90.1 Matt Kenseth.............................. 89.0 Carl Edwards.............................. 88.3 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races (22 total) among active drivers at Richmond International Raceway. Qualifying/Race Data 2015 pole winner: Joey Logano, Ford 127.071 mph, 21.248 sec., 04-24-15 2015 race winner: Kurt Busch, Chevrolet 97.157 mph, (03:05:16), 04-26-15 Track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet 130.599 mph, 20.674 secs. 09-04-13 Track race record: Dale Jarrett, Ford 109.047 mph, (02:45:04), 09-06-97

STATISTICAL ADVANCE

At Richmond International Raceway:

History

·         Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was April 19, 1953 won by Lee Petty.

·         The spring 1964 race was run on a Tuesday night under temporary lighting.

·         The track name changed to Virginia State Fairgrounds in 1967.

·         The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968.

·         The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969.

·         The track was re-measured to .542-mile for 1970.

·         The track was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval following the Feb. 21, 1988 race.

·         The first race under permanent lights was Sept. 7, 1991.

·         The first season with both races as night races was 1999.

Starts

·         There have been 119 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway, one NSCS event from 1953 - 1958 and two races per year since 1959.

·         486 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond; 316 in more than one.

·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Richmond with 63. Dale Earnhardt Jr.leads all active drivers with 33 starts.

·         Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Richmond International Raceway with a 8.769.

Poles

·         Buck Baker won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Richmond in 1953 with a speed of 48.465 mph.

·        

Nine drivers posted their first NSCS pole at Richmond International Raceway: Driver Season Brian Vickers 2004 Ted Musgrave 1994 Bobby Labonte 1993 Alan Kulwicki 1987 Morgan Shepherd 1981 Bill Dennis 1971 Dave Marcis 1971 Ned Jarrett 1960 Russ Hepler 1957

54 drivers have Coors Light poles at Richmond, led by Richard Petty and Bobby Allison with eight each. Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Brian Vickers and Joey Logano are all tied for the lead among active drivers with two each.

·         Eight drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Richmond. Bobby Allison holds the record for most consecutive Coors Light poles at Richmond with five (1972 - 1974).

·         Youngest Richmond pole winner: Brian Vickers (05/15/2004 – 20 years, 6 months, 21 days).

·         Oldest Richmond pole winner: Mark Martin (04/28/2012 – 53 years, 3 months, 19 days).

Wins

·        

RIR Active Spring Race Winners Winners Wins Kyle Busch 4 Dale Earnhardt Jr 3 Clint Bowyer 1 Jimmie Johnson 1 Joey Logano 1 Kasey Kahne 1 Kevin Harvick 1 Kurt Busch 1

50 different drivers have won at Richmond International Raceway, led by Richard Petty with 13. Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in wins at RIR with four; all of which were spring races.

·         Petty Enterprises has the most wins at Richmond in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 15; followed byHendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing with 10 each and Richard Childress Racing with nine.

·         Nine different manufacturers have won at Richmond. Chevrolet leads the series in wins at Richmond with 37 victories; followed by Ford with 31 and Toyota with eight.

·         23 of the 119 (19.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from the Coors Light pole. Only four active drivers have been able to accomplish the feat: Kasey Kahne (2005),Jimmie Johnson (2007), Kyle Busch (2010) and Brad Keselowski (2014).  

·         The pole starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners than any other starting position at Richmond (23).  

·         37 of the 119 (31.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond have been won from the front row: 23 from the pole and 14 from second-place.

·         93 of the 119 (78.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         13 of the 119 (10.9%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Richmond International Raceway is 31st, by Clint Bowyer in the spring of 2008.

·         Youngest Richmond winner: Richard Petty (04/23/1961 – 23 years, 9 months, 21 days).

·         Oldest Richmond winner: Harry Gant (09/07/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 28 days).

First Career NSCS Win At RIR Winners Season James Hylton 1970 Neil Bonnett 1977 Kyle Petty 1986 Tony Stewart 1999 Kasey Kahne 2005

·         Eight drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Richmond International Raceway. Richard Petty leads the series in consecutive wins at Richmond after posting seven consecutive wins from the fall of 1970 – 1973. Jimmie Johnson (2007 sweep) is the only active driver with consecutive wins at Richmond. 

·         All of the active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Richmond International Raceway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart won at Richmond in their second appearance.   

·         Greg Biffle leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Richmond without visiting Victory Lane at 27.

Additional Finishing Position Stats

·         Bobby Allison and Richard Petty are tied for the lead in runner-up finishes at Richmond with nine each. Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with five.   

·         Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Richmond with 34; Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with 14.

·         Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Richmond with 41. Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers with 18.

·         Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Richmond International Raceway with a 7.095.

Track / Event Specific Stats

·         There have been two NSCS races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Richmond International Raceway: spring of 2008 (400/410) and spring of 2013 (400/406).

·         Only four of the 119 races at Richmond International Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions: spring of 1962, spring of 1977, spring of 1982 and spring of 2003.

Track / Event Specific Stats

·         Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond International Raceway seven times; most recently the fall of 2014.  

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond International Raceway was the (09/12/1998) race won by Jeff Burton with a MOV of 0.051 second.

Female Competitor Stats

·         Two female drivers have competed at Richmond in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date	Driver Rating
Danica Patrick	14	19	9/12/2015	61.1
Danica Patrick	21	25	4/26/2015	56.5
Danica Patrick	13	16	9/6/2014	75.5
Danica Patrick	35	34	4/26/2014	36.5
Danica Patrick	36	30	9/7/2013	39.1
Danica Patrick	30	29	4/27/2013	42.6
Averages	24.8	25.5		51.9
Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Janet Guthrie	14	12	9/11/1977
Janet Guthrie	13	12	2/27/1977
Averages	13.5	12.0

NASCAR in Virginia

·         There have been 288 NASCAR Sprint Cup races among nine tracks in Virginia.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Martinsville Speedway	Martinsville	135
Richmond International Raceway	Richmond	119
South Boston Speedway	South Boston	10
Langley Field Speedway	Hampton	9
Old Dominion Speedway	Manassas	7
Southside Speedway	Richmond	4
Starkey Speedway	Roanoke	4
Norfolk Speedway	Norfolk	2
Princess Anne Speedway	Norfolk	1

·         175 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Virginia.

NASCAR In Virginia

·         Glen Wood from Stuart, Va. was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012 and his brother Leonard Wood also from (Stuart) Virginia was inducted in 2013.

·         Joe Weatherly and Wendell Scott are both from Virginia and were inducted into the 2015 Class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  

·         19 drivers from Virginia have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series. 11 of the 19 Virginia native NASCAR winners have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Driver	NSCS	NXS	NCWTS
Denny Hamlin	27	14	2
Joe Weatherly	25	0	0
Ricky Rudd	23	1	0
Jeff Burton	21	27	0
Curtis Turner	17	0	0
Ward Burton	5	4	0
Glen Wood	4	0	0
Elliott Sadler	3	10	1
Emanuel Zervakis	2	0	0
Lennie Pond	1	0	0
Wendell Scott	1	0	0
Tommy Ellis	0	22	0
Jimmy Hensley	0	9	2
Rick Mast	0	9	0
Hermie Sadler	0	2	0
Elton Sawyer	0	2	0
Stacy Compton	0	0	2
Jon Wood	0	0	2
Jeb Burton	0	0	1

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
Matt Kenseth	36	1	Tie Bobby Isaac for 19th on all-time wins list
Kyle Busch	36	1	Tie Bobby Isaac for 19th on all-time wins list
Kevin Harvick	32	1	Tie Fireball Roberts for 22nd on all-time wins list
Denny Hamlin	27	1	Tie Rex White for 25th on all-time wins list
Kurt Busch	27	1	Tie Rex White for 25th on all-time wins list
Carl Edwards	26	1	Tie Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch for 26th on all-time wins list
Jimmie Johnson	34	1	Tie Ned Jarrett for 19th on all-time poles list
Denny Hamlin	23	1	Tie Alan Kulwicki for 28th on all-time poles list
Kevin Harvick	45	1	Tie Jimmie Johnson for 10th on all-time 2nd-place finishes list
Jimmie Johnson	319	1	Tie Bill Elliott for 12th on all-time top-10 finishes list
Jimmie Johnson	17,880	120	To become ninth NSCS driver all-time to lead 18,000 laps
Kyle Busch	11,498	502	To become 14th NSCS driver all-time to lead 12,000 laps
Kurt Busch	8,757	243	To become 20th NSCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 laps
Joe Gibbs Racing	132	1	Break the tie with Junior Johnson & Associates (132) and become solely fourth on the all-time wins list
Track Specific Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
Denny Hamlin	2	1	Break four-way tie among active drivers for most poles and also tie Buck Baker, Bill Elliott, Benny Parsons and Rusty Wallace for fifth-most all-time at Richmond International Raceway
Jimmie Johnson	2	1	Break four-way tie among active drivers for most poles and also tie Buck Baker, Bill Elliott, Benny Parsons and Rusty Wallace for fifth-most all-time at Richmond International Raceway
Joey Logano	2	1	Break four-way tie among active drivers for most poles and also tie Buck Baker, Bill Elliott, Benny Parsons and Rusty Wallace for fifth-most all-time at Richmond International Raceway
Brian Vickers	2	1	Break four-way tie among active drivers for most poles and also tie Buck Baker, Bill Elliott, Benny Parsons and Rusty Wallace for fifth-most all-time at Richmond International Raceway
Kyle Busch	4	1	Tie Dale Earnhardt for sixth on the all-time Richmond wins list
Joe Gibbs Racing	10	1	Break tie with Hendrick Motorsports to become solely first among active organizations and second all-time in wins at Richmond.
Hendrick Motorsports	10	1	Break tie with Joe Gibbs Racing to become solely first among active organizations and second all-time in wins at Richmond.
Richard Childress Racing	9	1	Tie JGR and HMS for most wins at RIR among active organizations