Phoenix International Raceway track facts: 2014 Quicken Loans 500

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2014 Eliminator 8 at Phoenix International Raceway

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Joey Logano	11	0	0	2	5	2	15.9	83.7
2	Denny Hamlin	18	1	1	8	9	0	11.3	97.1
3	Ryan Newman	24	4	1	8	10	4	18.2	87.7
4	Jeff Gordon	31	3	2	11	21	3	11.3	99.9
5	Matt Kenseth	24	1	1	5	9	3	17.2	86.3
6	Carl Edwards	20	3	2	7	12	1	12.1	99.9
7	Brad Keselowski	10	1	0	3	4	1	15.7	88.9
8	Kevin Harvick	23	0	5	8	12	0	11.8	103.9

* – Based on last 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway (2005 – 2014).

If two or more Eliminator 8 drivers are tied after Phoenix, the tie-breaker will go to the driver with the best finish in the three Eliminator Round races. Here is how the Eliminator 8 drivers have fared in each of the first two races in this round:

Points Pos.	Driver	Martinsville	Texas
1	Joey Logano	5	12
2	Denny Hamlin	8	10
3	Ryan Newman	3	15
4	Jeff Gordon	2	29
5	Matt Kenseth	6	25
6	Carl Edwards	20	9
7	Brad Keselowski	31	3
8	Kevin Harvick	33	2

Phoenix International Raceway:

History

·         Construction was completed in January 1964. The facility consisted of a one-mile oval and a 2.5-mile road course.

·         Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix on Nov. 6, 1988.

·         The first spring race was held on April 23, 2005 and also the first night race, which was won by Kurt Busch.

·         The track underwent its first repave in 2011. The construction began in March and concluded in September of that year.

·         The following changes were made during the construction period (March – Sept., 2011):

o    Widened the frontstretch from 52 to 62 feet

o    Reconfigured pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls

o    Pushed the dog-leg curve between Turn 2 and Turn 3 out 95 feet

o    Tightened the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet

o    Implemented variable banking to ensure the immediate use of two racing grooves, including 10-11 degree banking between Turn 1 and Turn 2; 10-11 degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg; and 8-9 degree banking in Turn 4

Notebook

·         There have been 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988-2004 and two each season since.

·         194 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix; 139 in more than one.

·         Mark Martin leads series in starts at Phoenix with 34; followed by Jeff Gordon with 31.

·         Geoffrey Bodine won the first pole in 1988 at a speed of 123.203 mph (29.220 sec.).

·         There have been 20 different Coors Light pole winners, led by Ryan Newman with four.

·         Youngest Phoenix pole winner: Kyle Busch (4/22/06 – 20 years, 11 months, 20 days).

·         Oldest Phoenix pole winner: Mark Martin (03/03/13 – 54 years, 1 month, 22 days).

·         Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards are the only drivers to win consecutive poles. Newman won three straight (2002-04), while Gordon won the fall of 2006 and the spring of 2007. Edwards won the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011.

·         Denny Hamlin (November, 2005) and AJ Allmendinger (April, 2010) won their first career Coors Light poles at Phoenix International Raceway

·         There have been 23 different NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winners at Phoenix, eight have won more than once, led by Eliminator Eight driver Kevin Harvick, with five – (’06 spring race and Chase race, ’12 Chase race, ‘13 Chase race and ’14 spring race).

·         The eight drivers have won more than once at Phoenix: Kevin Harvick leads the series in wins with five followed by Jimmie Johnson (four), Davey Allison (two), Jeff Burton (two), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Jeff Gordon(two) Carl Edwards (two) and Mark Martin (two).

·         Of the eight drivers with multiple wins at Phoenix International Raceway, Mark Martin is the only driver to win in two different manufacturers: Ford (1993) and Chevrolet (2009).

·         Five drivers have won consecutive races at Phoenix: Davey Allison (1991,1992); Jeff Burton (2000, 2001); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003, 2004); Kevin Harvick (swept 2006) and (2013 Chase race – Spring race 2014); Jimmie Johnson is the only one of the five to win three consecutive races (fall 2007, swept 2008).

·         Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Phoenix with nine, followed by Roush Fenway Racing with seven.

·         Four of the 36 (11.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from the Coors Light pole:Jeff Gordon (spring 2007), Jimmie Johnson (fall 2008), Mark Martin (spring 2009) and Carl Edwards (fall 2010).

·         Seven of the 36 (19.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from the front row: four from the pole and three from second-place.

·         17 of the 36 (47.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from a starting position insidethe top 10.

·         19 of the 36 (52.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from a starting positionoutside the top 10.

·         3 of the 36 (8.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix have been won from a starting position outsidethe top 20.

·         Jimmie Johnson leads the series in average finish at Phoenix with a 6.273; he is the only active driver with an average finish inside the top 10. 

·         Ricky Rudd won the 1995 race from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.

·         Matt Kenseth won the 2002 race from the 28th-place starting position, the furthest back an active race winner has started.

·         Two perfect Driver Ratings of 150.0 have been recorded at Phoenix, Kurt Busch in April of 2005 and Kevin Harvick in November of 2006.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Phoenix International Raceway winner: Kyle Busch (11/13/2005 – 20 years, 6 months, 11 days).

·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Phoenix International Raceway winner: Mark Martin (04/18/2009 – 50 years, 3 months, 9 days).

·         Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Phoenix with five; followed by Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart with three each.

·         Jimmie Johnson lead the series in top-five finishes at Phoenix with 14; followed by Mark Martin with 12 andJeff Gordon with 11.

·         Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Bobby Hamilton (10/27/1996) are the only two drivers to post their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career win at Phoenix International Raceway.

·         21 of the 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Phoenix participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Tony Stewart (11/7/1999) are the only two drivers to win at Phoenix in their first appearance.

·         Jeff Gordon competed at Phoenix International Raceway 16 times before winning (4/21/2007); the longest span of any the 23 winners.

·         Six drivers have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Phoenix: Jeff Gordon (16), Ryan Newman(15), Kasey Kahne (14), Denny Hamlin (13), Carl Edwards (12) and Rusty Wallace (11).

·         Joe Nemechek leads the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Phoenix without visiting Victory Lane with 28.

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Phoenix was the (4/10/2010) race won by Ryan Newman with a MOV of 0.13 seconds.

·         Two drivers have won at Phoenix and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same season:Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009); Dale Earnhardt (1990).

·         Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has made a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Phoenix International Raceway.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	33	36	3/2/2014
Danica Patrick	32	33	11/10/2013
Danica Patrick	40	39	3/3/2013
Danica Patrick	37	17	11/11/2012

·         Car numbers that have produced three or more Phoenix wins:

Car Number – Drivers – (Years)

o    No. 48  - Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009)

o    No. 99 – Carl Edwards (2010 and 2013) and Jeff Burton (2000, 2001)  

o    No. 29 – Kevin Harvick (2006 sweep, 2012 and 2013)

o    No. 5 -  Mark Martin (2009), Kyle Busch (2005) and Terry Labonte (1994)

NASCAR in Arizona

·         There have been 41 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among three tracks in Arizona.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale	36
Arizona State Fairgrounds	Phoenix	4
Tucson Rodeo Grounds	Tucson	1

·         32 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Arizona.

·         None of the drivers from Arizona have won a race in NASCAR’s three national series.

Chase clinching scenarios heading into Phoenix

Below are the finishes each driver needs in Sunday’s race at Phoenix International Raceway (3 p.m. ET on ESPN) to guarantee a spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, regardless of the finish of any other driver:

Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin: 11th or better; 12th and at least one lap led; 13th and most laps led

Ryan Newman: 9th or better; 10th and at least one lap led; 11th and most laps led

Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick only control their own destiny by winning Sunday at Phoenix.

Jimmie Johnson wins third straight year at Texas fall race

Jimmie Johnson was 3/1 favorite to win at Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas—It happens every fall, at least in recent years.

Jimmie Johnson won the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway for the third straight year, holding off runner-up Kevin Harvick and third-place Brad Keselowski after Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 went to two overtimes.

The action in the second race of the Chase’s Eliminator Round was scintillating enough, but it couldn’t match the intensity of a post-race brawl on pit road that left Keselowski and Jeff Gordon bruised and bloodied.

Johnson, who was eliminated from the Chase two weeks ago at Talladega, led the field to the green flag on Lap 340, the second attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag finish, with Keselowski to his outside. As both drivers rolled through the first two corners wide open, Johnson inched ahead, ultimately clearing Keselowski’s Ford and pulling away.

Harvick passed Keselowski for second place but couldn’t catch Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet, which crossed the finish line .513 seconds ahead of Harvick’s No. 4 car.

But it was the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish that caused all the controversy and helped to scramble the Chase standings with only next Sunday’s event at Phoenix International Raceway (3 p.m. ET on ESPN) left to determine which four drivers race for the series championship Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Gordon was the race leader at the time and picked the outside lane for a restart on Lap 335 with Johnson to his inside. Keselowski restarted third and tried to split the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers—in what Harvick would later call "bulldoze mode"—and ran out of room.

Contact from Keselowski’s car cut Gordon’s left rear tire, causing Gordon to spin on the backstretch, which in turn brought out the record 13th caution of the race. Gordon finished 29th and dropped from first to fourth in the Chase standings, just one point clear of 25th-place finisher and Coors Light Polesitter Matt Kenseth in fifth.

"We drove down into Turn 1, and he just decided to body-slam us and cut our left-rear tire," an irate Gordon said after wading through a mass of crewmen to get to Keselowski. "It ruined our night. It ruined our chances, ruined our night, might have even ruined our Chase hopes.

"It’s just uncalled for. I had to show my displeasure. It got ugly down there, obviously, and you know that’s alright. A lot of things are going to happen in the next couple of weeks."

If Gordon had issues with the way Keselowski raced him, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford was unapologetic.

"I'm not trying to dish out something that I couldn't take myself," Keselowski said. "But these guys have their own code, and they race differently than that. That's their right. We'll go through these battles. I've gone through them before and come out stronger. I'll go through them again and come out stronger, a better race car driver.

"But what I'm not going to do is back down. I'm not going to get in the spot where I was in 2013 where, you know, I tried to be exactly what they all wanted me to be, because what they want me to be is a loser, and I'm not here to lose. I'm here to win. That means I'm going to have to drive my car, harder, stronger, faster than everybody out there. That's what I feel like I did today."

In Victory Lane, savoring his fourth win of the season, his record fourth victory at Texas and the 70th of his career, Johnson could only shake his head at the unplanned fireworks after the race.

"I saw a little bit on the big screen going down the back straightaway," said Johnson. "I would definitely have to go to the tape and watch and see what happened there. I know that second-to-last restart, I got hit from behind and I know Brad got to my outside, and I guess in the process of running into me and getting to the outside lane he ruffled some feathers.

"Just an exciting night for us. We had a very fast race car, led a lot of laps (191 of 341). Those cautions at the end, one restart would help me, the other would hurt me—and in the end we got it done."

The wild action at Texas, which saw 12 of the 13 cautions occur after the halfway point, left the Chase wide open, with all eight eligible drivers within an 18-point range.

Joey Logano recovered from a spin to finish 12th and shares the Chase lead with Denny Hamlin, who ran 10th. Ryan Newman is third in points, two behind Logano and Hamlin, after a 15th-place finish that could have been better, but for a tire rub resulting from contact on a late restart.

Gordon is fourth, 12 out of the lead and one point ahead of Kenseth and Carl Edwards, who rallied from two laps down, avoided the bumping and banging on the track and finished an unlikely ninth. Keselowski heads to Phoenix seventh in the standings, 17 points out of first place and one point ahead of Harvick in eighth.

With at least three of the four championship-eligible positions in the final race to be determined on points, none of the eight drivers goes to Phoenix with any degree of security.

Notes: Kyle Busch’s bid for a Texas weekend sweep of NASCAR’s top three series fizzled early. The winner of Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and Saturday’s Nationwide Series event was lapped by Johnson on Lap 125, but he recovered to finish fourth…

Kenseth became the all-time lap leader at Texas Motor Speedway during the opening run, leading the first 53 laps and 59 all told to bring his career total at Texas to 834, surpassing Tony Stewart’s 801.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race - AAA Texas 500Texas Motor Speedway
Fort Worth, Texas
Sunday, November 02, 2014

1. (3) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 341, $494576.
2. (5) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 341, $378783.
3. (26) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 341, $255658.
4. (9) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 341, $240616.
5. (21) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 341, $202089.
6. (12) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 341, $165840.
7. (17) Kyle Larson #, Chevrolet, 341, $172360.
8. (4) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 341, $134665.
9. (11) Carl Edwards, Ford, 341, $142715.
10. (20) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 341, $132165.
11. (6) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 341, $153598.
12. (10) Joey Logano, Ford, 341, $152181.
13. (19) Greg Biffle, Ford, 341, $153515.
14. (23) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 341, $128548.
15. (7) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 341, $118415.
16. (13) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 341, $140615.
17. (15) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 341, $134954.
18. (38) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 341, $131448.
19. (8) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 341, $134723.
20. (30) Justin Allgaier #, Chevrolet, 341, $130323.
21. (29) Austin Dillon #, Chevrolet, 341, $151476.
22. (33) Michael Annett #, Chevrolet, 341, $117523.
23. (18) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 341, $141390.
24. (22) Aric Almirola, Ford, 341, $142201.
25. (1) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 341, $166601.
26. (40) Cole Whitt #, Toyota, 341, $104765.
27. (16) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 341, $130810.
28. (24) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 341, $139256.
29. (2) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 340, $149001.
30. (28) Michael McDowell, Ford, 338, $102355.
31. (39) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 338, $112687.
32. (37) David Ragan, Ford, 338, $108415.
33. (32) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 337, $100215.
34. (31) David Gilliland, Ford, 335, $107990.
35. (42) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet, 334, $99790.
36. (27) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 332, $107560.
37. (43) Joey Gase(i), Ford, 330, $99352.
38. (14) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Accident, 319, $113180.
39. (25) Trevor Bayne(i), Ford, Accident, 318, $95180.
40. (41) Brett Moffitt, Toyota, Accident, 283, $93780.
41. (36) Josh Wise, Chevrolet, 256, $81780.
42. (35) Alex Bowman #, Toyota, Engine, 245, $77780.
43. (34) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, Engine, 134, $74280.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 132.239 mph.
Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 52 Mins, 05 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.513 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 13 for 61 laps.
Lead Changes: 23 among 7 drivers.
Lap Leaders: M. Kenseth 1-53; J. Johnson 54-91; K. Harvick 92-93; J. Johnson 94-137; J. Gordon 138-139; J. Johnson 140-175; J. Gordon 176; J. Johnson 177-205; J. Gordon 206; J. Johnson 207-216; J. Gordon 217-224; D. Hamlin 225-227; J. Gordon 228-243; J. Johnson 244-252; B. Keselowski 253-265; J. Gordon 266; B. Keselowski 267-275; J. Gordon 276-286; J. Johnson 287-296; M. Kenseth 297-302; Kurt Busch 303-317; J. Johnson 318-324; J. Gordon 325-333; J. Johnson 334-341.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): J. Johnson 9 times for 191 laps; M. Kenseth 2 times for 59 laps; J. Gordon 8 times for 49 laps; B. Keselowski 2 times for 22 laps; Kurt Busch 1 time for 15 laps; D. Hamlin 1 time for 3 laps; K. Harvick 1 time for 2 laps.
Top 16 in Points: J. Logano - 4,072; D. Hamlin - 4,072; R. Newman - 4,070; J. Gordon - 4,060; M. Kenseth - 4,059; C. Edwards - 4,059; B. Keselowski - 4,055; K. Harvick - 4,054; Kyle Busch - 2,270; D. Earnhardt Jr. - 2,234; J. Johnson - 2,234; A. Allmendinger - 2,228; G. Biffle - 2,209; Kurt Busch - 2,192; K. Kahne - 2,179; A. Almirola - 2,144.

Kevin Harvick the instigator, shoves Keselowski into brawl with Gordon

Kevin Harvick with some playground tactics in shove

FORT WORTH, Texas — Kevin Harvick likes watching a good fight. After all, his management company represents fighters in the UFC.

So it wasn’t much of a surprise to see Harvick play the instigator role in the Brad Keselowski-Jeff Gordon melee following the AAA Texas 500 Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.

MORE: Johnson wins, fight erupts | Why Gordon went after Kes | Texas results

As Gordon shouted at Keselowski for contact in the waning laps, Harvick went over and pushed Keselowski toward Gordon, saying “Why don’t you go fight your own fight?” It was at that point, that one of the biggest NASCAR brawls in recent years broke out with members of several teams and crews involved.

“If you're going to race like that, you're going to have to man up at some point,” Harvick said. “He's done it several times. You can't just turn around and let everybody fight all the time without you in there. You have to stand up for your actions at some point yourself.”

Keselowski tried to split the gap between Jimmie Johnson and Gordon for the lead in overtime and ended up banging into Gordon and cutting his tire. He said he did not come to the track to throw punches.

Read More Here......Sporting News

Jimmie Johnson wins at Texas, Gordon and Keselowski brawl

Jimmie Johnson wins the fall Texas race for third straight year

Jeff Gordon's championship hopes may have taken a big hit Sunday, but he took out his frustration on Brad Keselowski, going after him on pit road and setting off a wild brawl between the two teams.

Gordon was racing for the lead on a green-white-checkered restart when Keselowski slammed into him, cutting his left-rear tire and causing him to spin. Gordon approached Keselowski on pit road after the race, and after yelling at him, Gordon lunged at him, setting off a wild melee between the two drivers. As the two crews scuffled, a Gordon crewman grabbed Keselowski and threw him to the ground.

MORE: Gordon not happy | Harvick the instigator | Results | Standings

Gordon also wound up going down and the two crews brawled. Both Gordon and Keselowski came out of the pile with blood on their faces and lips as Jimmie Johnson celebrated his win in victory lane.

Gordon, who entered the race as the points leader and is racing for his fifth career championship, was furious with Keselowski even after the fight.

"We were sitting there on older tires. I spun the tires a little but I got a pretty decent restart," he told ESPN. "We went down into (turn) one and I just wanted to get to the outside of the 48 (Johnson) and and out of nowhere I just got slammed by the 2 and it cut my left-rear tire. He's just a dip---. The way he races, I don't know how he ever won a championship and I'm just sick and tired of it.

"That's why everybody is fighting and running him down. Your emotions are high. That was a huge race for us. We had the car and we had the team."

The brawl marked the second time in four weeks that Keselowski has been involved in controversy and a fight after the race. Matt Kenseth jumped him after the race at Charlotte and Keselowski was fined $50,000 for hitting Kenseth's car on pit road and racing through the garage after Denny Hamlin.

Read More Here......Sporting News

Updated Westgate odds to win 2014 AAA Texas 500

Jimmie Johnson goes from 7/1 down to 3/1 after Saturday's practices

AAA TEXAS 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2014

KEVIN HARVICK 5
JEFF GORDON 7
BRAD KESELOWSKI 12
JOEY LOGANO 10
JIMMIE JOHNSON 3
MATT KENSETH 10
KYLE BUSCH 12
KYLE LARSON 15
DENNY HAMLIN 20
DALE EARNHARDT JR 12
JAMIE McMURRAY 30
KASEY KAHNE 15
CARL EDWARDS 50
RYAN NEWMAN 35
TONY STEWART 20
KURT BUSCH 15
CLINT BOWYER 50
GREG BIFFLE 60
BRIAN VICKERS 60
PAUL MENARD 50
MARTIN TRUEX JR 35
AUSTIN DILLON 100
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 300
ARIC ALMIROLA 200
TREVOR BAYNE 500
MARCOS AMBROSE 300
AJ ALLMENDINGER 500
DANICA PATRICK 500
CASEY MEARS 500
FIELD 500

Texas Practice Notes & Final Driver Ratings: 2014 AAA Texas 500

Jimmie Johnson gave us a blast from the past on Saturday

When looking at Saturday’s final two practice times at Texas Motor Speedway in preparation for Sunday’s AAA Texas 500, you may have to do a double take on the date because the names on top of the speed charts look as though they’ve been transported from 2009.

This is the 10th race held on a 1.5-mile track this season and the first nine races went basically as they were supposed to with Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick dominating most of the practices and then combining to win six of the races. But on Saturday, Keselowski was sluggish, Harvick looked ordinary, while Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart all looked like major players.

Maybe the cooler weather had something do with the speeds which made the charts look as random as a Talladega race. Maybe it took some of these teams nine full races on 1.5-mile tracks to finally close the large gap Penske Racing had over most of them. Whatever the case may be, we have the makings for the most wide open 1.5-mile race of the season -- a real Texas shootout.

Just when we started to write Jimmie Johnson off after not winning a race since June and being eliminated from the Chase two weeks ago, he goes out and puts on a show with not only the top speed during the final session, but also the best 10-consecutive lap average. Sure, he may have won at Texas’ sister track at Charlotte in May, but it was their lack of success in the five ensuing 1.5-mile races that led to the demise of their season. Now the No. 48 team has given us a blast to the past where they once again look like the best car and driver to beat on these type of tracks.

Johnson will have quite a few supporters from other teams in the garage cheering him on as well. There are eight drivers alive in the Chase, and two of them -- Keselowski and Harvick -- are siting seventh and eighth in points. Both of those drivers are capable of winning it all in the season finale at Homestead, another 1.5-mile track, but they have to advance first and the window of opportunity is closing fast . If a non-Chase driver like Johnson wins, then points become more valuable for a transfer spot as only one win-and-in position will remain with Phoenix.

Drivers like Edwards, Newman, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth are all sitting within the top-six in points, but aren’t strong contenders to win Sunday, however, they’ll all be battling for a position of eighth or better. The more automatic entries won by non-Chase drivers, like last Sunday at Martinsville, the better for these guys. Johnson being strong at Texas should give these type of drivers some hope for making the Homestead Championship Round.

For both Edwards and Newman, they may be saying, “Hold on, we are good enough to win Sunday.” And they might be right based on Saturday’s practices where Edwards had the fastest speed in the early session and was eighth quickest in happy hour. Newman had the second fastest single lap speed behind Johnson in the final session. With Keselowski and Harvick not looking so great, maybe this is one where they could steal a win. If Newman did it, it would be his first win of the season.

There are truly about 20 drivers that have a chance to win Sunday. Beyond our top-10 list of drivers, others include Kurt Busch, Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr and Brian Vickers. The practice session that deserves the most consideration into your betting equation should be weighted heavily to the final session.

These 1.5-mile tracks haven’t offered a lot of value at the bet window if straying away from the favorites, but Sunday’s race at Texas might be the best opportunity to cash with someone at 20-to-1 or higher. The best value of all might be Dale Earnhardt Jr. who is using the same chassis he swept Pocono with this season.

Read More Here......Top-10 Texas Driver Ratings

Practice 3 Speeds

Micah Roberts’ Top-10 Driver Ratings

AAA Texas 500 

Texas Motor Speedway

Sunday, November 2, 2014 -  12:16 pm (PT)

RATING    DRIVER   ODDS            PRAC 1     QUALIFIED   PRAC 2   PRAC 3  

 1. Jimmie Johnson 7/1            8th             3rd            2nd        1st  

Three-time winner, including last fall; best 10-consecutive lap average in final practice; using Dover chassis.  

 2. Jeff Gordon 5/1                   5th             2nd           29th       24th 

2009 winner; only driver to start all 27 Texas races; using runner-up chassis from Chicago and Charlotte.

 3. Joey Logano 7/1                20th           10th           27th        4th 

Won spring race; three straight top-5 finishes; using winning Bristol chassis from August.

 4. Kevin Harvick 9/2                2nd             5th           16th      11th  

No Texas wins (13.6 average), but has led laps in 24 off 33 races this season; using winning Charlotte chassis.

 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 20/1     14th            12th          14th        5th 

His one and only win came in 2000, the first of his career; using chassis that won both Pocono races.

 6. Brad Keselowski 5/1          24th            26th          25th       14th 

Runner-up during 2012 Chase; needs to win Sunday or next week to advance in Chase; using Bristol chassis.

 7. Kasey Kahne 25/1             15th            14th          24th        6th 

2006 winner; his only win of 2014 came in August at sister 1.5-mile track in Atlanta; using Brickyard chassis. 

 8. Carl Edwards 30/1              7th             11th           1st         8th 

Three-time winner, the last during 2008 sweep; four top-5 finishes on 1.5-mile tracks this season.  

 9. Denny Hamlin 20/1            12th            20th           7th        12th  

Swept 2010 season, 10.6 average finish in 18 starts; Good match-up play due to cautious approach for Chase.  

10. Kyle Larson 12/1               22nd           17th          21st       22nd 

Finished fifth during April race; the 1.5-mile tracks have been his best and he’s very close to winning.

Note: This will be the 10th of 11 races this season on a 1.5-mile track and the second held at Texas Motor Speedway. The first was held April 7 and won by Joey Logano. 

Odds courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas Super Book

Texas Driver Chassis Selections: 2014 AAA Texas 500

Kurt Busch using a chassis that was part of Danica's fleet

#2-Brad Keselowski: will drive Primary Chassis PRS-918 at Texas, which last raced at Bristol in August, finishing 2nd. The Backup Chassis is PRS-902 which was last used as a backup at Kansas in October and last ran at Sonoma as the #22 car, finishing 16th.

#3-Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 475 in the AAA Texas 500 at Texas. This is the same Dow Chevy that Dillon raced to an eighth-place finish at Kansas in October, and a 15th-place finish at Pocono in August. He also utilized this Chevrolet SS at Michigan in June, where he ran in the top 10 for a majority of the event before making two unscheduled pit stops in the closing laps, resulting in a 30th-place finish. Dillon has three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts to his credit at Texas finishing 33rd and 22nd in 2013, and 21st in April 2014.

#4-Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 884 in Sunday's race at Texas. Harvick has competed in this car three times so far this year: In July, he scored the pole award and finished eighth at Indianapolis. In August, he scored the pole award, led 195 laps and finished 19th after getting caught up in a late-race accident at Atlanta. Earlier this month, Harvick started seventh, led 162 laps and drove this car to Victory Circle at Charlotte. Harvick has 23 previous starts at Texas. He has earned three top fives and 11 top-10 finishes. He also has an average start of 20.3 and an average finish of 13.6 at the 1.5-mile track.

#5-Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-888 for Sunday's race at Texas. Kahne led 70 laps and finished sixth driving this chassis at Indianapolis in July and raced it at Pocono in August, where he started 12th and finished 10th. He also drove this chassis to a 16th-place finish at Michigan in August. Most recently, Kahne raced with this chassis at Kansas in October. Kahne went to Victory Lane at Texas on April 9, 2006, after starting from the pole position and leading 63 laps. Three of the 27 (11.1 percent) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas have been won from the pole position, which includes Kahne (2006). The driver of the #5 Chevrolet SS has five top-five finishes and six top-10s and has led a total of 218 laps in 20 Cup starts at the Fort Worth, Texas, oval. A year ago in this race, Kahne scored a fifth-place result. Most recently, he started 32nd and finished 11th.

#10-Danica Patrick: will drive Chassis No. 10-748 which debuted in October 2012 at Charlotte with former Stewart-Haas Racing driver Ryan Newman at the controls and Tony Gibson as crew chief. Newman started third but fell to 20th in the race. Newman and crew chief Matt Borland took the car to Texas in November 2012 and started 36th, but led six laps and rallied to 12th. Newman and Borland used it five times in 2013 and earned top-10 finishes at Auto Club Speedway, as well as Texas, Charlotte and Atlanta. In 2014, Kurt Busch and crew chief Daniel Knost raced it at Fontana and Chicago, finishing third and eighth, respectively. Backup Chassis No. 10-828 was first used at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November 2013, when Patrick started 24th and finished 20th. It was then put to use in March at Las Vegas where she started 22nd and finished 21st. The last time it was used was in late March at Auto Club Speedway, where she started 27th and finished 14th. It was a backup car at Pocono, Michigan, Bristol, Atlanta, Chicago and Dover.

#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-827 debuted in July during the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. Stewart used it to qualify sixth, but in the race the car was persistently loose and it finished 17th. It was a reversal of fortune for the car, for in its lone test prior to Indianapolis it excelled, as Kevin Harvick drove it to the fastest speed of anyone participating in the Dec. 9, 2013 test session at Charlotte. Chassis No. 14-827 next raced at Chicago, where it had a quiet weekend, qualifying 22nd and finishing 18th. The car returned to Charlotte in October where it made its third career start, qualifying a strong fourth but finishing 21st, bedeviled by a tight-handling condition. Chassis No. 14-827 is back in action this weekend at Texas.

#15-Clint Bowyer: Chassis No. 813 serves as the primary chassis for Bowyer at Texas. This chassis raced at Dover in September (9th) Michigan in August (6th), June (10th) and Charlotte in May (17th). Chassis No. 800 serves as the back-up chassis and raced at Bristol in August (17th), Kentucky in July (23rd) and Dover in June (4th). Bowyer has three top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 17 starts at Texas with an average start 15.0 and average finish 12.5.

#16-Greg Biffle: will drive primary chassis RK-930 which was brand new in Kansas where Biffle earned a 15th-place finish. The Backup Chassis is RK-890 which last ran Pocono and finished fifth. In his 21 career Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track, Biffle has two wins, eight top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. His average starting position is 12.3 with an average finishing position of 14.7. Ortho will make its final of three appearances of the season on the #16 Ford this weekend at Texas. Ortho was on the hood for a 10th-place finish at Atlanta and a 16th-place finish at Loudon.

#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: primary chassis RK-929 is the same chassis that the #17 team raced at Chicago leading the Roush Fenway Racing efforts with his 17th-place finish after a competitor made contact with his Ford with ten laps remaining. The backup chassis, RK-877, last ran at New Hampshire and finished ninth. Stenhouse has three Sprint Cup career starts with an average starting position of 19.0 and average finishing position of 27.3.

#22-Joey Logano: will drive Primary Chassis PRS-917 at Texas, which last ran at Bristol in August and won. The backup chassis is PRS-903 which last raced at Richmond in September and finished 6th.

#24-Jeff Gordon: crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-907 for this Sunday's race. This chassis has been raced twice previously with Gordon posting runner-up finishes at Chicago in September and Charlotte in October. Gordon has one win, two pole positions, nine top-five finishes and 12 top-10s in 27 Sprint Cup starts at Texas. The 43-year-old driver is the only individual to compete in every Sprint Cup event at Texas. On April 5, 2009, Gordon led 105 laps en route to his lone victory in The Lone-Star State. That win was his 82nd career victory in NASCAR's premier division.

#27-Paul Menard will utilize chassis No. 487 during the 334-lap event at Texas. This Richmond/Menards Chevy has seen racing action at Kansas last month where Menard started 13th and finished ninth. Menard has 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track. He has three top-five starts and earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes. He has completed 96.5% of the laps with two laps led in competition.

#31-Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 491 on Sunday at Texas. This is a new Caterpillar Chevy being utilized under race conditions for the first time this weekend. Newman is looking to capture his second-career victory at the 1.5-mile oval when he makes his 23rd NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Texas. His win came in the spring of 2003 making him the youngest Texas winner at 25 years, 3 months and 22 days. The Rocket Man also won the pole for both Sprint Cup Series events in 2005 to complete the sweep. In total, he owns three top-five and five top-10 finishes. Newman has an average start of 16.6 and average finish of 19.1. HOLT CAT and Warren CATwill be featured on the #31 Caterpillar Chevy this weekend at Texas.

#41-Kurt Busch: will pilot Chassis No. 839 at Texas. Formerly a #10 chassis for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate Danica Patrick, Chassis No. 839 was used in May at Charlotte, where Patrick started fourth, but an engine failure caused her to finish 39th in the Coca-Cola 600. The #10 team then raced Chassis No. 839 at both events at Michigan, where Patrick finished 17th and 18th, respectively. Most recently, Chassis No. 839 was raced at New Hampshire where Patrick finished 19th. The AAA Texas 500 will mark Busch's 24th career Sprint Cup start at Texas. Busch has one win, three top-five finishes and 12 top-10s at the 1.5-mile oval. Additionally, the 36-year-old driver has led 235 laps, has an average starting position of 16.1, an average finish of 16.3, and has completed 98 percent (7,542 of 7,699) of the laps he's contested there.

#48-Jimmie Johnson: Crew chief Chad Knaus has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 48-910 for this weekend's event in Texas. This car most recently finished third in Dover in September. The backup car is Chassis No. 48-799, which was last raced at Kansas in September when Johnson finished 40th. Johnson has three wins, 10 top five-finishes, 16 top 10s and one pole at Texas. In the last 19 races at the track, he has a series-high 522 fastest laps run and the second-best average driver rating of 103.6. Johnson is the defending winner of this race. He leads the series in runner-up finishes at Texas Motor Speedway with five and also leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with an average starting position at Texas Motor Speedway of 8.818. Johnson is the only active driver with an average starting position at Texas in the top 10.

#55-Brian Vickers: will drive primary chassis 815 which finished 15th at Atlanta & 10th at Kansas. The backup chassis is 797 finished 7th at California, 6th at Charlotte in May, 26th at Kentucky & 21st at Bristol in August.

#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: This weekend at Texas, crew chief Steve Letarte will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-810. Earnhardt drove this chassis to Victory Lane at both Pocono races this season. He most recently raced this chassis at Kansas Speedway earlier this month. In 24 Sprint Cup starts at Texas, Earnhardt has scored one win, two pole positions, four top-five finishes and 13 top-10s. He has an average starting position of 11.6, which is his second-best at all tracks. He has led at least one lap in 13 of those starts for a total of 448 laps.

#99-Carl Edwards the #99 Aflac team will unload primary chassis RK-927 which was last run at Kansas, starting in the 12th spot and finishing 5th and at the second Michigan race, starting in the 19th spot and finishing 10th. Backup chassis RK-897 was Backup for second Charlotte race. Edwards has three wins at Texas in the Sprint Cup Series to include 2005 and a sweep in 2008. Edwards has 19 Sprint Cup starts at Texas with an average start of 12.9 and an average finish of 15.5.

- compiled by Jayski.com