Micah Roberts’ Sprint Cup driver ratings
Quaker State 400
At Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Kentucky
4:30 p.m. Saturday. TV: NBCSN
Rating Driver Odds Michigan* Practice 1 Practice 2 Practice 3
1. Joey Logano 6-1 1st 18th 13th 12th
Runner-up last season led 138 laps in Michigan win using same new low-downforce package.
2. Brad Keselowski 7-1 4th 23rd 12th 15th
Two-time winner (2012, 2014) and three-time winner in Xfinity Series Penkse has edge.
3. Jimmie Johnson 7-1 16th 5th 2nd 8th
One of four tracks with no wins fastest 10-consecutive lap average in Practices 1 and 2.
4. Kyle Busch 6-1 40th 2nd 26th 4th
Two-time winner, 3.8 average finish (five starts) three wins in Trucks and Xfinity Series.
5. Chase Elliott 15-1 2nd 9th 6th 29th
Same setup as Michigan (led 35 laps) second-fastest 10-consecutive lap average in Practice 1.
6. Denny Hamlin 18-1 33rd 4th 1st 6th
Career-best third twice, including last season had best practice of season on 1.5-mile track.
7. Kevin Harvick 6-1 5th 13th 3rd 21st
Runner-up on past two 1.5-mile tracks third-best 10-consecutive lap average in Practice 2.
8. Kurt Busch 12-1 10th 17th 8th 10th
11.2 average finish in five starts second-fastest 10-consecutive lap average in Practice 2.
9. Martin Truex Jr. 7-1 12th 3rd 15th 2nd
Career-best seventh in 2013 led 392 of 400 laps in Charlotte win on last 1.5-mile track.
10. Matt Kenseth 10-1 14th 16th 25th 7th
2013 winner with 4.6 average finish in five starts, all of which were top-10s.
Note: NASCAR is using a new low-downforce package this week on a trial basis, which should make things interesting considering teams are using a new tire compound and the surface is new. Don’t expect much passing.
* Results from June 12 at Michigan International Speedway, where the low-downforce package also was used.
Odds courtesy of the Westgate.
Micah Roberts, a former Las Vegas sports book director, has been setting NASCAR odds since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MicahRoberts7
