Micah Roberts’ Sprint Cup Driver Ratings, Aug. 26
Irwin Tools Night Race
Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn.
4:30 p.m. today, ABC (13); race starts at 4:46
Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Practice 2 Qualified* Bristol**
1. Kyle Busch 9/2 10th 5th 10th 32nd Five-time winner, including four of past seven; strong in practice Friday
2. Brad Keselowski 7/1 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st Won past two Bristol starts; seeks to be fifth driver to win three in row
3. Matt Kenseth 10/1 17th 4th 17th 2nd Two wins, 11.6 average finish in 25 starts; using New Hampshire chassis
4. Kevin Harvick 20/1 13th 40th 13th 11th 2005 winner; should thrive with new/old Bristol banking in turns
5. Denny Hamlin 12/1 8th 6th 8th 20th 2009 runner-up with 15.8 average finish in 13 starts; fast in practice
6. Greg Biffle 12/1 3rd 9th 3rd 13th 11.8 average finish, best among all drivers never to win at Bristol
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10/1 16th 20th 16th 15th 2004 winner with six other top-five finishes; using new chassis
8. Kasey Kahne 12/1 12th 10th 12th 37th 2007 runner-up; chassis has averaged 9.7 finish in three races this year
9. Tony Stewart 12/1 21st 26th 21st 14th 2001 winner; struggled during practice, but track is ideal for his style
10. Martin Truex Jr. 25/1 15th 18th 15th 3rd Third and second in last two starts; speeds hint at strength on long runs
* Qualifying rained out. Lineup set by order of finish during the first practice.
** Results from March 18 at Bristol. After that race, a grinding process was used to eliminate the progressive banking in the upper groove of the turns. The track should now run closer to Bristol pre-2007.
Odds courtesy of LVH
Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com or follow on Twitter: MicahRoberts7.
