Micah Roberts’ Sprint Cup Driver Ratings, March 4
Subway Fresh Fit 500
Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Ariz.
11:30 a.m. PST today, Fox (5); race begins at 12:16 p.m.
Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Practice 2 Qualified Phoenix*
1. Kasey Kahne 12/1 5th 14th 10th 1st 2011 fall winner, sixth in spring; had best 10 consecutive lap average in final practice
2. Greg Biffle 18/1 3rd 13th 7th 13th Two-time runner-up; using third-place New Hampshire chassis from fall of 2011
3. Jimmie Johnson 7/1 24th 7th 4th 14th Four-time winner; track-record 5.4 average finish in 17 starts; seventh or better 14 times
4. Tony Stewart 7/1 1st 23rd 2nd 3rd 1999 winner; three-time runner-up; using winning New Hampshire chassis from 2011 Chase
5. Jeff Gordon 8/1 17th 5th 30th 32nd Two-time winner, last coming in this race last season; 10.9 average finish in 26 starts
6. Mark Martin 40/1 2nd 15th 1st 16th Two-time winner, last coming in 2009; second-best average finish of 9.0 in 30 starts
7. Carl Edwards 7/1 16th 27th 24th 2nd 2010 fall winner; had arguably fastest car in past three events; debuts new car
8. Kyle Busch 7/1 7th 25th 12th 36th 2005 winner in No. 5 Hendrick car; runner-up last spring; using 2011 Phoenix chassis
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 25/1 31st 11th 29th 24th Two-time winner, last coming in 2004; using new chassis; fast in race trim during practice
10. Ryan Newman 20/1 4th 9th 6th 5th 2010 winner; four straight top-fives; using backup car after wrecking in first practice
* Results from Nov. 13 race at Phoenix, last race run on the track and first under new configuration.
Odds courtesy of LVH.
Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. He can be reached at VegasInsider.com, TheLinemakers.com or Twitter: MicahRoberts7.
