Micah Roberts’ Sprint Cup driver ratings
Micah Roberts’ Sprint Cup driver ratings
Good Sam 500 (12:30 p.m. today, KVVU-5)
Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona
Rating, Driver Odds Practice 1 Qualified Practice 2 Practice 3
1. Kurt Busch 10-1 1st 4th 1st 2nd
2005 spring winner (perfect driver rating) fastest 10-consecutive lap average during Practice 2.
2. Kevin Harvick 9-4 5th 18th 2nd 1st
Track record seven-time winner using chassis that won at Phoenix last March. Also second three times.
3. Kyle Busch 8-1 8th 1st 19th 3rd
2005 fall winner, fourth in November five of 39 past Phoenix winners started on pole.
4. Carl Edwards 12-1 6th 2nd 3rd 15th
Two-time winner (2010, 2013) second-fastest 10-consecutive lap average during Practice 2.
5. Denny Hamlin 20-1 2nd 3rd 18th 11th
2012 winner with third-best 11.4 average in 21 starts flat tracks his best types.
6. Jimmie Johnson 8-1 9th 5th 11th 13th
Four-time winner, the last in 2009 track record 15 top fives and 7.7 average finish in 25 starts.
7. Martin Truex Jr. 15-1 4th 8th 4th 8th
Only one top-five finish in 20 starts, 17th-place average, but his Phoenix car never looked as good.
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 17-2 24th 26th 6th 14th
Three-time winner, including last fall (rain shortened) eighth or better in five of past six starts.
9. Kasey Kahne 30-1 22nd 24th 7th 6th
2011 fall winner went to a backup engine (starts from rear), and it was outstanding in final practice.
10. Joey Logano 8-1 3rd 9th 9th 9th
Tied career-best with third last fall has been ninth or better in past five Phoenix starts.
Note: The best handicapping tool for this race, in addition to Saturday’s practices, is to refer to 2015 results from the six races on flat tracks at Phoenix, Richmond and New Hampshire. Odds courtesy of William Hill sports books.
Micah Roberts, a former Las Vegas sports book director, has been setting NASCAR odds since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MicahRoberts7.
