Micah Roberts’ Sprint Cup Driver Ratings
September 27, 2014 - 6:37 pm
Micah Roberts SPRINT CUP Driver Ratings
AAA 400
At Dover International Speedway, Dover, Del.
11 a.m. today, ESPN (30); race starts at 11:16
Rating DriverOddsPractice 1QualifiedPractice 2Practice 3
1. Kevin Harvick6/11st1st7th1st
Best chance ever to win here; fastest 10-consecutive lap averages in final two practices
2. Brad Keselowski5/12nd4th9th2nd
2012 winner here on his way to Cup title; runner-up in spring race
3. Jimmie Johnson4/15th8th13th8th
Wasn’t spectacular in practices, but has record nine wins here, including the past two
4. Jeff Gordon6/13rd6th14th3rd
Four-time winner, the last coming in 2001; using winning Kansas chassis
5. Matt Kenseth8/110th14th1st17th
Two-time winner, the last in 2011; third in the spring; has serious contending speed
6. Denny Hamlin18/16th3rd3rd4th
Currently outside looking in to Chase; says this is “the most important race” of career
7. Jamie McMurray25/120th5th6th7th
No top-fives here since 2006, but only Harvick had better 10-lap average in final practice
8. Kasey Kahne25/122nd12th5th6th
Career-best fourth in 2011; great speeds in practice; using his winning Atlanta chassis
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.15/124th25th8th9th
2001 winner, runner-up last fall; on par with quality Hendrick engines in practice
10. Kyle Busch8/111th2nd16th10th
Two-time winner; starts second, where most winners (15) have started at Dover
Note: Dover’s 1-mile high-banked concrete layout is unique, but Bristol’s half-mile track does have some similarities, which makes its Aug. 23 race worth reviewing. Three of the top four finishers from the June 1 Dover race finished in the top four at Bristol last month.
Odds courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas
Micah Roberts, a former race and sports book director in Las Vegas, has been setting NASCAR odds since 1995. For more post-practice analysis, visit the Linemakers on SportingNews.com or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.