MICAH ROBERTS’ SPRINT CUP DRIVER RATINGS

MICAH ROBERTS' SPRINT CUP DRIVER RATINGS

Bank of America 500

Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.

Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. today on ABC (13)

Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Qualifying Practice 2 Practice 3

1. Kyle Busch 9/1 3rd 6th 25th 7th
4.5 average finish in past six Charlotte starts; had best 10 consecutive average lap speeds in final practice

2. Kurt Busch 9/1 22nd 15th 4th 3rd
Won All-Star race and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May; also won at Atlanta in March

3. Kasey Kahne 15/1 11th 25th 1st 4th
Three wins in past nine Charlotte starts, last in 2008; 11.6 average finish in 13 Charlotte starts

4. Greg Biffle 15/1 18th 22nd 3rd 10th
Using new chassis; had best 10 consecutive average lap speeds during second practice

5. Jimmie Johnson 3/1 12th 10th 15th 17th
Had worst combined practice speeds on 1.5-mile track this season; six wins at Charlotte

6. Carl Edwards 9/1 19th 2nd 13th 1st
Using new chassis; had top average speeds for entire final practice; finished 16th at Charlotte in May

7. Jeff Gordon 12/1 33rd 1st 32nd 27th
Five-time winner starts from pole; average finish of 15.4 in 35 Charlotte starts; struggled in practice

8. Jamie McMurray 30/1 13th 27th 28th 5th
Won first career race at Charlotte in 2002; using chassis with two top-five finishes in 2010

9. Tony Stewart 12/1 6th 29th 17th 32nd
Using chassis that won at Atlanta last month; average finish of 13.4 in 23 Charlotte starts

10. Mark Martin 35/1 4th 5th 12th 11th
Four-time Charlotte winner making 52nd Charlotte start; using new car

Note: Charlotte's 1.5-mile high-banked speedway is similar to its sister tracks of Las Vegas, Atlanta and Texas. Atlanta's Sept. 5 race is the best barometer to use in handicapping this week's race.

Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former race and sports book director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. He writes for multiple publications covering all sports. He can be reached at MM.Roberts7@Gmail.com. For more of Roberts' insight on the Charlotte race, log on to LVRJ.com/Motorsports.