MICAH ROBERTS’ SPRINT CUP DRIVER RATINGS
MICAH ROBERTS' SPRINT CUP DRIVER RATINGS
Kobalt Tools 500K
Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Ariz.
Coverage begins at noon today on ESPN (30)
Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Qualifying Practice 2 Practice 3
1. Carl Edwards 20/1 1st 1st 1st 1st
Career average finish of 12.8 in 12 starts, with high finish of fourth three times.
2. Jeff Gordon 15/1 18th 22nd 2nd 3rd
2007 winner has average finish of 10.4 in 23 starts; fastest average during happy hour.
3. Kevin Harvick 12/1 9th 29th 10th 5th
Swept both 2006 races and was 13th in spring; using third-place Martinsville chassis.
4. Denny Hamlin 9/2 27th 17th 14th 4th
Third-place finisher here four times; using winning Richmond chassis from September.
5. Jimmie Johnson 7/2 12th 21st 17th 7th
Four-time winner; using chassis that won this race last year and New Hampshire in June.
6. Kurt Busch 15/1 7th 3rd 3rd 34th
2005 winner; 13.5 average finish in 15 starts; using winning Atlanta chassis from March.
7. Matt Kenseth 25/1 16th 15th 4th 24th
2002 winner was sixth in spring; using car that led 26 laps to finish seventh at Kansas.
8. Greg Biffle 20/1 26th 4th 9th 10th
Two-time runner-up with last top-five in spring 2009; using winning chassis from Kansas.
9. Kyle Busch 4/1 4th 7th 20th 32nd
2005 win was only Phoenix top-five finish; using runner-up Charlotte car from October.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 60/1 22nd 31st 7th 2nd
Two-time winner; fine practice with fourth-place New Hampshire chassis from September.
Note: The September races at Richmond and New Hampshire are great barometers to use for Phoenix because of the similarities in distance and banking. The set-up notes from those teams that were successful are relatively fresh and still applicable.
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 Phoenix race, log onto LVRJ.com/Motorsports.
