MICAH ROBERTS’ SPRINT CUP DRIVER RATINGS

Darlington (S.C.) Raceway

Coverage begins at 4 p.m. today on Fox (5)

Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Practice 2 Qualifying ’09 Darlington Finish

1. Denny Hamlin 8/1 5th 2nd 8th 13th
Using winning Martinsville chassis. Has average finish of 8th in four Darlington starts.

2. Jeff Gordon 6/1 15th 8th 2nd 5th
Seven-time Darlington winner, last time in 2007. Chassis was three-time runner-up in ’09.

3. Kyle Busch 6/1 6th 15th 39th 34th
One top-five finish on track in five starts, a 2008 win. Using Phoenix chassis from last fall.

4. Jimmie Johnson 6/1 17th 9th 22nd 2nd
Swept 2004 season for only two wins. Track-best average finish of 6.9. New car this week.

5. Mark Martin 12/1 16th 17th 5th 1st
Two-time Darlington winner including last year, with 17 top-fives in 43 starts. Using new chassis this week.

6. Jeff Burton 12/1 8th 10th 11th 12th
Swept ’99 season for only two wins. Last top-five came in 2000 while with Roush. Using new chassis this week.

7. Kurt Busch 15/1 7th 3rd 14th 16th
Lost by .003 seconds in closest NASCAR race ever at Darlington in 2003, his only top-five finish.

8. Ryan Newman 40/1 22nd 4th 6th 4th
Five top-five finishes, with average of 12.5 in 11 starts. Using fifth-place ’09 Pocono chassis.

9. Brad Keselowski 50/1 19th 19th 9th 7th
Started 31st and finished seventh in only Darlington race; New Penske chassis this week.

10. Tony Stewart 15/1 31st 35th 24th 3rd
One of only three tracks he’s yet to win on. Using winning chassis from ’09 All-Star race.

Note: Only two scheduled Richmond practice sessions followed by qualifying on Friday.

Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former race and sports 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.
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