Micah Roberts’ Sprint Cup driver ratings

By MICAH ROBERTS SPECIAL TO THE LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

8 years ago

Jimmie Johnson watches during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Friday, May 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson watches his crew work on his car during Sprint Cup Series afternoon practice at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., Friday, May 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

GoBowling.com 400, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.

4:30 p.m. Saturday (FS1)

Rating, Driver Odds Practice 1 Practice 2 Qualified Las Vegas*

1. Jimmie Johnson 5-1 11th 4th 15th 3rd

Three-time winner, including last spring best 10-consecutive lap average in Practice 1.

2. Martin Truex Jr. 10-1 2nd 1st 1st 11th

Two-time runner-up, led race-high 95 laps last spring and 346 laps overall in 15 starts.

3. Kyle Busch 8-1 21st 5th 6th 4th

No top-10s in first 14 starts at Kansas but top-fives in past two won at last 1.5-mile track (Texas).

4. Matt Kenseth 8-1 10th 2nd 2nd 37th

Two-time winner, led race-high 153 laps last fall best 10-consecutive lap average in Practice 2.

5. Joey Logano 8-1 14th 16th 14th 2nd

Top-five in past five starts at Kansas, including wins in two of past three still looking for first 2016 win.

6. Carl Edwards 8-1 3rd 12th 12th 18th

Considers this his home track second-best 10.6 average finish in 17 starts — runner-up in 2008.

7. Brad Keselowski 12-1 19th 13th 5th 1st

2011 winner. Mr. Consistency: 15 straight top-10 finishes on 1.5-mile tracks ended at Texas.

8. Denny Hamlin 15-1 6th 3rd 3rd 19th

2012 winner, runner-up last fall second-best 10-consecutive lap average in Practice 2.

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 12-1 13th 20th 22nd 8th

No wins in 19 starts, third last spring. Runner-up in two of three races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2016.

10. Kevin Harvick 5-1 7th 30th 26th 7th

2013 winner, runner-up past two spring races. Bad news is no top-fives on three 1.5s in 2016.

* Results from March 6 Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a track that runs most similar to Kansas Speedway among three races on 1.5-mile tracks this season.

Odds courtesy of the Westgate sports book.

Micah Roberts, a former Las Vegas sports book director, has been setting NASCAR odds since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MicahRoberts7