May 30, 2009
N'Wide: Keselowski wins after Logano (nearly) spins Busch
Our View: Busch had a flat, but it is unclear if that came before or after the contact. One thing is certain; the teenager showed he was hungry for the win. In typical fashion, Busch stormed off without comment, so we are left to speculate.
Indy Lights: Romancini on Milwaukee pole
Our View: The advancement from Indy Lights to IRL (and the crossover) is a little slower than Nationwide to Cup, but this is still the most likely road to the major leagues.
N'Wide: Four drivers do double duty
Our View: Practice makes perfect—and Busch will actually run the triple header with Sunday's Cup Autism Speaks 400.
Kasey Kahne on Dover
YOU WERE SECOND IN PRACTICE TODAY, HOW WAS YOUR CAR? “So far, so good. Our Budweiser Dodge feels really strong again today. Kenny (Francis, crew-chief) really seems happy with the car, so we just tried to fine-tune our package a bit to stay with the race track. It’s a long race tomorrow and our (race) package has to be right when we get the green flag to go racing. We’re fairly close, but we’re really fast too.”
HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO RUN IN TRAFFIC ENOUGH TO GET A FEEL FOR HOW THE R6 ENGINE PERFORMS WITH OTHER CARS AROUND YOU? “Not really. I was pretty much by myself all practice. It’s kind of how practice is at Dover. Everybody is heading into the pits to make changes and you don’t really have the traffic you look for in practice.”
DOVER HASN’T BEEN TOO FRIENDLY TO YOU IN RECENT YEARS. HOW NICE IS IT TO START UP FRONT TOMORROW? “No kidding. I’ve been in a lot of little deals (wrecks) that were never really our fault. When you hit oil or get involved in wrecks just driving down the straighaways and get collected, it’s tough to swallow sometimes. Dover’s been a rough place for us recently, but I think we have as good a race car as we’ve brought here in recent years. I’m excited for tomorrow.”
HOW PHYSICALLY DEMANDING OF A RACE WILL TOMORROW BE? “It certainly gets your attention. You can run pretty hard here and the track is pretty rough. The concrete is pretty rough and you get bouncing around like you’re on really, really hard tires. It’s a little bit physical compared to some of the other tracks, but nothing too out of control.”
THIRTY-SEVEN RACES HAVE BEEN WON INSIDE THE TOP-THREE STARTING SPOTS. YOU START IN SECOND POSITION, HOW MUCH CONFIDENCE DOES THAT GIVE YOU HEADING INTO TOMORROW? “Qualifying is a big part of your race day success at Dover. We’ve got a great starting position and a great pit stall, so that’s a nice advantage. Just as important is the fact that our race car was strong in race trim all day today. We unloaded fast and have been fast all weekend.”
IRL: Barrett going home
Our View: That certainly won't help his campaign to win rookie honors, but the team says they will be ready for the next race at Texas Motor Speedway
Hamlin post single fast lap in Dover Happy Hour
Our View: His average speed of 146.188 mph during 71 laps was among the worst, however. Given his recent struggles at Dover, we recommend parking him until next week's Pocono race.
Kahne wins Dover Happy Hour
Our View: Kahne had one of the strongest cars last week at Lowe's, and he has something to prove this week. Start him with confidence.
N'Wide: Competition caution coming
Our View: Safety should come first, but this also allows veteran teams to make a final adjustment before the race truly gets underway.
Ky Busch fastest in Dover practice 2
Our View: His average speed of 148.829 mph was only eighth best, but that is still a great combination of top end speed and durability.
Reutimann wins Dover practice 2
Our View: His fastest single lap wasn't bad either. With a speed of 152.983 mph, he was third best behind Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne.
USAC racer dies in crash
Our View: Dirt and short track racing is where the major league stars cut their teeth, but most importantly, they do this because they love it. Fans of auto racing send their sympathies and appreciate the passion of drivers like McDaniel.
N'Wide: Logano wins Dover pole
Our View: Nine of the top-10 qualifiers are Cup regulars. Only Brendan Gaughan in ninth does not have a fulltime ride.
Complete Lineup
May 29, 2009
Yahoo! Qualification Story
N'Wide: Dover's last five races
Clint Bowyer also swept the top-10 in Nationwide competition last year, and will be one of the strongest Cup "Claim Jumpers" in the field.
Mike Bliss was in the right place at the right time last week to win the rain-shortened Carquest Auto Parts 300, but he's been hovering around the head of the pack on a weekly basis. And he's likely to do so again with a second last fall and three top-10s in his last four starts at Dover. If he does not take top honors among the Nationwide regulars, chances are good that Brad Keselowski will. He's finished seventh or better in his last three starts on the concrete high banks in Delaware.
Results, last five years
| Driver | Avg Finish | 2008.2 | 2008.1 | 2007.2 | 2007.1 | 2006.2 |
| Matt Kenseth | 3.33 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
| Casey Mears | 4.00 | 4 | ||||
| Clint Bowyer | 6.67 | 10 | 9 | 1 | ||
| David Stremme | 7.00 | 11 | 3 | |||
| Carl Edwards | 8.00 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 26 |
| Mike Bliss | 8.25 | 2 | 18 | 4 | 9 | |
| Denny Hamlin | 10.00 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 40 |
| Joey Logano | 10.00 | 14 | 6 | |||
| Greg Biffle | 10.00 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 8 | |
| Michael Waltrip | 10.00 | 10 | ||||
| Brad Keselowski | 10.25 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 | |
| Kasey Kahne | 11.00 | 10 | 12 | |||
| Bobby Labonte | 11.00 | 11 | ||||
| David Reutimann | 11.50 | 17 | 4 | 10 | 15 | |
| Scott Wimmer | 11.80 | 4 | 12 | 29 | 3 | 11 |
| Kyle Busch | 12.00 | 1 | 28 | 7 | ||
| Scott Riggs | 12.00 | 12 | ||||
| Reed Sorenson | 12.67 | 5 | 27 | 6 | ||
| Bobby Hamilton Jr | 12.75 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 10 | |
| Todd Kluever | 13.00 | 13 | ||||
| Kevin Harvick | 13.75 | 28 | 17 | 7 | 3 | |
| Jason Keller | 14.00 | 19 | 16 | 8 | 13 | |
| Juan Montoya | 14.00 | 14 | ||||
| Dario Franchitti | 15.00 | 15 | ||||
| Ken Schrader | 15.00 | 15 | ||||
| Sterling Marlin | 15.00 | 15 | ||||
| Jason Leffler | 16.00 | 7 | 27 | 30 | 11 | 5 |
| Josh Wise | 16.00 | 13 | 19 | |||
| Martin Truex Jr | 16.00 | 2 | 30 | |||
| Martin Truex Jr | 16.00 | 2 | 30 | |||
| Chase Miller | 16.00 | 16 | ||||
| Ward Burton | 17.00 | 17 | ||||
| J J Yeley | 17.00 | 25 | 9 | |||
| Mike Wallace | 17.60 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 33 | 22 |
| Jamie McMurray | 18.00 | 8 | 40 | 20 | 4 | |
| Marcos Ambrose | 18.00 | 16 | 30 | 20 | 6 | |
| Dave Blaney | 18.33 | 23 | 16 | 16 | ||
| Steve Wallace | 18.80 | 18 | 11 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
| Jeff Burton | 19.00 | 19 | ||||
| John Andretti | 19.00 | 19 | ||||
| Patrick Carpentier | 20.00 | 20 | ||||
| Stacy Compton | 20.00 | 20 | ||||
| Kevin Hamlin | 21.00 | 21 | ||||
| Kenny Wallace | 21.00 | 29 | 20 | 14 | ||
| A J Allmendinger | 21.00 | 21 | ||||
| Tony Raines | 21.50 | 35 | 8 | |||
| Casey Atwood | 21.50 | 14 | 29 | |||
| Regan Smith | 21.50 | 26 | 17 | |||
| Kelly Bires | 22.00 | 34 | 13 | 19 | ||
| Landon Cassill | 22.67 | 25 | 25 | 18 | ||
| Brandon Whitt | 23.00 | 23 | ||||
| Sam Hornish Jr | 23.00 | 23 | ||||
| D J Kennington | 23.00 | 23 | ||||
| David Ragan | 24.00 | 9 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 18 |
| Tim McCreadie | 24.00 | 24 | ||||
| Stanton Barrett | 24.25 | 27 | 21 | 17 | 32 | |
| Ashton Lewis | 25.00 | 25 | ||||
| Eric McClure | 26.00 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 28 | |
| Auggie Vidovich | 27.00 | 27 | ||||
| Kyle Krisiloff | 27.50 | 34 | 21 | |||
| Richard Johns | 28.00 | 28 | ||||
| Tim Sauter | 28.00 | 28 | ||||
| David Gilliland | 29.00 | 29 | ||||
| Derrike Cope | 29.67 | 32 | 24 | 33 | ||
| Morgan Shepherd | 30.00 | 22 | 22 | 38 | 38 | |
| John Wes Townley | 30.00 | 30 | ||||
| Kevin Conway | 30.00 | 30 | ||||
| Danny Efland | 31.00 | 26 | 36 | |||
| Scott Lagasse Jr | 31.00 | 31 | ||||
| Jay Sauter | 31.00 | 31 | ||||
| Travis Kvapil | 31.00 | 31 | ||||
| Robby Gordon | 31.00 | 31 | ||||
| Robert Richardson | 31.50 | 27 | 36 | |||
| Bryan Clauson | 32.00 | 33 | 31 | |||
| Johnny Sauter | 32.00 | 40 | 24 | |||
| Stephen Leicht | 32.67 | 41 | 34 | 23 | ||
| Brett Rowe | 33.00 | 33 | ||||
| Carl Long | 33.00 | 33 | ||||
| Donnie Neuenberger | 35.00 | 43 | 34 | 25 | 39 | 34 |
| Shane Hall | 35.00 | 35 | ||||
| Larry Gunselman | 36.00 | 36 | ||||
| Shane Huffman | 36.50 | 37 | 36 | |||
| Brad Coleman | 37.00 | 32 | 42 | |||
| Paul Menard | 37.00 | 37 | ||||
| Marc Mitchell | 37.00 | 37 | ||||
| Kertus Davis | 38.00 | 37 | 36 | 41 | ||
| Kevin Lepage | 38.00 | 39 | 35 | 40 | ||
| J C Stout | 38.00 | 38 | ||||
| Jon Wood | 38.00 | 38 | ||||
| Johnny Chapman | 38.50 | 38 | 39 | |||
| Burney Lamar | 38.67 | 35 | 42 | 39 | ||
| Brent Sherman | 39.00 | 43 | 35 | |||
| Brad Teague | 39.50 | 37 | 42 | |||
| Kenny Hendrick | 40.50 | 41 | 40 | |||
| Terry Cook | 41.00 | 41 | ||||
| Mike Harmon | 41.00 | 43 | 39 | |||
| Jerick Johnson | 41.00 | 41 | ||||
| Justin Hobgood | 42.00 | 42 | ||||
| Sean Caisse | 42.00 | 42 | ||||
| Chris Wimmer | 43.00 | 43 | ||||
| Randy MacDonald | 43.00 | 43 | ||||
| Dominick Casola | 44.00 | 44 |
Four go home from Dover
Our View: That's a bit of a shocker were Keselowski and Papis are concerned. This is the first race in 2009 that the No. 13 has failed to make.
Reutimann on Dover Cup pole
Our View: No one can say that he backed into this result. Starting up front is crucial at Dover, so this gives him good odds to finish in the top 10.
Gordon crashes in quals
Our View: Last year, Jimmie Johnson overcame a crash in practice, so it can be done. In fact, with the new pit road – it should be slightly easier.
Charlotte was final straw for Hendrick/Jr.
Our View: His 40th-place finish was bad enough, but worse still, the No. 88 was never in contention.
N'Wide: McDowell admits "monster" is scary
Our View: This will be McDowell's first Nationwide start and he hasn't been overly impressive in Cup with a best of 29th in two starts.
Trucks: Hornaday on Dover pole
Our View: Hornaday was already considered a favorite this week, but you may want to take a look at the outside of the front row. Colin Braun in a Roush-Fenway Ford F-150 starts there and this organization is strong in all divisions.
Starting Lineup (on Fox Sports)
Avg. Finish, last five races
Digger not to blame for Fox decline
Our View: Perhaps it's a combination of things: Fox's broadcast style that that features "entertainment" over reporting the race, an overabundance of commercials and refusal to implement the same kind of side by coverage that IRL fans love—and yes, that stupid gopher is the face of their frivolousness.
N'Wide: Leffler to make 200th start
Our View: In his first 199 starts, Leffler has 57 top-10s, 29 top-fives and two victories. With the way he's run in this series this year, he could start his third hundred run with a third victory.
Reutimann fastest in Dover's first practice
Our View: Drivers typically work on qualification trim in this session, so Reutimann is a good bet to start up front for Sunday's race.
IRL: Scheckter to run at Milwaukee
Our View: Scheckter has some strong runs there with third-place finishes in 2005 and 2006, but his last attempt was a little more what fantasy owners can expect this week. In his most recent outing in 2007, he finished 17th.
Last Five Races Average Finish
Mayfield also withdrawn
Our View: Along with Todd Bodine's withdrawal, this makes the entry list 47 cars. That should make it a little easier for your favorite "go-or-go-home" driver make the show.
Gunselman withdraws from Dover, seeks driver
Our View: Fans of dark horses have to pull for every independent team, but the chances of the No. 64 making the show in the next few months are slim with any driver behind the wheel.
Busch bangs Starr in practice
Our View: Starr refused to make room for Busch, which is one of the perils of this tight track.
Ky Busch weighs in on Jr.
Our View: "You got to make the most popular driver in the sport competitive -- so you got to do what you got to do, I guess," Busch said. There is a little bitterness to that statement, considering that Busch was the driver moved out of his ride to make room for Earnhardt.
Trucks: Dover's last five races
Partly due to their success, Truck regulars have not dominated the top of the average finish grid. Only Ron Hornaday Jr. and Johnny Benson Jr. enter the weekend with at least three consecutive top-10s, which makes them best bets to highlight your roster. That also leaves the field wide open for the remaining spots—and given the strength of interlopers, this might be a good week to gamble on Max Papis.
Notably, this track has not been kind to Kyle Busch. He won there in 2005, but has slowly been sliding down the grid since until he bottomed out with a 27th-place finish last year. In the Cup series, he's also been hit or miss with a victory last spring, but two 40-something finishes in his last five starts.
Results, last five years
| Driver | Avg Fin | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 |
| Scott Speed | 1.00 | 1 | ||||
| Tony Stewart | 2.00 | 2 | ||||
| Hank Parker Jr | 3.00 | 3 | ||||
| Mark Martin | 3.50 | 6 | 1 | |||
| Ron Hornaday Jr | 3.75 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 | |
| Mike Bliss | 4.50 | 5 | 4 | |||
| Dave Blaney | 6.00 | 6 | ||||
| Ricky Craven | 7.00 | 7 | ||||
| Andy Houston | 7.00 | 7 | ||||
| Travis Kvapil | 7.67 | 4 | 3 | 16 | ||
| Colin Braun | 8.00 | 8 | ||||
| Carl Edwards | 8.00 | 2 | 14 | |||
| A J Allmendinger | 9.00 | 9 | ||||
| David Reutimann | 9.00 | 5 | 5 | 17 | ||
| Mike Skinner | 10.00 | 7 | 7 | 22 | 10 | 4 |
| Aaron Fike | 10.00 | 10 | ||||
| Timothy Peters | 10.00 | 14 | 6 | |||
| Rick Crawford | 10.60 | 9 | 23 | 8 | 11 | 2 |
| David Starr | 11.60 | 6 | 25 | 11 | 8 | 8 |
| Terry Cook | 12.00 | 13 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 20 |
| Deborah Renshaw | 12.00 | 12 | ||||
| Aric Almirola | 12.00 | 12 | ||||
| Jon Wood | 12.50 | 15 | 10 | |||
| Stacy Compton | 12.50 | 23 | 2 | |||
| Kyle Busch | 12.50 | 27 | 12 | 10 | 1 | |
| Bobby Hamilton Jr | 13.00 | 13 | ||||
| Johnny Benson Jr | 13.50 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 34 | |
| Willie Allen | 14.00 | 14 | ||||
| Shane Sieg | 14.50 | 14 | 15 | |||
| Chad Chaffin | 15.00 | 21 | 23 | 1 | ||
| Ryan Matthews | 15.00 | 15 | ||||
| Jack Sprague | 15.40 | 2 | 28 | 9 | 29 | 9 |
| Ted Musgrave Sr | 15.60 | 11 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 12 |
| Chad McCumbee | 16.00 | 12 | 13 | 23 | ||
| Justin Marks | 16.00 | 16 | ||||
| Blake Bjorkland | 16.00 | 16 | ||||
| Matt Crafton | 16.80 | 5 | 26 | 15 | 9 | 29 |
| Donny Lia | 17.00 | 17 | ||||
| Tim Sauter | 17.00 | 17 | ||||
| Bobby East | 17.00 | 17 | ||||
| Ken Schrader | 17.33 | 33 | 14 | 5 | ||
| Dennis Setzer | 17.60 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 13 | 18 |
| Todd Bodine | 17.75 | 29 | 11 | 3 | 28 | |
| Shelby Howard | 19.00 | 19 | ||||
| Bobby Hamilton Sr | 20.00 | 21 | 19 | |||
| Todd Kluever | 20.00 | 20 | ||||
| Andy Lally | 22.00 | 22 | ||||
| Ken Weaver | 22.00 | 22 | ||||
| Regan Smith | 22.00 | 22 | ||||
| Brad Keselowski | 22.50 | 15 | 30 | |||
| Erik Darnell | 22.67 | 25 | 18 | 25 | ||
| Brendan Gaughan | 22.75 | 20 | 36 | 19 | 16 | |
| Robert Huffman | 23.00 | 35 | 11 | |||
| Shane Hmiel | 23.00 | 23 | ||||
| Chase Montgomery | 23.00 | 18 | 28 | |||
| Tracy Hines | 23.00 | 25 | 21 | |||
| Steve Park | 23.33 | 21 | 36 | 13 | ||
| Kevin Lepage | 23.50 | 28 | 19 | |||
| Landon Cassill | 24.00 | 24 | ||||
| Shane Huffman | 24.00 | 24 | ||||
| Erin Crocker | 24.00 | 24 | ||||
| Jimmy Spencer Sr | 24.00 | 24 | ||||
| Kevin Love | 24.00 | 24 | ||||
| Jason White | 26.00 | 30 | 22 | |||
| Robert Pressley | 26.00 | 26 | ||||
| Derrick Kelley | 26.00 | 26 | ||||
| Marcos Ambrose | 26.00 | 26 | ||||
| Scott Lynch | 27.00 | 27 | ||||
| Rich Bickle | 27.00 | 27 | ||||
| Kyle Krisiloff | 27.00 | 27 | ||||
| Scott Lagasse Jr | 27.33 | 26 | 21 | 35 | ||
| Morgan Shepherd | 29.00 | 29 | ||||
| Kerry Earnhardt | 29.00 | 29 | ||||
| T J Bell | 30.00 | 30 | ||||
| Bill Lester | 30.00 | 35 | 30 | 30 | 25 | |
| J C Stout | 31.00 | 31 | ||||
| Kraig Kinser | 31.00 | 31 | 31 | |||
| Kelly Sutton | 31.33 | 36 | 31 | 27 | ||
| Brandon Whitt | 31.50 | 32 | 31 | |||
| Brian Scott | 32.00 | 32 | ||||
| Dana White | 32.00 | 32 | ||||
| Jerry Hill | 32.00 | 32 | ||||
| Joey Miller | 32.00 | 32 | ||||
| Ryan Seaman | 33.00 | 33 | ||||
| Wayne Edwards | 33.00 | 33 | ||||
| Boston Reid | 33.00 | 33 | ||||
| Lance Hooper | 33.00 | 33 | ||||
| Larry Gunselman | 34.00 | 34 | ||||
| Clint Bowyer | 34.00 | 34 | ||||
| Phil Bonifield | 34.00 | 34 | ||||
| Johnny Chapman | 34.00 | 34 | ||||
| Nick Tucker | 35.00 | 35 | ||||
| Mark McFarland | 35.00 | 35 | ||||
| Butch Miller | 36.00 | 36 | ||||
| Robert Richardson | 37.00 | 37 | ||||
| Ryan Moore | 38.00 | 38 |
May 28, 2009
Monster Slayers
Dover is one of the toughest tracks on the circuit. Concrete high-banked courses require drivers to pull heavy G-loads in the corners, and this track is nearly as much turn as it is straightaway. The groove at exit is narrow, since all of that momentum pushes a car from the bottom of the course to the outside wall and track blocking, "Big One" crashes are nearly as prevalent at Dover as on one of the restrictor-plate superspeedways.
It’s a rhythm track, however, and once a driver learns the secrets to conquering the Monster, they can often string together some incredibly long streaks. Carl Edwards enters the weekend with five consecutive results of third or better, and this could very well be the week he snaps out of his early-season funk.
Roush-Fenway teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth are two other drivers who swept the top-five last year and in the fall, three of the Cat in the Hat's men finished first, second and third. If you think you see a pattern emerging, jump on it.
Expect Hendrick Motorsports to be in their mirrors. Last fall, Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson finished fourth and fifth on the Roushketeers' bumpers and Jeff Gordon came home just a couple of spots further back in seventh.
Join us at http://www.eventdaygames.com/ this week to play along with our unique fantasy game.
Earnhardt gets new chief
Our View: Fantasy owners can reasonably expect short term benefits, but Earnhardt still has a way to go before he's going to be recommended for your roster.
May 27, 2009
Week 22 Unified Power Rankings
The three major auto racing series ran one of the biggest races of their season last week when Formula 1 took to the streets of Monaco, the NASCAR Cup series ran the "Coke 341," and the IRL ran the granddaddy of them all: the Indy 500.
Each of those races carry bonus points. Instead of 110 points for a first-place finish, drivers receive 125, but we had to make some adjustments for the Cup race. Since several drivers remained on track and received better results than they earned through the strength of their cars, we based the Power Point system on average running position for this week.
No matter how count them, Jenson Button continues to be the hottest driver in auto racing having won his fifth Grand Prix in six starts. The twisty streets of Monaco make passing a near impossibility, so no one was surprised that he took the checkers after sitting on the pole. Rubens Barrichello continues to be his wing man and finished second in Formula 1 competition for the third time this season. He's going to be hard to dislodge from that spot, in fact, because he's swept the top-five alongside Button.
Tony Stewart had flashes of brilliance last week in the rain-shortened "Coke 341," but when the field was shuffled by the final rain storm he found his No. 14 Chevy stranded in 19th. Five top-fives in the previous six races, however, gave him enough momentum to stay third on the grid and first among Cup regulars.
Nationwide regular Jason Leffler ran a smart race in the Carquest Auto Parts 300 to finish sixth. That helped elevate him into the top 10 on the Unified Power Rankings scale since it was his sixth consecutive top-10 in recent races.
The Indy Racing League finally ran enough races to include them in this formula and despite winning the Indy 500, Helio Castroneves does not top their chart. There a reason for that; even though the series has run enough times, the driver has not since he was forced to sit out the Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg while being his trial for tax evasion was going on.
Dario Franchitti gets that honor. After winning the Grand Prix of Long Beach and finishing in the top 10 in three of the first four IRL races this year, he's the best of class. He shouldn't get too used to the position, however; unless Castroneves crashes early next week at Milwaukee, he is virtually guaranteed to dislodge the Scotsman. Unified Power RankingsRank Driver Points Last week +/- 1 Jenson Button 110.67 1 0 2 Rubens Barrichello 99.83 2 0 3 Tony Stewart 91.67 3 0 4 Jason Leffler 88.50 7 3 5 Kurt Busch 88.45 5 0 6 Ryan Newman 85.93 10 4 7 Jimmie Johnson 85.91 8 1 8 Jeff Gordon 85.45 4 -4 9 Denny Hamlin 85.08 6 -3 10 Ron Hornaday Jr 83.75 11 1 11 Dario Franchitti 83.50 NR 12 Ryan Briscoe 83.50 NR 13 Mark Webber 82.00 14 1 14 Tony Kanaan 81.25 NR 15 Danica Patrick 81.00 NR 16 Dan Wheldon 80.75 NR 17 Jeff Burton 79.75 12 -5 18 Mark Martin 79.75 20 2 19 Kyle Busch 79.59 13 -6 20 Timo Glock 79.50 9 -11 21 Brad Keselowski 79.23 23 2 22 Carl Edwards 77.37 15 -7 23 Greg Biffle 76.54 16 -7 24 Fernando Alonso 76.17 21 -3 25 Joey Logano 74.89 31 6 26 Kasey Kahne 74.36 29 3 27 Matt Kenseth 74.19 18 -9 28 Scott Dixon 74.00 NR 29 Matt Crafton 73.75 27 -2 30 Juan Montoya 72.00 19 -11 31 Dale Earnhardt Jr 71.79 26 -5 32 Nico Rosberg 70.00 37 5 33 Brian Vickers 69.50 24 -9 34 Mike Skinner 69.50 32 -2 35 Johnny Benson Jr 68.75 34 -1 36 Jason Keller 68.25 30 -6 37 Scott Lagasse Jr 68.25 42 5 38 David Reutimann 68.23 28 -10 39 Sebastian Vettel 67.50 17 -22 40 Steve Wallace 67.38 43 3 41 Kevin Harvick 66.76 25 -16 42 Justin Allgaier 66.75 45 3 43 Clint Bowyer 65.92 22 -21 44 Jamie McMurray 65.91 46 2 45 Martin Truex Jr 64.00 38 -7 46 Rick Crawford 63.75 56 10 47 Lewis Hamilton 63.67 36 -11 48 Stacy Compton 63.00 53 5 49 James Buescher 62.00 62 13 50 Marcos Ambrose 61.91 35 -15
Dover Yahoo! preview
Johnson has Darlington chassis
Our View: Don't worry overly if something happens to this car. His backup chassis is the same one he started and finished third at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Edwards finds success in the corners
"Dover is pretty much a one-groove track so you need to handle well through the center of the corners in order to keep your position. We won this race in 2007, and we had two strong races there in 2008. My Aflac team is working hard and making some improvements."
Our View: If Edwards is going to turn his season around, this is a great place to do so. His last five efforts at Dover ended in finishes of third or better.
Kenseth's strong at Dover
Our View: According to the team, Kenseth did not lead a single lap in his first nine starts at Dover, but he's been up front in seven of his last 11 attempts. He's turned that into five top-10s in his last six races.
IRL: New tire for Milwaukee
Our View: All cars will be on the same tire, which levels the playing field, but veterans usually adjust to new circumstances faster than Young Guns.
Gordon Dover preview
Our View: Gordon has been one of the strongest drivers on this concrete course during his career, but he has not posted a victory there since 2001. This is one of the most important tracks on his personal schedule, since sponsor DuPont is headquartered just up the road.
May 26, 2009
Mediocre performance plagues Roush-Fenway
Our View: Dover could be a cure for that ill, however. The other three Roushketeers, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards each swept the top-five on this concrete track last year and they could be extremely good values.
IRL: Tracy to drive for Foyt
Our View: The combination of these two fiery personalities could either be explosive on the track, or one of the biggest train wrecks in auto racing history, but one way or another—something exciting is going to happen.
May 25, 2009
Reutimann wins Coke 600
Our View: He was nowhere close to the strongest driver, but NASCAR pays points based on winning no matter what the circumstances.
Penske may add 4th team
Our View: With so many Cup drivers in the Nationwide Series, it's been a while since the Cup guys have seemed to have a developmental plan in place. Allgaier will be a good value in selected events—not because of his talent, but due to the strength of this organization.
Riggs, Baldwin part company
Our View: Mike Skinner and Patrick Carpentier are schedule to run the car in most or all of the remaining races, but without sponsorship, this team will not be a good fantasy value.
Competition caution coming
Our View: Since drivers have not been able to touch there cars and the race has switched from a night race to a day race, this is going to be critical to a team's success.
IRL: Milwaukee, Last five races
Nearly as stout, Dario Franchitti is back from his NASCAR sojourn and he's never finished worse than sixth in four starts on this track. He won the inaugural race in 2004 and then posted runner-up results in 2005 and 2007. Last week, he was in contention for the 500 victory until trouble in the pits relegated him to seventh, so he will be looking for redemption.
Dan Wheldon does not have the overall numbers of Kanaan and Franchitti, but he's certainly come on strong lately. He struggled to an 18th-place finish in 2004 and was a modest eighth in 2006, but every other result has been a top-five—and that is enough to recommend him for this week's Milwaukee race.
Results, Last five years
| Driver | Avg Finish | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 |
| Tony Kanaan | 2.60 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Dario Franchitti | 2.75 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | |
| Sam Hornish Jr | 3.75 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Oriol Servia | 6.00 | 6 | ||||
| Justin Wilson | 7.00 | 7 | ||||
| Patrick Carpentier | 7.00 | 7 | ||||
| Bryan Herta | 7.33 | 7 | 6 | 9 | ||
| Alex Barron | 7.50 | 8 | 7 | |||
| Dan Wheldon | 7.60 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 18 |
| E J Viso | 8.00 | 8 | ||||
| Adrian Fernandez | 8.00 | 8 | ||||
| Townsend Bell | 8.50 | 11 | 6 | |||
| Jeff Simmons | 9.50 | 10 | 9 | |||
| Danica Patrick | 10.00 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 19 | |
| Scott Dixon | 10.20 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 22 |
| Scott Sharp | 10.75 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 15 | |
| Tomas Scheckter | 11.00 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 21 | |
| Vitor Meira | 11.20 | 22 | 5 | 15 | 9 | 5 |
| Buddy Rice | 11.60 | 10 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 2 |
| Hideki Mutoh | 12.00 | 12 | ||||
| Kosuke Matsuura | 12.50 | 12 | 17 | 11 | 10 | |
| Helio Castroneves | 12.60 | 5 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 12 |
| Felipe Giaffone | 13.00 | 13 | ||||
| Jeff Bucknam | 13.00 | 13 | ||||
| Ed Carpenter | 13.20 | 20 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 11 |
| Ryan Briscoe | 13.67 | 1 | 18 | 22 | ||
| Marco Andretti | 13.67 | 21 | 15 | 5 | ||
| Mark Taylor | 14.00 | 14 | ||||
| Jimmy Kite | 14.00 | 14 | ||||
| Will Power | 14.00 | 14 | ||||
| Sarah Fisher | 14.00 | 14 | ||||
| Anthony Foyt IV | 16.75 | 17 | 13 | 21 | 16 | |
| Roger Yasukawa | 15.00 | 15 | ||||
| Ryan Hunter-Reay | 15.00 | 15 | ||||
| Darren Manning | 15.75 | 13 | 11 | 20 | 19 | |
| Enrique Bernoldi | 16.00 | 16 | ||||
| Jaques Lazier | 17.00 | 17 | ||||
| Bruno Junqueira | 18.00 | 18 | ||||
| Buddy Lazier | 18.00 | 18 | ||||
| A J Foyt IV | 16.75 | 17 | 13 | 21 | 16 | |
| John Andretti | 19.00 | 19 | ||||
| Tora Takagi | 20.00 | 20 | ||||
| Mario Moraes | 23.00 | 23 | ||||
| Jaime Camara | 24.00 | 24 | ||||
| Graham Rahal | 25.00 | 25 | ||||
| Mario Dominguez | 26.00 | 26 | ||||
| Marty Roth | 27.00 | 27 |
