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Virginia is for Toyota Lovers-Fantasy Insight Richmond
4/30/08: SOZ Studios, MI - By Dennis Michelsen "DMIC" (RaceTalkRadio.com)
So I wonder if Tony Stewart goes on a winning streak if he will be able to leave Gibbs Racing with confidence? This week at Richmond International Raceway the more I crunched the numbers the more I was drawn to Gibbs Racing drivers this week! Sure Junior could end that long drought but his pit crew has occasionally been slow and that hurts you bad at Richmond. Jeff Gordon is always tough but there are better choices this week. Roush-Fenway will be tough as always with Kenseth needing a great start, Edwards loving to flip at night, and Biffle strong at this track. Even David Ragan could surprise with a first time win. But the numbers don't lie and all three of Gibbs Racing's drivers are tough at Richmond. Add in the strong Toyota engines this year and it is clear that Virginia is for Toyota lovers! Good luck with your fantasy picks this week.
Race Winner on Couch Potato Corner Sunday Night on RaceTalkRadio.com
Live media center coverage of the winner's press conference is brought to you this week by Rockingham Speedway, home of the Carolina 500 on May 4th! Get your tickets today at RockinghamRacewayPark.com! Our thanks to NASCAR for granting us permission to use this audio every week to virtually put the fans inside the media center! Media Center audio may not be reused without express written consent from NASCAR and RaceTalkRadio.com.
Pace Laps: Sponsored by JAYSKI
46 cars for 43 spots
Dale Earnhardt Jr and Tony Stewart lead active drivers with three wins
Jeff Gordon leads active drivers with five poles
Mark Martin leads active drivers with 13 top fives and 23 top ten finishes
Kyle Busch leads active drivers in best average finish at 6.2
Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, and David Ragan are only drivers to finish every start on lead lap at Richmond
Denny Hamlin has the best average starting position among active drivers
Bill Elliott drives the No. 21
Scott Wimmer is in the No. 33
Ken Schrader is in the No. 40
Johnny Sauter is in the No. 70
Over 20% of the races have been won from the pole
80.6% of all races have been won from a top ten starting spot
Only 8 winners in 103 races have won from 21st or worse on the starting grid
By the Numbers: Sponsored by iHick.com
Every week the raw data is analyzed to separate the pretenders from the contenders! Anyone earning 240 points or more in the Power Ratings total has a great chance. 100 points is a perfect score for each category with 300 a perfect Power Rating. The top ten drivers will be shown in each category but only Power Ratings over 240 will be shown.
Consistency is King
D Hamlin 96
J Burton 94
C Bowyer 93
J Johnson 92
D Earnhardt Jr 92
C Edwards 88
Ky Busch 88
JP Montoya 87
K Harvick 86
T Stewart 86
Horses for Courses
K Harvick 94
Ky Busch 93
T Stewart 92
D Hamlin 89
R Newman 89
C Bowyer 88
J Johnson 88
G Biffle 88
M Kenseth 87
M Martin 87
Track Type Casting
J Johnson 97
J Gordon 94
C Bowyer 93
T Stewart 92
D Hamlin 92
J Burton 90
G Biffle 90
Ky Busch 89
C Mears 88
M Truex 88
Professor DMIC's Power Rating Qualifiers
J Johnson 277
D Hamlin 277
C Bowyer 275
T Stewart 270
Ky Busch 270
K Harvick 268
J Burton 267
G Biffle 261
J Gordon 259
D Earnhardt Jr 259
R Newman 257
C Mears 256
C Edwards 255
M Kenseth 250
M Martin 248
P Menard 245
JP Montoya 242
K Kahne 241
M Truex 241
D Ragan 240
DMIC's Picks: Sponsored by www.rowdy.com
Check out Rowdy's new FREE Fantasy Race Game and listen to my analysis and picks every Wednesday!
Last Week's Results: Aaron's 499 (13th, 10th, 19th)
Restrictor Plate racing is a crapshoot versus normal races. All three of my picks were in the lead at one time during the race and each finished in the top 20. Better results at the top end of the chart expected with a return to real racing at Richmond.
Win: Denny Hamlin
Won earlier at Martinsville…can complete the Virginia Double!
Place: Tony Stewart
Smoke rising at night!
Show: Kyle Busch
No driver hotter in 2008
Outsider: Mark Martin
(Outside of Top 20 in Points)
(7th Last Week)
23 top ten finishes in his career at Richmond.
Long Shot Special: Clint Bowyer (20-1 Odds)
(20-1 or Greater in Vegas)
(40th Last Week)
Never worse than 12th in four starts
Rookie of the Race: Regan Smith
(26th Last Week)
Don't expect better than 15th to 25th
Struggling Star: Juan Pablo Montoya
(Inside Top 12 in Points)
(23rd Last Week)
Restrictor Plate was equalizer for weak car
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