Brickyard 400 Betting News and Notes

Driver Highlights - Brickyard

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)

Two top fives, four top 10s
Average finish of 13.9
Average Running Position of 10.3, third-best
Driver Rating of 97.7, fifth-best
51 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
251 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 169.422 mph, seventh-fastest
788 Laps in the Top 15 (82.1%), second-most
140 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), seventh-most

Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Good Sam-Cheerios Chevrolet)

Two top fives, two top 10s
Average finish of 11.6
Average Running Position of 12.4, seventh-best
Driver Rating of 89.6, 13th-best
Average Green Flag Speed of 169.073 mph, 13th-fastest
589 Laps in the Top 15 (73.6%), 11th-most
120 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)

One top five, five top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 17.5
Average Running Position of 12.2, fifth-best
Driver Rating of 95.0, seventh-best
35 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
233 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 169.361 mph, eighth-fastest
638 Laps in the Top 15 (66.5%), ninth-most
127 Quality Passes, 10th-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)

One top five, four top 10s
Average finish of 13.7
Average Running Position of 14.0, 10th-best
Driver Rating of 94.0, eighth-best
17 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
253 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 169.296 mph, ninth-fastest
673 Laps in the Top 15 (70.1%), sixth-most
155 Quality Passes, third-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)

Four wins, nine top fives, 13 top 10s; three poles
Average finish of 9.5
Average Running Position of 14.3, 12th-best
Driver Rating of 93.3, 10th-best
22 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
277 Green Flag Passes, third-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 169.475 mph, fifth-fastest
655 Laps in the Top 15 (68.2%), eighth-most
155 Quality Passes, third-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)

One win, four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 9.9
Average Running Position of 13.4, eighth-best
Driver Rating of 95.1, sixth-best
28 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
215 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most
695 Laps in the Top 15 (72.4%), fifth-most
145 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)

Three wins, three top fives, four top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 18.3
Average Running Position of 13.8, ninth-best
Driver Rating of 100.1, fourth-best
81 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
227 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 169.715 mph, second-fastest
611 Laps in the Top 15 (63.6%), 10th-most
128 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 4 Red Bull Toyota)

Two top fives, four top 10s
Average finish of 15.6
Average Running Position of 14.3, 13th-best
Driver Rating of 90.8, 12th-best
31 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 169.218 mph, 11th-fastest
704 Laps in the Top 15 (73.3%), fourth-most
130 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Ford)

Four top fives, six top 10s
Average finish of 15.1
Average Running Position of 14.0, 11th-best
Driver Rating of 92.7, 11th-best
665 Laps in the Top 15 (69.3%), seventh-most
112 Quality Passes, 13th-most

Mark Martin (No. 5 Quaker State/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet)

Six top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 13.2
Series-best Average Running Position of 8.6
Driver Rating of 105.3, third-best
38 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 169.713 mph, third-fastest
Series-high 814 Laps in the Top 15 (84.8%)
148 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)

One top five, one top 10; one pole
Average finish of 21.0
Average Running Position of 11.5, fourth-best
Driver Rating of 106.4, second-best
Series-high 105 Fastest Laps Run
Average Green Flag Speed of 169.453 mph, sixth-fastest
481 Laps in the Top 15 (75.2%), 13th-most

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobile 1 Chevrolet)

Two wins, six top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 8.3
Average Running Position of 9.0, second-best
Series-best Driver Rating of 109.3
86 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
278 Green Flag Passes, second-most
Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 169.952 mph
788 Laps in the Top 15 (82.1%), second-most
Series-high 184 Quality Passes

Brickyard 400 Preview
By Micah Roberts

Six seasons have passed since Jeff Gordon last won at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the longest drought of his career there. Winning in Indiana always came natural for the California kid whose father-in-law moved the family to Indiana to get into more competitive races for the up and coming driver. At the time, Gordon had aspirations of competing in the Indy 500, but it’s safe to say that despite not ever competing in an Indy car race, things worked out for the best and Indiana was the major reason why.

After giving the stock thing a try, his tenacity and willingness to wheel the car at the highest possible speeds around corners caught the eye of Rick Hendrick who signed him to run full-time in the Cup series in 1993. In Gordon’s second season he won the Coca-Cola 600, one of the biggest races in the season. Two months later he would go on to win the inaugural Brickyard 400, a race that every veteran on the circuit wanted to win more than any other because of the prestige of the track.

When Dale Earnhardt won the following year, he was still burning from not winning the inaugural race -- losing to a kid -- prompting him in the post-race interview to say that he was the “first MAN“ to win the Brickyard 400. Gordon’s win thrust him into mainstream NASCAR and from there, not only did he take off as one of the best ever in the sport, but NASCAR began to take off from being a perceived ’southern thing’.

Madison avenue found the combination of Gordon’s boyish good looks and success on the track against drivers that many around the country thought were rednecks, too good to pass up on. Gordon soon found himself being publicized in national advertising to a degree that no other NASCAR driver -- not even Richard Petty -- came close to before. And with that came a lot of resentment from some of the other drivers -- especially from Earnhardt -- and helped pave the way to a new prosperous era.

Gordon would have continued to win the way he did even if he hadn’t won the first Brickyard 400, but the win was monumental because it brought new fans to the sport nationally and Gordon was the face that did it. The Indy cars were in the middle of a battle that forever changed that type of racing for the worse and the Brickyard 400 brought an entire audience of mid-west folks into NASCAR who we’re always Indy car first and Gordon was the signature face that got it started.

In 1998, after two consecutive 10 win seasons and winning two Cup championships, Gordon reeled off 13 wins, one of which was the Brickyard 400 to become the first to win the race twice. Three years later in 2001, Gordon won the Brickyard 400 again, and then again, three years later winning in 2004, which remains his last win there.

Jimmie Johnson has won three of the last five seasons at the Brickyard, but it wasn’t with the same type of impact that Gordon will forever hold at the track. Johnson came into an era that had already peaked with almost every corner of the country having a Cup race. Gordon’s aura at the track exits because of its importance to the entire growth of NASCAR. At the time, there were no tracks at Texas, Fontana, Las Vegas, Homestead, Chicagoland, Kansas or Kentucky.

This week, Gordon has a great chance to win for the fifth time at Indy, largely on the basis of his Pocono win six weeks ago, but also because of past success on the track.

Even though Gordon is on the verge of tying the track record for career wins with five, he still holds the past history with great reverence and modestly down plays his accomplishments there in the broad scope.

"I don’t think what I’ve done should ever be compared to what A.J. Foyt or Al Unser or Rick Mears did here with their four Indianapolis 500 victories," Gordon said earlier this week. "And I don’t think Michael Schumacher’s five wins (in Formula 1) should be compared either. They are all completely different disciplines — sometimes on a completely different track.”

Pocono is always a great barometer to use when handicapping Indy even though the configuration is vastly different, but each track has similar flat turns and endless straight-aways.

Others drivers that should perform well this week on the basis of Pocono include Denny Hamlin, the Busch brothers, Juan Pablo Montoya and of course, Johnson. On the basis of just running well consistently at Indianapolis, you have to begin with Indiana native and two-time Brickyard winner Tony Stewart. Kevin Harvick has also performed well annually in the race with a 2003 win and six other top-10 finishes in his 10 starts.

For Johnson, it's either hit or miss at Indy. In between his three wins in nine races, he's got finishes of 36th, 38th, 39th and 22nd (last year) giving him a poor average finish of 18.3 in those starts. At Pocono last month, Johnson finished fourth. This week he'll be using a brand new chassis as he attempts to tie Gordon's NASCAR record with four wins on the track.

Over the last six races at Indy, no one has a better NASCAR rating than Tony Stewart (109.3). NASCAR began keeping a rating system in 2005 that factored in detailed information like quality passes, laps led and finish position for each race and Stewart has been the best despite running for two different teams over that span. Stewart won in 2005 and 2007 while driving for Joe Gibbs and finished third and fifth the last two seasons driving for his own team.

Of course, Stewart also has extra incentive to win at Indy because he's an Indiana native, and like Gordon, he also had goals of winning the Indy 500.

“It’s my home race, obviously," Stewart said. Growing up in Indiana and every year watching the Indy 500 and the whole month of May leading up to it, a race at the Brickyard is more than just a regular points race. It’s always been a big race to all of the Cup drivers, but then when you grow up in Indiana, it just makes it that much more important."

An interesting note to consider is that a Ford hasn’t won at the Brickyard since Dale Jarrett did in 1999. A Dodge last won in 2002 with Bill Elliott, who incidentally also won at Pocono that year. A Chevy has won the last eight straight years. The surprise out of the short history of NASCAR at Indianapolis is that no Roush-Fenway car has ever won.

Two years ago, Jack Roush finally got his first Daytona 500 win and he currently has the points leader, Carl Edwards, who has proven to be pretty good at both Pocono and Indy over the years giving him a great shot to break through.

Despite Roush being shutout in 17 tries, Edwards at least has a good handle on what it will take to win at the Brickyard.

“Indy is tough because you have to be able to turn in the center of the corners and that sounds very simple, but it’s very difficult because the corners are so sharp for such a high-speed race track," Edwards explained. "You have to have a really big engine because you slow down so much and then have these short chutes in between, so the FR9 should be a big help to us this year. I was second at Indy in 2008 and to be that close to victory and see the celebration going on makes you want it even more.”

It's also interesting to note -- with Edwards currently leading in points -- that eight of the 17 Brickyard winners have gone on to win championships the same year. Johnson has done it three times, Gordon twice, with Stewart, Jarrett and Bobby Labonte all doing it once.

Edwards is always a candidate to win, but I'll stick with mostly guys in Chevy bow-ties this week as recent history suggests.

Top-5 Finish prediction:

1) #24 Jeff Gordon (10/1)
2) #14 Tony Stewart (10/1)
3) #22 Kurt Busch (10/1)
4) #29 Kevin Harvick (10/1)
5) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)

NASCAR Brickyard 400 Betting Preview
By: Adam Markowitz

The bricks will be kissed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon, and here at Don Best, we've got all of the ins and outs covered for this weekend's NASCAR betting affair at the Brickyard 400.

ESPN will have live coverage of this race on Sunday, and the green flag is slated to drop at 10:19 a.m. (PT).

When you think of the Brickyard 400, you think of a race that is just chock full of history. However, unlike some of the other fantastic races like the Daytona 500 that date back decades and decades, this is only the 18th NASCAR race here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The winner of the inaugural race in 1994 was Jeff Gordon, who is +1100 on the Don Best odds screen 17 years later. The No. 24 has actually taken the checkered flag four times in his career at the Brickyard, including in 1998 when he won the Winston No Bull $1 million bonus. He also proved victorious in 2001 and 2004, making him the only 4-time winner of this event.

Though his best racing days are likely behind him, Gordon knows that he is in solid form right now and is in good shape to perform well in the Hoosier State. He's got eight Top 10 finishes on the year in 19 races, and he hasn't finished worse than 11th in his last four races. The Rainbow Warrior also has two wins already this year, one at the 5-hour ENERGY 500, and one at the Subway Fresh Fit 500.

By the time this weekend is over with though, Gordon might not be the only man with four trips to Victory Lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson already has three wins in this fixture in 2006, 2008 and 2009, and he is sure to be very live favorite at +600 on the NASCAR odds this week.

Johnson, like his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, has been hot of late, coming in no worse than seventh place in five of his last seven races. He also has back-to-back Top 5 finishes at the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 and the Quaker State 500.

This is the time of year that the 5-time defending Sprint Cup champ tends to hit the gas pedal on his season, and with just seven points separating him from points leader, Carl Edwards, there are definitely a bunch of concerned drivers as we head towards the Chase for the Championship.

The only other drivers that are going to be in this field that have kissed the bricks in their careers are Tony Stewart (+900) and Kevin Harvick (+1200). Stewart has never been to Victory Lane in his own team's car, but he did drive that No. 20 Home Depot car to the winner's circle in 2005 and 2007. Harvick won in 2003.

There is still one past winner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that we haven't spoken of, but many tend to forget just how great of a driver Juan Pablo Montoya was on the Indy Car circuit. Montoya won the Indy 500 in 2000. He hasn't had the greatest luck running with the Sprint Cup boys, but he does have one victory to his credit. Could this be 'W' No. 2? Montoya is +1200 on the Don Best NASCAR odds screen.

It should be another hot one on the track this weekend, as temperatures are expected to reach the low-90s at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There is a minimal chance of passing showers.

Next week, the NASCAR circuit heads to the Poconos for the second time in less than two months for the Good Sam RV Insurance 500.

Driver Handicaps: Indianapolis
By: Jeff Wackerlin

To help you make your fantasy racing picks for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Motor Racing Network brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 160-lap event.

Who's HOT at Indianapolis
• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in wins (4), top 10s (13), laps led (440).
• Tony Stewart (2) and Jimmie Johnson (3) are the only other multiple winners.
• Juan Pablo Montoya has led 202 laps in his last two starts.
• Mark Martin and Greg Biffle each have the best average finish (7.5) in the last four races.
• Kevin Harvick, the 2003 winner, has finished in the top 10 in seven of his 10 starts.
• Jamie McMurray is the defending race winner.

Keep an Eye on at Indianapolis
• Joey Logano has a 10.5 average in two starts at Indianapolis.
• Kurt Busch, Paul Menard and Martin Truex Jr. participated in the Goodyear tire test at Indianapolis.
• Jeff Burton, who will have a new crew chief this weekend, is coming off his third top 10 at Indianapolis with Richard Childress Racing.
• AJ Allmendinger will also have a new crew chief - Greg Irwin, who led Greg Biffle to three consecutive top 10s at Indianapolis.
• Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne have respective average finishes of 8.0 and 9.0 in the three races at Indianapolis with the COT.
• Kyle Busch is coming off his fourth top 10 in six starts at Indianapolis.
• Matt Kenseth has finished second twice in Brickyard 400.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has yet to post a top 10 at Indianapolis with Hendrick Motorsports, will pilot the same car that he came close to winning the Coca-Cola 600 with.

MotorRacingNetwork.com Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Kurt Busch
Pete Pistone: Juan Pablo Montoya
Craig Moore: Juan Pablo Montoya
Steve Blevins: Tony Stewart
John Singler: Juan Pablo Montoya
Ricky Hamber: Jimmie Johnson

Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings

(All stats/notes are in regards to Indianapolis unless noted)

1. Carl Edwards: Coming off third top 10 in six starts; Finished second in 2008 for only top five; Five laps led; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 768) that he finished fifth with at Kansas Speedway.

2. Jimmie Johnson: Has won three of the last five races, including back-to-back in 2008 and 2009; Has combined to lead 96 laps in last three races; Fourth-best driver rating in past six races; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 681) in the Brickyard 400.

3. Kurt Busch: Coming off first top 10 (10th) in five starts with Penske Racing; Posted three top 10s in previous five starts with Roush Racing; Has yet to lead a lap in last seven starts; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 757) in the Brickyard 400.

4. Kevin Harvick: Winner of the 2003 event; Finished second last season for seventh top 10 in 10 starts; Third among all drivers in average finish (9.9); Will return in the same car (chassis No. 304) that he last finished 17th with at Darlington Raceway after late-race contact.

5. Kyle Busch: Coming off fourth top 10 in six starts; 20.3 average finish in three starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Has yet to start in the top 10; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 315) in the Brickyard 400.

6. Matt Kenseth: Last of six top 10s came in 2009 in 10th; Finished second in 2003 and 2006; 15.1 average finish and 28 laps led in 11 starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 741) that he finished sixth with at Kentucky Speedway.

7. Jeff Gordon: Leads all drivers in wins (four), top fives (nine), top 10s (13), laps led (440) and poles (three); Second among all drivers in average finish (9.5); 23rd-place finish last season snapped streak of three consecutive top 10s.

8. Ryan Newman: Leads all drivers with more than five starts in starting average (6.1); 15.5 average finish in two starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; 21.0 average finish in 10 starts; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 677) in the Brickyard 400.

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr: 25.0 average finish in three starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Posted two top 10s in previous eight starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 617) that he finished seventh with in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

10. Denny Hamlin: 16.8 average finish in five starts; Best finish came in 2008 when he led 26 laps en route to a third-place finish.

11. Tony Stewart: Two-time winner; Coming off eighth top 10 in 12 starts; Leads all drivers with a 8.2 average finish; Second among all drivers in laps led with 217; Best driver rating in past six races; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 671) in the Brickyard 400.

12. Clint Bowyer: Finished fourth for the second time last season; 11.6 average finish in five starts; Has yet to lead a lap; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 368) in the Brickyard 400.

13. David Ragan: Has yet to post a top 10 and lead a lap in four starts; Best finish came in 2008; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 777) in the Brickyard 400.

14. Kasey Kahne: Has finished seventh or better in four of his seven starts; Best finish came in 2005 in second; 15.6 average finish; Will make first track start with Team Red Bull.

15. Greg Biffle: Only driver to finish in the top 10 in the last three races; 13.9 average finish in eight starts; Fifth-best driver rating in past six races; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 749) that he finished 13th with in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

16. AJ Allmendinger: 18.0 average finish in two starts with Richard Petty Motorsports; Finished 10th in 2008 with Team Red Bull; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 752) that he last finished fifth with in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

17. Juan Pablo Montoya: Dominated the last two races, but a pit road speeding penalty in 2009 and a crash last season took him out of contention; Third among all drivers in laps led with 202; Second-best driver rating in past six races; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1107) that he participated in the Indy Goodyear tire test with.

18. Joey Logano: Coming off first top 10 in two starts in ninth; 10.5 average finish; Has yet to lead a lap; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 316) in the Brickyard 400.

19. Paul Menard: 26.0 average finish in four starts; Coming off best finish in 14 starts; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 364) in the Brickyard 400.

20. Mark Martin: 6.5 average finish in two starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Won the pole and finished second in 2009; 10 top 10s in 17 starts; Third-best driver rating in past six races; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 679) in the Brickyard 400.

Brickyard 400: NASCAR Betting Preview and Picks
By Greg Engle

It may not generate the buzz it once did, but racing and winning at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway still holds a special place for any driver.

This weekend, as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Indy for Sunday’s Brickyard 400, a win is just as special as always but will carry a little more meaning.

This year, thanks to NASCAR’s revamped points system, the Wildcard spot in the Chase is still up for grabs and the series sponsor has added an extra incentive for a visit to victory lane. Any driver who wins between Indianapolis and Bristol (the next five races) will become a finalist for the Labor Day weekend race in Atlanta. If one of those eligible drivers wins the Atlanta race, then the driver, the driver’s charity and one lucky race fan each collect $1,000,000.

One driver who hopes to take advantage of the Wildcard spot, as well as a chance at a $1,000,000, is this week’s favorite Tony Stewart.

Stewart has admittedly struggled this season. He heads to Indy 12th in the Sprint Cup standings and without a win. But for Stewart, this weekend could be his best chance to pick up his first win, help his chances in the Wildcard chase, and get back into the hunt. Stewart has two wins at Indy and has the best driver rating among the Top 12 drivers in the standings. Most importantly, Stewart grew up near the famous track and always has a bit more motivation to win at the Brickyard.

“It’s always been a dream to win in Indianapolis,” Stewart told reporters. “I’ve been very blessed and fortunate to win it twice now, and that’s something that if I died tomorrow I would die a happy man because of those two races.”

Stewart is quick to point out that just because Indy is special, doesn’t mean he changes his approach.

“No, honestly you can’t,” he said. “You hear people talk about it when it goes to playoff time or anything like that in any other sport, you pretty much stick to what you’ve been doing and what’s working for you. You don’t come here and try to do anything any different. That’s when you get yourself outside the box.”

Jimmie Johnson has something to prove. He does have a victory this season, is second in points and has three wins at Indy. If he’s in a position to win late in the race, Johnson will go for it. However, if he doesn’t have a winning car, look for him to protect his points position rather than risk taking a chance to win.

Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with four wins at Indy. Like Johnson, he has visited victory lane this season and should be in a good spot for the Chase. He hasn’t shown the strength to be a favorite Sunday, but he certainly could spoil the show for Stewart and Johnson.

This week’s primetime match up pits Juan Pablo Montoya against Denny Hamlin. Neither has won at Indianapolis, but Montoya has come close. Montoya is outside the Top 12 in points and needs to race his way into a playoff spot, while Hamlin is hanging precariously inside the cutoff in 10th. While Hamlin has shown some strength lately, look for Montoya to come out ahead in this duel.

The other matchup pairs Kevin Harvick with his nemesis Kyle Busch. Harvick has won at Indy, while Kyle is still looking for a win at the Brickyard. While Busch can suddenly be a surprise contender wherever he races, Harvick has the strength of four Top-5 finishes in addition to his win, while Busch has just one. Look for Harvick to prevail in this matchup.

Bottom line: Nine of the 18 races at Indy have been won from a Top-5 starting position. The farthest back in the field anyone has won was 27th, which was Jeff Gordon in 2001.

Favorites:

Tony Stewart +1,000
Jimmie Johnson + 600
Jeff Gordon +1,000

NASCAR Practice Notes & Driver Ratings

This Week's Race: All-State 400 at the Brickyard from Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Top 10 Driver Rating Following All Indianapolis Practice Sessions

Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Practice 2 Practice 3 Qualified
1 Jimmie Johnson 6/1 32nd 3rd 10th 3rd
Notes: Three-time winner, his only top-10 Indy finishes in last eight starts; new chassis this week.

2 Greg Biffle 15/1 20th 1st 1st 18th
Notes: Finished fourth and third in last two Indy starts; 13.9 average finish in eight starts.

3 Matt Kenseth 10/1 1st 29th 8th 9th
Notes: Two-time runner-up; using winning Texas chassis that finished second at Michigan as well.

4 Carl Edwards 6/1 4th 6th 5th 10th
Notes: Runner-up in 2008, his only top-five in six starts; using fifth-place Kansas chassis.

5 Jeff Gordon 10/1 9th 26th 26th 8th
Notes: Four-time winner with an average finish of 9.5 in 17 starts; last win came in 2004.

6 Kevin Harvick 10/1 30th 5th 11th 19th
Notes: 2003 winner with an average finish of 9.9, runner-up last year. Using Darlington car this week.

7 Denny Hamlin 12/1 2nd 18th 28th 14th
Notes: Best finsh of third in 2008; third best 10-consecutive lap average in final practice.

8 Juan Pablo Montoya 10/1 7th 31st 6th 7th
Notes: 2007 runner-up finisher with an average running position of 11.53; 2000 Indy 500 winner.

9 Kasey Kahne 30/1 2nd 13th 2nd 2nd
Notes: Runner-up in 2005 with an average finish position of 15.6 in seven starts; great practices.

10 Clint Bowyer 30/1 15th 17th 13th 26th
Notes: Best finish of fourth in 2010 tied career his best set in 2006; debuts new chassis this week.

Note: Results from the June 12, 2011 race at Pocono Raceway can serve as a great barometer for handicapping Indy. The long straightaways and flat turns of Pocono make it the most similar track to Indianapolis. Drivers that did well then should do well Sunday.