Final Talladega Driver Ratings Following All Practice Sessions

Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Aaron’s 499
Talladega Superspeedway
Sunday, April 17, 2011 - 10:16 am (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds            Practice 1  Qualified  ‘Dega ’10*  Daytona 500**

 1. Kevin Harvick 13/2              11th            36th           2nd             42nd   
2010 spring winner with three runner-up finishes. Using same car from Daytona that led 22 laps.
 2. Clint Bowyer 15/1                18th            10th           1st              17th    
2010 fall winner with five of last six finishes inside top-12. Using winning car from last year.                            
 3. Kurt Busch 12/1                   13th            8th            30th             5th                                
Finished third on four occasions, 13.7 average finish in 20 starts. Using winning Bud Shootout car.
 4. Jeff Gordon 15/1                 15th             1st             8th              28th                          
Leads all active drivers with six wins, the last coming in 2007 when he swept the season.
 5. Jeff Burton 15/1                    6th             26th          41st             36th                            
Lots of bad luck in recent plate races, despite great cars. Using winning Gatorade Duel car.
 6. Jamie McMurray 15/1         36th           20th          36th             18th                                
2009 fall winner; three of his six career wins have come in plate races. Using Daytona chassis.
 7. Juan Montoya 30/1              38th            12th           3rd               6th                            
Finished third in both 2010 races; using his sixth-place Daytona 500 car from February.
 8. Kyle Busch 9/1                     3rd             32nd          25th              8th                      
His 2008 spring win remains his only top-five on the track in 12 starts. Using Daytona chassis.    
 9. Dale Earnhardt Jr 10/1        29th            4th            39th             24th                          
Five-time winner, the last coming in 2004. Runner-up in 2009, his only top-five since last win.
10. Denny Hamlin 15/1              8th             28th           9th               21st                              
Finished in top-10 of both 2010 races; career average finish of 18.3 in 10 starts.
                
 * Results from the February 20, 2011 race, a restrictor-plate race that featured two-car tandem racing as expected Sunday.

** Results from the October 31, 2010 Talladega race, the last race run there.

Note: The final practice session was cut short due to rain with only eight drivers attempting a lap.

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. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com.