Final Driver Ratings for Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond

Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Wonderful Pistachios 400
Richmond International Raceway
Saturday, September 10, 2011 - 4:46 pm (PDT)

Rating    Driver     Odds      Practice 1    Practice 2    Qualified    Richmond1*

 1. Kyle Busch 3/1                  12th              4th            13th            1st
Three-time winner with a 4.9 average finish in 13 starts; using winning Kentucky chassis.
 2. Denny Hamlin 9/2             13th             36th           28th            2nd
Won two of last four races on his home track and has a 7.5 average finish in 11 starts.
 3. Jimmie Johnson 8/1          2nd               7th             3rd             8th
Three-time winner, the last coming in 2007; using fifth-place New Hampshire chassis.
 4. Jeff Gordon 8/1                  1st               8th            17th           39th  
Two-time winner, the last coming in 2000; best 10 consecutive lap average in final practice.
 5. Clint Bowyer 20/1               4th               5th             5th             6th
2008 winner also finished sixth in three of his last four starts; using New Hampshire chassis.
 6. Carl Edwards 10/1              6th               1st             8th            5th
Best career finish of fifth-place have come in two of last three starts; using Richmond chassis. 
 7. Kasey Kahne 30/1             17th             10th           12th           3rd
Won first career race in 2005; Only driver to finish sixth or better at PIR, NHMS and RIR in 2011.
 8. A.J. Allmendinger 50/1       5th              21st             9th           7th
Has finished eighth or better in last two starts; using same chassis from the April race.
 9. Ryan Newman 30/1           18th              31st           18th          20th
2003 winner with 11.8 average finish in 19 starts; won at NHMS which requires a similar set-up
10. Tony Stewart 12/1             30th             27th           22nd          9th
Three-time winner, the last coming in 2002; using Phoenix car that led four times for 59 laps.

* Results from the Crown Royal 400 held on April 30, 2011, the first Richmond race of the season.

Note: Because of the similar banking and distances, Phoenix (PIR) and New Hampshire (NHMS) data from earlier this season can be used as a great barometer for Richmond (RIR).
        
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 or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.