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| Busch not bringing one of his better cars this week |
2. Carl Edwards: Three-time winner; Leads all drivers in laps led (344) in the six races with the COT; Crashes in two of the last three events have raised his finishing average to 17.7 in 12 starts; Won the first race of the season on a 1.5-mile track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Will debut a new chassis (No. 748) in the Samsung Mobile 500.
3. Jimmie Johnson: Finished second in last three spring events; Winner of the fall race in 2007; Led 39 laps in this event last year; Only finishes outside the top 15 in 15 starts is a pair of 38th-place finishes; 11.3 average finish in the six races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 650) that he finished second with last month at Auto Club Speedway.
4. Kurt Busch: Winner of the 2009 fall race; Finished fourth in this event last year; 24th-place finish last fall snapped a streak of three consecutive top-10s; Five top-10s in 10 starts with Penske Racing; 16.8 average finish and 92 laps led in the six races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. PRS-744) that he finished ninth with at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
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| Harvick going for 3 wins in a row using 2010 Pocono car |
6. Ryan Newman: 14.5 average finish in four starts with Stewart-Haas; Posted one win and three top 10s in previous 11 starts with Penske Racing; Has yet to lead a lap in last six starts.
7. Juan Pablo Montoya: 25.1 average finish in eight starts; Last top 10 came in the 2009 spring race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1105) that he finished third with at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Has one pole and an average finish of 17.0 in six starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Finished eighth in this event last year; Posted one win and seven top-10s in previous 11 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 617) that he finished eighth with at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
9. Matt Kenseth: Coming off 11th top 10 in 17 starts; 20th-place finish in this event last year snapped a streak of six consecutive top 10s; Third-best average finish (8.0) in the six races with the COT; Won the pole and finished 11th in the first race on 1.5-mile track (Las Vegas) this season; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 741) in the Samsung Mobile 500.
10. Mark Martin: 4.8 average finish in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Third-place finish last fall was 11th top 10 in 20 starts; Won the 1998 race with Roush Racing; Second-best average finish (6.5) in the six races with the COT.
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| Stewart was 2nd fastest in practice |
12. Jeff Gordon: Led a race-high 124 laps in this event last year before a crash relegated him to a 31st-place finish; Last of nine top 10s was a win in the 2009 spring race; 21.2 average finish in the six races with the COT.
13. Paul Menard: Coming off best finish in 10th; 23.6 average finish in nine starts; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 351) in the Samsung Mobile 500.
14. AJ Allmendinger: 22.7 average finish in six starts; Best finish came in the 2009 fall race in 10th; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 752) in the Samsung Mobile 500.
15. Kasey Kahne: Finished 13th last fall in first track start with Team Red Bull; Won the 2006 spring race with Evernham Motorsports; Last top 10 (fifth) came in this event last year with Richard Petty Motorsports.
16. Clint Bowyer: Coming off fifth top 10 in 10 starts; Finished 36th in this event last year after a crash took him out of contention; Will pilot a new car (chassis No. 350) in the Samsung Mobile 500.
17. Martin Truex Jr: Finished ninth in this event last year in first track start with Michael Waltrip Racing; Four previous top 10s came with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
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| Ragan topped the charts in Thursday's practice |
19. Denny Hamlin: Won both races last season; 8.8 average finish in 11 starts; Best average finish (6.3) in the six races with the COT.
20. Greg Biffle: Coming off fifth consecutive top 10; Winner of the 2005 spring race; 612 laps led in 14 starts; Sixth-best average finish (11.7) in the six races with the COT; Will pilot a new car (chassis No. 749) in the Samsung Mobile 500.
Notable Drivers Outside the Top 20
Bobby Labonte: Last of five top-10s came in this event in 2006 with Petty Enterprises; 25.3 average finish in last 10 races; Will make track debut with JTG-Daugherty Racing.
Jamie McMurray: Last of six top 10s (third) came in the 2008 fall race with Roush Racing; 23.0 average finish in first two track starts behind the wheel of an Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet in 2010; 20.2 average finish in the six races with the COT: Will return in the same car (chassis No. 1102) that he finished 27th with at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Brian Vickers: Has yet to post a top 10 in 12 starts; 21.6 average finish in seven starts with Team Red Bull.
Brad Keselowski: Has yet to post a top 10 in five starts; Best finish came in this event last year in 14th; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 745) that he finished 26th with at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
David Reutimann: Won the pole for the 2009 spring race; Engine problems in three races have raised his finishing average to 24.7 in seven starts; Best finish came in the 2008 fall race in 10th.
Joey Logano: Coming off first top 10 (fourth) in five starts after leading 30 laps; 24.2 average finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 297) that he finished 23rd with at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after a late-race tire violation.
Jeff Burton: Winner of the inaugural and 2007 spring race; Has posted six top-10s with Richard Childress Racing; 14.2 average finish in the six races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 344) that he finished 21st with at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
