The Frontstretch: Matt McLaughlin's Driver Handicaps : Bank of America 500 by Matt McLaughlin -- Wednesday October 10, 2007

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Matt McLaughlin's Driver Handicaps : Bank of America 500

Matt McLaughlin · Wednesday October 10, 2007

 

2007 Charlotte “2” Driver Handicaps

Jeff Gordon – Gordon has won here four times, including the 1994 World 600 to score his first ever Cup series victory. (Has it really been thirteen years? Wow). But he’s in a pronounced slump at LMS right now, having failed to finish the last five points races here.

Jimmie Johnson – Johnson refers to Charlotte as "My House," and not without reason. In twelve starts here, he's won five times, finished in the Top 3 three additional times, and has Top 10 finishes in eleven of those starts. Thus, his average finish here is sixth.

Clint Bowyer – Bowyer is averaging a 24th place finish here after three starts, with each of his finishes progressively worse than the previous one. For him to keep pace with those above him, that streak can’t continue.

Tony Stewart – Stewart won this race in 2003, and has Top 10 results in ten of his 17 Cup points starts held at Charlotte; however, he has just one Top 10 in the last five Cup races here.

Kevin Harvick – Harvick won this year's Winston (or whatever they call it now), but his track record in points races here is less than stellar. After finishing second as a rookie here in 2001, he hasn't had a single Top 5 and only two additional Top 10s since. His average finish here in points races is 20th.

Carl Edwards – Edwards had Top 10 results in his first four Charlotte points races, but finished 15th here in May.

Kurt Busch – Busch finished second in this race in 2005, but he has six finishes of 30th or worse in just 14 starts. He's finished 30th or worse in the last three point races run here to boot – although he led 107 laps in May before crashing out.

Kyle Busch – Busch finished sixth in this race last year, but his other six Charlotte points-eligible starts have yielded finishes of 25th or worse…sometimes much worse.

Denny Hamlin – Hamlin has Top 10 finishes in three of the four points races he's competed in at Charlotte.

Martin Truex, Jr. – Truex is averaging a 19th place finish in his four Charlotte regular season starts.

Matt Kenseth – Kenseth won his first ever career Cup race at Charlotte in 2000, battling no less a duo than both Dale Earnhardts for the win. But his results here have been a mixed bag since then. Kenseth has seven Top 10s in 16 career starts, but just one Top 10 in the last six points races. Not everything is doom and gloom for him, though; the No. 17 car did lead 50 laps here in May.

Jeff Burton – Burton won points races here in 1999 and 2001. Overall, he's averaging a 16th place finish here after 27 regular season starts at the track.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – Junior has yet to win a Cup points race at Charlotte (he has won the Winston), but he does have Top 10 finishes in eight of his 16 Cup career regular season starts here. Earnhardt has Top 10 results in the last two Charlotte Cup races.

Ryan Newman – Newman won the pole here in May, but finished 39th in the actual race. While he finished second here in 2003, he hasn't finished better than 27th in the last three Charlotte Cup events.

Casey Mears – Mears broke through with the first victory of his Cup career at Charlotte in May. That's somewhat surprising, because after nine Cup starts, even with the win, his average finish here is still 20th.

Greg Biffle – Biffle has Top 10 finishes in three of his nine starts here, offset by three finishes of 30th or worse. He finished 43rd here in May, and has failed to complete the last two Charlotte Cup points races.

Jamie McMurray – McMurray pretty much stood the stock car racing world on its ear when he won here in 2002 in what was only his second career Cup race. He continued to run well at Charlotte early in his Cup career, but has appeared to drop off a bit as of late. In fact, McMurray has just one Top 10 result in the last five point races held here.

Bobby Labonte – Labonte scored his first ever Cup career win at Charlotte in 1995 and won here again in 2000. He's also finished second here six times and scored a fifth place finish in this race last year. After 29 Charlotte regular season starts, Labonte is averaging a 13th place finish.

J.J. Yeley – Yeley finished second here in May to score his best career finish on a fuel mileage gamble.

Juan Pablo Montoya – Montoya finished 28th here in May to go along with 40th in that weekend's Busch event. However, he has run well at similar tracks (see: Atlanta this Spring), so you can never count him out.

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