Las Vegas Kobalt Tools 400 After Practice Contender Picks
Jimmie Johnson – If you’re looking for a safe pick for the Kobalt Tools 400 take Johnson. He’s always a contender here and a good bet. Last year when the series visited Vegas Johnson started in the rear of the field but raced his way up to the lead in just 99 laps. When the checkered flag waved he crossed the finish line in 2nd and earned the third best driver rating. Today in practice it appeared that Johnson had a good car. He liked the balance and said it was smooth over bumps. This week in practice sessions where he ran 10 consecutive laps he was fast every time. If you don’t believe me check out the new Big Board Practice Recap.
Kyle Busch – Today during practice Mark Martin said he had a good car but thought Kyle Busch had the best. I think Kyle’s crew chief agrees because he told Busch no one was within a tenth of their speed. I wouldn’t doubt either of these statements but Kyle Busch carries an inherent level of risk. How many times have we seen this story before that he’s super fast but something bad happens in the race. Last year at Vegas Kyle Busch was good but had multiple problems. Since winning in 2009 his average finish is 25.3.
Carl Edwards – Now that Carl Edwards has a win under his belt I think big things are in store for the #99 this season. Don’t under estimate the power of momentum because it matters. Today in practice it was revealed that Carl Edwards will be using the chassis he used during Thursdays test sessions. He choose this chassis because he liked how it handled. The only concern I have about him is that he didn’t run 10 consecutive laps all week long. Vegas has historically been a good track for Edwards. He’s won here twice and finished 5th last season.
Kevin Harvick – Yesterday on twitter Kevin Harvick said he was disappointed that qualifying was rained out. He said that because he’s that confident with his car. Across all the practice sessions this week Kevin Harvick was strong. On Thursday he had the best 10 lap average in both sessions and today he recorded the 2nd and third best (10 lap average). Harvick is also happy with his car. Today in happy hour they were experimenting so take what happened from that practice session with a grain of salt.
