NASCAR Goes Under the Lights On Its Fastest Track:
The 2011 Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway brings the NASCAR Sprint Cup stars to NASCAR's fastest race track for the first night race of 2011. Denny Hamlin swept both races here in 2010 but comes into Texas 19th in points with dismal 20.5 average finish. Is this the week that Denny Hamlin turns his season around?
Tickets:
Speedway ticket office (817)215-8500
The Track:
Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5 mile quad-oval. With 24 degrees of banking in the corners the Sprint Cup drivers can really haul the mail off into the corners. In order to be fast a driver needs a car that is handling well so they can carry that speed through the turns.
Race Distance:
334 Laps = 501 Miles
The Big Picture:
Last week's point leader Carl Edwards finished way back in eighteenth and gave the point lead up to Kyle Busch. At the back of the top ten Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin made their way into the top ten with strong runs in Martinsville.
2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Standings:
- Kyle Busch
- Carl Edwards -5
- Jimmie Johnson -12
- Kurt Busch -14
- Kevin Harvick -15
- Ryan Newman -16
- Juan Pablo Montoya -18
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -20
- Matt Kenseth -24
- Mark Martin -38
Storylines:
Denny Hamlin dominated Texas Motor Speedway in 2010. He swept both races here last year and left Texas in November with the Chase lead.
This season Hamlin comes into Texas 19th in points with dismal 20.5 average finish.
It's not time for Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing team to panic but Denny needs to get his 2011 season back on track and Texas is a great place for him to start.
Media Coverage:
TV: FOX Saturday, April 9th, 7:00PM Eastern.
Radio: PRN and SIRIUS Satellite
Actual Race: 7:30 p.m. Eastern
Recent Events:
2010 Polesitter: Tony Stewart
2010 Winner: Denny Hamlin
Last Year:
The 2010 Samsung Media 500 saw green flag racing for most of the day but the closing laps bent up enough cars for all. Dale Earnhardt Jr. got the ball rolling when the racing heated up causing a multi-car pileup reminiscent of Talladega. When the smoke cleared and the red flag was lifted no one was injured and Denny Hamlin was able to lead the rest of the way to the checkers.
Predictions:
Even though Hamlin won both Texas races in 2010 he didn't dominate either race. In the spring Jeff Gordon lead the most laps before getting caught up in a late race crash. In the fall Greg Biffle dominated most of the day. Biffle lead 2/3 of the race in the fall but finished fifth.
Hamlin has had a rough 2011 so I'm going with Greg Biffle as my top pick. Biffle ruled Texas all last fall and makes a great pick to lead the pack all night on Saturday.
My backup pick goes to Jeff Gordon. Gordon was strong here last year and has found his way back to Victory Lane already in 2011. This team knows how to win and knows how to win at Texas (2009).