Phoenix, New Hampshire, and Richmond look nothing alike, however, most of the crew chiefs that have success on one of those tracks do equally well on the other two. In most cases a successful team will bring the same car to all 3 tracks and sometimes for all six races over the course of a season. Obviously, the teams that don’t experience success have the need to try something different for each of those races.

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History shows several drivers in recent history having multiple wins and top 5 finishes on the three tracks during a season. Basically, once the foundation has been laid on a certain group of candidates, there isn’t much need to search elsewhere for viable candidates at long shot prices.

The advantage that a bettor may have this season into the first of the 6 races on these type of tracks is the data from last season. Unlike some of the tracks this season where the new car will run for the first time, the COT ran a full schedule in all six races. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were the only drivers to finish in the top 10 of all six races with Johnson winning three and Gordon one. Johnson’s average finish in the 6 races was 3rd while Gordon was close with a 3.8.

Following the two Hendrick drivers with the 3rd best rate of success on the six tracks was Denny Hamlin. He finished with a 7.3 average finish, but that was in a Chevy. This season Hamlin is in the new Toyota, but it’s apparent already that the team hasn’t missed a beat yet by switching cars and just might even be a little better. Hamlin has shown a real knack for driving on the flatter tracks. He took Martinsville a few weeks ago and that is about as flat a track gets.

Two seasons ago Kevin Harvick won five races in a season. Four of those won were on the 3 tracks we have been discussing. He won twice at Phoenix, and once each at Richmond and New Hampshire. Last season Harvick finished in the top 10 in five of the six races with a worst finih of 17th at New Hampshire. This season Harvick has really put it all together. Currently, he’s 2nd in points behind his teammate Jeff Burton and has two top 5 finishes. He hasn’t been the best in any race this season but has probably been the most consistent. His worst finish this year has been 14th in the season opener at Daytona. Look for a good run out of Harvick this week.

Other drivers who have had great success on the three tracks combined in a season include Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, and Tony Stewart. How some of these drivers did in the past is little help in identifying who will be good this week. However, once this race is run Saturday night in Phoenix, the blue print will have been made for who to invest in on May 3rd’s Richmond race.

Last season Carl Edwards couldn’t crack the top 10 in any of the 6 COT races at Phoenix, New Hampshire, and Richmond. In 2006, it was a completely different story with Edwards having two top 5 finishes in Phoenix. Obviously the mediocre finishes last season were more attributed to the car than Edwards as a driver. This season Edwards has it dialed in pretty good. He’s won three races in the first seven races. The last driver to that was Jimmie Johnson last season and then Jeff Gordon a decade ago. In both cases Johnson and Gordon went on to win the Championship. Edwards’ equipment may not be good enough to contend for a win this week, but his value to win the Championship is great right now simply because of how good he is on the intermediate tracks. He has won 3 of the 4 races run on them thus far.

We’ll take a page out of last season and expect to see the same cast of characters that excelled then to do the same this week. Jimmie Johnson is much overdue for a win this season. The data his team has from last seasons races will help propel Johnson to the top.

TOP 5 Finish Prediction:

1) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
2) #29 Kevin Harvick (12/1)
3) #18 Kyle Busch (7/1)
4) #24 Jeff Gordon (6/1)
5) #11 Denny Hamlin (12/1)

Drag Racing in Vegas this weekend

Amid all the talk about Las Vegas trying lure a basketball, baseball, or hockey team, something to call our own in the city, a transition has occurred which many don’t realize even though they have participated in the movement. It’s happened right before our eyes with little fanfare, but reality has now set in, Las Vegas is pure and simply a motor sports town.

Glance across the globe and you’ll find little competition as far as a city that offers as much motor sports excitement than Las Vegas. Every type of racing happens in Vegas. We have the weekly short track racing and drag street racing at the speedway. Then there is the major leagues who visit such as NASCAR, the World of Outlaws, and this weeks visitor, the NHRA.

A few years ago the NHRA decided to make two visits to Las Vegas each season citing the great attendance by the locals as the main reason. Friday’s qualifying sessions have the entire NHRA organization amazed by how full the stands are. There is no place on the tour that is so full for just qualifying.

So here they are again this week on the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. What makes Vegas so different from all the other venues is that legal wagering is offered on the three major classes of drag racing. This weeks favorites to win are Tony Schumacher, Robert Hight, and Greg Anderson.

If you have never been out to the Drag races, get out there and take the whole family. An absolute blast!

Micah Roberts is a Race and Sports Director for Station Casinos in Las Vegas , Nevada who covers motor sports from both a bettor and bookmaker's perspective.