NASCAR Cup Series

Denny Hamlin looks for Texas sweep

Published Nov. 3, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Is it Denny Hamlin’s turn this weekend?

Recently, it has seemed as if one of the top three NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup contenders enjoyed a slight advantage heading into a track. Hamlin was expected to perform well at Martinsville Speedway and won the race. Kevin Harvick was the guy tabbed to pick up ground at Talladega Superspeedway, and he finished second after numerous video replays deemed his teammate, Clint Bowyer, the winner.

This weekend, it looks like the series is returning to Hamlin turf — but, as usual, Jimmie Johnson is one of the men to watch as well.

So who will be the driver to capitalize at Texas Motor Speedway?

It seems clear the top three Chase drivers are the ones who have the overall edge there.

The 1.5-mile track is one of the faster ones on the circuit, an oval that has been tough for some to master. More than drivers will be challenged in this weekend’s AAA Texas 500. The 500-mile race tests parts and pieces and creates a challenge for the men building the engines in these high-powered stock cars. Mechanical failure can sideline an effort quickly, as can many other issues, from pit-road miscues to crashes.

With the pressure on, especially for those at the top of the Chase field, this should be a tense, anxiety-riddled race.

Hamlin took the win at the track earlier this year, a victory that came soon after his knee surgery. Now in healthier form, he returns to the track looking for a repeat and trailing Johnson by just 14 points in the standings.

Johnson, though, knows how to race at Texas, too. He finished second to Hamlin in the spring — his second runner-up finish in his past three races here. But this was the site of his lone Chase setback in 2009, when he finished 38th.

Don’t count out Harvick, either. The Richard Childress Racing driver may not have a win at Texas, but he finished seventh in the spring and fifth a year ago — and has already shown an ability to step up his game in the Chase races.

So who will be the one to watch this weekend?

Here’s a closer look at the top six Chase drivers — the group within 250 points of leader Johnson – and their history at Texas:

Jimmie Johnson: The Hendrick Motorsports driver continues to hold the lead in the Chase, but he’s being challenged as relentlessly as he ever has during his past four title runs. Johnson has a win at Texas and has earned 10 top-10 finishes in 14 starts at the track, seven of those top-fives. Overall, he brings an average finish of 10.1 at Texas into the race weekend.

Denny Hamlin: The Joe Gibbs Racing driver and his team have gained momentum and confidence throughout the Chase. The most recent Cup winner at Texas, Hamlin has the best average finish among all active Cup drivers at the track. In 10 Texas starts, he has seven top-10 finishes, four of them top-fives. He brings an average finish of 9.6 to the race.

Kevin Harvick: The RCR team has backed up its regular-season performance, when it led the standings for weeks, with a solid run in the Chase. Harvick, too, has gained steam in recent races. While he’s yet to visit Victory Lane at Texas, Harvick has a solid string of finishes there. He has finished 11th or better in five of the past six races at the track. Harvick has an average finish of 12.9 there. Harvick trails Johnson by 38 points.

Jeff Gordon: The Hendrick Motorsports driver also brings a win to the track. In 19 Texas starts, he has nine top-10 finishes, seven of them top-fives, and an average finish of 15.9. Gordon won at Texas three races ago, but has finishes of 13th and 31st in the events since then. Gordon sits 207 points behind Johnson.

Kyle Busch: The JGR driver has a pair of finishes of 11th or better in the past two races at the track. Overall, he has five top-10 finishes at Texas, four of them top-fives, with an average finish of 14.7. Busch trails Johnson by 230 points.

Carl Edwards: The Roush Fenway Racing driver is sixth in the standings, 247 behind Johnson. However, he has three Texas victories to his credit. Edwards has four top-10 finishes in 11 starts at the track for an average Texas finish of 17.5.

Other Chase drivers could also fare well this weekend, most notably Matt Kenseth. He and his Roush Fenway team head to the track with an average Texas finish of 9.9. He has one win and has earned 10 top-10 finishes in 16 starts at the track, seven of them top-fives. Kenseth is eighth in the standings.