This article is part of our NASCAR Draft Kit series.
The Sprint Cup Series presents as diverse a set of tracks as any racing series in the world. From intermediate ovals to winding road courses, each track has its own special configuration and special set of characteristics. This lineup of tracks is designed to test the NASCAR driver's ability in virtually every racing condition. From the fantasy racing standpoint it helps to know which drivers succeed at certain facilities. Recent historical information gives us an edge, but we also need to be mindful of current trends and past statistical information in context. We've taken a long look at both and come up with the drivers you need to have at certain style tracks in 2015 for fantasy racing success. Here is our breakdown of track specialists to watch closely this season. This analysis is particularly helpful for weekly lineup leagues.
SHORT-TRACK SPECIALISTS
These stats are based on tracks three-quarters of a mile in length or shorter and include Bristol Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.
One of the best short-track drivers of all time enjoyed a real revival in 2014. Gordon didn't pick up any victories on the short-track circuit, but he came awfully close. He posted a pair of runner-up finishes in the two Richmond races
SHORT-TRACK SPECIALISTS
These stats are based on tracks three-quarters of a mile in length or shorter and include Bristol Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.
1. Jeff Gordon
Car: 24
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Bristol | 44 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 24 |
| Martinsville | 44 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 35 |
| Richmond | 44 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 28 |
| Career | 132 | 15 | 18 | 62 | 87 |
One of the best short-track drivers of all time enjoyed a real revival in 2014. Gordon didn't pick up any victories on the short-track circuit, but he came awfully close. He posted a pair of runner-up finishes in the two Richmond races
The Sprint Cup Series presents as diverse a set of tracks as any racing series in the world. From intermediate ovals to winding road courses, each track has its own special configuration and special set of characteristics. This lineup of tracks is designed to test the NASCAR driver's ability in virtually every racing condition. From the fantasy racing standpoint it helps to know which drivers succeed at certain facilities. Recent historical information gives us an edge, but we also need to be mindful of current trends and past statistical information in context. We've taken a long look at both and come up with the drivers you need to have at certain style tracks in 2015 for fantasy racing success. Here is our breakdown of track specialists to watch closely this season. This analysis is particularly helpful for weekly lineup leagues.
SHORT-TRACK SPECIALISTS
These stats are based on tracks three-quarters of a mile in length or shorter and include Bristol Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.
One of the best short-track drivers of all time enjoyed a real revival in 2014. Gordon didn't pick up any victories on the short-track circuit, but he came awfully close. He posted a pair of runner-up finishes in the two Richmond races and a runner-up at the fall race in Martinsville during the Chase. The Hendrick Motorsports star tallied four Top-10s in the six short-track events of last season. Gordon's 320 laps led in these events ranked him third among all drivers. All-in-all it was a very strong campaign for the No. 24 Chevrolet team. With Gordon showing no signs of slowing down at age 42, we should see more of the same in 2015. He has the savvy and experience to break through for some wins on these ovals and continued dominant performance stats.
2. Joey Logano
Car: 22
Owner: Penske Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
As Logano continues to carve out a reputation that places him among the elite of the Sprint Cup Series, he continues to improve his performance on ovals that haven't rewarded him in the earlier stages of his career. The Penske Racing star certainly took a major step in short-track performance last year. Logano claimed career-first wins at both Bristol and Richmond and he dominated NASCAR's top division with four Top-5 finishes in these six short-track events. With 233 combined laps led in these events, he's gone from an afterthought to a dominant force on the bull ring circuit. We should see more of the same in the upcoming season. Logano's first championship is just around the corner and a major key to that will be his performance on the short-track circuit.
While Kenseth struggled through a winless 2014 season, he still posted numbers that anyone would envy on these small tracks. His 300 laps led in these six events showed that the speed was still there to run up front and compete for the win. The Joe Gibbs Racing star was tied for second in Top-10 finishes on these style ovals with four total. Kenseth really only had one bad outing on these tracks last year with his poor finish in the fall Richmond race. When you consider his career numbers and what he's done of late at these brutal short tracks, you have to highly respect and highly rank the No. 20 Toyota team and Kenseth. We could easily see a return to victory lane at Bristol for this driver and team in the upcoming season.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Car: 88
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Earnhardt sort of fell off as the season wore on. It's hard to keep up a torrid pace for the full 36-event schedule. However, his short-track prowess and consistency shone through the full season. The No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team claimed a surprising victory in the Chase race at Martinsville and gave Earnhardt his first win at the oval and first grandfather clock trophy. He had been so close in many prior visits, but had always come up short for one reason or another. Earnhardt also piloted his Chevrolet to three Top-10 finishes in the six short-track events for a respectable 50-percent rate on these high-risk tracks. With new crew chief, Greg Ives, on board Earnhardt will look to post more victories on these style tracks.
5. Carl Edwards
Car: 19
Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
If the move to Joe Gibbs Racing gives Edwards the predictable bump in performance as it did with Matt Kenseth a couple seasons ago, then look out. The veteran driver could be poised for a monster season that will include better performance on the circuit's short tracks. Despite his malaise at Roush Fenway Racing last season, Edwards was clearly adept in his short-track racing. He claimed a victory in the first Bristol race of last year and he posted three Top-10 finishes in the Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond rotation. When given good cars and good team support, Edwards has always been a dangerous driver on these style tracks. He could quite possibly have his best car/team/crew chief arrangement since his monster 2011 season.
6. Brad Keselowski
Car: 2
Owner: Penske Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
While most of Keselowski's season was riddled with inconsistency, and so too was his short-track performance, the Penske Racing star got it together in the second half of 2014 and put up some great numbers down the stretch. These included a victory at Bristol and runner-up at Richmond during the late summer. Keselowski salvaged the season on the bull ring circuit with one win and three Top-5 finishes in the six events. Given his historical prowess on these small ovals, we expect the No. 2 Ford team to carry that momentum into the new season. He led a whopping 583 laps on the short tracks last season and that simply didn't happen by accident. It really demonstrates Keselowski's skills on these style ovals.
ROAD-COURSE SPECIALISTS
Although road courses are a small percentage of the Sprint Cup schedule they can be a huge factor in a fantasy racing championship. The circuit's road courses include Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen International.
1. Carl Edwards
Car: 19
Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
With the departure of Marcos Ambrose, we have a new king of the road circuits in 2015. Given what Edwards accomplished in his last two seasons with Roush Fenway Racing, we're ready to promote him to the No. 1 spot in this category. Edwards' thrilling victory at Sonoma was his first ever on a Sprint Cup Series road course. It didn't happen by accident in the least. The veteran driver has turned in finishes of third, forth, first and fifth in his last four starts between Sonoma and Watkins Glen. The move to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015 should only bolster his performance on these winding circuits. We expect Edwards to be a challenger for wins and Top-5s on the road courses this season.
2. A.J. Allmendinger
Car: 47
Owner: JTG Daugherty Racing
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
One year after claiming two road course victories in the Xfinity Series, Allmendinger was back in full-time action in NASCAR's top division. He didn't let anyone forget about his road-course skill when he broke through for career win number one with a surprising victory at Watkins Glen during the summer. That gave him one win and two Top-10s in his last three Sprint Cup Series road-course events. Considering that he's accomplishing these feats with a small, single-car team it's even more impressive. The journeyman driver has posted better finishes at Watkins Glen rather than Sonoma, so definitely bias that way when it comes to starting lineups. However, Allmendinger makes a steady play anytime NASCAR takes to the crooked, winding tracks.
3. Jimmie Johnson
Car: 48
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
While Johnson doesn't have the hardware on the road courses that he does on ovals, he has been steadily improving in recent years on the twisting road circuits. He picked up the lone Sonoma victory in 2010 and he has a string of four consecutive Top-10s at the California road course ever since. His Watkins Glen resume doesn't contain any wins, but he's been a model of consistency there as well. Johnson has collected three Top-10 finishes in his last four visits to the Glen. These levels make him one of the more dependable drivers in the series on the road courses. While not likely to break through for any wins in 2015, he shouldn't disappoint on these tracks either.
4. Jeff Gordon
Car: 24
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
The most decorated road-course driver among the active ranks is Gordon by a wide margin. His nine Sonoma and Watkins Glen victories are tops in the Sprint Cup Series. The Hendrick Motorsports legend hasn't added to his trophy case on these courses in the last two seasons, but he has claimed a pair of runner-up finishes at Sonoma the last two visits. Gordon also claimed the pole position and led a whopping 29 laps at Watkins Glen last summer before problems led to a poor finish. The fact of the matter is Gordon, despite his age of 42-years-old, can still wheel a stock car around a road course better than 95 percent of the drivers in the field today. He'll remain a solid dark horse to win at these facilities until he hangs up his racing helmet for good.
5. Kurt Busch
Car: 41
Owner: Stewart Haas Racing
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
The Stewart Haas Racing driver had an inconsistent first season with his new No. 41 team in 2014, but that didn't stop him from displaying the same level of mastery he always has on road courses. Busch posted two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes at the Glen and Sonoma over the last two seasons, spread between two different race teams. Despite the shakeup, we still saw some of the best racing in the series. His lone finish outside the Top 10 in those four starts was still a very respectable 12th-place in last season's Sonoma event. Now that Busch has one year under his belt with the new team, we expect to see more excellence from him on these style tracks. He should return to contender status in 2015 when we visit the road courses.
6. Greg Biffle
Car: 16
Owner: Roush Fenway Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
The surprise name in this list is easily veteran Biffle. Not typically known for his road-course exploits, he showed some real skill and improvement over the last two seasons with his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing team. Biffle grabbed three Top-10 finishes the last two years, and two of those came in the 2014 campaign. Patience is the key to success at these facilities, and knowing exactly when to safely pounce for the pass. Biffle has learned that patience now that he's a seasoned 44-years-old. The Roush Fenway Racing veteran has a lot to work on in the coming season on the Series' ovals, but his road-course performance is grading out at a strong "B+" entering the season.
SUPERSPEEDWAY SPECIALISTS
As with the road courses, the superspeedways represent a small portion of the overall schedule. However, these tracks are raced twice a season, so the stakes are much higher. The circuit's superspeedways include Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
No one in the Sprint Cup Series could touch the No. 11 Toyota on the superspeedways last season. From the time the engines fired up during Speedweeks until the time they silenced at Homestead, Hamlin had the fastest car on the track at these two huge ovals. Among his accomplishments in 2014 was a dominant win in the season opening exhibition, the Sprint Unlimited, a victory in the Daytona Bud Duel qualifying race, a runner-up finish in the Daytona 500 and a victory in the spring Talladega event. In all, it was a dominant performance for the Joe Gibbs Racing star last season. We don't see much changing for Hamlin in the upcoming season. He should continue to get fast cars from his team and pilot them to Top-5 finishes on these style ovals.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Car: 88
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
After dominating much of his earlier career on the super speedway circuit, Earnhardt finally returned to victory lane on these style tracks after 10 long seasons. He won a thrilling Daytona 500 to grab his first win in the Great American race since 2004. His eight total wins on these ovals are second only to Jeff Gordon in the Sprint Cup Series. The rest of his 2014 exploits at Daytona and Talladega failed to measure up from a finish standpoint, but he still led a combined 111 laps at these facilities, which put him among the elite in the series on superspeedways. Earnhardt may not have the fastest cars on these tracks, but his knowledge, experience and skill in the multi-car packs is second to none.
3. Brad Keselowski
Car: 2
Owner: Penske Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
Keselowski's three Talladega victories the past five seasons rank him among the elite in NASCAR's top division on restrictor-plate race tracks. While he hasn't had the success at the Daytona oval that he's had at Dega, the Penske Racing star still fields fast cars and pilots them to good finishes in these high-stakes races. Keselowski led 12 laps and finished an impressive third-place in last season's Daytona 500, so the ability to potentially win there is present. Like a lot of sluggers, he'll always have homerun potential on these style tracks, and that is a result of his knowledge of how to race in the multi-lane draft. Like a lot of drivers he'll crash and burn sometimes too, but the upside is too tremendous to ignore.
4. Matt Kenseth
Car: 20
Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
After recording two victories in 2012 on the super speedway circuit, the veteran driver has gone 0-for the last two seasons on these huge ovals, but make no mistake, he's been excellent by any standards. Kenseth grabbed a sixth-place finish in the Daytona 500 and a brilliant runner-up finish in the fall Talladega race. He didn't lead many laps (14) for the season, but he delivered the goods in terms of finishes. We're used to seeing the Joe Gibbs Toyota's being fast and leading laps at both Daytona and Talladega, so Kenseth should improve in 2015. Remember, he led over 250 laps on these two ovals in the 2013 season, so that experience and knowledge is still present in the No. 20 Toyota team.
5. Brian Vickers
Car: 55
Owner: Michael Waltrip Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
While the 2014 campaign was a bit disappointing for Vickers in his full-time return to Sprint Cup racing, one thing still stood tall, his excellence on super speedway. The Michael Waltrip Racing veteran claimed two Top-5 finishes and a pole position in the four restrictor-plate races of last season. It was a very successful return considering he had saddled up in a Cup car on these ovals since the 2011 season. When we combine last season's efforts with numbers posted earlier in his career it's clear that Vickers has an aptitude for this style of racing. If MWR can get back up to their expected standards in the coming season, then there's no reason why Vickers can't keep excelling on these two ovals.
6. Clint Bowyer
Car: 15
Owner: Michael Waltrip Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
Another driver in the MWR stable that has good career numbers at Daytona and Talladega is Bowyer. His two Talladega victories may have come with Richard Childress Racing, but he's managed a steady level of performance on these big speedways since moving to MWR a few seasons ago. Bowyer boasts a respectable 42-percent Top-10 rate at these two tracks since coming to the No. 15 Toyota team. That includes the two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes he posted during the 2014 season. Bowyer doesn't seem the threat to win on these restrictor-plate tracks that he once was, but that could easily change in the upcoming season with some improvement at Michael Waltrip Racing.
SHORT-TRACK SPECIALISTS
These stats are based on tracks three-quarters of a mile in length or shorter and include Bristol Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.
1. Jeff Gordon
Car: 24
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Bristol | 44 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 24 |
| Martinsville | 44 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 35 |
| Richmond | 44 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 28 |
| Career | 132 | 15 | 18 | 62 | 87 |
One of the best short-track drivers of all time enjoyed a real revival in 2014. Gordon didn't pick up any victories on the short-track circuit, but he came awfully close. He posted a pair of runner-up finishes in the two Richmond races and a runner-up at the fall race in Martinsville during the Chase. The Hendrick Motorsports star tallied four Top-10s in the six short-track events of last season. Gordon's 320 laps led in these events ranked him third among all drivers. All-in-all it was a very strong campaign for the No. 24 Chevrolet team. With Gordon showing no signs of slowing down at age 42, we should see more of the same in 2015. He has the savvy and experience to break through for some wins on these ovals and continued dominant performance stats.
2. Joey Logano
Car: 22
Owner: Penske Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Bristol | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Martinsville | 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Richmond | 12 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Career | 36 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 11 |
As Logano continues to carve out a reputation that places him among the elite of the Sprint Cup Series, he continues to improve his performance on ovals that haven't rewarded him in the earlier stages of his career. The Penske Racing star certainly took a major step in short-track performance last year. Logano claimed career-first wins at both Bristol and Richmond and he dominated NASCAR's top division with four Top-5 finishes in these six short-track events. With 233 combined laps led in these events, he's gone from an afterthought to a dominant force on the bull ring circuit. We should see more of the same in the upcoming season. Logano's first championship is just around the corner and a major key to that will be his performance on the short-track circuit.
3. Matt Kenseth
Car: 20
Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Bristol | 30 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 19 |
| Martinsville | 30 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 |
| Richmond | 30 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
| Career | 90 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 43 |
While Kenseth struggled through a winless 2014 season, he still posted numbers that anyone would envy on these small tracks. His 300 laps led in these six events showed that the speed was still there to run up front and compete for the win. The Joe Gibbs Racing star was tied for second in Top-10 finishes on these style ovals with four total. Kenseth really only had one bad outing on these tracks last year with his poor finish in the fall Richmond race. When you consider his career numbers and what he's done of late at these brutal short tracks, you have to highly respect and highly rank the No. 20 Toyota team and Kenseth. We could easily see a return to victory lane at Bristol for this driver and team in the upcoming season.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Car: 88
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Bristol | 30 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Martinsville | 30 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 17 |
| Richmond | 31 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 13 |
| Career | 91 | 5 | 1 | 28 | 44 |
Earnhardt sort of fell off as the season wore on. It's hard to keep up a torrid pace for the full 36-event schedule. However, his short-track prowess and consistency shone through the full season. The No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team claimed a surprising victory in the Chase race at Martinsville and gave Earnhardt his first win at the oval and first grandfather clock trophy. He had been so close in many prior visits, but had always come up short for one reason or another. Earnhardt also piloted his Chevrolet to three Top-10 finishes in the six short-track events for a respectable 50-percent rate on these high-risk tracks. With new crew chief, Greg Ives, on board Earnhardt will look to post more victories on these style tracks.
5. Carl Edwards
Car: 19
Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Bristol | 21 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| Martinsville | 21 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Richmond | 21 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 11 |
| Career | 63 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 25 |
If the move to Joe Gibbs Racing gives Edwards the predictable bump in performance as it did with Matt Kenseth a couple seasons ago, then look out. The veteran driver could be poised for a monster season that will include better performance on the circuit's short tracks. Despite his malaise at Roush Fenway Racing last season, Edwards was clearly adept in his short-track racing. He claimed a victory in the first Bristol race of last year and he posted three Top-10 finishes in the Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond rotation. When given good cars and good team support, Edwards has always been a dangerous driver on these style tracks. He could quite possibly have his best car/team/crew chief arrangement since his monster 2011 season.
6. Brad Keselowski
Car: 2
Owner: Penske Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Bristol | 10 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Martinsville | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Richmond | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Career | 31 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 13 |
While most of Keselowski's season was riddled with inconsistency, and so too was his short-track performance, the Penske Racing star got it together in the second half of 2014 and put up some great numbers down the stretch. These included a victory at Bristol and runner-up at Richmond during the late summer. Keselowski salvaged the season on the bull ring circuit with one win and three Top-5 finishes in the six events. Given his historical prowess on these small ovals, we expect the No. 2 Ford team to carry that momentum into the new season. He led a whopping 583 laps on the short tracks last season and that simply didn't happen by accident. It really demonstrates Keselowski's skills on these style ovals.
ROAD-COURSE SPECIALISTS
Although road courses are a small percentage of the Sprint Cup schedule they can be a huge factor in a fantasy racing championship. The circuit's road courses include Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen International.
1. Carl Edwards
Car: 19
Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Sonoma | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Watkins Glen | 10 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Career | 20 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 12 |
With the departure of Marcos Ambrose, we have a new king of the road circuits in 2015. Given what Edwards accomplished in his last two seasons with Roush Fenway Racing, we're ready to promote him to the No. 1 spot in this category. Edwards' thrilling victory at Sonoma was his first ever on a Sprint Cup Series road course. It didn't happen by accident in the least. The veteran driver has turned in finishes of third, forth, first and fifth in his last four starts between Sonoma and Watkins Glen. The move to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015 should only bolster his performance on these winding circuits. We expect Edwards to be a challenger for wins and Top-5s on the road courses this season.
2. A.J. Allmendinger
Car: 47
Owner: JTG Daugherty Racing
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Sonoma | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Watkins Glen | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Career | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
One year after claiming two road course victories in the Xfinity Series, Allmendinger was back in full-time action in NASCAR's top division. He didn't let anyone forget about his road-course skill when he broke through for career win number one with a surprising victory at Watkins Glen during the summer. That gave him one win and two Top-10s in his last three Sprint Cup Series road-course events. Considering that he's accomplishing these feats with a small, single-car team it's even more impressive. The journeyman driver has posted better finishes at Watkins Glen rather than Sonoma, so definitely bias that way when it comes to starting lineups. However, Allmendinger makes a steady play anytime NASCAR takes to the crooked, winding tracks.
3. Jimmie Johnson
Car: 48
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Sonoma | 13 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| Watkins Glen | 13 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| Career | 26 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 15 |
While Johnson doesn't have the hardware on the road courses that he does on ovals, he has been steadily improving in recent years on the twisting road circuits. He picked up the lone Sonoma victory in 2010 and he has a string of four consecutive Top-10s at the California road course ever since. His Watkins Glen resume doesn't contain any wins, but he's been a model of consistency there as well. Johnson has collected three Top-10 finishes in his last four visits to the Glen. These levels make him one of the more dependable drivers in the series on the road courses. While not likely to break through for any wins in 2015, he shouldn't disappoint on these tracks either.
4. Jeff Gordon
Car: 24
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Sonoma | 22 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 18 |
| Watkins Glen | 22 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Career | 44 | 9 | 8 | 20 | 27 |
The most decorated road-course driver among the active ranks is Gordon by a wide margin. His nine Sonoma and Watkins Glen victories are tops in the Sprint Cup Series. The Hendrick Motorsports legend hasn't added to his trophy case on these courses in the last two seasons, but he has claimed a pair of runner-up finishes at Sonoma the last two visits. Gordon also claimed the pole position and led a whopping 29 laps at Watkins Glen last summer before problems led to a poor finish. The fact of the matter is Gordon, despite his age of 42-years-old, can still wheel a stock car around a road course better than 95 percent of the drivers in the field today. He'll remain a solid dark horse to win at these facilities until he hangs up his racing helmet for good.
5. Kurt Busch
Car: 41
Owner: Stewart Haas Racing
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | ||
| Sonoma | 14 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | |
| Watkins Glen | 14 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| Career | 28 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 12 |
The Stewart Haas Racing driver had an inconsistent first season with his new No. 41 team in 2014, but that didn't stop him from displaying the same level of mastery he always has on road courses. Busch posted two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes at the Glen and Sonoma over the last two seasons, spread between two different race teams. Despite the shakeup, we still saw some of the best racing in the series. His lone finish outside the Top 10 in those four starts was still a very respectable 12th-place in last season's Sonoma event. Now that Busch has one year under his belt with the new team, we expect to see more excellence from him on these style tracks. He should return to contender status in 2015 when we visit the road courses.
6. Greg Biffle
Car: 16
Owner: Roush Fenway Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Sonoma | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Watkins Glen | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Career | 24 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
The surprise name in this list is easily veteran Biffle. Not typically known for his road-course exploits, he showed some real skill and improvement over the last two seasons with his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing team. Biffle grabbed three Top-10 finishes the last two years, and two of those came in the 2014 campaign. Patience is the key to success at these facilities, and knowing exactly when to safely pounce for the pass. Biffle has learned that patience now that he's a seasoned 44-years-old. The Roush Fenway Racing veteran has a lot to work on in the coming season on the Series' ovals, but his road-course performance is grading out at a strong "B+" entering the season.
SUPERSPEEDWAY SPECIALISTS
As with the road courses, the superspeedways represent a small portion of the overall schedule. However, these tracks are raced twice a season, so the stakes are much higher. The circuit's superspeedways include Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
1. Denny Hamlin
Car: 11
Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Daytona | 18 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Talladega | 18 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Career | 36 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
No one in the Sprint Cup Series could touch the No. 11 Toyota on the superspeedways last season. From the time the engines fired up during Speedweeks until the time they silenced at Homestead, Hamlin had the fastest car on the track at these two huge ovals. Among his accomplishments in 2014 was a dominant win in the season opening exhibition, the Sprint Unlimited, a victory in the Daytona Bud Duel qualifying race, a runner-up finish in the Daytona 500 and a victory in the spring Talladega event. In all, it was a dominant performance for the Joe Gibbs Racing star last season. We don't see much changing for Hamlin in the upcoming season. He should continue to get fast cars from his team and pilot them to Top-5 finishes on these style ovals.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Car: 88
Owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Daytona | 30 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 17 |
| Talladega | 30 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 14 |
| Career | 60 | 8 | 1 | 21 | 31 |
After dominating much of his earlier career on the super speedway circuit, Earnhardt finally returned to victory lane on these style tracks after 10 long seasons. He won a thrilling Daytona 500 to grab his first win in the Great American race since 2004. His eight total wins on these ovals are second only to Jeff Gordon in the Sprint Cup Series. The rest of his 2014 exploits at Daytona and Talladega failed to measure up from a finish standpoint, but he still led a combined 111 laps at these facilities, which put him among the elite in the series on superspeedways. Earnhardt may not have the fastest cars on these tracks, but his knowledge, experience and skill in the multi-car packs is second to none.
3. Brad Keselowski
Car: 2
Owner: Penske Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Daytona | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Talladega | 12 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| Career | 23 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
Keselowski's three Talladega victories the past five seasons rank him among the elite in NASCAR's top division on restrictor-plate race tracks. While he hasn't had the success at the Daytona oval that he's had at Dega, the Penske Racing star still fields fast cars and pilots them to good finishes in these high-stakes races. Keselowski led 12 laps and finished an impressive third-place in last season's Daytona 500, so the ability to potentially win there is present. Like a lot of sluggers, he'll always have homerun potential on these style tracks, and that is a result of his knowledge of how to race in the multi-lane draft. Like a lot of drivers he'll crash and burn sometimes too, but the upside is too tremendous to ignore.
4. Matt Kenseth
Car: 20
Owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Daytona | 30 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 14 |
| Talladega | 30 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| Career | 60 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 24 |
After recording two victories in 2012 on the super speedway circuit, the veteran driver has gone 0-for the last two seasons on these huge ovals, but make no mistake, he's been excellent by any standards. Kenseth grabbed a sixth-place finish in the Daytona 500 and a brilliant runner-up finish in the fall Talladega race. He didn't lead many laps (14) for the season, but he delivered the goods in terms of finishes. We're used to seeing the Joe Gibbs Toyota's being fast and leading laps at both Daytona and Talladega, so Kenseth should improve in 2015. Remember, he led over 250 laps on these two ovals in the 2013 season, so that experience and knowledge is still present in the No. 20 Toyota team.
5. Brian Vickers
Car: 55
Owner: Michael Waltrip Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Daytona | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Talladega | 16 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Career | 32 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 11 |
While the 2014 campaign was a bit disappointing for Vickers in his full-time return to Sprint Cup racing, one thing still stood tall, his excellence on super speedway. The Michael Waltrip Racing veteran claimed two Top-5 finishes and a pole position in the four restrictor-plate races of last season. It was a very successful return considering he had saddled up in a Cup car on these ovals since the 2011 season. When we combine last season's efforts with numbers posted earlier in his career it's clear that Vickers has an aptitude for this style of racing. If MWR can get back up to their expected standards in the coming season, then there's no reason why Vickers can't keep excelling on these two ovals.
6. Clint Bowyer
Car: 15
Owner: Michael Waltrip Racing
Manufacturer: Toyota
| RACES | WINS | POLES | TOP 5 | TOP 10 | |
| Daytona | 18 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Talladega | 18 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| Career | 36 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 18 |
Another driver in the MWR stable that has good career numbers at Daytona and Talladega is Bowyer. His two Talladega victories may have come with Richard Childress Racing, but he's managed a steady level of performance on these big speedways since moving to MWR a few seasons ago. Bowyer boasts a respectable 42-percent Top-10 rate at these two tracks since coming to the No. 15 Toyota team. That includes the two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes he posted during the 2014 season. Bowyer doesn't seem the threat to win on these restrictor-plate tracks that he once was, but that could easily change in the upcoming season with some improvement at Michael Waltrip Racing.
