KYLE BUSCH - WINNER
(No. 18 Snickers Bites Toyota)
· Two top fives, three top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 12.4
· Average Running Position of 7.0, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 106.7, third-best
· 63 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 179.691 mph, second-fastest
· 549 Laps in the Top 15 (83.2%), eighth-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr
#88 National Guard Chevrolet
·         One win, four top fives, 10 top 10s
·         Average finish of 8.3
·         Driver Rating of 76.3, 18th-best
·         32 Laps Led, eighth-most
·         579 Laps in the Top 15 (77.2%), seventh-most
·         227 Quality Passes, fifth-most

 
Kevin Harvick
(No. 29 Rheem / Budweiser Chevrolet)
·         One win, two top fives, seven top 10s
·         Average finish of 10.5
·         Average Running Position of 11.2, 17th-best
·         Driver Rating of 79.8, 15th-best
·         252 Green Flag Passes, second-most
·         43 Laps Led, sixth-most
·         505 Laps in the Top 15 (67.3%), 11th-most
·         198 Quality Passes, 14th-most

 
Jimmie Johnson
(No. 48 Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet)
·         Three wins, seven top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
·         Average finish of 6.6
·         Average Running Position of 7.0, third-best
·         Driver Rating of 104.9, fourth-best
·         Series-high 140 Fastest Laps Run
·         228 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 179.425 mph, third-fastest
·         662 Laps in the Top 15 (88.3%), second-most
·         210 Quality Passes, sixth-most

 
Matt Kenseth
(No. 20 Home Depot / Husky Toyota)
·         One win, five top fives, nine top 10s; two poles
·         Average finish of 6.3
·         Average Running Position of 8.3, fifth-best
·         Driver Rating of 91.1, fifth-best
·         44 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
·         236 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 178.622 mph, 10th-fastest
·         614 Laps in the Top 15 (81.9%), fourth-most
·         213 Quality Passes, fifth-most

SLEEPER PICK
 
Joey Logano

(No. 22 Pennzoil Ford)
·         One top five, two top 10s
·         Average finish of 5.5
·         Average Running Position of 9.3, 10th-best
·         Driver Rating of 80.5, 13th-best
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 178.733 mph, seventh-fastest

DENNY HAMLIN - WINNER
#11 Sport Clips Toyota
·         One win, three top fives, six top 10s
·         Average finish of 5.9
·         Average Running Position of 8.8, second-best
·         Driver Rating of 109.5, third-best
·         175 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 159.896 mph, third-fastest
·         2,123 Laps in the Top 15 (82.5%), sixth-most
·         229 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Greg Biffle (No. 16 Meguiars Ford)
·         Two wins, two top fives, five top 10s; two poles
·         Average finish of 14.0
·         Average Running Position of 9.8, third-best
·         Driver Rating of 110.5, second-best
·         Series-high 283 Fastest Laps Run
·         2,170 Laps in the Top 15 (73.7%), fourth-most
·         249 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), third-most
 

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Doublemint Toyota)
·         One win, two top fives, four top 10s
·         Average finish of 15.5
·         Average Running Position of 10.0, fourth-best
·         Driver Rating of 102.3, fifth-best
·         470 Green Flag Passes, third-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 159.837 mph, fifth-fastest
·         2,423 Laps in the Top 15 (82.3%), second-most
·         Series-high 323 Quality Passes
 

 
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Cromax Pro Chevrolet)
·         Seven wins, 18 top fives, 21 top 10s; three poles
·         Average finish of 11.8
·         Series-best Average Running Position of 8.3
·         Series-best Driver Rating of 111.8
·         180 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
·         Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 160.041 mph
·         Series-high 2,615 Laps in the Top 15 (88.9%)
·         245 Quality Passes, fifth-most
 

 
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Emerald Green Chevrolet)
·         Three wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s
·         Average finish of 9.1
·         Average Running Position of 10.7, fifth-best
·         Driver Rating of 105.7, fourth-best
·         210 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
·         453 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
·         Average Green Flag Speed of 159.918 mph, second-fastest
·         2,137 Laps in the Top 15 (72.6%), fifth-most
·         227 Quality Passes, eighth-most

SLEEPER PICK
(always outside of the top-20 in Sprint Cup points)

Danica Patrick

Last year, Danica Patrick finished 31st at Darlington, in only her second NASCAR Sprint Cup start. Now, 18-starts later she returns to the 'Lady In Black' looking for another shot at the track 'Too Tough To Tame'.

Patrick has had an up and down year so far. She kicked off the 2013 season with a solid run at Daytona and an 8th place finish, but she has sputtered since, finishing 25th or worse in 8 of her last 9 starts. Patrick's only other top-15 finish is a 12th at Martinsville, another tough shorttrack. She currently sits 27th in Sprint Cup points after a disappointing 33rd place finish Sunday at Talladega.

But, Darlington could change all of that. A solid finish, or even better - a Darlington win, can shape a drivers career.

Darlington has a way of defining careers. Drivers either 'get it' or they don't. Dale Earnhardt won here nine times, and David Pearson tamed Darlington ten times. Both are in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Could Patrick score her first career win this weekend in Darlington? Six drivers have done just that.

With his victory in 2011, Regan Smith joined an exclusive list of drivers who earned their first career victory at Darlington. In addition to Smith, inaugural winner Johnny Mantz, Nelson Stacy, Larry Frank, Terry Labonte and Lake Speed all scored their first career wins on the egg shaped oval.

Strangely enough though, only Labonte and Stacy went on to win more races.

So can Danica take the checkers Saturday night? Perhaps, but she might have her hands full with boyfriend and Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Stenhouse Jr. has had three starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Darlington, with two top-10 finishes. - Captain Thunder www.CaptainThunderRacing.com

Jeff Gordon is a Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, he is third on the all-time wins list with 87 career wins, and Saturday night at Darlington Raceway the legendary driver will make Sprint Cup career start #700.

Gordon will become only the 15th driver to reach the '700' start milestone.

The racetrack Gordon will be competing at this Saturday night seems an appropriate track for career start #700. His seven wins at Darlington puts him third on the track’s all-time wins list behind the late Dale Earnhardt who tamed the lady in black nine times, and Hall of Famer David Pearson who scored ten Darlington wins.

The Bojangles' Southern 500 will go green at 6:45pm Saturday night on FOX TV.  - Captain Thunder www.CaptainThunderRacing.com