If the remainder of the season is an open audition for Stephen Leicht, Lowe’s Motor Speedway might be the perfect place to take center stage.
Leicht, currently with Robert Yates Racing, will look for a new employer at season’s end. And in two races at LMS, Leicht has impressed. Standing out among a field peppered with double-duty drivers, Leicht has finished 14th and 10th while collecting impressive statistics in the process.
At LMS, Leicht has a Driver Rating of 82.6 (16th-best), an Average Running Position of 13.8 (11th-best) and has spent 67.7% of the total laps run in the top 15 (seventh-best).
Another storyline sure to take shape this week is the three-way battle for the owner championship.
The No. 29 Chevrolet, the No. 60 Ford, and the No. 20 Chevrolet are separated by 76 points. Previously, it was a two-team race between the No. 60 and the No. 29. Now the combo of Denny Hamlin (18 starts), Aric Almirola (10 starts), Travis Kittleson (one start) and Tony Stewart (one start) have joined the fray.
Friday night, Edwards, Burton and Hamlin will be in their respective rides.
While Edwards and Burton have solid statistics at LMS, Hamlin has struggled there. In five starts at the 1.5-mile track, he has only one top 10 and an average finish of 24.2. Hamlin’s Driver Rating at LMS is a 25th-best 75.6 and his Average Running Position is 17.3 (18th-best).
With a win there last season, Edwards has an LMS Driver Rating of 97.2, an Average Running Position of 12.9 and 67 Fastest Laps Run.
Burton, who finished fourth at LMS in May, has a Driver Rating of 100.4 and an Average Running Position of 14.5 in his three races at LMS since 2005.
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