2014 NASCAR World Cup Group G: Kyle Larson and A.J. Allmendinger battle for second
Throughout the summer we're running our second NASCAR World Cup. Will Carl Edwards repeat? Or will someone else take the title? Click here for a NASCAR World Cup explanation and a list of all the groups.
Group H: Jeff Gordon (1st in points, 1 win), Kyle Larson (10th, 0), A.J. Allmendinger (20th, 0), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (26th, 0)
Michigan Matchups: Gordon vs. Allmendinger, Larson vs. Stenhouse
Sonoma Matchups: Gordon vs. Stenhouse, Larson vs. Allmendinger
Kentucky Matchups: Gordon vs. Larson, Allmendinger vs. Stenhouse
Our points leader looks to be the clear favorite in this group. He's been very consistent on intermediate tracks and has a good draw at Sonoma, where he'll be favored over Stenhouse. After Gordon qualified second at Michigan Friday, did you know that the only Hendrick driver since Gordon last won there in 2001 to win at Michigan is Dale Earnhardt Jr.? In that stretch, Gordon hasn't been bad though. He had a crash with Bobby Labonte in 2013 and blew an engine in 2012, but he still has 12 top 10 finishes since.
Second place could come down to Larson and Allmendinger matchup, continuing our theme of thinking that road course races could be the deciding factors in the group. Larson famously has had issues shifting, hence his ARCA race (and win) at Pocono and Chip Ganassi's insistence he drive a stick-shift Camaro before racing at the triangle. And Allmendigner tested for two days at Sonoma and won at Road America and Mid-Ohio in the Nationwide Series last season. That gives him the advantage at Sonoma, and if he can beat Stenhouse at Kentucky, he's probably moving on.
Projected standings: Gordon 3-0, Allmendinger 2-1, Larson 1-2, Stenhouse 0-3
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
