The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series moves to Texas Motor Speedway for the seventh race of the 2009 season, the Samsung 500. Take a look at past performances, season trends and insight from team contacts to get the best estimate of how the field should finish on Sunday afternoon.

When
Sunday, April 5, 2009; 2:16 p.m. ET

Weather
Mostly sunny with a high around 69; very strong wind out of the WNW at 21 mph could affect the race. There is a zero percent chance of precipitation.

The Track
Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5 quad-oval. It has intermediate 24 degree banking on the turns.

Key to Race: Which Roush-Fenway car will win?
Any time the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits a 1.5-mile track, Roush-Fenway Racing is the favorite to win. The lack of success the Roush Boys have on short tracks is the exact opposite of the continued success they show on tracks of this distance.

The surface at Texas has great grip, and therefore cars can run wide-open the entire way around.

The multi-car teams like Roush-Fenway, Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports have a big advantage in the funding of their engine programs. If a Roush-Fenway car doesn't find victory lane, a Gibbs or Hendrick car will.

Qualifying Procedures
48 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Cars not in the top 35 in the 2009 point standings will have to qualify based on speed. Starting positions 1-43 are determined during two laps of qualifying on Friday, April 3 at 3:40 p.m. ET.

If qualifying is rained out, which looks unlikely this week, Regan Smith, Todd Bodine, Mike Bliss, Max Papis and Brad Keselowski will be heading home.

Fantasy Cheat Sheet

Top 5
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards proved his love for 1.5-mile ovals by sweeping both races at Texas last year. He is our favorite to take the checkers this weekend.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson won the November 2007 race at Texas, and in 10 career starts at the track he has eight top-10 finishes. He is a great pick to find victory lane on Sunday.
No. 18 Kyle Busch: Rowdy has three straight top-six finishes at Texas. He is a fine pick this weekend.
No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has eight top-10 finishes in 16 career starts at Texas. Like teammates Jimmie Johnson, he could visit victory lane on Sunday.
No. 14 Tony Stewart: Smoke has eight top-10 finishes (including a win) in 14 career starts at Texas. He is a great pick this weekend.

6 to 10
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has led at least one lap in nine of the last 11 races at Texas. He could return to victory lane on Sunday.
No. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior has led laps in each of the last four races at Texas. This could be his chance to get his second win at the track.

Video   Tough racing awaits in Texas April 1: Tony Stewart, David Ragan and Joey Logano discuss the fast, side-by-side racing fans will see at Texas Motor Speedway. NBC Sports

No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has finished in the top 10 in all but two of his career starts at Texas. We like his chances this weekend.
No. 33 Clint Bowyer: Texas isn't one of Bowyer's favorite tracks, but he brought a strong car to the race last November. He should finish right around 10th on Sunday.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has been great in five of the last six races in the Lone Star State. He is a lock to crack the top 10 again this weekend.

11 to 20
No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton has finished in the top six in four of the past five races at Texas Motor Speedway. He is a great pick on Sunday.
No. 5 Mark Martin: Martin has a win and five top fives in his career at TMS. He will cruise around in the top 15 and could sneak into the top 10 by the time the race is over.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: Texas is one of McMurray's favorite tracks.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle finally appeared to break his run of bad luck at Texas last November and should slip into the top 15 this time around.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan had success at Texas last year. He should crack the top 15 again this weekend.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch has had seven top-10 finishes in 12 career starts at Texas during his career.
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr. has finished in the top 15 in six of his seven career starts at Texas. This could be the weekend the No. 1 team will finally get on track.
No. 39 Ryan Newman: Newman has finished strong in two of the past three races at Texas. He is an okay pick this weekend.
No. 47 Marcos Ambrose: Ambrose finished 21st in his first Cup start at Texas. He could improve on that finish this weekend.
No. 00 David Reutimann: Reutimann led five laps on his way to a 20th-place finish at Texas in November. He will bring a fast car to the track once again this weekend.

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