rpm.espn.com: Drivers to Watch

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Thursday, July 5
Drivers to Watch
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Check out a short list of drivers to keep an eye on this weekend at Kansas City.

Buzz Calkins
Has finished nine straight events, the longest active streak in Indy Racing dating to Kentucky in August 2000; top finish in that span was third in Atlanta earlier this year; began the season with a ninth-place effort in Phoenix; also placed a respectable 12th at the Indy 500 and is coming off a 10th at Richmond; remained eighth in the points standings with 139.

Sarah Fisher
Recorded the highest finish (2nd) for a woman driver in a Indy-style race in April at the Grand Prix of Miami. Last week she also qualified second for the SunTrust Indy Challenge, the best starting spot for a woman; in just her second full IRL season, the 20-year-old is up to 12th in the Northern Light Cup point standings.

Felipe Giaffone
The leading rookie came just short of finishing in the top 10 in all seven races this year; was 11th at Richmond on Saturday; all other races were impressive top-10 finishes, highlighted by a career-best second place in Texas; also was 6th at Phoenix, 4th at Miami, 10th at both Atlanta and Indianapolis 500 and seventh Pikes Peak; has 185 points for fifth in the overall standings and top of the Rookie of the Year table (the closest rookie is Didier Andre with 96 points.

Sam Hornish Jr.
The 21-year-old has taken the motor sports world of the IRL series by surprise this year, winning the season's first two races in Phoenix and Miami; the second-year driver has been in control of the standings since and has a 50-point lead over defending IRL champion Buddy Lazier, who is making a move; Hornish has been consistent, with top-four finishes in six of the seven races, including three straight runners-up (Texas, Pikes Peak, Richmond); his lowest finish of the season (and that fairly respectable) was 14th at the Indianapolis 500; has led a series-high 440 laps.

Buddy Lazier
His victory at Richmond, Virginia last Saturday night was the second straight and sixth career Indy Racing League triumph, tying Scott Sharp for the most wins in league history; the defending IRL champion can become only the second driver to win three straight races with a victory in the Ameristar Casino Indy 200 (Kenny Brack accomplished the feat in 1998); is 50 points behind leader Sam Hornish Jr. in the standings; has led 357 laps of competition, second to Hornish; Along with Eddie Cheever Jr., he will set a record for most consecutive starts in IRL competition with 49; Davey Hamilton started 48 straight races from 1996 to the Casino Magic 500 at Texas on June 9.

Eliseo Salazar
Crashed out in lap 213 after contact with Eddie Cheever Jr. at Richmond on Saturday night; the result dropped him from second to fourth in the standings with 191 points; otherwise good runs in most races this year -- second at Phoenix, third in Miami, fifth at Atlanta and seventh in Texas; his seventh-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 was the highest for a driver from the Indy Racing Northern Light Series; an experienced racer who competed for three years in Formula One, scoring points in a couple of races; won three IMSA sports car races before moving to open-wheel Indy Racing.

Scott Sharp
A consistent season, with top-eight finishes in six of the seven races; won the Casino Magic 500 in Texas for his sixth career victory, tied for the all-time IRL lead with Buddy Lazier; has recorded at least one victory in five straight seasons; up to third in the standings (201 points), 18 behind second place Buddy Lazier.

Al Unser Jr.
The 1992 and 1994 Indianapolis 500 champion may have started to rebound from a tough start this season; his third-place finish in the SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond, Virginia last Saturday was his best effort of the year; moved into the top 10 of the Northern Light Cup points standings for the first time; his only series victory was last season at Las Vegas, a track similar to Kansas Speedway.

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