Nascapper Driver Rankings & Odds

Daytona International Speedway -- 02/17/08

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Tuesday Feb 19 2008 1:34pm

1. Ryan Newman- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (+1600)

After winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500, Ryan Newman’s championship nascar odds have significantly amplified. His astonishing victory put a lid on the constant Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Hendrick Motorsports, and Toyota talk that dominated Daytona Speedweeks. Fans, this is not a one-race wonder type of deal here. Newman is back among the championship contenders, just as he was from 2002 to 2005. As the season pushes forth, you will see the Ryan Newman that immediately turned heads when he first arrived on the NASCAR scene in 2001.

One reason why Newman has emerged as a legitimate championship contender is that once this team is hits on all cylinders, he can be a threat to win at any type of track, including the road courses. Very few drivers possess that ability. In fact, only Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, and Jimmie Johnson are threats at every track.

2. Kyle Busch- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (+900)

Ryan Newman may have won the race, but Kyle Busch clearly had the fastest car. He led 86 laps, which is why his fourth place showing was such a bitter disappointment. Many fans and analysts, including myself, felt as if Busch would initially struggle with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota, but he provisionally squashed that notion. It is still too early to tell if Busch will materialize as a legitimate championship contender, but things are looking up for the man known as ‘Shrub’.

3. Tony Stewart- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (+400)

Tony Stewart drove an intelligent race. He never pushed the issue, and he was willing to hang around until it was go-time. His patience nearly paid off, as he was the leader with one lap to go. You have to give Stewart credit also for choosing to pull his teammate along instead of throwing a potentially disastrous block on Newman on the backstretch. There is no way Stewart could have won that race. Kurt Busch gave Newman such a push, half of the field would have wrecked on the last lap if he were to jump in front of Newman. With Toyota power, Stewart is still one of the favorites to capture the Sprint Cup title.

4. Kurt Busch- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (+1000)

There is no ‘I’ in team. Say what you want about Kurt Busch, but you cannot say he is a bad teammate. Like Newman said, Busch could have jumped to the high side and left his teammate all alone in the middle. Instead, Busch propelled Penske Racing to their first Daytona 500 and the first 1-2 finish in the organization’s rich history. I seriously doubt that would have been the case if Rusty Wallace were still behind the wheel of the Blue Deuce.

5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (+400)

It is safe to say that the weekend did no pan out the way Hendrick Motorsports had envisioned. Still, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a solid race. He ran among the top five for most of the day. Unfortunately, for the myriads of fans among Earnhardt nation, he was not in position to contend for the Daytona 500 win. It surely was not a lost week for Earnhardt, Jr. who flexed some muscle by winning the Budweiser Shootout and the first Gatorade Duel. However, the upcoming race at California will provide this team a true gauge as to where they are as far as overall performance is concerned.

6. Jimmie Johnson- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (+350)

Despite his disappointing 27th place finish in the Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson is still the nascar odds-on favorite to win the Sprint Cup championship. It will take more than one sub-par finish to change that. Johnson and the entire Hendrick Motorsports operation should rebound well at California this weekend.

7. Jeff Gordon- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (+390)

A suspension malfunction cost Jeff Gordon a shot at winning his fourth Daytona 500 trophy. He was competitive throughout the early stages of the race, but his car seemed to fade as the race progressed. That could have been a result of his mechanical woes. Gordon rarely stays down for too long and the 24 team has some favorable tracks coming up. He is still a solid pick to win his fifth championship.

8. Matt Kenseth- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (+750)

Other than Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth is the driver that most people expect to win a Daytona 500 before his career concludes. Kenseth performed well on Sunday before his teammate David Ragan slid up the track taking out both Roush Fenway Racing cars. The 2003 champion has favored tracks such as California and Las Vegas throughout his career, and he is the defending champion of the upcoming Auto Club 500. Like the Hendrick boys, look for Kenseth to bounce back at California.

9. Denny Hamlin- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (+1000)

Other than his teammate Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin appeared to have the dominant car early in the race as he led 32 laps. However, he sustained some damage in an incident that included Sam Hornish, Jr. and Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin was unable to recover and posted a respectable 17th place finish. Hamlin, as well as his two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, were stout all week in Daytona and should be stout in California as well. All three Joe Gibbs Racing entries have performed well at the 2-mile oval in recent years.

10. Greg Biffle- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (+3350)

Greg Biffle is the top ten based on performance. In a week in which Fords were visibly inferior to the other three manufacturers, Biffle kept his Fusion in the lead pack all day. At one point, Biffle looked as if he may have a say as to who wins the 50th Daytona 500. Like Newman, Biffle is in a contract year and has a lot to prove not only to his current boss, but also to other owners that may be interested in signing an established veteran.

On the rise- Reed Sorenson, Kasey Kahne, and Elliott Sadler