NASCAR Driving Rankings & Odds- Atlanta

Atlanta Motor Speedway -- 03/09/08

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Monday Mar 10 2008 1:57pm

The story of weekend- Toyota wins its first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

Feud of the weekend- Tony Stewart versus Goodyear.

1. (2) 18-Kyle Busch- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (7-1)

Well, like it or not, Toyota has now won a NASCAR Sprint Cup event. We all knew it was just a matter of time, especially once Joe Gibbs Racing joined the Toyota entourage. Kyle Busch dominated the entire weekend, and should have won all three races; however, a blown tire kept him out of victory lane in the Nationwide Series event on Saturday. His win on Friday night in the Craftsman Truck Series and Sunday afternoon in the Sprint Cup Series showed why he is receiving so many accolades. Overall, Kyle Busch and the 18 team are a close second to Carl Edwards and the 99 team as far as strength in performance. In the early going, it looks like Busch and Edwards are the two drivers to beat.

2. (1) 99-Carl Edwards- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (6-1)

It was difficult to drop Carl Edwards much lower in the rankings after two wins and an impressive performance on Sunday at Atlanta. Edwards was leading when his engine expired on lap 274. Despite all of the controversy surrounding the 99 team, Edwards took all of the denunciation in stride. Face it, Edwards would have won the race at Las Vegas even with the lid to the oil reservoir, and he paid for the infraction. The 99 team still has a ways to go before they catch the 48 team as far as infractions and penalties. Other than the engine malfunction, this team is showing no signs of slowing down their performance.

3. (6) 16-Greg Biffle- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (12-1)

It was another solid performance from Greg Biffle and company. Following a disappointing 2007 season, Biffle is back on the rise. He has reemerged as a championship contender. Biffle has a history of being streaky, so inconsistencies could bite him down the road, but as of now, he is on a roll and is on the threshold of winning his first race of 2008.

4. (3) 12-Ryan Newman- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (20-1)

Ryan Newman was running in the top five when contact with Juan Pablo Montoya forced him to pit under green flag conditions, therefore, dropping him a lap behind the leaders. Newman was unable to regain the lost lap, but he did post a solid 14th place finish. Newman has been consistent thus far in 2008, something that he is not used to. Like Biffle, he is typically very streaky, and is prone to inconsistency. That has a lot to do with driving style. However, Newman appears to have grown more patient while running in the tenth to twelfth place range, and it is paying off with solid finishes week after week.

5. (7) 20-Tony Stewart- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (5-1)

As soon as Tony Stewart climbed from his Toyota Camry, he wasted no time in blasting Goodyear for the tire compound that they provided at Atlanta. He was not the only driver complaining, but he was by far the most vocal and used little tact when voicing his displeasure. Nevertheless, Stewart posted a second place finish and moved back into the top ten in the championship standings. Stewart’s performance has been respectable but not up to par with his teammate Kyle Busch. Hopefully, he will be in a better mood at Bristol next weekend.

6. (5) 24-Jeff Gordon- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (6-1)

Like Stewart, Jeff Gordon was none-to-pleased with Goodyear following the race at Atlanta. However, he was more diplomatic in his post-race interviews. Gordon’s performance was solid as he posted a fifth place finish after engaging in a hard fought battle with Clint Bowyer during the closing laps. The 24 team is able to hold their own but they seem to be a step or two behind the 99 team and the 18 team. Nonetheless, they have yet to fall into the same rut as Jimmie Johnson and the 48 team.

7. (8) 88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (5-1)

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. scored his second straight top-three finish, which shows that his move to Hendrick Motorsports is paying early dividends. Meanwhile, the DEI cars have not really been all that impressive. On the other hand, outside of Earnhardt, Jr. and maybe Jeff Gordon, the Hendrick Motorsports cars have yet to impress as well. The 88 team has to be pleased with the way they are running. It will not be long until Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is celebrating in victory lane.

8. (10) 29-Kevin Harvick- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (25-1)

Many analysts were willing to write off Kevin Harvick as a championship contender prior to the 2008 season. He has been solid as a rock thus far, as he has posted three consecutive top ten finishes. This team typically struggles at Atlanta and Las Vegas, so things are looking positive for Harvick and company. The Sprint Cup series heads to Bristol next week, which is one of Harvick's best tracks.

9. (4) 9-Kasey Kahne- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (18-1)

Just when you think Kasey Kahne has put the misery of the 2007 season behind him, he limps to a 26th place finish at Atlanta, a track that suits his driving style. If the setup was off just a little, the leaders were going to lap you in a hurry, and it was tough for several drivers to make up that ground. Kahne was never able to overcome a slow start to the race. He even spun out early on, but evaded any damage. Still, he finished three laps off the pace. At least he faired better than his teammate Elliott Sadler. Sadler was the cause of just about every caution other than the ones for debris.

10. (-) 31-Jeff Burton- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (25-1) and 17-Matt Kenseth- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (8-1)

Consistency has been crucial for Jeff Burton who has yet to finish outside of the top 15. Matt Kenseth has performed well, but does not have the finishes to show for it. He rallied from a lap down at Atlanta to finish 8th.

On the rise- Brian Vickers, Bobby Labonte, Clint Bowyer

On the decline- Jimmie Johnson, Elliott Sadler, Mark Martin