Top Five Drivers That Could Beat Kyle Busch

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Thursday Jul 17 2008 12:45pm

It is apparent that Kyle Busch is the dominant driver in the Sprint Cup Series in 2008. With seven wins in nineteen starts, there is no reason to believe that he cannot cruise to his first Sprint Cup championship. However, Jeff Gordon appeared to have the Sprint Cup title wrapped up last year as he enjoyed a seemingly unassailable 303 point lead over Denny Hamlin following the nineteenth race of the season in 2007. Once the Chase for the Championship commenced, Gordon found himself chasing his teammate Jimmie Johnson, who was 488 points in arrears to Gordon following the nineteenth race of the season in 2007.

Johnson ended up winning the Sprint Cup championship by 77 points over Gordon. Currently, Kyle Busch boasts a 262 points lead over Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Busch understands that winning an abundance of races prior to the Chase for the Championship does not translate into a championship. Several drivers will be gunning for Busch once we reach the final ten races.

Top Five Drivers That Could Beat Kyle Busch (7-4 Sprint Cup Championship Odds)

1. Jimmie Johnson: 6-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

The two-time defending Sprint Cup champion is Kyle Busch’s biggest threat. After a frustrating start to the season, Johnson has bounced back. Not only does Johnson have experience on his side, but also he is far and away the most productive driver in the final ten races. In 2004, he won four of the final ten races. In 2005, he won two of the final ten races. In 2006, he won once, but in 2007, he tallied four wins in the final ten races. Despite Busch’s striking achievements in 2008, Johnson could be the favorite once the Chase for the Championship begins.

2. Carl Edwards: 7-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

After winning three races in the season’s first seven races, Carl Edwards was the driver that was supposed to overwhelm the win column with W’s. However, since his last win at Texas, Busch has won six times and has materialized as NASCAR’s prevailing driver. Still, Edwards is a contender to win week in and week out, and has proven that he can win races in bundles. However, he has never been the most consistent driver. He does not usually put up ten solid races in a row. That is almost required if you are to capture the championship.

3. Matt Kenseth: 10-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Matt Kenseth is arguably NASCAR’s most consistent driver. Well, you may get an argument from Jeff Burton. He can pile on championship points without even winning a race. However, he is usually a threat to win on most weeks. Kenseth’s consistency could easily earn him an opportunity to steal the championship away at Homestead in November. Even though Kenseth has qualified for the Chase for the Championship in every season since 2004, he has yet to win a title under this format. Perhaps he needs to step up his consistency even more.

4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: 7-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is enjoying his most consistent season to date. He must maintain this type of uniformity, especially once the Chase for the Championship begins, if he has any hopes of challenging Busch, Johnson, or even Kenseth. Under the Hendrick Motorsports umbrella, Earnhardt, Jr. has proven he can be a weekly contender, but he needs to prove that he can contend for the ultimate prize. He can do that with a rock-solid showing in the Chase for the Championship.

5. Tony Stewart: 12-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Kyle Busch’s most difficult challenger may come from within the walls of Joe Gibbs Racing. Call him the lame duck driver all you want, but Tony Stewart can be a peril to the competition when that team hits their marks. When Stewart wins, he usually wins two or three races in a face race span. If he strikes hot during the final ten races, he may celebrate a third championship with Joe Gibbs and Greg Zipadelli before he moves on to an ownership role at Stewart Haas Racing. Keep in mind, Stewart has performed much better than his place in the championship standings indicate. He could easily have three or four wins by now.

Other drivers that could spoil Busch’s dream season includes Greg Biffle (12-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds), Jeff Gordon 10-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds, and Jeff Burton (20-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds).