NASCAR Driver Rankings & Championship Odds- Pocono

Pocono Raceway -- 08/03/08

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Tuesday Aug 5 2008 9:19pm

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

After finishing 36th at Pocono on Sunday, it is safe to assume that Kyle Busch is happy that NASCAR’s next visit to Pocono Raceway is in ten months. His average finish at Pocono in 2008 was a dismal 39.5. He may have been on his way to a top ten finish before he ran out of gas with just a handful of laps remaining. Bettors do not allow this finish to discourage you from picking Kyle Busch. According to his crew chief Steve Addington, the 18 team used an experimental setup, and still had a fast car. He maintains a snug 176 point margin over Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the Sprint Cup championship standings.

After 21 races, Kyle Busch has a Sprint Cup series-high seven wins, twelve top five finishes, and thirteen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 109.0.

2. (3) 99-Carl Edwards: 4-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

It is becoming the Kyle Busch/Jimmie Johnson/Carl Edwards show in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition in 2008. The trio of drivers has combined for thirteen wins in twenty-one races thus far. Busch is still the nascar odds-on favorite, but it is a virtual toss-up between Edwards and Johnson. Edwards secured his fourth victory of the season at Pocono on Sunday, as he is second to Busch in the win column. From a performance standpoint, Edwards and the 99 team may be the team that spoils Busch’s championship hopes. Other than the race at New Hampshire, Edwards has been a weekly threat. He moves up to third in the Sprint Cup standings, 185 points behind Kyle Busch.

After 21 races, Edwards has four wins, nine top five finishes, and a series-high fifteen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 103.8.

3. (2) 48-Jimmie Johnson: 5-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Every year, Jimmie Johnson and the 48 team are among the elite. Many critics believed that 2008 would be the year they fall off, and after a couple of uninspiring performances early in the year at Las Vegas and Atlanta; it seemed like a possibility. Well, this team promptly did their homework, and now they are primed and ready to make a run at a third consecutive Sprint Cup championship. They won the pole and finished third at Pocono after gambling on fuel mileage. Johnson is fourth in the Sprint Cup standings, 200 points behind Kyle Busch.

After 21 races, Johnson has two wins, seven top five finishes, and eleven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 103.9, which is second among Sprint Cup drivers.

4. (4) 88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: 5-2 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

After running out of gas on the final lap, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished twelfth. It was a rather uneventful afternoon for NASCAR’s most popular driver. He spent most of the day in the top ten, but was never really a threat to contend for the lead. Still, he had a solid showing, but that has been the theme of his season. He is been fast; however, he rarely has the car to beat. He is second in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 176 points behind Kyle Busch.

After 21 races, Earnhardt, Jr. has one victory, seven top five finishes, and twelve top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 102.7.

5. (6) 24-Jeff Gordon: 15-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Jeff Gordon and his team continue to show signs of improvement on the speedways, which is vital at this point in the season. His consistency has given him some breathing room in the Chase for the Championship, but he is not locked in by any means. Gordon has some favorable tracks forthcoming, starting with Watkins Glen, so the nascar odds of him qualifying for the Chase for the Championship for a third consecutive season is high. He is currently sixth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 177 points ahead of thirteenth place driver Matt Kenseth.

After 21 races, Gordon is winless, but he has posted eight top five finishes, and ten top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 96.5.

6. (5) 31-Jeff Burton: 20-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Consistency carried Jeff Burton through most of the first half of the season, but it seems as if the lack of performance is catching up with him. After spending most of the first half of the season among the top three in the standings, he has faded to fifth. Burton is simply not performing at the same level as Kyle Busch, Johnson, Edwards, and Earnhardt, Jr. He is 226 points behind Busch.

After 21 races, Burton has one win, four top five finishes, and eleven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 89.7.

7. (7) 16-Greg Biffle: 13-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

It is just a matter of time before Greg Biffle finally breaks into victory lane. Despite finishing thirteenth, Biffle ran among the leaders for most of the afternoon at Pocono. He is another driver that has flown under the radar, but could potentially cause problems for Busch, Edwards, and Johnson once the Chase for the Championship begins. Biffle is currently eighth in the Sprint Cup standings, 88 points ahead of thirteenth place driver Matt Kenseth.

After 21 races, Biffle has yet to win, but he has scored six top five finishes, and nine top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 90.2.

8. (10) 20-Tony Stewart: 8-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

After posting his best finish of the 2008 season, Tony Stewart could not ask for a better track to visit than Watkins Glen. Stewart has endured a somewhat distracting season, and now that his 2009 plans are set in stone, he can focus on finishing out his career at Joe Gibbs Racing on a high note. You can bet on the fact that Tony Stewart will win a race before the season concludes. He is currently ninth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 68 points ahead of thirteenth place driver Matt Kenseth.

After 21 races, Stewart is winless; however, he has recorded seven top five finishes, and ten top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 94.6.

9. (NR) 9-Kasey Kahne: 14-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

It is safe to say that Kasey Kahne has Pocono Raceway figured out. He had the second or third best car on Sunday at Pocono, but the rain through a monkey wrench into pit strategy. Still, he managed to finish in the seventh position. With five races remaining until the Chase for the Championship field is set, Kahne must continue to post solid finishes to maintain his position, because the drivers chasing him are capable of pulling off several top five finishes in a row. He is currently seventh in the Sprint Cup standings, 91 points ahead of thirteenth place driver Matt Kenseth.

After 21 races, Kahne has two wins, three top five finishes, and eleven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 88.0.

10. (8) 17-Matt Kenseth: 25-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Just two weeks ago, Matt Kenseth had moved up to eighth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, and it seemed as if he was about to reserve his place in the Chase for the Championship. However, finishes of 38th and 11th at Indianapolis and Pocono have dropped him to thirteenth in the standings. Based on performance, Kenseth is easily a top ten driver, but he needs a little thing called racing luck. He is eleven points behind twelfth place driver Clint Bowyer.

After 21 races, Kenseth has four top five finishes, and twelve top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 87.3.

On the rise: Kevin Harvick (30-1 nascar odds), David Ragan (75-1 nascar odds), Clint Bowyer (25-1 nascar odds), Jamie McMurray (999-1 nascar odds), and Mark Martin (no nascar odds)

On the decline: Denny Hamlin (12-1 nascar odds), Brian Vickers, Kurt Busch (150-1 nascar odds), Juan Pablo Montoya (999-1 nascar odds), and Elliott Sadler