NASCAR Driver Rankings & Championship Odds- Pocono 500

Pocono Raceway -- 06/08/08

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Tuesday Jun 10 2008 10:06am

Kasey Kahne won the Pocono 500 from the pole after leading a race-high 69 laps. It was the ninth win of his career. Meanwhile, Sprint Cup championship leader Kyle Busch finished 43rd.

Brad Keselowski won the Nationwide Series race at Nashville on Saturday night. It was the first win of his young career, and the first win for JR Motorsports’ number 88 team. The 5 team won at Las Vegas with Mark Martin behind the wheel.

1. (1) 18-Kyle Busch: 3-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

In his weekend triple header, Kyle Busch finished 2nd, 20th, and 43rd. It just got worse as the weekend progressed. In the Sprint Cup race at Pocono, Busch wrecked during practice on Saturday and had to start the race from the rear of the field because the team switched to their backup car. Busch never made it to the front, as he collided with Jamie McMurray, damaging his car. Busch returned to the track after major repairs, but spun out with just a handful of laps remaining. It was only his second time finishing outside of the top 20 all season long, so he is still the driver to beat heading into Michigan. He maintains a 21-point lead over Jeff Burton in the Sprint Cup standings.

After fourteen races, Busch has four wins, nine top five finishes, and ten top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 108.8.

2. (2) 99-Carl Edwards: 5-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

After pit road troubles, Carl Edwards rallied from 31st to ninth on that last run. Edwards spent the majority of the race in the top five, and was consistently one of the faster cars. He was one of the few drivers that could work his way through traffic at a track where passing was difficult. Edwards is fourth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 228 points behind Kyle Busch.

After fourteen races, Edwards has three wins, six top five finishes, and ten top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 104.6, which is third overall.

3. (3) 31-Jeff Burton: 15-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Jeff Burton finished fifth in a tenth place car. That is the mark of a true champion. Burton has yet to claim his first Sprint Cup championship, but his perpetual consistency may be richly rewarding in November. Meanwhile, his Richard Childress Racing teammates, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick, have hit a minor slump. Bowyer has not finished in the top ten since his win at Richmond, and neither has Harvick. Burton is currently the front man at RCR, and has all but secured a spot in the Chase for the Championship. He is 21 point behind Kyle Busch in the championship standings.

After fourteen races, Burton has one win, four top five finishes, and ten top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 94.4.

4. (4) 88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: 5-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Another week, another solid effort by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and his Hendrick Motorsports team. After his Nationwide Series team won at Nashville on Saturday night, Earnhardt, Jr. was hoping double his pleasure at Pocono. After qualifying seventh, Earnhardt, Jr. spent most of the day around or near the top ten. Pit strategy played a huge role in his fourth place finish. On another note, it is difficult to believe that it will be a year this week when Earnhardt, Jr. announced that he would drive for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008. He is third in the championship standings, 145 points behind Busch.

After fourteen races, Earnhardt, Jr. has six top five finishes, and ten top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 104.8, second overall behind Busch.

5. (6) 48-Jimmie Johnson: 7-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

After qualifying second, the two-time defending champion posted a solid effort by finishing sixth. Jimmie Johnson appeared to be the class of the field early in the event, but his pit strategy seemed to differ that of the other contenders. Eventually, Johnson faded to sixth, but he led 59 laps. He is sixth in the Sprint Cup standings, 285 points behind his former teammate, Kyle Busch.

After fourteen races, Johnson has one win, four top five finishes, and six top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 98.1.

6. (8) 11-Denny Hamlin: 8-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

During the closing laps, Denny Hamlin appeared to be the one car that may give Kasey Kahne a run for his money. Unfortunately, he could not pass Brian Vickers for second and settled for a third place finish, which is not bad considering his 43rd place finish at Dover last week. Hamlin’s performance has been solid week in and week out. Look for him to continue to surge through the summer and qualify for the Chase for the Championship for a third consecutive season. Hamlin is fifth in the Sprint Cup standings, 284 points behind his teammate Kyle Busch.

After fourteen races, Hamlin has one victory, five top five finishes, and eight top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 97.3.

7. (5) 16-Greg Biffle: 10-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Greg Biffle cannot catch a break. If he is in contention to win the race, you can almost bet that something will hinder his chances at victory. At Pocono, it was a flat tire followed by a pit road speeding penalty. Still, Biffle managed to finish in the top fifteen. It has been a rollercoaster ride of a season for Biffle, but it is much better than his 2007 campaign. By this time last year, Biffle was well outside the top twelve. After Pocono, he is seventh in the championship standings, 303 points behind Busch, and 174 ahead of thirteenth place David Ragan.

After fourteen races, Biffle has five top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 94.7.

8. (NR) 9-Kasey Kahne: 15-Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Kasey Kahne has won three of the last four races, that is if you include the All-Star victory at Charlotte three weeks ago. Kahne is either winning or finishing towards the back. He has proven he can win races, but he has yet to prove that he can show some consistency. I am not sold on Kasey Kahne just yet. However, he is far and away the top Dodge driver at this point in the season. He is ninth in the Sprint Cup standings, 365 points behind Busch, and 112 points ahead of David Ragan.

After fourteen races, Kahne has two wins, two top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 87.7.

9. (7) 24-Jeff Gordon: 8-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Jeff Gordon’s day turned out the way I projected. Judging by his recent test at Pocono, and his recent performances on the intermediate-style venues, I figured he would have about a 15th to 20th place car. He finished fourteenth after questionable pit strategy. He is eighth in the standings, 317 points behind Kyle Busch, and 160 points ahead of David Ragan.

After fourteen races, Gordon has six top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 94.3.

10. (10) 17-Matt Kenseth: 15-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Without much fanfare, Matt Kenseth is starting to catch fire. After a disastrous beginning to the 2008 season, Kenseth has recorded four consecutive top ten finishes, and he moves ever closer to the twelfth place cutoff for the Chase for the Championship. Kenseth has some favorable tracks on the schedule such as Michigan, New Hampshire, and Chicagoland. He is currently fifteenth in the championship standings, 504 points behind Kyle Busch, but more importantly, he is 34 points behind Tony Stewart, who is twelfth in the standings.

After fourteen races, Kenseth has two top five finishes, and eight top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 84.5.

On the rise: Brian Vickers, Kurt Busch (50-1 Odds), Mark Martin, and A.J. Allmendinger

On the decline: Tony Stewart (8-1 Odds), Clint Bowyer (35-1 Odds), Juan Pablo Montoya (100-1), and Elliott Sadler