NASCAR Driver Rankings & Odds- Texas

Texas Motor Speedway -- 04/06/08

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Tuesday Apr 8 2008 2:36pm

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

Predicting a winner on the 1.5-mile intermediate ovals is no longer a daunting task. Typically, I would analyze various stats until I was all analyzed out. Now, Carl Edwards appears to have the cookie cutter ovals figured out, while the competition is scratching their heads. Edwards absolutely dominated second-half of the Samsung 500 at Texas. This team, led by engineers Chris Andrews and Bob Osborne (currently suspended), has discovered a competitive advantage, and it has nothing to do with a removed oil reservoir lid. Incredible driving talent meshed with adept engineering has assisted the 99 team through their early season dominance.

The scary thing is if it were not for a blown engine at Atlanta, Edwards would be undefeated at the 1.5-mile tracks. As stated several weeks ago, Edwards and the 99 team are much too strong to allow the 100-point penalty to be an encumbrance. He is ninth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, and would be fourth if it were not for the colossal penalty after Las Vegas.

2. (1) 18-Kyle Busch- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (8-1)

Kyle Busch appeared defeated following his third place showing at Texas. Busch recovered from his poor outing at Martinsville; however, he seemed staggered by the speed produced by Edwards and the 99 group. From a performance standpoint, Busch is closest to Edwards, but even he has a ways to go before he is in the same league. On a brighter note, Busch and the 18 team are carrying the Toyota banner. They are consistently the fastest of the Toyota entourage.

3. (2) 31-Jeff Burton- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (15-1)

When it comes to uniformity, Jeff Burton is NASCAR’s top dog. However, he is far behind Edwards and Busch in the performance category. As we all know, consistency wins championships, even in the Chase for the Championship format. Burton is a solid threat to win the championship based on the way he has evaded disaster. At Texas, he qualified 35th and meticulously maneuvered his way to a sixth place finish. In fact, Burton’s name rarely received a mention in the broadcast. When was all said and done, he scored his fifth top ten finish in seven races. He is the current Sprint Cup championship leader.

4. (4) 88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (9-2)

After leading thirty-one laps early in the race, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. vanished from the top ten. After fighting handling issues, he ended up with a respectable 12th place finish, one lap off the pace. Earnhardt, Jr. was not the only Hendrick Motorsports driver that fought ill handling conditions. Jeff Gordon’s handling issues were monumental as he uncharacteristically lost control of his car just before the leaders were to lap him for a second time. Casey Mears finished 22nd two laps off the pace. Earnhardt, Jr. and the 88 team will rebound, and continue to remain among the top five in the championship standings barring any misfortune, so Earnhardt nation has little reason to be anxious. He is still fourth in the championship standings.

5. (6) 29-Kevin Harvick- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (15-1)

After solid showings at Las Vegas and Atlanta, both 1.5-mile venues, Kevin Harvick anticipated a much stronger performance at Texas. Nevertheless, a middling eleventh place finish was the result. In fact, Harvick failed to crack the top ten all day, and if it were not for the fact that Martin Truex, Jr., Greg Biffle, and Kasey Kahne encountered some bad racing luck, Harvick would have barely cracked the top fifteen. Richard Childress Racing is still an elite program, as Burton and Clint Bowyer ran near the top five for most of the day. Expect Harvick to bounce back at Phoenix, a track that he has conquered twice. He remains second in the Sprint Cup standings, 59 points behind Burton.

6. (3) 16-Greg Biffle- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (15-1)

My pick to win the Samsung 500 at Texas suffered an ill-fated mechanical failure. Early in the race, Greg Biffle quickly moved into the top five, but as the race progressed, handling woes appeared to haunt the 16 team. Eventually, his day ended sourly with a 39th place finish. Biffle has begun to fade in the championship standings ever since his fourth place finish at Bristol last month. He currently sits eighth in the standings.

7. (7) 20-Tony Stewart- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (9-2)

Although he is not winning races or threatening to win races like his two younger teammates, Tony Stewart is producing solid finishes week after week. Following his seventh place finish at Texas, Stewart moved up to fifth in the Sprint Cup standings. The performance is there, and as long as Stewart keeps his nose clean, the wins will come. It is not a surprise that Stewart remains winless, as typically, he is a late bloomer. Phoenix is next on the agenda, and that is one of Stewart’s favorable tracks.

8. (9) 11-Denny Hamlin- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (10-1)

Following a last lap dustup with Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin secured a fifth place finish. Hamlin was fast right from the drop of the green flag, but like everyone else in the field, he had nothing for the eventual race winner Carl Edwards. Nevertheless, Hamlin has recovered from a sluggish start to the 2008 season. He is seventh in the Sprint Cup standings.

9. ( - ) 48-Jimmie Johnson- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (6-1)

Well, the demise of Jimmie Johnson and the 48 team was fleeting to say the least. It did not take long for this group to pick up the pieces from poor weekends at Las Vegas and Atlanta. Johnson finished in second position, which was his second consecutive top five finish. However, just as it was too early to pronounce this team dead after Atlanta last month, it is too early to identify them as a championship contender. He is sixth in the championship standings.

10. ( - ) 12-Ryan Newman- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (30-1)

Where did this fourth place finish come fromΔ It came from Ryan Newman driving smart and patient while mired back in 11th and 12th all day. He benefited from a late caution brought out after Truex, Jr.’s failed engine spewed oil on the track. While the top five drivers stayed on the track, Newman and several other drivers pitted for tires. Newman bypassed Matt Kenseth on the last lap, and sneaked past Hamlin and Bowyer when they tangled just 100 yards before the finish line. Newman was eight in the standings; however, a 25-point penalty drops him to tenth. His car failed post-race inspection as it measured and eighth of an inch too high, hence the 25-point deduction.

On the rise- Jamie McMurray (100-1), Matt Kenseth (10-1), and Clint Bowyer (20-1)

On the decline- Jeff Gordon (6-1), Kurt Busch (50-1), and Kasey Kahne (25-1)