NASCAR Driver Rankings & Championship Odds

Bristol Motor Speedway -- 08/23/08

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Tuesday Aug 26 2008 12:02pm

1. (1) 18-Kyle Busch: 13-8 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

The vexation was evident following his second place performance on Saturday night. Kyle Busch led 415 of the 500 laps paced around the 0.533-mile track only to be rooted out of the way by one of his most fierce rivals. Carl Edwards forced Busch out of the way with only thirty laps remaining. Still, Kyle Busch is NASCAR’s top driver, and arguably had the fastest car at Bristol. The rivalry between Busch and Edwards may soon become over hyped, but at the same time, it may turn out to be the most intense rivalry since Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace back in the late 1980’s and early and mid 1990’s. Busch leads the Sprint Cup championship standings by 212 points over Edwards.

After twenty-four races, Kyle Busch has eight wins, fifteen top five finishes, and sixteen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 112.9, which leads all Sprint Cup drivers.

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

Carl Edwards used his front bumper to force Kyle Busch out of his way en route to his sixth victory of the season. His assertive method sparked a post-race jostling between the two drivers on the cool down lap. Furthermore, Edwards outright admitted that the bump was calculated, and that it was owed to Busch. For most of the night, Edwards rode around in second place while Busch dominated the event. Edwards took advantage of late cautions and was able to brazenly approach Busch’s rear bumper. His win cuts Busch’s lead to 212 points.

After 24 races, Edwards has six wins, eleven top five finishes, and a series-high eighteen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 106.5.

3. (3) 48-Jimmie Johnson: 9-2 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

A couple of weeks ago, it appeared as if Jimmie Johnson was the driver that could knock Kyle Busch off his pedestal. However, two consecutive poor showings have brought this team back down to earth. Johnson finished 33rd at Bristol after he and Sterling Marlin made contact early in the race. This team is still among the elite, and Johnson seems to be at his best once the Chase for the Championship begins. If you take a brief look at last year, he stumbled at Bristol, and went on to win the next two races at California and Richmond leading up to the Chase for the Championship. Johnson has fallen to fourth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 418 points behind Kyle Busch.

After 24 races, Johnson has two wins, seven top five finishes, and twelve top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 101.3.

4. (5) 20-Tony Stewart: 20-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Tony Stewart further secured his spot in the Chase for the Championship with a solid eighth place finish at Bristol. As usual, Stewart did not qualify near the front; however, he methodically worked his way to the front, and at one point in the race, he was in the fourth position. Stewart is still winless, which has to be exasperating for the two-time champion, but he is consistent, perhaps more so than in his championship seasons. He is sixth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 170 points above the cutoff.

After 24 races, Stewart has a doughnut in the win column, but he has scored eight top five finishes, and twelve top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 95.5.

5. (7) 29-Kevin Harvick: 33-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

One of the hottest drivers in NASCAR is Kevin Harvick. Just when it appeared as if his championship hopes were fast fading, he began a summer surge that includes three top five finishes, and five top ten finishes in the last six races. At Bristol, which is normally one of his most favorable tracks, Harvick was a fixture in the top five, and ended the night with a fourth place finish. His recent hot streak has moved him up to eighth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 129 points ahead of thirteenth place driver David Ragan.

After 24 races, Harvick is one of several elite drivers in search of win number one. Nevertheless, he has scored five top five finishes, and ten top ten finishes. He has a rising driver rating of 87.5.

6. (4) 88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: 8-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

It has been a cruel summer for NASCAR’s most popular driver. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s quandaries continued at Bristol. After qualifying 40th, which is uncharacteristic, Earnhardt, Jr. was penalized by NASCAR for passing before the green flag. He lost two laps, and was unable to recover. He finished the race in the 18th position, which is not bad considering all he went through, but his self-inflicted penalty proved costly. Despite the mediocre results, Earnhardt, Jr. moves up to third in the Sprint Cup standings, 416 points behind Kyle Busch.

After 24 races, Earnhardt, Jr. has one victory, seven top five finishes, and twelve top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 100.7.

7. (6) 31-Jeff Burton: 33-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Some of the consistency that Jeff Burton relied on earlier in the season seems to be diminishing. Burton was involved in a crash early in the race, and ended up with a 42nd place finish. It was not that long ago when Burton was just a handful of points behind Kyle Busch. Now he finds himself fifth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 492 points out of first place.

After 24 races, Jeff Burton has one win, four top five finishes, and eleven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 88.4.

8. (8) 16-Greg Biffle: 25-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Greg Biffle is beginning to distance himself from the thirteenth place driver as we approach the Chase for the Championship. He is still searching for that elusive first win of the season, but right now, Biffle is in conservative mode. Like Stewart and Harvick, Biffle wants to go into Richmond solidly in the top twelve. Biffle finished eleventh at Bristol, which is somewhat of a disappointment considering his results in March. Still, Biffle is seventh in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 141 points ahead of thirteenth place driver David Ragan.

After 24 races, Biffle has seven top five finishes, and ten top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 90.5.

9. (9) 17-Matt Kenseth: 25-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Matt Kenseth is having trouble getting out of the Chase for the Championship bubble. He finished ninth at Bristol, but his teammate David Ragan finished right behind him in tenth. Additionally, other bubble drivers such as Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, and Jeff Gordon finished seventh, third, and fifth respectively. While Kenseth is in the top twelve, he is by no means comfortable with his position. He is tenth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 78 points ahead of the cutoff.

After 24 races, Kenseth is winless, but he has scored five top five finishes, and fourteen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 87.2.

10. (NR) 24-Jeff Gordon: 20-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Jeff Gordon quietly enjoyed a solid night at Bristol, as he posted a fifth place finish. Gordon was in the midst of a rapid decline as the Sprint Cup Series headed to Bristol. However, he qualified third, and ran among the top five all evening. It was a solid points race for Gordon. He is ninth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 108 points ahead of the cutoff.

After 24 races, Gordon has yet to win, but he has posted nine top five finishes, and eleven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 95.4.

On the rise: Denny Hamlin (33-1 nascar odds), Clint Bowyer (100-1 nascar odds), Ryan Newman (100-1 nascar odds), Regan Smith, and Aric Almirola

On the decline: Kasey Kahne (50-1 nascar odds), Casey Mears, Martin Truex, Jr. (100-1 nascar odds), Elliott Sadler, and A.J. Allmendinger