NASCAR Driver Rankings & Odds- Phoenix

Phoenix International Raceway -- 04/12/08

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Monday Apr 14 2008 1:56pm

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

Carl Edwards fought back after he lost a lap while pitting under green. He lost a lap on pit road as several leaders had yet to make their scheduled green flag pit stop when the yellow flag waved. Not only did he surmount the lost lap, he battled back from a pit road speeding penalty as well. Fighting back from adversity is a sign of a team that is capable of winning the championship. Edwards and the 99 team are certainly championship material. Edwards’ stellar performance at Phoenix substantiated that he could be a threat on a track that is shorter than 1.5-miles in length. Despite the fourth place finish, Edwards stayed in the ninth position in the championship standings.

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

It was not Kyle Busch’s most immaculate moment, but he salvaged a top ten finish in a car that he described as ‘a 30th place car’. Busch faded after challenging for the lead early in the race. The car marginally improved throughout the evening, as he resurfaced in the top five late in the race. However, Busch pitted for fuel with just a handful of laps remaining; therefore, he finished tenth. He continues to post consistent results, as he is second in the Sprint Cup championship standings.

Unlike most of the Sprint Cup family, Busch does not have an off-week, as he will compete in the Nationwide Series event in Mexico City.

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

The Sprint Cup Series championship leader capped off another solid effort in Phoenix by finishing sixth. You may not hear about Burton throughout the event, but lo and behold, you can bet that he is in the top ten when the checkered flag waves. Burton spun out after Ryan Newman’s Dodge lost an engine and spewed oil on the track. Fortunately, he was able to stay on the lead lap. For most of the race, Burton lingered in the bottom half of the top fifteen, just biding his time. After the leaderboard shuffled due to the green flag pit stops, Burton ended up with a sixth place showing.

4. (4) 88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (7-2)

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is still searching for that first win of the season and for Hendrick Motorsports. He owns six top ten finishes in eight races, which shows that he is consistent, but Earnhardt nation longs for a victory lap. Earnhardt, Jr. led 87 laps, but his handling seemed to fade before he pitted for fuel. For some reason, his car does not have the speed it needs late in a green flag run. Talladega, the place where fans worship anything and everything Earnhardt, is next on the Sprint Cup schedule, and we all know his record of accomplishment at the 2.66-mile facility. I must admit, the lack of red in the grandstands may take some getting used to.

Earnhardt, Jr. ascends to third in the championship standings.

5. (9) 48-Jimmie Johnson- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (5-1)

It was just a month ago when everyone was asking ‘what’s wrong with JimmieΔ’ Well, clearly, nothing is wrong with the two-time champion. This team has scored three consecutive top five finishes. Talk about momentum heading into an off-week. Johnson benefited from fuel mileage, as he and Clint Bowyer were the only lead lap cars that were able to make it to the finish without pitting for fuel. Johnson had a 10-second cushion over Bowyer, so he cruised during the final laps en route to his first win of the 2008 season. Fans, Hendrick Motorsports is not back, they were never gone. Johnson is up to fourth in the standings.

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

It was grueling evening for Kevin Harvick. It took him over half of the event to race his way into the top ten. After moving into the top five, Harvick pitted for fuel, only to stall out while trying to leave his pit box. Therefore, he lost a lap and finished in the nineteenth position. Harvick should not have ‘gone the extra mile’ in this situation. Perhaps he should have pitted a lap earlier. Nevertheless, Harvick maintains an adequate amount of comfort in the race to the Chase for the Championship, as he is fifth in the standings.

7. (8) 11-Denny Hamlin- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (8-1)

After a lethargic start to the 2008 season, Denny Hamlin is quickly materializing as a championship threat. The third year driver displayed patience that is rare in young drivers as he finished third. His march to the front was a surprise to no one, as he typically flies around the short and flat ovals. As we approach the second quarter of the lengthy season, the cream of the crop begins to rise, and Hamlin is among them. Following his third place finish, he has climbed to sixth in the championship standings.

8. (6) 16-Greg Biffle- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (15-1)

Like Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle had to fight back after he lost a lap while pitting under green. It is uncommon for a driver to post a ninth place finish and drop two spots in the championship standings. However, Biffle was a victim of top five finishes by Clint Bowyer and Edwards. Biffle dropped from 8th to 10th in the standings. Still, it has been an excellent start for Biffle and the 16 team.

9. (7) 20-Tony Stewart- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (5-1)

It was another inaudible race for Tony Stewart. In the distinctive bright yellow Subway endorsed Toyota, Stewart made a brief appearance in the top ten early in the race and seemed to be steadily working his way to the front. He was unable to pick his way through the field, after mired back in mid-pack. Eight races into the season and Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Matt Kenseth remain winless, unpredictable indeed.

10. ( - ) 07-Clint Bowyer- Sprint Cup Championship Odds (18-1)

After a disappointing start to the 2008 season, cynics were already claiming that Clint Bowyer’s magnificent 2007 season was a fluke. Well, Bowyer’s answer was five consecutive top ten finishes. Even if was not for fuel mileage, Bowyer had a top ten car at Phoenix. Following his second place finish, Bowyer comfortably sits eighth in the Sprint Cup standings, 137 points ahead of 13th place Jeff Gordon.

Like Busch and Edwards, Bowyer will spend his off-weekend in Mexico.

On the rise- Martin Truex, Jr. (50-1), Mark Martin, Casey Mears (80-1), and Bobby Labonte (100-1)

On the decline- Ryan Newman (40-1), Kasey Kahne (40-1), Kurt Busch (50-1), and Matt Kenseth (15-1)