NASCAR Driver Rankings & Championship Odds- New Hampshire

New Hampshire International Speedway -- 09/14/08

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Tuesday Sep 16 2008 2:06pm

1. (2) 48-Jimmie Johnson: 9-4 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Jimmie Johnson did not win the battle on Sunday; however, he may win the war. Johnson finished in the second position after leading 96 laps. Johnson is always at his best when it comes down to the championship chase, and if Sunday is any indication, not even Carl Edwards or Kyle Busch can stop him in his quest for three consecutive Sprint Cup championships. He unarguably outperformed Busch and Edwards at New Hampshire. However, a budding championship contender happened to slip past Johnson on Sunday. Johnson and Edwards are tied for the top spot in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 30 points ahead of third place Greg Biffle.

After twenty-seven races, Johnson has four wins, ten top five finishes, and fifteen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 105.1.

2. (1) 18-Kyle Busch: 4-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

A broken heim joint may cost Kyle Busch his first Sprint Cup championship. After cruising through the first 26 races, Busch finds himself in a bit of a quandary. However, Busch has some strong tracks ahead on the schedule, starting with Dover next weekend. His 34th place finish at New Hampshire is certainly an impediment, but he is by no means out of the championship hunt. He will be back. He falls to eighth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 74 points behind Johnson and Edwards.

After twenty-seven races, Kyle Busch has a series-high eight wins, fifteen top five finishes, and seventeen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 109.7, which is best among Sprint Cup drivers.

3. (3) 99-Carl Edwards: 11-4 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Carl Edwards led 61 laps early, but he began to fade around mid-race. He admittedly struggled throughout the practice sessions, which could be why he seemed content with his third place showing. Edwards is still a favorite to capture the Sprint Cup championship, and like Busch, he has some favorable tracks ahead. Edwards enjoyed a solid outing at New Hamsphire, but he had nothing for Johnson and Biffle. He currently shares the Sprint Cup championship lead with Jimmie Johnson.

After twenty-seven races, Edwards has six wins, twelve top five finishes, and a series-high twenty top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 106.1.

4. (9) 16-Greg Biffle: 16-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

A darkhorse no more- Greg Biffle stepped out of the shadows of his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards, and captured his first victory in nearly a year. Biffle meticulously stalked Jimmie Johnson for several laps before he pounced on the two-time champion with eleven laps to go. Biffle made a bold statement on Sunday with his late-race pass on Johnson. It showed that he has what it takes to beat the best. With Dover and Kansas next on the Sprint Cup agenda, Biffle could win another race before the end of the month. He moves up to third in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 30 points behind Edwards and Johnson.

After twenty-seven races, Biffle has one win, nine top five finishes, and twelve top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 92.6.

5. (5) 88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: 12-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

After leading 79 laps and settling for a fifth place finish, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was exceedingly frustrated as he climbed out of his car. He blamed the fifth place finish on a bad set of tires, which dropped him from the lead back to the bottom half of the top ten. He was unable to recover the lost track position. Still, it was another solid performance, and he seems to be recapturing some of the momentum he lost during the dog days of summer. He is not setting the racing world on fire right now, but he is in the mix. He is fourth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 50 points behind Edwards and Johnson.

After twenty-seven races, Earnhardt, Jr. has one win, nine top five finishes, and fourteen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 102.1.

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

Jeff Burton scored a fourth place finish at New Hampshire, which happened to be his first top five finish since the Pocono 500 back in June. The top five did not just fall into Burton’s lap. He ran among the top five for the majority of the afternoon. This was Burton’s best performance since early in the season, and it could spark a string of consistency that could enhance Burton’s championship nascar odds. This team still has ample room for improvement as far as performance is concerned. Burton is fifth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, fifty points behind Edwards and Johnson.

After twenty-seven races, Burton has one win, five top five finishes, and thirteen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 89.4.

7. (4) 29-Kevin Harvick: 50-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Heading into the Chase for the Championship, Kevin Harvick was the driver that was supposed to steal the thunder away from ‘the big three’. Instead, it was Harvick’s old foe, Greg Biffle. Nonetheless, Harvick bounced back from a sluggish start to post a tenth place finish. The lack of presence up front was rather surprising considering that New Hampshire is typically one of Harvick’s stronger tracks. Still, there is no real cause for concern in the Harvick camp. He is still a solid contender. Currently, Harvick is tenth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 86 points behind Edwards and Johnson.

After twenty-seven races, Harvick has yet to win, but he has posted six top five finishes, and thirteen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 89.6.

8. (6) 20-Tony Stewart: 25-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Last week, Tony Stewart lashed out at his crew for ‘giving the race away’. On Sunday, Stewart’s pit road speeding penalty could have cost the Home Depot crew the race. Stewart had a fast car, and probably could have finished somewhere in the top five, but it is unlikely that he would have been able to challenge Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson. Stewart rallied from a lap down to post and eighth place finish, sixth among drivers in the Chase. He is currently seventh in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 73 points behind Edwards and Johnson.

After twenty-seven races, Stewart is winless, but he has posted nine top five finishes, and fourteen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 95.7.

9. (8) 11-Denny Hamlin: 33-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Perhaps a flawed pit strategy cost Hamlin an opportunity at a top ten finish on Sunday. Hamlin was running in the second position when he opted to pit for fuel and tires. Meanwhile, Biffle, Johnson, and the rest of the leaders opted for track position. Hamlin was able to move up to ninth, but he performed better than the results indicate. Hamlin finished seventh among the twelve drivers in the Chase. He is sixth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 72 points behind Edwards and Johnson.

After twenty-seven races, Hamlin has one win, nine top five finishes, and fifteen top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 95.9.

10. (10) 24-Jeff Gordon: 33-1 Sprint Cup Championship Odds

Once again, Jeff Gordon was not much of a factor. It has been a difficult season for the four-time champion, as he could possibly be facing his first winless season since his rookie year in 1993. At New Hampshire, Gordon performed respectably, but he consistently lost track position in the pits, as he pitted behind Robby Gordon. He ended up with a fourteenth place finish, but he finished behind nine of the championship chasers. He is currently eleventh in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 99 points behind Edwards and Johnson.

After twenty-seven races, Gordon has yet to win, but he has posted nine top five finishes, and twelve top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 95.0.

On the rise: Clint Bowyer (66-1 nascar odds), Kurt Busch, Martin Truex, Jr., Kasey Kahne, and Bobby Labonte

On the decline: Matt Kenseth (50-1 nascar odds), Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Brian Vickers, and David Ragan