NASCAR Driver Rankings & Championship Odds- Infineon

Infineon Raceway -- 06/22/08

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Monday Jun 23 2008 1:29pm

1. (1) 18-Kyle Busch: 3-1 Sprint Cup championship nascar odds

Kyle Busch is number one in the rankings, and second place is not even close. Busch’s victory at Infineon Raceway displayed his road-racing prowess. We already knew that he could win at any given oval. After qualifying 30th on Friday, Busch and his team used pit strategy to get to the front. After he passed Juan Pablo Montoya and Greg Biffle for the lead on lap 33, he seemed invincible. In fact, nobody really challenged Busch for the lead. David Gilliland, who finished second, got close to Busch’s bumper on one occasion, but he was never really a threat to steal the victory away. Busch extends his lead in the Sprint Cup championship standings to 103 over Jeff Burton.

After sixteen races, Kyle Busch has a series-high five wins, ten top five finishes, and eleven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 111.1, which is best among Sprint Cup drivers.

2. (3) 99-Carl Edwards: 6-1 Sprint Cup championship nascar odds

Carl Edwards may have been the only driver that could have challenged Kyle Busch. Unfortunately, he never had the track position. Edwards qualified 12th on Friday and quickly made his way through the field. In fact, he was on the verge of taking the lead from Jimmie Johnson when a caution came out on lap 30. Edwards made his way back into the top five when NASCAR handed him a pit road speeding penalty late in the race. He worked his way back to a respectable ninth place finish. Edwards remains fourth in the Sprint Cup standings, 258 points behind Kyle Busch.

After sixteen races, Edwards has three wins, six top five finishes, and a series-high twelve top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 105.3.

3. (2) 88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: 5-1 Sprint Cup championship nascar odds

It is safe to say the road course racing is not Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s forte. However, he typically produces solid showings each time the Sprint Cup series turns right. At Infineon, Earnhardt, Jr. spent most of the afternoon in midpack, and settled for a 12th place finish. It appeared as if he had a top ten finish in the bag before a series of late-race cautions bunched up the field. He lost positions to Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, and Greg Biffle in the closing laps. Earnhardt, Jr. maintains the third position in the championship standings, 152 points behind Kyle Busch.

After sixteen races, Earnhardt, Jr. has one victory, seven top five finishes, and eleven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 103.7.

4. (4) 48-Jimmie Johnson: 6-1 Sprint Cup championship nascar odds

After opening up a four second margin early in the race over Kurt Busch and Robby Gordon, it appeared as if Jimmie Johnson had the car to beat. Nevertheless, pit strategy placed him in the middle of the field, and he was never able to make up ground. While in midpack, he faced several narrow escapes, including a run-in with Greg Biffle. Johnson settled for a middling 15th place finish. He is fifth in the Sprint Cup standings, 326 points behind Kyle Busch.

After sixteen races, Johnson has one win, four top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 99.9.

5. (5) 31-Jeff Burton: 15-1 Sprint Cup championship nascar odds

Jeff Burton placed another solid outing at Infineon. His thirteenth place finish practically went unobserved, but it is further proof of how consistent the veteran driver is. Burton evaded trouble and notched another top fifteen finish. In fact, Burton has yet to finish a race outside the top fifteen in 2008. He is second in the Sprint Cup standings, 103 points behind Kyle Busch.

After sixteen races, Burton has one victory, four top five finishes, and ten top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 92.8.

6. (9) 17-Matt Kenseth: 10-1 Sprint Cup championship nascar odds

Six races ago, Matt Kenseth was 22nd in the Sprint Cup standings, and a spot in the Chase for the Championship seemed like a pipe dream. Now, after six consecutive top ten finishes, Kenseth is now 12th in the standings. Prior to Sunday’s Toyota Save Mart 350, Kenseth had never recorded a top ten finish at Infineon. Like Burton, Kenseth stayed out of trouble and notched an eighth place finish. He continues his upsurge in the championship standings, and is two points ahead of thirteenth place driver Kevin Harvick.

After sixteen races, Kenseth has yet to win, but he has three top five finishes, ten top ten finishes, and a driver rating of 86.1.

7. (6) 11-Denny Hamlin: 12-1 Sprint Cup championship nascar odds

Denny Hamlin’s 27th place finish is not indicative of how fast his car was. After qualifying 13th, Hamlin moved into the top five. However, pit strategy came into play, and he was shuffled back to midpack. While attempting to pick his way through traffic, he spun out trying to pass Ryan Newman. Hamlin spun out again later in the race, and never recovered. He drops to eighth in the championship standings, 118 points ahead of Kevin Harvick.

After sixteen races, Hamlin has one win, five top five finishes, and eight top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 94.3.

8. (7) 9-Kasey Kahne: 12-1 Sprint Cup championship nascar odds

This was no surprise. After winning the pole, Kasey Kahne dropped like a rock. If it is not a 1.5-mile, 2-mile, or 2.5-mile oval, Kahne is going to have his hands full. He finished the race 33rd position, one lap off the pace. Kahne drops to ninth in the Sprint Cup standings, 68 points ahead of Kevin Harvick.

After sixteen races, Kahne has two wins, three top five finishes, and eight top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 86.5.

9. (8) 16-Greg Biffle: 10-1 Sprint Cup championship nascar odds

After taking the lead on lap 31, Biffle aberrantly ran off course and lost valuable track position. He rallied back and finished in the eleventh position. Biffle feels as if he may have had something for race winner Kyle Busch, but he could never get in position to contend for the win. He is seventh in the Sprint Cup standings, 129 point ahead of Kevin Harvick.

After sixteen races, Biffle has five top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 93.6.

10. (NR) 24-Jeff Gordon: 10-1 Sprint Cup championship nascar odds

Jeff Gordon may have had a tenth place car at best, but he salvaged a third place finish thanks to pit strategy, and Kevin Harvick. After Harvick ran into Jamie McMurray and Tony Stewart, Gordon quickly picked up three positions. He was unable to keep up with Kyle Busch and David Gilliland on the restarts, but the third place finish was exactly what the 24 team needed.

After sixteen races, Gordon is still searching for his first win, but he has seven top five finishes, and eight top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 93.4.

On the rise: Tony Stewart, David Gilliland, Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears, and Juan Pablo Montoya

On the decline: Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, A.J. Allmendinger, David Ragan, and Bobby Labonte