NASCAR Rankings & Championship Odds- Auto Club 500

Auto Club Speedway Fontana -- 02/22/2009

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Monday Feb 23 2009 2:10pm

In 1997, Jeff Gordon opened the NASCAR Winston Cup season by winning the Daytona 500 and the following race in Rockingham, North Carolina. That was the last time a driver swept the first two races of a season; until this season. Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 after the race was called off by officials due to rain. The encore to the Daytona 500 triumph was a convincing win at California.

Roush Fenway Racing and Hendrick Motorsports were the class of the field; however, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Mark Martin encountered engine failures, relegating them to finishes of 39th and 40th respectively.

1. (1) 17-Matt Kenseth: 13-2 Sprint Cup Championship odds

Matt Kenseth led a race-high 84 laps en route to his second win in as many weeks. Kenseth has started the 2009 season on fire after a winless campaign in 2008. His win at Daytona was tainted by the weather and NASCAR’s questionable decision to end the race when they did, but Kenseth won convincingly in California. While most analysts jumped on the Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and Jimmie Johnson pre-season bandwagon, it appears as if Matt Kenseth will have a say in this year’s championship chase.

After two races, Kenseth leads the Sprint Cup standings by 81 points, and has a driver rating of 122.7. After the first two races, he has two wins, two top five finishes, and two top ten finishes.

Quote: “I just thank these guys (pit crew). They gave me a great stop and got me in clean air and that’s just a huge difference.”

2. (7) 24-Jeff Gordon: 9-2 Sprint Cup Championship odds

It appears as if Jeff Gordon is back. In 2008, Gordon was far from horrible; nevertheless, he underachieved when compared to his previous seasons, and to his teammate Jimmie Johnson. Gordon had a top three car all evening ling, and nearly snapped his 42-race winless streak. He heads to Las Vegas with a steam full of momentum and confidence, which should strike fear into the rest of the field. Gordon and his team were pleased with their effort despite the fact that they did not win at California.

After two races, Jeff Gordon has one top five finish, and one top ten finish, and a driver rating of 122.3. He is second in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 81 points behind Matt Kenseth.

Quote: “I think we’re head and shoulders above where we were (last year).”

3. (2) 18-Kyle Busch: 5-1 Sprint Cup Championship odds

Kyle Busch had a colossal weekend on the track after he dominated the Camping World Series Truck race, as well as the Nationwide Series race all in the same day. However, he did not enjoy the same success in the Sprint Cup event on Sunday. Busch still produced a solid showing by finishing third, but he spent the majority of the race lingering around the fifth to seventh place range. He seemed to improve as the race progressed. By the final run of the race, he probably had the fourth best car behind Kenseth, Gordon, and Greg Biffle.

After two races, Kyle Busch has one top five finish, and one top ten finish. He has a driver rating of 112.2. He is eighteenth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 170 points behind Matt Kenseth.

Quote: “I couldn’t even keep up with the 17 and the 24 on that last run.”

4. (4) 14-Tony Stewart: 22-1 Sprint Cup Championship odds

So far so good for Tony Stewart and his No. 14 Stewart Haas Racing outfit. Stewart spent the majority of the evening in the top ten, which is better than many projected. This team really seems to be clicking early on, which is vital if they are going to qualify for the Chase for the Championship. It is still early, but things are looking positive for the 2002 and 2005 champion. Contrarily, they must find a fix for Ryan Newman’s No. 39 team, as they seem snake bitten.

After two races, Stewart has two top ten finishes, and a driver rating of 99.6. He is tied for third in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 91 points behind Matt Kenseth.

Quote: “I felt like, team-wise we’ve been solid for two and a half weeks straight here now.”

5. (5) 99-Carl Edwards: 9-2 Sprint Cup Championship odds

Many anticipated that Carl Edwards would emerge as the dominant car in the Roush Fenway Racing stables at California. Instead, it was Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle. Edwards never seem to find a comfortable balance. He was able to rally and finish in the seventh position, but was not a factor for most of the race. Do not expect this to be the case for too long, as the No. 99 team is one of the best in the business. It is likely that they will find their groove at Las Vegas next weekend.

After two races, Edwards has one top ten finish, and a driver rating of 102.9. He is ninth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 125 points behind his teammate Matt Kenseth.

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

It appeared as if Jimmie Johnson was going to run away with the race early on. However, his car faded as the race progressed. He led 74 laps early, but his car was not fast enough to keep up with the likes of Gordon, Kenseth, and Biffle. On the final run, Johnson faded to ninth, which is where he finished. It was not the race that we expected out of Johnson, but they are the best in the business when it comes to rebounding. And it is not like they encountered an atrocious performance, just not the typical top five runs we are accustomed to seeing out of Johnson and the No. 48 group.

After two races, Johnson has one top ten finish, and a driver rating of 94.9. He is nineteenth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 172 points behind Matt Kenseth.

7. (10) 16-Greg Biffle: 7-1 Sprint Cup Championship odds

Greg Biffle was unarguably the most distraught driver in the Sprint Cup garage following his fourth place finish at California. On lap 209, Biffle ran over his team’s air hose, and had to back up. At the time, he was second. He came out of the pit in the twelfth position, which is where he restarted. Biffle was able to rally back for a fourth place finish, but clearly, he had a car that was capable of winning the race. Perhaps Matt Kenseth should thank Biffle for his rare blunder.

After two races, Biffle has one top five finish, one top ten finish, and a driver rating of 86.8. He is fifth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 117 points behind his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Matt Kenseth.

Quote: “They should fire me (for running over air hose in pits). You just can’t make mistakes like that.”

8. (NR) 2-Kurt Busch: 25-1 Sprint Cup Championship odds

It appears as if Kurt Busch and the Penske Championship Racing team have their act together. Following a disastrous season in 2008, Busch needs solid performances if he intends to contend for the championship. Their fifth place finish at California was a positive sign for this team, as the speedway tracks were their Achilles Heel in 2008.

After two races, Kurt Busch has scored one top five finish, and two top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 102.2. He is tied for third in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 91 points behind Matt Kenseth.

9. (3) 29-Kevin Harvick: 25-1 Sprint Cup Championship odds

Kevin Harvick’s extensive streak of 81 races without a DNF (did not finish) ended when his engine failed on lap 208, resulting in him hitting the outside retaining wall. Harvick was running in the top twelve at the time of the motor malfunction. It was a forgettable race for not only Harvick, but the entire Richard Childress Racing team.

After two races, Harvick has one top five finish, one top ten finish, and a driver rating of 76.8. He is sixteenth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 166 points behind Matt Kenseth.

10. (NR) 11-Denny Hamlin: 14-1 Sprint Cup Championship odds

Denny Hamlin finished in the sixth position. Clearly, it was a solid performance from this team. Their strength’s are the short tracks, so Sunday was a definite positive for Hamlin and the No. 11 team.

After two races, Hamlin has one top ten finish, and a driver rating of 99.8. He is tied for fourteenth in the Sprint Cup championship standings, 150 points behind Matt Kenseth.

On the rise: Brian Vickers (80-1 odds), Juan Pablo Montoya (125-1 odds), Kasey Kahne (40-1 odds), David Stremme, and David Reutimann

On the decline: Dale Earnhardt Jr (18-1 odds), Ryan Newman (80-1 odds), Mark Martin (16-1 odds), Jeff Burton (40-1 odds), and Casey Mears (150-1 odds)

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User	Comment
jade06	I can`t believe Dale Earnhardt is fading from the top championship odds. Even Juan Pablo Montoya has defeated him from being one of the most promising drivers in Nascar. When will he reach the top?
brix12	I would expect Tony Stewart to win in the future races. I think he has been doing his best as a driver, however he needs to be in shape to make driving easy for him.
Tetchie	Jimmie Johnson`s car must be in trouble. It looks like it needs a new engine, maybe the old one is worn out. Lately he haven`t won a few races since last year.
ryder_29	Kenseth might be the new Gordon but he can`t replace Jeff Gordon in terms of winning the race. It`s just that Jeff is giving way to other drivers like Kenseth to have his own recognition from fans and taste of victory.
Cal	So then I gotta ask this as it seems to be on everyones mind. Is Kenseth the new Gordon and what is going to happen to the old Gordon. I am sure the history books will remember him, but will they remember him as good as we all remember Petty now?