NASCAR Rankings and championship odds- Dover

Dover International Speedway -- 05/31/2009

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Tuesday Jun 2 2009 2:10pm

1. (2) Tony Stewart: 6/1 odds

Stewart’s gamble nearly paid off. He opted for two tires on the final pit stop with just over thirty laps remaining in the race. Stewart passed Greg Biffle for the lead with nine laps to go, but he was unable to fend off eventual race winner Jimmie Johnson. Stewart finished second after qualifying 31st.

After thirteen races, Stewart leads the standings by 46 points over Jeff Gordon. He has six top five finishes and nine top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 99.5, and an average running position of 10.673.

2. (4) Jimmie Johnson: 7/2 odds

Johnson had the dominant car right from the drop of the green flag. He led a race-high 298 of the 400 laps paced around the 1-mile facility. A botched pit stop with over thirty laps to go dropped Johnson back to the ninth position. However, he had the superior car, and muscled his way back to the front. He took the lead with under three laps to go.

After thirteen races, Johnson is third in the standings, 64 points behind Stewart. He has two victories, six top five finishes, and eight top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 105.5, and an average running position of 9.416.

3. (1) Jeff Gordon: 4/1 odds

The weekend began with Gordon slapping the wall in qualifying. The 24 team apparently struggled with the backup car because he was a non-factor all afternoon. He started the race in the 42nd position, and finished in the 26th position, two laps down.

After thirteen races, Gordon is second in the standings, 46 points behind Stewart. He has one win, six top five finishes, and eight top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 103.7, and an average running position of 11.313.

4. (5) Kurt Busch: 10/1 odds

After last week’s disaster at Charlotte, Kurt Busch enjoyed a solid outing at Dover. After qualifying in the nineteenth position, Busch wasted little time in making his way to the front. At one point in the race, he was as fast as Johnson was. He finished fifth.

After thirteen races, Busch is fourth in the standings, 91 points behind Stewart. He has a win, four top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 100.4, and an average running position of 9.946.

5. (3) Kyle Busch: 4/1 odds

After qualifying sixth, Busch really struggled with the balance. He spent the first few laps among the top ten, but once the handling deteriorated, he lost a lap to the leaders. He fought his way back into the top five before he made an unscheduled pit stop. He ended up finishing in the 23rd position.

After thirteen races, Kyle Busch is sixth in the standings, 219 points behind Stewart. He owns three wins, four top five finishes, and five top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 105.3, and an average running position of 11.211.

6. (6) Ryan Newman: 12/1 odds

Newman spent the majority of the afternoon around the bottom half of the top ten, but he clearly did not have a car capable of contending for the win. He finished in the eighth position. It was his fifth consecutive top ten finish.

After thirteen races, Newman is fifth in the standings, 173 points behind his teammate. He has four top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 83.7, and an average running position of 16.687.

7. (8) Mark Martin: 9/1 odds

Martin spent most of the second half of the race in the top three, but he faded to tenth after he made contact with David Stremme with thirty laps to go.

After thirteen races, Martin is twelfth in the standings, 31 points ahead of David Reutimann. He has two wins, three top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 96.7, and an average running position of 13.804.

8. (NR) Matt Kenseth: 12/1 odds

It was a solid showing for Kenseth, as he placed a fourth place finish. For most of the race, he had a fourth to sixth place car, so his results matched his performance.

After thirteen races, Kenseth is eighth in the standings, 89 points ahead of Reutimann. He has two wins, four top five finishes, and six top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 83.9, and an average running position of 17.053.

9. (9) Carl Edwards: 12/1 odds

Last year’s most frequent winner has yet to find victory lane in 2009. Edwards enjoyed a solid top ten run at Dover, scoring a respectable seventh place finish.

After thirteen races, Edwards is eleventh in the standings, 46 points ahead of Reutimann. He has two top five finishes and six top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 91.6, and an average running position of 12.772.

10. (NR) Greg Biffle: 12/1 odds

If there was one car that may have had something for Johnson, it was the 16 Ford driven by Biffle. On equal footing, his lap times mirrored Johnson’s, but in the end, his two fresh tires were not enough to challenge for the win. He finished third.

After thirteen races, Biffle is ninth in the standings, 82 points ahead of Reutimann. He has four top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 91.9, and an average running position of 14.828.

On the rise: Kasey Kahne (30/1 odds), Casey Mears (100/1 odds), Dale Earnhardt Jr (45/1 odds), Clint Bowyer (45/1 odds), and Sam Hornish Jr

On the decline: Denny Hamlin (15/1 odds), Juan Pablo Montoya (60/1 odds), Brian Vickers (55/1 odds), David Reutimann, and Robby Gordon

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