NASCAR Rankings and championship odds- Pocono 500

Pocono Raceway -- 06/7/2009

Author: Jeremy Dunn

Published: Monday Jun 8 2009 1:36pm

1. (1) Tony Stewart: 5/1 championship odds

Stewart finally won his first race in his own equipment, becoming the first driver/owner winner since Ricky Rudd in October of 1998. Stewart was set to start on the pole, but his team had to prime the backup car after Stewart crashed his primary in practice. After starting near the rear of the field, Stewart led 39 laps, and conserved enough fuel to win his 34th career race.

After fourteen races, Stewart leads the championship standings by 71 points over Jeff Gordon. He has one win, seven top five finishes, and ten top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 101.2, and an average running position of 10.448.

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

Johnson was running in the third position when the flagman waved the white flag. He ran out of gas coming out of turn two, and dropped back to seventh, which is where he finished. Johnson led 31 laps, and was a perennial frontrunner before he received a penalty for entering a closed pit area.

After fourteen races, Johnson is third in the standings, 103 points behind Stewart. He has two wins, six top five finishes, and nine top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 106.2, and an average running position of 9.146.

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

After leading the first nine laps, Gordon faded, but he was able to rally his way back into the top five. Toward the latter stages of the race, he began to fade into mid-pack. He utilized fuel strategy to post a fourth place finish.

After fourteen races, Gordon is second in the standings, 71 points behind Stewart. He has one win, seven top five finishes, and nine top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 103.6, and an average running position of 11.171.

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

For the sixth consecutive race, Newman finished in the top ten. In five of those races, he placed top five finishes. Newman’s day appeared gloomy, as a spark plug issue slowed the No. 39 car. He nearly lost a lap. Once the problem was diagnosed and mended, Newman was fast, and rallied his way to a fifth place finish.

After fourteen races, Newman is fourth in the standings, 203 points behind Stewart. He has five top five finishes, and eight top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 84.3, and an average running position of 16.454.

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

Kurt Busch had limped to a 37th place showing after the water pump sent the blue deuce to the garage for eighteen laps. Busch was running in the top ten when he detected the mechanical letdown.

After fourteen races, Kurt Busch is fifth in the standings, 224 points behind Stewart. He has one win, four top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 99.7, and an average running position of 10.583.

6. (5) Kyle Busch: 5/1 championship odds

After winning the Nationwide Series event at Nashville, Busch could not duplicate his success at the treacherous Pocono Raceway. He spent the early portion of the race in the top ten, but he was never a threat to win. He ended up finishing in the 22nd position.

After fourteen races, Kyle Busch is ninth in the standings, 312 points behind Stewart, and 53 points ahead of thirteenth place Mark Martin. He has a driver rating of 103.7, and an average running position of 11.299.

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

From a performance standpoint, Edwards is back on track, as he led a race-high 103 laps at Pocono. He clearly had the car to beat for most of the afternoon. Stewart beat Edwards out of the pits on lap 159, and Edwards could never reclaim the lead. He had enough fuel to post a second place finish.

After fourteen races, Edwards is sixth in the standings, 281 points behind Stewart, and 84 points ahead of Martin. He has three top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 94.9, and an average running position of 12.042.

8. (10) Greg Biffle: 10/1 championship odds

Biffle spent the majority of the race among the top three, but he did not have enough fuel to finish the race. He had to pit with fifteen laps to go, and finished in the eleventh position.

After fourteen races, Biffle is seventh in the standings, 290 points behind Stewart, and 75 points ahead of Martin. He has four top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 93.7, and an average running position of 14.113.

9. (8) Matt Kenseth: 12/1 championship odds

Like Biffle, Kenseth had a top five car, but he had to pit with thirteen laps to go, and finished in the sixteenth position.

After fourteen races, Kenseth is eighth in the standings, 298 points behind Stewart, and 67 points ahead of Martin. He has two wins, four top five finishes, and six top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 85.5, and an average running position of 16.187.

10. (7) Mark Martin: 8/1 championship odds

It was a unremarkable race for Martin, as he finished in the nineteenth position.

After fourteen races, Martin is thirteenth in the standings, 365 points behind Stewart, and one point behind twelfth place Denny Hamlin. He has two wins, three top five finishes, and seven top ten finishes. He has a driver rating of 96.8, and an average running position of 13.362.

On the rise: David Reutimann; Marcos Ambrose; Juan Pablo Montoya (60/1 odds); Jeff Burton (50/1 odds); and Sam Hornish Jr

On the decline: Denny Hamlin (18/1 odds); Dale Earnhardt Jr (40/1 odds); Kevin Harvick (100/1 odds); David Stremme; and David Ragan (100/1 odds)

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