Top 10 Driver Rankings: Prospects ‘n’ Suspects

When comparing this week’s BDS rankings to last week, you can see that there’s some movement within the front pack, but it’s one of the rare occasions where there hasn’t been movement in or out from the “ready to strike” or “falling off the pace” categories.

Within the top 10 you have an interesting mix. You have drivers (Martin, Newman) who have really caught fire as of late. Then you’ve got others (Stewart, Gordon) who have been steady.

The rest have been all over the board and that’s made for some difficult decisions some weeks.

Let’s dive in and see how it shakes out this week. I’m also curious to know what you think:

The Top 10

#10- Denny Hamlin (ranked 7th last week)- Though Hamlin has been off his game the last three races, he’s buoyed by the fact there are other drivers of similar standing experiencing the same thing. His 13th place finish was nothing to write home about, but that still put the “11″ ahead of Kyle and Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann.

#9- Jeff Burton (ranked 6th last week)- JB and Greg Biffle are running pretty close right now, but Biffle gets the nod with more top 5s and top 10s, plus a better finishing average over the last 5 races. His finishes are nothing to get real excited about, but there are plenty of others in the same boat.

#8- Greg Biffle (ranked 10th last week)- Would you believe the Biff has an average finish of 8.0 over the last 5 races? It surprised me. Considering what he had to go through to finish 8th at Darlington, I guess you couldn’t complain. The Roush- Fenway crew looks very vulnerable right now with 3 of their 5 drivers in the top 12 in points just flirting around the edges. It’s not the norm for this team to live this dangerously. Biffle’s put himself just ahead of struggling Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth- who lurks from right behind.

#7- Kyle Busch (ranked 2nd last week)- There’s nothing half way about the younger Busch brother. Either he’s funny and entertaining or he’s a complete curmudgeon. His races are either awesome or awful. He’d be what basketball analyst Dick Vitale would call a “Dow Joneser.” Nonetheless- if the chase started today, Busch would be #1 seed.

#6- Kurt Busch (ranked 4th last week)- Thankfully for the Blue Deuce, he’s stockpiled his mulligans. With his Atlanta win and his season finishing average of 10.3 for the season, Busch hasn’t been hurt too badly by his 16th Saturday and his 12th place finish at Richmond.

#5- Ryan Newman (ranked 5th last week)- By finishing 4th at Darlington, Newman picked up his 3rd straight top 5. Rocket also registers a sporty average finish of 8.4 over his last 5 races.

#4- Mark Martin (ranked 9th last week)- Ain’t nothing like winning to pick up hitch-hikers on your bandwagon. If you throw out Talladega, Martin has been downright phenomenal over his last 8 races. Looking at the raw stats for the season, Martin looks a bit more like a Kyle Busch for the older set.

#3- Jimmie Johnson (ranked 8th last week)- Here’s my nickname for Johnson- “Mr. Opportunity.” Right now, it appears (as it has before) as though Johnson will have some very serious competition for the 2009 crown. HOWEVER- they’re going to have to take it from him. Thing is, Johnson gets where he does with great driving and a great team, but it’s as much about being in a position to capitalize on other people’s mistakes to get there. His Darlington run, a race full of adversity, is a classic example of that, combined with true grit.

#2- Jeff Gordon (ranked 3rd last week)- Big Daddy has his points lead, even though he’s had more than just a figurative loose wheel. His physical problems (back) raise concern, but he fought his way through to a top 10 and he shares the Sprint Cup lead with Tony Stewart for top 10s (8).

#1- Tony Stewart (ranked #1 last week)- Given the recent wavering fortunes of his competition, Stewart now emerges as the most consistent driver of the 2009 campaign. Throw out Las Vegas (26th) and Talladega (23rd) and he has an average finish for the season of just over 6. Impressive.

OFF THE PACE

You know Carl Edwards has to be coming around sooner or later. His struggles are a real head scratcher. Hopefully, David Reutimann’s chances aren’t going, going, gone. Clint Bowyer is now certifiably in a slump after a promising start.

READY TO STRIKE

Should anyone falter, Matt Kenseth, who’s actually in 9th in the season points, will be right there to capitalize. Juan Pablo Montoya has some great runs in races, but just hasn’t put it together yet. He’s still hanging around though.

DISTANT THUNDER

There are some up and comers to keep our eyes on. Sam Hornish, Joey Logano and Marcos Ambrose display flashes brilliance. Though they’ve struggled, you can’t count out Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick just yet.

PHOTO CREDITS- Daytona leaderboard by rosalie defini. Kyle Busch by Bristol Motor Speedway.  Tony Stewart by stewarthaasfan. To see more, click on the hyperlinks or visit flickr.com.