2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Drivers Power Rankings – Top 25 Drivers Poll and Ratings(Updated April 19th): On the heels of the closest finish in NASCAR history and a record 88 lead changes at Talladega, the Cup Series drivers could use a breather. Fortunately, the scheduling gods were kind, and the teams get to enjoy a rare off weekend. With a break in the action, it is the perfect time to roll out a new batch of Power Rankings.
1. Kyle Busch (7.30): He owns the top driver rating in the series, and he leads all drivers in laps led and fastest laps run. He has just one win, but if it weren’t for giving away races at Fontana and Martinsville in the closings laps, he would have three. Busch is tied for the series lead with four top-five finishes, and he has looked like the dominant driver in the series for most of the year.
2. Kurt Busch (7.38): Busch has taken advantage of the new point system in 2011, using consistency to keep himself in the top-five in points. Granted, five top-10s in eight starts is pretty darn solid, but he has just a single top-five finish. Busch will easily make the playoffs at his current pace, but he probably won’t be overly useful for bettors in terms of winning races.
3. Jimmie Johnson (7.44): He got his first win of the season at Talladega, and it is amazing how a slow start can be erased in an instant. Despite underachieving by his typical standards, Johnson is still among the leaders in every statistical category. He has won five straight titles for a reason, and imagine how much damage he will do when he starts running his best.
4. Carl Edwards (7.67): He has cooled off a bit since his hot start, but Edwards has been arguably the best driver in the series thus far. He currently sits atop the standings, and he leads the series with six top-10s and is tied for the lead with four top-five finishes. Bettors can bank on a few more wins for Edwards during a year when he could contend for the series title.
5. Ryan Newman (8.92): He has been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2011 season, securing a spot in the top-10 in points thanks to three top-five finishes and four top-10s through the first eight races. Consistency has been the key, and Newman’s 13.2 average finish is sixth-best in the series. He has the look of a guy that could win a race or two this season.
6. Clint Bowyer (9.27): Although it’s not fun to become the driver on the losing end of the closest finish in NACSAR history, Bowyer’s second-place run at Talladega put him inside the top-10 in points for the first time this year. He has overcome a horrible start, and Bowyer is starting to look at lot more like the guy that won a pair of races during the Chase in 2010.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (9.84): After two miserable seasons, it appears Junior has finally recaptured some of his magic. He has emerged as a consistent top-10 driver, and top-five finishes at Martinsville and Talladega could spell an end to his 101-race winless drought in the near future. Junior has the third-best average finish of any driver in 2011, and bettors no longer have to consider him a waste of money.
8. Tony Stewart (10.67): The 2011 season has been one of missed opportunities for Stewart. He could easily have four or five wins if not for some bad breaks and stupid penalties. Stewart is lurking under the radar, but once he gets one win, many more could follow. Bettors will make some money on Stewart before this year ends.
9. Matt Kenseth (11.30): His dominating win at Texas was proof that Kenseth is approaching championship form. The Ford teams are running in general, and bettors shouldn’t be surprised to see Kenseth win another race or two at the remaining 1.5-mile tracks.
10. Paul Menard (12.27): He has slid to 11th in the standings after a hot start, and Menard’s bid to make the playoffs is rapidly losing steam. He is still having the best year of his career by far, but his early results were probably a bit misleading. Menard just isn’t ready to take the next step, and bettors should consider him a wildcard option and not a favorite.
11. Juan Pablo Montoya (13.50): It’s the same old story from Montoya. He flashes the talent of a title contender at times, but wrecks always seem to derail him whenever he starts gaining some momentum. Montoya has more than enough talent to win races at the Cup level, but bettors will get headaches trying to predict when he will run well and when he will struggle.
12. Jeff Gordon (13.55): His bad luck at Talladega came to an end, and it almost ended with a trip to Victory Lane. The top-five effort could jumpstart a mediocre season for the four-time champ, who has been relatively quiet since his win at Phoenix.
13. Kevin Harvick (14.44): He doesn’t wow in the Power Rankings because of his terrible performances in qualifying and his tendency to hang back until late in races. That being said, Harvick knows how to get to the front when it counts, and he was able to pick up two wins despite leading a combined seven laps in those races. He may never dominate, but the end result is all that bettors should care about.
14. Denny Hamlin (14.66): Maybe he is suffering the dreaded Jimmie Johnson hangover. Engine failures and poor performances have last year’s championship runner-up reeling. Through eight races, he has just a single top-10 finish and has yet to finish in the top-five. After leading the series with eight wins in 2010, Hamlin has been letting bettors down throughout the 2011 campaign.
15. Greg Biffle (15.15): After being plagued by bad luck early in the year, Biffle is starting to find his stride. He has finished fourth and seventh in his last two starts and is creeping closer to a spot in the top-10. Biffle will still likely finish the year with a couple of wins, and bettors that wrote him after the slow start should get back on the bandwagon.
16. A.J. Allmendinger (15.37): He continues to progress as a driver, and Allmendinger is still on track to become a future star of the sport. He has notched three top-10 finishes thus far and has seven top-20 finishes in eight starts. Allmendinger is still a wildcard to win a race, but he is a guy that bettors will come to know very well one day.
17. Martin Truex Jr. (16.55): The solid start is once again a thing of the past, and Truex Jr. has returned to his normal unreliable self. He has just one top-10 finish in 2011 compared to two DNFs. Bettors haven’t gotten much out of him throughout his career, and it doesn’t look like that will change.
18. David Ragan (19.12): He was caught up in a wreck at Talladega, but Ragan had top-10 finishes in the two races prior. Ragan isn’t quite back to his 2008 form yet, but he is definitely on the right track. Bettors should keep in mind that he has never won a Cup race, but he could be worth keeping an eye on if his recent performances start to become the norm.
19. Mark Martin (19.19): Although he briefly flirted with a win at Talladega, it is time to admit that Martin’s incredible 2009 season was his last shot at a title. He has yet to finish in the top-five this season, and winning a race seems unlikely unless he experiences a major boost in performance. The veteran is still good for a top-10 from time to time, but he isn’t all that useful for bettors.
20. Joey Logano (19.69): Bad luck has followed Logano throughout the 2011 season, but he finally got a little momentum with a top-10 finish at Talladega. There is no doubt Logano is a talented driver, and he could go on a run at anytime. He isn’t nearly as bad as his early results suggest.
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