2013 NASCAR Power Rankings Week 32: Top 5 Drivers to Win the Sprint Cup Series Championship: Believe it or not, the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup has already reached its halfway point. Not to mention the fact that the first five races of the playoffs have already gone a long way to separating the contenders from the pretenders in the championship battle. In fact, only five drivers are currently within a race of point leader Matt Kenseth. As a result, the list of legitimate title contenders has been narrowed to five drivers heading into second half of the Chase. On that note, here is how the five frontrunners for the 2013 Sprint Cup stack up.
1. Matt Kenseth: He entered the Chase as the point leader, and halfway through, he is still atop the standings. Kenseth has added two wins during the playoffs to boost his season total to a series-high seven. Meanwhile, he has compiled an impressive 4.6 average finish through the first five races of the Chase and has led at least one lap in every race. Perhaps more importantly, Kenseth has been able to produce solid finishes with mediocre cars. If he goes on to win the title, his 11th-place finish at Kansas with a car that spent part of the afternoon outside the top 30 will be a big reason why.
2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson trails Matt Kenseth by four points, but if he keeps up his current pace, he could end up overtaking him for the top spot. After all, Johnson’s 4.0 average finish during the Chase is the best of any driver, and he hasn’t finished worse than sixth through the first five races of the playoffs. That being said, a poor pit stop at Chicagoland and a bad restart at Charlotte have cost him two more potential victories, and Johnson can’t keep giving away bonus points or it will eventually come back to haunt him.
3. Kyle Busch: Although he is fifth in points, Busch is the one driver outside of Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson that seems to be able to string together top-five finishes seemingly at will. In fact, he has four top-five runs through the first five races of the Chase, including a pair of second-place finishes. A disastrous run at a Kansas track that has been his nemesis throughout his career has left him in a hole, but if the two frontrunners falter at all, Busch will be waiting to take advantage.
4. Kevin Harvick: As expected, Harvick’s consistent style has kept him in contention for the title during the first half of the Chase, and his somewhat surprising win at Kansas has sitting third in points. Overall, he has a 7.2 average finish through the first five races of the playoffs, including four finishes of sixth or better. The question for Harvick is whether or not he can come up with at least one more victory down the stretch. After all, solid finishes likely won’t be enough to erase the 29-point deficit he has to overcome.
5. Jeff Gordon: After being a late addition to the Chase, Gordon has more than made the most of his opportunity. He has finished inside the top 15 in all five playoff races, posting four top-10s and climbing to fourth in the standings. Meanwhile, Gordon’s 7.0 average finish in the Chase is the third best of any driver. Perhaps more importantly, he has a 3.7 average finish in the last three races and has a pair of top-four finishes during the stretch. If Gordon can continue to string together top-five finishes, he has a chance to move up in the standings. However, he is likely going to still need some help to overcome his 36-point deficit.
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