2013 Nationwide Series Power Rankings: Top Championship Contenders

2013 Nationwide Series Power Rankings: Top Championship Contenders: The 2013 Nationwide Series season is now 12 races old, and while a gap has developed between the top two drivers and everyone else, there are several teams that have shown signs of being able to compete with and even outperform the early frontrunners. With two-time defending series champ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. now in the Cup Series, the battle for the Nationwide Series title is as wide open as it has been in recent memory. As a result, the list of potential championship contenders remains sizeable despite 12 races being in the books. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the how the title contenders stack up heading into the summer months.

2013 Nationwide Series Power Rankings: Top Championship Contenders

1.      Regan Smith: Although Smith hasn’t been leading a ton of laps and piling up top-five finishes, he has amassed a 23-point lead in the standings thanks to some incredible consistency. His 7.3 average finish leads the series, and he hasn’t finished outside the top 15 all year. Smith has also finished in the top 10 in his last 10 starts so he isn’t making it easy for the competition to gain ground.

2.      Sam Hornish Jr.: There have been a couple of bumps in the road for Hornish, but his five top-five finishes are tied for the most of any series regular. He also has one win among his nine top-10 finishes in the first 12 races of the year. If Hornish just keeps doing what he has been doing, he should be in the thick of the title hunt all year.

3.      Austin Dillon: Take away a wreck at Richmond, and Dillon would be all over Regan Smith for the point lead. As it stands, Dillon is sitting fourth and seems to be getting stronger by the week. He nearly won last weekend at Iowa before settling for second, and he has won the pole in each of the last three races. If he keeps running up front and piling up bonus points, he is going to handle over the course of the year.

4.      Brian Vickers: Finding speed hasn’t been an issue for Vickers this season, but mechanical issues have delivered multiple setbacks. Still, his five top-five finishes are tied for the most among series regulars, and he has actually finished third or better four times. If his equipment ever decides to hold up, Vickers could easily run down the frontrunners with his ability to finish near the front.

5.      Trevor Bayne: He got off to a somewhat rough start, but considering he hadn’t raced full time in a couple of season prior, a little rust was to be expected. Meanwhile, Bayne finally seems to have hit feet under him, reeling off three straight finishes of sixth or better and winning last weekend in Iowa. Don’t forget that he is driving for the same team that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won back-to-back titles with in 2011 and 2012 so he has the crew and equipment to dig out of his early hole.

6.      Elliott Sadler: After finishing second in the championship battle in each of the past two years, Sadler switched to teams in the offseason and is still trying recapture his old form. Granted, he has only finished outside the top 15 twice in 12 starts, but his six top-10s are below his standards. Sadler isn’t out of the title fight by any means, but he definitely has work to do in the next few weeks.

7.      Justin Allgaier: Allgaier has been the biggest surprise of the season thus far, and he sits third in points after 12 races thanks to eight top-10s and only one finish outside the top 15. However, he has only managed two top-five finishes, and it is going to be hard for him to keep pace with the frontrunners if he can’t mix in a few elite finishes along the way.

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