2014 Nationwide Series Power Rankings: Top Championship Contenders

2014 Nationwide Series Power Rankings: Top Championship Contenders: Five races of the 2014 Nationwide Series are in the books, and as the series prepares for its first off week of the year, it is time to take a closer look at how the championship contenders are stacking. Keep in mind that the Cup drivers that often run in the Nationwide Series are not eligible for the title, and while guys like Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson have been visiting victory lane, the power rankings only include the Nationwide Series regulars.

1.      Regan Smith: He is off to a fast start for the second year in a row, and Smith is currently tied for the series lead after five races. He has finished in the top 10 in all five races this season, compiling a 7.8 average finish. He is also the only series regular to have notched a win thus far, taking the checkered flag at Daytona. The only question for Smith is whether he can sustain his consistency and avoid the second half slump that cost him a shot at the title one year ago.

2.      Trevor Bayne: A year after being one of the biggest disappointments in the series, Bayne is finally living up to expectations. He is currently tied for the top spot in the standings, logging top-10s in all five races. Meanwhile, his 7.0 average finish is the best among series regulars. A slow start in 2013 buried Bayne’s title hopes before they could even begin, but has flipped the script in 2014 and should be a factor the rest of the way.

3.      Elliott Sadler: Sadler is currently fifth in the standings, but he is only 11 points out of the top spot after five races. A 17th-place finish at Las Vegas is his only poor outing thus far, and he actually leads all series regulars with two top-five finishes. In fact, Sadler has three finishes of sixth or better, and his ability to finish near the front could set him apart over the course of the year. Sadler is a proven winner at the Nationwide level, and he was runner-up for the title in 2011 and 2012. With his experience and a year to get comfortable at Joe Gibbs Racing, he could easily get over the hump and win the title in 2014.

4.      Ty Dillon: His older brother Austin won the Nationwide title last year, and Ty is trying to keep the championship in the family. He is actually driving for the same No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team that Austin won the title with a year ago, and like his brother, Ty has displayed a ton of consistency. He has finished 11-th or better in all five races this year, compiling an 8.4 average finish. Dillon currently sits third in the standings and is just six points out of the top spot. Considering he only has about a dozen Nationwide starts under his belt, there is a good chance he will get better as he gains experience. If Dillon can avoid the two or three bad finishes that often plague rookies, there is no reason he can’t make a run the title.

5.      Chase Elliott: Big things were expected out of Elliott eventually, but not even his Hall of Famer father Bill expected Chase to make such an immediate impact. He is fourth in points and only eight points out of the top spot after five races. He also has a rock solid 8.8 average finish and has yet to finish outside the top 15. More impressively, Elliott has reeled off four straight top-10s and has finished sixth or better twice in his last three stats. The lack of experience doesn’t seem to be slowing down the rookie one bit, and while he is definitely the wild-card in the title fight, he shows no signs of going away.

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