NASCAR Power Rankings Week 16: Top 5 Drivers to Win the Nationwide Series Championship: With the summer stretch of the season in full swing, it’s time to take a look at how the top contenders for the Nationwide Series championship are stacking up. A lot has happened the last few weeks, and three different drivers have held the top spot in the standings in the month. All the shuffling up front has allowed some other drivers to sneak into striking distance of the top three, and the title fight that seemed one sided just two months ago is suddenly a real battle. See who currently has a leg up in the battle in this installment of Power Rankings.
NASCAR Power Rankings Week 16: Top 5 Drivers to Win the Nationwide Series Championship
1. Austin Dillon: Fresh of his first-career Nationwide victory, Dillon has nothing left to prove. The rookie has lived up to and exceeded any possible expectations this season, and a championship is within his reach. In fact, he was sitting atop the standings until a six-point penalty dropped him to four points. Still, Dillon leads all the series regulars with eight top-five finishes and is tied for the series lead with 11 top 10s. His 7.6 average finish is also the best among the title contenders. Experience may not be on his side, but talent certainly is. Dillon should be even more confident following his first win, and that could be bad news for the competition.
2. Elliott Sadler: After picking up two wins early in the year, Elliott Sadler has settled back into to his typical consistent results. He is tied for the series lead with 11 top-10s this season, and his 7.9 average finish is the second best among the series regulars. Sadler is currently clinging to a four-point lead in the standings, and while his six top-five finishes are the fewest among the top three drivers, he has to like his chances long term. His biggest strength is his ability to stay out of trouble and deliver consistent top-10 finishes. His main competition appears to be a rookie and a driver that suddenly has a lot to think about after learning he will be moving to the Cup Series next season. Sadler could take advantage and outlast the rest of the contenders.
3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Stenhouse is the aforementioned driver that will be jumping to the Cup Series in 2013. Following the announcement that Matt Kenseth will leave Roush Fenway Racing, the defending Nationwide Series champ was the logical replacement in the No. 17. However, getting promoted doesn’t necessarily help Stenhouse’s Nationwide title defense. His team was already dealing with some uncharacteristic mechanical issues, and now, Stenhouse has a lot more to think about. Winning a title in any series takes focus, and it remains to be seen if Stenhouse can deal with this new distraction. He does lead all series regulars with three victories, but he has gone five races without a top-five finish and has finished 25th or worse three times during the stretch. Stenhouse isn’t trending in the right direction.
4. Sam Hornish Jr.: He has quietly moved within 31 points of the top spot in the standings, and Hornish has been the picture of consistency in 2012. After a 20th-place finish in the season opener, he has reeled off 14 straight top-15 finishes. His 9.6 average finish is actually the third best among the series regulars, and Hornish seems to be getting stronger. He has finished sixth or better in his last three starts, leading laps in two of the races. Hornish was already piling up top-10s, and if he is going to start finishing in the top five on a regular basis, he could continue to charge up the standings.
5. Justin Allgaier: After a rocky start to 2012, Allgaier has recaptured his championship form the last couple of months. He has finished in the top 10 in five of his last six starts, leading laps in all but one race during the stretch. Allgaier has a 12.4 average finish for the year, but he has an 8.0 average finish in his last six starts. He still has quite a hole to dig out of thanks to his stumble out of the gate, but he is doing what he can to close the gap. Ultimately, he is going to need a few wins and probably some help from the top guys in order to catch up. Still, Allgaier has established himself as the only driver other than the current top four in the standings that is capable of winning the championship.
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