NASCAR Power Rankings Week 18: Top 10 Drivers to Win the Sprint Cup Series Championship:The 2012 Cup Series season opened at Daytona International Speedway in February, and this weekend, it will return to the track for the halfway point of the season. For drivers hoping to compete for the title this year, it is time to go or go home. The season may be only half over, but the Chase is less than 10 races away. Winning a championship requires making the Chase, and if the season ended today, several big names would miss out on the playoffs. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that there are a few surprises in this installment of Sprint Cup Series Power Rankings.
NASCAR Power Rankings Week 18: Top 10 Drivers to Win the Sprint Cup Series Championship
1. Jimmie Johnson: With a couple of wins under his belt, there is little doubt that the five-time champ is back to form. He is tied for the series lead with 13 top-10s, and his nine top-five finishes are the most in the series. Johnson has led more laps than any other driver this season, and he has scored more points than any other driver in the last six races.
2. Matt Kenseth: He has been rock solid all season, and he has the point lead to prove it. It isn’t a surprise to see Kenseth among the series leaders in top-10s, but he also has the second-most top-five finishes. If he is going to continue to add elite finishes to his already-consistent results, he is going to be tough to beat. The only real question is whether or not his decision to leave Roush Fenway Racing at the end of the year will hurt his performance.
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Although the highlight of his season thus far was ending his four-year losing streak, Junior’s consistency is the reason he is a title contender. He is tied for the series lead with 13 top-10 finishes, and his 8.1 average finish is the second in the series. Junior just keeps plugging along and putting up solid numbers. It appears he is in it for the long haul.
4. Greg Biffle: Biffle is still tied for second in the series with eight top-five finishes, but he is starting to come back to earth a bit. He still owns a 9.0 average finish for the year, but that has dipped to 13.4 the last five races. Biffle is still putting up solid numbers, but a gap is starting to develop between himself and the top three drivers.
5. Brad Keselowski: While he hasn’t been the most consistent driver by any means, Keselowski has proven that he knows how to win races. His victory at Kentucky gave him a series-leading three on the year, and dating back to last season, his six wins are second only to Tony Stewart. His ability to get to Victory Lane makes him a serious threat in the Chase.
6. Tony Stewart: Stewart has shown flashes of being the driver that won five of the 10 playoff races last year on his way to his third championship, but he has yet to really go on a tear. Still, he has two wins in 2012 and has finished third or better in three of the last four races. Writing off the defending champ after his performance in the Chase last season would be a huge mistake.
7. Denny Hamlin: He has a pair of wins in 2012, and he is one of three drivers tied for second in the series with eight top-five finishes. Hamlin’s ability to consistently finish near the front of field legitimizes his status as a title contender. However, the frequent equipment issues experienced by the Joe Gibbs Racing cars are a real concern. A blown engine in the Chase will kill his title hopes.
8. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has come on strong lately, winning a race at Infineon and climbing to seventh in points. In fact, he has actually scored the fourth-most points in the Cup Series the past six races. It is a bit of a concern that he has only three top-five finishes, but Bowyer is heading in the right direction. He is one driver that could make a big move the rankings in the coming weeks.
9. Kevin Harvick: Give Harvick credit for getting the most out of what he has to work with. It is clear that Richard Childress Racing isn’t quite on par with the other power teams in NASCAR this year, but Harvick is still tied for fifth in points. That being said, his three top-five finishes are the fewest of any driver in the top 10, and that isn’t going to cut it come playoff time.
10. Martin Truex Jr.: He has had some blips on the radar, but for the most part, Truex has finished in or around the top 10 almost every week. After being a bust for most of his Cup career, it appears that he has finally turned a corner. It seems less and less likely that he will fade out of the top 10 as he has in the past, and it will be interesting to see how he handles himself in his first season as an actual title threat.
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