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Tony Stewart Still Tops of NASCAR Power Rankings

Bookmark and Share by D.S. Williamson

Mark Martin dominated the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Motor Speedway last Saturday, but Tony Stewart keeps his top spot in the NASCAR Power Rankings because he continues to finish in the top 5.

With his 4th place finish in the LifeLock.com 400, Smoke proved, once again, that he understands how to win a Sprint Cup Championship.  Jeff Gordon, who finished 2nd at Chicagoland, bounced back nicely from a terrible run two weeks ago and keeps his second place ranking.

Two biggest movers?  Juan Pablo Montoya who leapfrogged two spots up and is now ahead of Kyle Busch (WHAT!!!) and Martin who jumps back into the fray at #11.

Let’s take a look at the power rankings.

  1. Tony Stewart +250 - - Smoke didn’t have the car to really contend for the victory.  So, he just did what it took to get into the top 5.  His 4th place finish was absolutely brilliant because, once again, it shows how he has matured in less than a year from a straight driver to a driver/owner. 

  1. Jeff Gordon +400 - - Nice bounce back from Jeff after that 28th place finish in the Coke Zero 400 two weeks ago.  The 2nd place finish means that Gordon isn’t letting the back problems get to him.  Along with Jimmie Johnson and now Mark Martin, Hendrick Motorsports looks formidable again.

  1. Jimmie Johnson +300 - - I thought Jimmie could win the LifeLock.com 400 but his teammate, Mark Martin, was just too good out there.  Jimmie still made a nice run to get into the top 10 with an 8th place finish.

  1. Kurt Busch +1200 - - The 17th place finish at Chicagoland was to be expected from Kurt who has never really done that well on that track.  He keeps his top 5 ranking but more needs to be done before he can crack the superstar triumvirate of Smoke, Gordo and Jimmie.

  1. Denny Hamlin +1500 - - Hamlin’s 5th place finish in the LifeLock.com 400 was yet another example of the differences between the top two drivers for Joe Gibbs Racing.  Hamlin likes to drive consistent and notch top placings while Busch, without a doubt, always goes for the victory. 

  1. Carl Edwards +700 - - Edwards switched spots in the Power Rankings with Hamlin this week because he couldn’t do better than finish 14th at Chicagoland.  Edwards still hasn’t notched a victory in 2009.  I have no idea what’s going on.  I don’t think Edwards and his crew does either.  Roush Racing cannot be happy with Edwards struggling and Greg Biffle falling out of the top 12 altogether this week.

  1. Ryan Newman +1200 - - One of the most consistent guys on the track was back with a 6th place finish in the LifeLock.com 400.  He’s a good enough driver to keep his position in the Sprint Cup Points Standings.  Get into the Chase and you never know what can happen.  That appears to be Newman’s goal this year.

  1. Kasey Kahane +1500 - - Where the heck did Kasey come from?  Talk about a guy that’s been hot!  He has a victory, a 10th place finish and a 3rd place finish in the last four weeks.  If he and his crew continue this, then he too could challenge for a top spot in the Power Rankings.

  1. Juan Pablo Montoya +4000 - - He continues to impress and continues to move up the Power Rankings by driving smart.  At Chicagoland, Montoya finished 10th.  It’s become apparent to anyone who watches NASCAR that this guy has finally realized what it takes to win on this circuit.  Further improvement is expected this year but in 2010 he could develop into a top five driver.

  1. Kyle Busch +800 - - Busch’s odds continue to float up while Martin’s continue to go down, but both guys aren’t that far away from each other in the Sprint Cup Points Standings and the NASCAR Power Rankings.  Kyle finished 33rd at Chicagoland.  It doesn’t matter why because bettors are tired of the excuses.  Until he gets back onto the track of consistency, Kyle is an underlay to win the Sprint Cup.


  2. Mark Martin +500 - - Martin’s victory at Chicagoland was very impressive.  He has 4 wins on the season and appears to be driving as well as both Jimmie and Jeff, but he’s 11th place in the Sprint Cup Points Standings.  At the odds, I wouldn’t make a wager only because there’s a chance that he could very well miss the Chase.  If that were to happen, then the 5 to 1 would appear ridiculous.  NASCAR rewards consistency and both Martin and Kyle Busch sometimes let their maverick attitudes get in the way of good race driving.

  1. Matt Kenseth +3000 – Kenseth’s 23rd place finish in the LifeLock.com 400 just doesn’t scream Sprint Cup Champion to me.  In fact, I doubt very much if Kenseth even makes it into the Chase.  He hasn’t been the same since the first two races of the year and Greg Biffle, who is in 13th place in the standings, should be able to leapfrog him soon.