Suite 16 Rankings- Darlington
Top 16 NASCAR Drivers After the Dodge Avenger 500
Every week, Suite 101 ranks the top 16 NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers based on results and performance.
Martin Truex replaces David Stremme in the Suite 16 rankings.
1. (1) 24-Jeff Gordon- When you can run that many laps with an engine that is clearly overheating, it is simply your year. Now, I bet all of the anti-Jeff Gordon fans are glad that there is a Chase for the Championship format.
2. (2) 48-Jimmie Johnson- It is rare that Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus lose a race due to pit strategy.
3. (3) 11-Denny Hamlin- Maybe Denny Hamlin was a little hard on his pit crew Sunday, but he is probably sick and tired of staring at the rear bumpers of the Hendrick cars.
4. (4) 17-Matt Kenseth- It was another solid top ten for Matt Kenseth at Darlington.
5. (5) 31-Jeff Burton- Jeff Burton has slowed down a little since his win at Texas last month.
6. (7) 20-Tony Stewart- It will be interesting to watch Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman race each other this weekend in the All-Star Challenge with no Nextel Cup points on the line.
7. (9) 2-Kurt Busch- For some reason, Kurt Busch has finished worse than he has ran all season long, however, he is seventh in the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings.
8. (6) 5-Kyle Busch- Kyle Busch is just a step behind his teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
9. (8) 29-Kevin Harvick- Things have been rather quiet for Kevin Harvick and company since his Daytona 500 triumph.
10. (10) 07-Clint Bowyer- Okay, here is a prediction- Clint Bowyer will win the Nextel Open.
11. (11) 99-Carl Edwards- Carl Edwards will have to race his way into the NASCAR Nextel Cup All-Star Challenge…or he could get voted in, which unlikely to happen since Kenny Wallace has charmed millions of fans and convinced them to put the Furniture Row Chevy into the big show.
12. (12) 8-Dale Earnhardt Jr- I get the feeling that Joe Nemechek may get shifted to a fourth team at Ginn Racing due to this latest development in the Dale Earnhardt Jr saga.
13. (14) 12-Ryan Newman- Ryan Newman scored his first top five since last June at Infineon. He has now caught Jamie McMurray for the ‘most improved driver of 2007’.
14. (13) 26-Jamie McMurray- You want to talk about someone who is long overdue for a win…Jamie McMurray has not won a race since before he was a NASCAR rookie…way back in the fall of 2002.
15. (15) 01-Mark Martin- Bobby Ginn should get some kind of ‘businessman of the year’ award if he can land both Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr in the same year.
16. (NR) 1-Martin Truex Jr- With Dale Earnhardt Jr’s impending departure, Martin Truex Jr will finally step out of his shadow.
Past Suite 16 Rankings
UAW Daimler Chrysler 400, at Las Vegas
Goody's Orange Cool 500, at Martinsville
Subway Fresh Fit 500, at Phoenix
Crown Royal/Jim Stewart 400, at Richmond
