Suite16 NASCAR Rankings- Bristol
Suite 16 NASCAR rankings after the Sharpie 500 at Bristol
Each week, Suite 101 ranks the top 16 NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers based on results and performance.
1. (1) 17-Matt Kenseth: Is Matt Kenseth peaking too early?
2. (2) 48-Jimmie Johnson: He was once the runaway favorite as the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion, now Jimmie Johnson has taken a back seat to Matt Kenseth.
3. (3) 29-Kevin Harvick: After slamming the wall at Bristol, an 11th place finish was not all that unpleasant for Kevin Harvick.
4. (5) 24-Jeff Gordon: I thought Scott Riggs showed Jeff Gordon an enormous amount of respect.
5. (7) 5-Kyle Busch: For every Kurt Busch that misses the Chase for the Championship, there is a Kyle Busch that fills that void.
6. (4) 20-Tony Stewart: Tony Stewart's shoddy performance at Bristol was puzzling to say the least.
7. (6) 31-Jeff Burton: The #31 team needs to figure out how to finish the race as strong as the started.
8. (8) 11-Denny Hamlin: A rookie winning the NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship? It could happen for Denny Hamlin.
9. (10) 8-Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt Jr has finished ahead of Kasey Kahne in the three of the previous four races.
10. (9) 6-Mark Martin: With California and Richmond impending, Mark Martin should hold firm on his top ten position in the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings, barring any misfortune.
11. (11) 9-Kasey Kahne: The two last lap crashes at Indianapolis and Watkins Glen appears to have doomed Kasey Kahne.
12. (14) 99-Carl Edwards: Last year's biggest surprise is one of this year's biggest disappointments.
13. (12) 16-Greg Biffle: Greg Biffle will be the favorite to capture that coveted 11th place consolation prize.
14. (13) 2-Kurt Busch: At least Kurt Busch can take solace in the fact that he will likely finish ahead of his former Roush Racing #97/#26 team.
15. (NR) 12-Ryan Newman: We all keep waiting for Ryan Newman and the 12 team to put together a string of top fives. We know it's coming, just not sure if it will be any time soon.
16. (NR) 10-Scott Riggs: Scott Riggs scored a season-high fourth at Bristol.
email the author: autoracing@suite101.com
Past Suite 16 Rankings
