Suite16 NASCAR Rankings-Loudon

The top 16 drivers after the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire

Jul 20, 2006

Each week, Suite 101 ranks the top 16 NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers based on results and performance.

1. (2) 48-Jimmie Johnson: Another championship run by Jimmie Johnson. He finished ninth in a fifteenth place car.

2. (1) 17-Matt Kenseth: If Matt Kenseth watches the SPEED Channel enough; the commercials showing himself being shoved by Jeff Gordon should give him more incentive to apply the payback a little sooner.

3. (6) 31-Jeff Burton: Jeff Burton is by far the best driver who has yet to win in NASCAR this season.

4. (3) 8-Dale Earnhardt Jr: I wouldn't lock Dale Earnhardt Jr into the Chase for the Championship quite yet.

5. (8) 5-Kyle Busch: Kyle Busch seemed more delighted with the TV interview than he did with the win.

6. (4) 9-Kasey Kahne: Just a couple of poor finishes could drop Kasey Kahne back outside of the top ten. He must become more versatile.

7. (7) 29-Kevin Harvick: The Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin squabble in the Busch Series race was almost as entertaining as the Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman on and off track sparring.

8. (4) 20-Tony Stewart: At least Tony Stewart can take solace in the fact that he had possibly the fastest car at New Hampshire.

9. (9) 6-Mark Martin: Mark Martin breaks his little top ten slump with his fourth place finish at New Hampshire.

10. (10) 24-Jeff Gordon: Considering the damage to the front of his car, a fifteenth place finish is not all that bad for Jeff Gordon.

11. (11) 16-Greg Biffle: Greg Biffle is back in the top ten in the NASCAR Nextel Cup points standings, but he is also inside the Bubble of drivers battling for that same spot.

12. (13)11-Denny Hamlin: Despite running out of fuel, Denny Hamlin was NASCAR's top rookie again. But other rookie counterparts seem to be stepping it up. Clint Bowyer and Reed Sorenson could have easily finished in the top ten.

13. (14) 99-Carl Edwards: Carl Edwards worst finish of the weekend actually came in the Modified event- he finished 39th.

14. (12) 2-Kurt Busch: The Miller Lite car was taken out by the Coors Light car.

16. (NR) 10-Scott Riggs: If Scott Riggs and the #10 team can find some consistency; they would become a weekly threat.

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