| 1 |  |
Is 2009 the year Jeff Gordon finally completes his drive for 5? Don’t get too excited yet because we’re only 4 races into the young season. Over the course of the 36 race season every driver has their ups and their downs. Don’t forget that in my Daytona Power Rankings I mentioned that the last time the 24 car got a new paint job they won the championship (2001). Perhaps their 2009 paint job is the medicine needed for Gordon to finally capture his fifth championship. |
| +2 | Jeff Gordon | |
| 2 |  |
This Busch didn’t win at Atlanta but you can be assured he’s excited to get to Bristol. Busch had a tough day at Atlanta and finished a very uncharacteristic 18th. The last time the Cup series visited Thunder Valley Busch lead 415 laps and finished 2nd. My favorite part of that race was the cool down lap fireworks between Kyle and Carl Edwards. |
| -1 | Kyle Busch | |
| 3 |  |
Matt Kenseth had a nice rally going for him at Atlanta until he ran out of gas and lost track position late in the race. Hopefully with the off week Kenseth will have time to find a 4 leaf clover and turn his luck around. Bristol is a very good track for Kenseth where he has 2 career wins, 11 top tens, and an average finish of 12.2. |
| -1 | Matt Kenseth | |
| 4 |  |
Kurt Busch had a near flawless race at Atlanta. To bad for him this track is no longer in the Chase. In my previous Power Rankings I promised a big move for Kurt if he could duplicate some of his earlier Intermediate track success. His big move up was delayed at Las Vegas because of his motor issues, but his dominance at Atlanta was a statement victory. Kurt has 5 wins at Bristol but remember things have changed since then (track, car). |
| +6 | Kurt Busch | |
| 5 |  |
Carl Edwards finished 3rd at Atlanta but it appears that the competition caught up to the 99 car at the Intermediate tracks. At this point in the season in 2008 the 99 car could’ve had 3 wins (engine issues at Atlanta) but in 2009 I don’t think anyone could say they were close to winning any of them. Edwards has 2 career wins at Bristol, but both of those wins happened in the August night race. |
| +1 | Carl Edwards | |
| 6 |  |
Clint Bowyer is always underrated in NASCAR. Hopefully now he’ll get the respect he deserves. I only hope this high ranking won’t lead to his demise. He always seems to perform better when he is underrated. In 2008 Bowyer averaged 158 points a race at Bristol. |
| +2 | Clint Bowyer | |
| 7 |  |
Jimmie Johnson has been competitive for the last 3 races but the results just aren’t there. From a fantasy racing perspective Bristol is the last place I would expect a Jimmie Johnson breakthrough. In 14 career races Johnson only has 6 top tens at Bristol. |
| -3 | Jimmie Johnson | |
| 8 |  |
Tony Stewart battled adversity at Atlanta and finished 8th. The 14 team has been one of the most consistent teams so far in 2009, but they appear to be a just outside the top 5 car each week. Bristol owes Stewart a spring win after his last 2 spring heart breaks. |
| -1 | Tony Stewart | |
| 9 |  |
Kevin Harvick finished 4th at Atlanta with about a 10th place car. His driver rating was lower then many of his competitors that surrounded him. Harvick loves Bristol and if he can find his old aggressive ways he could very likely win at Bristol. Harvick has a series best 9.6 average finish at Bristol. |
| - | Kevin Harvick | |
| 10 |  |
Not to many (Top) drivers had a bad day at Atlanta but Biffle was one of them. While his steep drop in the Power Rankings looks harsh just think about how the drivers who passed him performed. At Bristol Biffle has the 2nd best average finish (9.9) in the series. |
| -5 | Greg Biffle | |
| 11 |  |
If Atlanta was a shorter race Hamlin would’ve had a much better finish. Hamlin suffered handling problems and never was able to rebound. Hamlin’s history at Bristol is one of heart breaks. If the 11 team can get their mechanical/ fuel issues under control Hamlin could easily be 2-0 in the spring COT Bristol races. |
| - | Denny Hamlin | |
| 12 |  |
Jeff Burton was consistent at Atlanta, but if he’s going to be competitive he better get consistent around the top 5 and not around 14th. The 31 team just seems like their a little slower then some of their teammates at this point in the season. Burton is the defending Bristol winner but driving like Mr. Nice Guy most likely won’t get the job done this year (unless the leader has problems again). |
| - | Jeff Burton | |
| 13 |  |
Vickers is making his first appearance in the Power Rankings with his strong top 5 finish. Currently Vickers is in 11th in the point standings. Bristol could easily bounce him out if he duplicates his 25.7 average finish. In 9 career races at Bristol Vickers has zero top tens. Martinsville is also unfriendly to Brian. |
| NOT RATED | Brian Vickers | |
| 14 |  |
This year must be tough on Dale Earnhardt Jr fans. In eight years of fantasy racing this is the first year I’ve had Earnhardt Jr on my team, so I feel your pain. Fortunately Earnhardt Jr is a short track ace and loves Bristol. I just hope he doesn’t try any of that spinning on your own stuff again (or at least not say anything about it over his radio at Bristol). |
| - | Dale Earnhardt Jr | |
| 15 |  |
In the history of NASCAR nobody has luck like Mark Martin. Nobody wants the type of luck Mark Martin has. At the start of the season some people thought Mark Martin would be a serious contender for the championship (I tried to warn people about his luck). This still might be the case because the points in the Chase reset, but bad luck is never far away from Martin. This team is performing at an incredibly high level but three points paying races have just been flushed down the toilet. |
| -2 | Mark Martin |
Nascar Power Rankings: Bristol
March 11, 2009 By