2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver Rankings: Week 24
With three races remaining until the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, we have some significant movement in this week’s "Driver Rankings."
Jimmie Johnson, who has held the top spot for the last several weeks, falls to third, while Sprint Cup points leader and defending series champion Kevin Harvick takes over the No. 1 position in the rankings.
Others making big moves up the rankings ladder include Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth.
Perhaps the biggest mover this week is Jeff Gordon—but we don’t mean that in a good way.
Because he’s struggled of late and has dropped to 13th in the Sprint Cup standings, we couldn’t see keeping the four-time champ in this edition of the rankings.
What’s more, while it’s likely he’ll still make the Chase for the Sprint Cup, let’s not forget, with three races remaining until the start of the Chase, Gordon could still miss the playoffs, much like Clint Bowyer fell out of the Chase last season in the final pre-Chase qualifying race at Richmond.
10. Ryan Newman
1 of 10
Previous ranking: Unranked
Why he’s here
Newman is doing exactly what he did to make last year’s Chase: driving (and finishing) consistently. He moved up one spot after Michigan to 12th in the driver rankings, passing Jeff Gordon, who dropped to 13th. Newman has been flying under the radar the last several weeks, much like he did last year. Can you say deja vu?
Key 2015 moments
Newman hasn’t gone crazy or done anything unusual of late. In fact, in his last eight starts, he has three top-10 and two other top-15 finishes. And in that same span, he’s improved from 14th to 12th. That’s exactly how he did it in 2014, so why mess with success?
What’s next?
Same recipe, same meal. That’s what Newman must do in the final three regular-season races. Sure, it would be great to get a win, but he managed to get through the entire season in 2014 without a visit to Victory Lane—and almost won the championship, finishing a close second to eventual champ Kevin Harvick.
9. Kurt Busch
2 of 10
Previous ranking: 5th
Why he’s here
With two wins, Busch is locked into the Chase. But some of his recent performances are not the kind of thing he needs heading into the Chase. Busch has faltered in two of the last three races, finishing 37th at Pocono, bouncing up for a strong fifth-place finish at Watkins Glen, only to drop back down to a 20th-place showing at Michigan. That’s why he’s dropped in this week’s rankings.
Key 2015 moments
His two wins at Richmond and Michigan have been his brightest spots of 2015. But let’s not forget that had he not missed the season's first three races after being suspended by NASCAR, he likely would be even higher in the standings. Still, sitting eighth in the rankings is a decent position.
What’s next
Busch has to work on momentum going into the Chase. Fortunately, he has a strong history at two of the next three tracks: Bristol (five career wins) and Richmond (two wins). Can he reach back for some of his old magic at those tracks to give him a kick-start heading into the Chase?
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3 of 10
Previous ranking: 3rd
Why he’s here
Maybe it’s me, but even though he’s had decent success in the last several races, Dale Earnhardt Jr. just hasn’t done anything spectacular, either. Since winning at Daytona last month, Junior’s managed two top fives and two other top 11s in his last six starts. But it just seems like something’s missing: He comes close but just can’t seem to seal the deal.
If he continues that road in the Chase, it could be an early exit and yet another failed attempt for his first career Sprint Cup championship.
Key 2015 moments
Obviously, Junior’s wins at Talladega and Daytona have been his season's highlights. But he just hasn’t had the same zip and pizzazz that he had during 2014. He has only one career win at Bristol, none at Darlington and three at Richmond.
Granted, he may be doing just enough to maintain his position heading into the Chase, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But we’d just like to see more flash to show just how serious he is about winning the championship this season.
What’s next
Junior needs a big win heading into the Chase. The momentum gained could carry him through at least the first round, if not the second. But while his recent string of consistency has been admirable, he definitely needs to pick things up a notch or two, lest he run the risk of being an also-ran when the Chase starts.
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7. Kyle Busch
4 of 10
Previous ranking: 9th
Why he’s here
Kyle Busch continues to amaze. After missing the first 11 races due to a broken right leg and fractured left foot, he’s competed in just 12 of the first 23 races, yet he has climbed from 41st to 29th in that period, making him Chase-eligible. Given that he’s riding a boatload of momentum, he will likely be one of the top contenders once the Chase starts.
The biggest thing is whether he can keep that momentum going through the Chase. After all, 13 more races is a long way to go.
Key 2015 moments
Without question, his four wins (Sonoma, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Indianapolis) have been Busch’s season highlights. But it’s likely there are still quite a few more highlights to be made between now and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Given what he’s done thus far, Busch has the potential to be the most exciting driver to watch from here on out.
What’s next
Busch will likely look to win at least one of the next three races to give him the top-seed edge over Jimmie Johnson, who is tied with Busch with a series-leading four wins apiece. His best chances to reach Victory Lane once again will likely be Bristol and Richmond, but Darlington isn’t all that far behind potential-wise, either.
6. Brad Keselowski
5 of 10
Previous ranking: 7th
Why he’s here
Brad Keselowski has quietly and methodically continued to improve his overall lot over the last several weeks. Since leaving Daytona ranked seventh in the Sprint Cup standings, he’s slowly moved his way up to fifth. In those six races since Daytona, Keselowski has two runner-up finishes and four other top-10 showings.
Key 2015 moments
Keselowski's biggest moment thus far this season was his win in the fifth race of the 2015 campaign, at Fontana. He also has three runner-up showings (Martinsville, Loudon and Pocono). While he’s not having the kind of season he did in 2014, when he won a series-high six races, Keselowski is maintaining consistency, which is the next best thing.
What’s next
Given that he’s already locked into the Chase, Keselowski can afford to gamble a bit in the remaining three regular-season races. He has a very good chance of winning Saturday night at Bristol (already has two career wins there) and two weeks later at Richmond (one win). He has a mixed record at Darlington (no wins, one top five and two top 10s in six starts).
5. Martin Truex Jr.
6 of 10
Previous ranking: 8th
Why he’s here
Martin Truex’s third-place finish at Michigan on Sunday was much like his run of strong showings earlier in the season. Does it mean he’s completely back? No, not necessarily, given some of the inconsistency he’s shown in several of the last eight races. But at the same time, as strong as he looked at Michigan, it’s a hopeful indicator of even better things to come.
Key 2015 moments
Truex had an outstanding first half of the season, being arguably the best driver in the series behind Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson. But his struggles at Sonoma (42nd), Daytona (38th), Pocono (19th) and Watkins Glen (25th) have been a cause for concern.
However, his third-place finish at Michigan was somewhat of a watershed mark. Not only was it his best finish since the June race at Michigan (also ended up third), but it also allowed him to jump from sixth to fourth in the Sprint Cup standings.
What’s next
Now that he’s back in fourth place, Truex can let it all hang out in the last three races and go for another win or more. The stronger his performance is heading into the Chase, arguably his chances of doing well in the 10-race playoff will also be stronger.
4. Matt Kenseth
7 of 10
Previous ranking: 6th
Why he’s here
Matt Kenseth has been arguably the hottest driver in the Sprint Cup series in the last six races. He’s won two of the last three events (Pocono and Michigan), and has two other top-five and two other top-seven finishes. But here’s an irony: For as good as Kenseth has performed of late, he’s still remained in seventh place in the Sprint Cup standings for the last five weeks.
Key 2015 moments
It’s been a good year for Kenseth thus far. He has three wins, nine top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. If he can extend his recent run, he could go into the Chase with perhaps the best momentum of any of the 16 drivers who reach the playoffs.
What’s next
Given that he’s won two of the last three races, why not three of the next four after Saturday night’s race at Bristol? He won for the fourth time in his career there earlier this season and would likely love to make a season sweep at NASCAR’s most infamous half-mile bullring.
3. Jimmie Johnson
8 of 10
Previous ranking: 1st
Why he’s here
Jimmie Johnson is coming off one of his worst finishes of the season (39th) this past Sunday at Michigan. While Johnson had decent finishes the three previous weeks, including a sixth-place finish at Pocono, there just seems to be something missing with the No. 48 team of late.
Key 2015 moments
With wins at Atlanta, Texas, Kansas and Dover, either Johnson or Kyle Busch (who also has four wins to date) will likely be the No. 1 seed in the Chase for the Sprint Cup when the points are reset after Richmond. This is especially good for Johnson, as he’ll revisit all of those tracks except Atlanta, which gives him a chance for a potential season sweep at all three.
What’s next
Johnson needs a big win in the next three races to go into the Chase to prop up some of the sagging momentum he has of late. History is on his side: He has a combined seven wins at the next three tracks—one win at Bristol and three each at Darlington and Richmond.
2. Joey Logano
9 of 10
Previous ranking: 4th
Why he’s here
Joey Logano’s jump from fourth to second in this week’s rankings is easy to explain: In his last 10 starts, he has one win (Watkins Glen), six other top fives (including two runner-ups) and two other top-10 showings. He’s peaking at the right time heading into the Chase.
Key 2015 moments
Obviously, winning the season-opening Daytona 500 remains the biggest highlight thus far of both Logano’s season and career. But he’s worked very methodically in most other races, challenging when he can and yet also finishing as high as his car will allow. He hasn’t overly pushed things, which is to his credit. He needs to save that for the Chase.
What’s next
While Logano’s consistency of late has been commendable, his overall combined performance at Bristol, Darlington and Richmond hasn’t exactly been the greatest. But now is not the time to stray from what’s gotten him to this point. He simply needs to maintain his consistency, don’t swing for the fences too often and he’ll go into the Chase with a strong head of steam.
1. Kevin Harvick
10 of 10
Previous ranking: 2nd
Why he’s here
Kevin Harvick appears to be back to the kind of great run he had earlier in the season, when he amassed 10 top-two finishes (two wins, eight runner-up showings) in the first 14 races. In the last eight races, Harvick has one runner-up (Michigan last Sunday), three top-three finishes, a pair of top-four showings and one eighth-place outing. He’s definitely back on top of his game.
Key 2015 moments
Not only does he have two wins, Harvick has been the points leader from the third race of the season. The defending Sprint Cup champion appears well on his way toward potentially making it two championships in a row if he keeps up what he’s been doing of late.
What’s next
Harvick has the luxury of doing nothing but race for wins in the next three races. The reason is simple: He already has been No. 1 for the last 20 weeks. But he’ll lose his top spot once the points are reset after Richmond.
If Harvick can win two of the next three (he has a combined record of five wins between Bristol, Darlington and Richmond), he has a chance to be seeded No. 1 after Richmond. That’s pretty strong incentive, for sure.
Follow me on Twitter @JerryBonkowski
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