BetUS NASCAR Power Rankings

7 days after the Super Bowl, on February 14th, the best stock car drivers in the world will descend upon the Daytona International Speedway for NASCAR’s yearly first race to the Sprint Cup Championship.

That race, the Daytona 500, has become not only NASCAR’s first race of its season, but also NASCAR’s signature race.  The Daytona 500 is the sport’s most popular race.  Winning it all but solidifies a driver’s reputation as a gifted gas jockey.

The Daytona 500 is also the reason for NASCAR sportsbook fans to check out my power rankings.  Check out the power rankings and then bet on the driver you like to win the Sprint Cup before the Daytona 500 if you prefer a likely Daytona winner and after the Daytona 500 if you prefer someone who should fail at Daytona.

It’s all about getting the best odds.   Who’s at the top of the power rankings?  Jimmie Johnson, of course, whose odds aren’t very good.  Then again, after the 3rd race in last year’s Chase his odds to win the Sprint Cup were -600.

So, if you like Jimmie, bet him right now because it’s doubtful you will get better than +250 on him no matter what he does at Daytona on February 14th.

NASCAR Power Rankings

1.  Jimmie Johnson +250 - - He’s won the Sprint Cup every year since 2006.  That’s 4 straight NASCAR Championships.  It’s one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in sports.  4 straight Sprint Cup title.  4 straight.  All I can say to those who don’t believe in Jimmie is, “Are you kidding me?  Do you know anything about how hard it is to be successful on the NASCAR circuit?  Do you?”  He would have to finish out of the Top 5 at Daytona to fall out of the top spot and in the bottom half of the field to fall out of the Top 10.  Even then, I’d be hesitant to drop him out of the ranking altogether.
   
2.  Tony Stewart +1000 - - Smoke held the top spot in the Sprint Cup Standings right before the Chase started.  He won only two races last year, and one of them was NASCAR’s All-Star Race, but it was Tony’s first season as a driver/owner.  Could he improve enough in his second season with the double title to win the Sprint Cup?  He could.  At the odds, he might be the best bet on the board right now.  It all depends on whether or not you believe in the dreaded sophomore jinx, but that usually occurs if you’re a film director or novelist, not a stock car driver.
   
3. Mark Martin +800 - - It used to be Gordon and Johnson as the top 2 guys on Team Hendrick.  Then, it became Johnson and Gordon.  Now, it’s Johnson and Martin.  In Mark Martin’s first year as a driver for Hendrick, he not only proved that age, Martin is 51, doesn’t mean squat, but that if you get a guy who is willing to work hard behind a Hendrick car, good things automatically happen.  Are you taking notes, Dale Jr.?  Martin was absolutely terrific in 2009 when winning 5 races, securing 7 poles and finishing second in the Chase.   He also ding-donged with Stewart from week to week to see who would be atop the Sprint Cup Standings.  With a few tweaks in his game plan Martin could win the Cup this year.
   
4. Carl Edwards +1000 - - After a terrific 2008, where he finished 2nd to Johnson in the Chase and won 9 races, Edwards didn’t win a single race in the Sprint Cup Series in 2009.  He should bounce back in 2010 because Roush Fenway Racing, the owners of Edwards’ #99 car, really wants a Sprint Cup Championship badly and they’ve come out and said that Edwards is their top driver.  I know that I’m giving Edwards and Roush a lot of credit early on in the season, but, hey, that’s why I try to keep up with these power rankings every week.  If he blows it at Daytona, don’t worry.  I’ll drop him.
   
5.  Kyle Busch +800 - - Let me ask a question, how does a driver win 4 Sprint Cup Races and not make it into the Chase? By finishing 20th or worse in 10 other Sprint Cup Races.  If Kyle Busch doesn’t get his mind straight, it’s all mental for this guy, then he won’t make the Chase in 2010.  But if he does get his mind straight, then the +800 is going to look like a gift!  In any case, I can’t put Kyle any worse than 5th in the pre-Daytona 500 power rankings.   If he finishes 41st at Daytona on February 14th, like he did in 2009, then I’ll put him outside of the rankings altogether.  His new crew chief, Dave Rogers, who has no experience in the Sprint Cup Series, will go a long way in determining how well Kyle does in 2010.
   
6. Jeff Gordon +800 - - This is the first time since 2005 that my good friend Mike hasn’t called me espousing upon the incredible talents of Jeff Gordon.  Oh, wait…what do we have?  10 days before the Daytona 500?  I’m waiting by the phone, Mike!  Look, I love Jeff Gordon.  He’s just a super cool dude who, along with Dale Earnhardt, put NASCAR on the map for a generation of 30-somethings, but the guy’s hurting, okay?  He’s got a bad back and sitting in a car for that long in that position…well, we’ll just have to wait and see how Jeff does, right?
   
7. Juan Pablo Montoya +1200 - - Was 2009, where he finished 8th in the Chase and racked up 6252 points, a coming out party for Montoya?  Or, was it an aberration?  I’m guessing it was a coming out party.  Montoya tore up Formula 1 and now he’s on the verge of tearing up NASCAR.  The man’s a stud.  He had 18 Top 10 and 7 Top 5 finishes in the Sprint Cup Series last year.  I’d put him at #1 on my power rankings to start the season if I wasn’t  afraid of people saying I had a man crush on the Colombian Cat.
   
8.  Kurt Busch +1500 -- The 2004 Sprint Cup winner had a terrific 2009 by winning 2 races and finishing in the Top 10 21 times.  He also finished in the Top 5 10 times in 2009.  Expect Big Brother Busch to either make a serious climb up the rankings or move out of it altogether very, very soon.  Why?  Busch will have a new crew chief in Steve Addington.  Does the name sound familiar?  It should.  Addington served as Kyle Busch’s crew chief in 2009.  That’s what I call sibling rivalry!
   
9. Kasey Kahne +3000 - - It took some time but Kahne and his crew got the #9 Budweiser car moving in the right direction again in 2009.  He too could be a big mover up the power rankings very soon because he showed flashes of brilliance last season.  Kasey won 2 races, made the Chase, and finished in the Top 5 seven times last season.  He’s worth serious consideration at the 30 to 1 odds to win 2010 Sprint Cup.
   
10. Denny Hamlin +1000 - - Don’t’ get me wrong.  If Denny didn’t have a busted ACL, I’d put him in the Top 5 in the power rankings.  He might still get there after a good showing at Daytona, but a busted ACL is harsh, man.  Yeah, I know, these guys “just drive cars” but you try sitting in a crunched up position for hours upon hours making split second decisions with your hands and feet while going 200 miles per hour in a race car!  See how your ACL feels!  That torn ACL is going to be an issue for Denny. 

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