No wins, yet Jimmie Johnson has been able to remain at the top of the mountain, until this week. Carl Edwards put together his fourth Top Ten in five starts this season, to go along with three wins in his past ten, to take over the summit. How long he stays there is another question.
No one is hotter at Martinsville than Johnson. He was 35th there in his first attempt back in the spring of 2002. He has finished in the Top Ten in the seventeen races he has run there since. If that isn’t dominance, then he needs to start wearing chaps with his leather suit and carry a whip. Johnson has to be considered a favorite to lay a beat down on the field this Sunday.
Kevin Harvick’s win keeps him at the big boys’ table this week, but Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne both made significant gains. Denny Hamlin may be slipping, but Joey Logano is the one in a free fall.
Kyle Busch was third at Fontana, but he was second at Charlotte ten races ago and so slipped a point over the past ten races. On the other hand, his brother Kurt, Paul Menard, and Tony Stewart moved up with significantly better results than they had in that race in the fall. So, while Kyle remains hot, those other three have become even hotter. Who said life was fair?
Here are our hot 20 drivers over the past 10 events…
1 (2) Carl Edwards – 369 pts – Most famous cousin not in the Grand Ole Opry.
2 (1) Jimmie Johnson – 367 pts – 18 Martinsville races, 17 Straight Top Tens, 6 Wins
3 (3) Kevin Harvick – 360 pts – As Bobby McFerrin sang, “Don’t be McMurray, be Happy.”
4 (6) Matt Kenseth – 332 pts – Daytona was a disaster, but 12th or better each race since.
5 (5) Mark Martin – 329 pts – For the 800th time, once more unto the breach, my friends.
6 (11) Ryan Newman – 317 pts – 3 top fives, 4 straight top tens, he is taking off like a…rocket.
7 (4) Denny Hamlin – 304 pts – Drives a Toyota, yet still sinking like a rock.
8 (10) Kurt Busch – 302 pts – Might be just going around in circles, but NASCAR’s no drag.
9 (8) Paul Menard – 301 pts – How do you like him now?
10 (9) Tony Stewart – 301 pts – Tony has been good, but not good enough for Tony.
11 (7) Kyle Busch – 292 pts – Performing like Junior was supposed to…and once did.
12 (17) Kasey Kahne – 290 pts – Best Martinsville finish since 2006? Last fall he was 14th.
13 (12) Juan Pablo Montoya – 281 pts – Already has made a million bucks this season.
14 (16) A.J. Allmendinger – 276 pts – Steady competitor, but not yet a contender.
15 (15) Martin Truex Jr – 270 pts – I want the sideburns back.
16 (14) Greg Biffle – 269 pts – Turn-a-round in last two needs to continue for next two or ten.
17 (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr – 267 pts – If he avoids disaster, a top ten driver after Darlington.
18 (13) Joey Logano – 258 pts – Consistency can be a good thing, but 23rd three times??
19 (18) David Ragan – 240 pts – 14 Top Tens in 2008, but just five since (in 78 races).
20 (22) Clint Bowyer – 239 pts – First Top Ten last week, but needs to string a few more.
Other notables…
21 (21) Jeff Gordon – 239 pts
22 (20) Jamie McMurray – 223 pts
25 (24) David Reutimann – 212 pts
27 (28) Jeff Burton – 191 pts
