The last time the engines roared at Daytona, Kevin Harvick had one that gave up the ghost before most of the others even managed to heat up. That 42nd place finish has been his worst of the season, and in 17 races he has been outside the Top 15 just four times. This is why Happy is just that with nine races to pull before they get down to the Chase to determine a new champion.
[media-credit name=”Mike Finnegan” align=”alignright” width=”240″]
[/media-credit]It seems that if a driver can average 30 points per race, good things are happening. Nine have done that over the past ten events, with another three in there close. Joey Logano is among them and, after missing a Top Twenty spot the opening five events of the season, he has clawed his way back to be in contention for a wildcard should he win between now and Richmond. On the other side of the fence, neither Ryan Newman nor Juan Pablo Montoya have done much lately to indicate they will remain in the hunt.
A win, or something close to it, in Kentucky could go a long way in changing that perception.
Here at the hottest 20 over the past ten events…
Pos (Official) Driver – Pts/10 races – (W-T5-T10)
1 (1) Kevin Harvick – 358 pts – (1-3-6)
Summer at Daytona sure beat the winter there.
2 (4) Kurt Busch – 330 pts – (1-3-4)
A tough year off-track, a good one on it.
3 (3) Kyle Busch – 329 pts – (1-5-5)
Finished 5th and no one tried to beat him up. It was a good week.
4 (8) Jeff Gordon – 327 pts – (1-4-5)
Four Top Tens in his last five. That is how you do it.
5 (2) Carl Edwards – 325 pts – (0-5-7)
Lately, it has been either a Top Five, or 37th place.
6 (11) Denny Hamlin – 321 pts – (1-3-5)
The way he is running, Denny won’t need no wildcard.
7 (5) Matt Kenseth – 321 pts – (1-3-5)
Too early to count his chickens, but he has a lot of eggs.
8 (6) Jimmie Johnson – 321 pts – (1-2-6)
Have you noticed how popular he got the more he won titles?
9 (9) Clint Bowyer – 304 pts – (0-2-5)
Funny how some torn sheet metal can ruin one’s day.
10 (7) Dale Earnhardt Jr – 299 pts – (0-2-4)
If it requires lubricant, it got to be some kind of weird racing.
11 (20) Joey Logano – 295 pts – (0-2-4)
Running much better as of late, but a win wouldn’t hurt.
12 (13) Greg Biffle – 290 pts – (0-0-3)
Four straight outside Top Ten does not help the bottom line.
13 (12) Tony Stewart – 281 pts – (0-0-4)
Less rear rubber than what he had at Sonoma was the way to go at Daytona.
14 (15) A.J. Allmendinger – 274 pts – (0-1-3)
Has been steady, but what he needs is spectacular.
15 ( 17) David Ragan – 272 pts – (1-3-3)
15th here, 17th officially, with his hands currently on a wildcard.
16 (22) Brad Keselowski – 269 pts – (1-2-3)
Got a win, but now needs some points.
17 (19) Kasey Kahne – 266 pts – (0-3-3)
2012 Hendrick contract has given Kasey his wings to fly.
18 (18) Mark Martin – 266 pts – (0-1-3)
Hoping to replace Kasey after he replaces him?
19 (10) Ryan Newman – 265 pts – (0-1-3)
Newman has got to get himself a new plan
20 (23) Martin Truex Jr – 262 pts – (0-0-4)
In last eight, four Top Tens, four times 20th or worse.
23 (16) Paul Menard – 257 pts – (0-1-2)
No doubt on a mission to find Montoya down in the deep.
27 (14) Juan Pablo Montoya – 236 pts – (0-0-2)
This isn’t the time to go ice cold, muchacho.
