[media-credit name=”Dan Sanger” align=”alignright” width=”213″]
[/media-credit]A funny thing happened en route to Homestead, at least is might be somewhat amusing if you are not Denny Hamlin. The car didn’t have a ton of speed starting out in Chicago, but Hamlin seemed sure it would run well on Sunday. Too bad the race was pushed back to Monday. It started to vibrate, they got new tires, but when he made contact with Greg Biffle to cut one down that pretty much sealed the deal. At least he has been hotter as of late than, say, Biffle and Jeff Burton, but I doubt that would make Hamlin feel any better.
Brad Keselowski is just a hair behind Jeff Gordon over the past ten events, greatly assisted by a couple of wins. Gordon, Ryan Newman, and now Tony Stewart each have victories of their own, and while Jimmie Johnson has not, six Top Fives and a couple Top Tens should keep him from complaining too much.
Meanwhile, Clint Bowyer is out there looking for a new job as it appears he will be leaving RCR. Too bad he has also left our Top Twenty, as he has slid two points behind David Ragan and Kasey Kahne. If it is any consolation, he is running better than both Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray, but it probably is not.
With nine to go on the season, here is a look at our hot twenty drivers over the past ten races.
1. Jeff Gordon – 373 pts
No gas, yet still caught for speeding?
2. Brad Keselowski – 372 pts
Rusty may have won 37 races in 15 years driving this car, but that still doesn’t forgive ESPN.
3. Ryan Newman – 361 pts
Looking for a broom so he can sweep Loudon this weekend.
4. Jimmie Johnson – 358 pts
If he wins it again, maybe he could sell all that “5-Time” merchandise to Jeff.
5. Tony Stewart – 341 pts
Doesn’t deserve a place in the Chase my ass.
6. Carl Edwards – 338 pts
It might be Carl’s year, but has anyone told these other guys yet?
7. Kyle Busch – 337 pts
I hear he is the most talked about driver in NASCAR, but does that include profane references?
8. Kevin Harvick – 323 pts
UPS let Jarrett drive the big brown truck, but Bud won’t let Happy anywhere near the beer wagon.
9. Matt Kenseth – 316 pts
He didn’t push me, he was slow drafting.
10. Kurt Busch – 298 pts
Claims to be in Jimmie’s head, but Johnson is definitely a pain in Kurt’s..well, you know.
11. Martin Truex Jr – 295 pts
Wondering when he finally gets to do a NAPA commercial with Junior.
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 288 pts
Won 14 races with Michael Waltrip as a team-mate, two since. I’m just saying…
13. A.J. Allmendinger – 281 pts
Won five Champ car races in 2006, but then…
14. Mark Martin – 274 pts
Go Granddaddy.com. Like Mark, the line is an oldie but a goodie.
15. Marcos Ambrose – 263 pts
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich.
16. Denny Hamlin – 262 pts
Went from underdog to road kill in just one race.
17. Joey Logano – 260 pts
Instead of Home Depot, shouldn’t he be sponsored by Toys-R-Us?
18. Greg Biffle – 258 pts
Does his air filter come from 3-M by any chance?
19. Jeff Burton – 255 pts
Things could be worse, but that would mean he was back in 1995.
20. David Ragan – 253 pts
Instead of the big brown truck, Ragan is stuck driving a big brown something else.
21. Kasey Kahne – 253 pts
It’s just another manic Monday, I wish it was Sunday.
