Pre-Chase Rankings

Field Filler

16. Paul Menard

            For proof that The Chase field is too large, look no further than Menard and his measly four top-10s this season.

15. Jamie McMurray

            Incredibly, this is the first time McMurray has ever made The Chase. He won’t stay in title contention very long.

14. Clint Bowyer

            Bowyer propelling his soon to be non-existent race team into the playoffs is a feat on it’s own.

13. Ryan Newman

            We love Newman, but the odds of him making another run like he did last year are remote.

I Don’t Think He Cares Anymore

12. Jeff Gordon

            Despite being in the midst of his worst season since his rookie year, Gordon has been smiling all over the place during his retirement tour. One of these days we’ll figure out at one point in the 2000s he stopped trying to be great.

They Have Speed, but Need to Get Hot

11. Carl Edwards

            Edwards has two wins this year, but one was by virtue of fuel mileage, and the other was on a track layout not like anything we’ll see in the final ten races. Furthermore, of all the winners this season, Edwards has the fewest top-5s and fewest top-10s.

10. Martin Truex Jr.

            Truex has cooled off considerably over the summer months, but with Dover and Loudon in the first round of The Chase, that could be a spring board for him returning to his early season form.

9. Denny Hamlin

            Hamlin has a decent track record of success at most of the tracks in the playoffs, and a win at Martinsville earlier in the year. If he makes it to the field of eight, Martinsville will give Hamlin his best chance of racing for the title at Homestead for the second year in a row.

You Can’t Count Them Out

8. Kurt Busch

            For a short time after his return from suspension, Busch was the only driver that could match Kevin Harvick’s consistency. That ability has waned over the summer, but Busch knows how to get it done in the playoffs and still has plenty of speed.

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

            Quietly, Junior has had the most consistent season of any of the Hendrick drivers in 2015. His dominance at the plate tracks this season bode well for him when the Sprint Cup returns to Talladega in October. His lack of Chase success is the only reason we don’t have him ranked in the top-5.

6. Brad Keselowski

            He’s third in top-10s, but Keselowski has just felt a little bit off all season. He’s let a couple of victories slip away, and hasn’t been able to match the level of performance on a week-to-week basis by his own teammate. Keselowski has won though at least one of the tracks in every round of The Chase, and is certainly capable of going on a hot streak.

5. Jimmie Johnson

            Johnson is tied for the most wins on the circuit, but he really hasn’t done much of anything since the spring. Summer swoons aren’t uncommon for Johnson, but Hendrick has fallen behind a few organizations in terms of overall speed for the first time in years. It’ll be a tall order for Johnson to earn his record tying seventh Cup title.

Our Final Four

4. Matt Kenseth

            Kenseth put an exclamation point on the regular season with a dominating run at Richmond. He has more momentum than anyone else in the garage.

3. Kyle Busch

            Kyle ripping off three straight wins in July to solidify his place in the playoffs was the most memorable run of the entire season. It will be interesting to see if he can overcome the demons of past postseason runs.

2. Joey Logano

            The Daytona 500 is second in both top-5s and top-10s to Kevin Harvick, and quietly is the most likely driver to knock Harvick off the throne.

1. Kevin Harvick

            Sure Harvick hasn’t won in a while, but his consistency has been remarkable. In 26 races, he’s posted 18 top-5s and 22 top-10s. We know he has Phoenix in the bag, so he is the most likely driver to be in the Final Four at Homestead.