Chase For The Sprint Cup Seed Projections (After 13 Races)
The following is a projected seeding for the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Seeding is based upon a driver’s performance thus far in the season as well as the projected performance of a driver based on their history. This is similar to most power rankings but focuses on the seeding for the Chase while also recognizing race-to-race performance.
Jun 2, 2013; Dover, DE, USA; A view of the back stretch during the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
1. Matt Kenseth – 3 wins, 3 top 5s, 7 top 10s
2. Jimmie Johnson – 2 wins, 6 top 5s, 8 top 10s
3. Kyle Busch – 2 wins, 6 top 5s, 7 top 10s
4. Kasey Kahne – 1 win, 5 top 5s, 6 top 10s
5. Kevin Harvick – 2 wins, 3 top 5s, 5 top 10s
6. Clint Bowyer – 4 top 5s, 7 top 10s
7. Carl Edwards – 1 win, 5 top 5s, 7 top 10s
8. Brad Keselowski – 5 top 5s, 8 top 10s
9. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 3 top 5s, 8 top 10s
10. Jeff Gordon – 3 top 5s, 4 top 10s
11. Tony Stewart (Wild Card) – 1 win, 1 top 5, 3 top 10s
12. Martin Truex, Jr. (Wild Card) – 2 top 5s, 5 top 10s
The top four drivers in this week’s seed projections all looked to be potential contenders to win this past weekend at Dover but none of them were able to take the victory. Kyle Busch dominated the first half of the race and was the only one of the four to come home with a top five finish. Meanwhile, Matt Kenseth suffered engine issues, Jimmie Johnson was black flagged for jumping the final restart and Kasey Kahne wrecked in the race’s latter stages.
Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer both had good runs on Sunday while Carl Edwards hasn’t showed much speed in recent weeks. Brad Keselowski took home a top five after four straight races of finishing out of the top 10, Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled at Dover but still managed a 10th place effort while Jeff Gordon looked very strong in the final laps of Sunday’s event and seems to be trending upward.
Speaking of drivers trending upward, Tony Stewart has made big strides the past few weeks. His victory at Dover was a surprise given how he has ran for most of this season but teams should be worried if the 14 team continues improving. Martin Truex, Jr. continues to run strong but blew an engine at Dover which knocked him out of the top 10 in the points.
Just missing the cut: Paul Menard, Aric Almirola, Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Kurt Busch, Joey Logano
Joey Logano was the only only driver in this group to finish in the top 10 on Sunday. Kurt Busch showed some strength but a chance for a good finish for his team was undone due to their pit strategy.
On the fence: Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin’s late race misfortune at Dover might turn out to be the determining factor as to who will or won’t make the Chase. Hamlin was running solidly in the top 10 until he cut a tire which resulted in the race’s final caution. This set up the final laps of the race which ended up with Tony Stewart winning and boosting himself into a wild card slot for the Chase.
Not only did Hamlin’s incident cost him valuable points and set him back in his run to get to the top 20, it also helped one of his rivals in Stewart. With competitors like Truex, Biffle, Logano, Kurt Busch and others who are capable of winning races on any given week ahead of him in points, it looks like the odds of Hamlin making a comeback into the Chase are longer than initially thought.