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NASCAR Cup Series: Ranking the 8 round of 8 drivers

By William Richard

KANSAS CITY, KS - OCTOBER 21: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, leads Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Light Ford (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, KS - OCTOBER 21: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, leads Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Light Ford (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /
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TALLADEGA, AL – OCTOBER 13: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
TALLADEGA, AL – OCTOBER 13: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

2nd and 1st

2. Kyle Busch

Picking between the final two is harder than I thought it would be. Keep reading to find out who my number one pick is (as if you didn’t already know), and you’ll realize why.

In the number two spot, we find 2015 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch. Busch, who recorded an average finish of 12.66 through the first six playoff events, still finds himself near the top of my rankings due to his hunger for a second championship as well as his raw talent.

Busch may have had a rough round of 12, but the round of 8 is built for him to find success. He has recorded six consecutive top five finishes at Martinsville Speedway, including two wins. In addition to his performance at “The Paperclip”, he has also recorded a combined four wins at Texas Motor Speedway and ISM Raceway.

I’ve said all season that Busch is one my two favorites to win it all, but I’m not so sure he beats my number one pick. Reaching the Championship 4 is almost a guarantee for him. We’ll find out if the candy man can cure his sweet tooth in just a few weeks!

1. Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick has been, still is and will continue to be my championship favorite.

There is no doubt that he has slowed down as of late, but don’t think that Happy Harvick will let another championship slip away from him. Harvick, who ripped off seven wins in the season’s first 23 races of the season, has been winless since he won the race at Michigan International Speedway in mid-August.

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Before you jump off the Harvick bandwagon, just remember one thing. Most of his miscues have been pit-related miscues, not performance-related miscues. Looking back on both the races at Dover International Speedway and Kansas Speedway, Harvick had the winning car but couldn’t close the deal in the pits,

At the race at Dover International Speedway, Harvick had a lug nut snap the valve stem, resulting in a flat tire in the closing laps of the 400-lap event. He did, however, make the mistake himself in the race at Kansas Speedway when he was caught speeding on pit road.

One thing I have always credited Harvick with is being clutch in tense moments. He is exactly who you want behind the wheel in this current playoff format. I always envision a late restart to win the championship in the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and who do I trust the most? The guy who has a proven track record.

Until he shows me otherwise, Kevin Harvick will remain my number one pick to win the championship in under  four weeks.

Next. Top 100 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark

Thanks for reading, folks! I hope you enjoyed the weekend at Kansas Speedway. Now let’s get ready for some great short track racing from Martinsville Speedway. See you next time!

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