2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup Preview: Sprint Cup Championship Favorites and Top Contenders: After minor tweaks to the Chase for the Sprint Cup format over the years, NASCAR decided to do a major overall for the 2014 season. The playoff field was expanded from 12 to 16 drivers, and four drivers will be eliminated after ever three races of the 10-race playoff until the final four drivers decide the championship in a one-race showdown in the season finale. Points will reset following each elimination race, creating a survive-and-advance feel the Chase that should make the championship as a wide open as it has ever been. With the regular season officially in the books, NASCAR’s new Chase for the Sprint Cup will begin this weekend. Here is a closer look at the drivers with the best chance of emerging as the 2014 Sprint Cup Series champion.
The Favorites
Fresh off a dominating victory at Richmond, Brad Keselowski will head into the Chase as the top-seeded driver by virtue of his series-leading four wins. He also leads the series with 10 top-three finishes and laps led and ranks fourth in average running positions so Keselowski has more than displayed the combination of consistency and speed to handle the new Chase format that features eliminations after every three races. The 2012 champ looks primed to contend for his second series crown.
In terms of pure race-to-race consistency, Jeff Gordon has been leading the way all season. His 17 top-10s lead all drivers, and he also leads the series in average running position, driver rating and percentage of time spent on the lead lap and ranks second in average running position. By the way, Gordon also has three wins and ranks fifth in the series in laps led so it’s not like he has just been sitting back and staying out of trouble. Gordon’s ability to run in and around the top five almost every week fits the new Chase format well and should give him a great chance to finally claim his fifth career title.
His luck hasn’t always been the best, but Kevin Harvick has had one of the fastest cars on the track almost every week. Heading into the Chase, he leads the series in fastest laps run and average green flag speed. He also ranks second in the series in driver rating and laps led and third in average running position. Harvick’s consistent week-to-week speed makes him a perfect candidate to survive and advance through the new Chase elimination format.
He hasn’t been at his best in recent weeks, but no driver knows how to turn it on for the Chase better than Jimmie Johnson. After all, he has won the championship in six of the last eight seasons, and no driver has won more races in the Chase. Plus, it’s not like he has had a bad year by any means. He has three wins, and his 16 top-10s rank second in the series. He also has the fifth-best driver rating and ranks third in laps led. Plain and simple, nobody has mastered the 10 tracks in the Chase better than Johnson and his team.
Top Contenders
While he has never made a serious run at a championship in the past, Joey Logano is having by far the best season of his career, and there is no doubt he has been one of the top overall drivers in 2014. His three wins and 10 top-five finishes are both tied for second in the series. Meanwhile, he ranks third in the series in both average green flag speed and driver rating, and he has led the fourth-most laps. Logano rolls into the Chase with six finishes of sixth or better in his last seven starts, and as long as he can handle the pressure of competing for a title, all the other pieces are in place.
Although he has bene quiet in recent weeks, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been one of the most consistent drivers all season. His three wins and 16 top-10s are tied for the second most in the series, and his 11 top-five finishes are tied for the most. Junior’s 10.9 average finish this season ranks second among drivers, and he ranks sixth or better in nearly every scoring loop category, including driver rating, average green flag speed and laps spent in the top 15. Junior just hasn’t shown many weaknesses this year.
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