2013 Sprint Cup Series Predictions and Power Rankings: Top 10 Championship Contenders

2013 Sprint Cup Series Predictions and Power Rankings: Top 10 Championship Contenders The summer months are fast approaching, and the 2013 Cup Series regular season is a third of the way complete. There have definitely been some ups and down for a lot of the drivers as they adjust to the new Gen-6 car, but there have also been a few drivers that haven’t missed a beat while other big names have just been struggling. Of course, there is still plenty of time left for the current leaders to slip back and for other drivers to bounce back, but in the meantime, here is a closer look at the drivers that have established themselves as the early favorites for the 2013 Cup Series title.

1.      Jimmie Johnson: We are only nine races into the season, and Johnson has already built up a 43-point lead. His 7.2 average finish is by far the best in the series, and his two wins are tied for the most. At this rate, he will be able to take a couple of races off prior to the playoffs and still be the point leader. Johnson is in a class by himself right now.

2.      Brad Keselowski: He has yet to win in 2013, but Keselowski has continued to show the consistency that won him the championship last year. In fact, he leads all drivers with seven top-10 finishes through nine races. Take away a couple of wrecks, and he is breathing down Jimmie Johnson’s neck for the point lead. In the long run, he could definitely repeat as champ.

3.      Kyle Busch: Busch looks like a new man in 2013, and he has already gone on a hot streak that reminds the competition of just how talented he is. Busch is tied for the series lead with two wins, and his five top-five finishes are the most of any driver. He also ranks second in laps led. Granted, he runs hot and cold, but if Busch can sync a hot streak up with the playoffs, he could steamroll to a title.

4.      Matt Kenseth: Mechanical failures, wrecks and a ridiculous penalty have Kenseth buried in the standings, but there is no denying the speed he has shown week in and week out. He is currently tied for the series lead with two wins, and he leads all drivers with 622 laps led while no other driver has even reached 500. Aside from some decent luck, Kenseth has all the pieces in place to win a championship.

5.      Carl Edwards: After being one of the biggest disappointments in 2012, Edwards has returned to his championship form in 2013. He has already gone to Victory Lane after going winless a year ago, and his four top-five finishes have also surpassed last year’s total. Edwards hasn’t finished outside the top 20 since the season opener, and as long as he can continue to sprinkle in some top-five finishes with his overall consistency, he will have a shot at the series crown.

6.      Kasey Kahne: Kahne got off to another slow start, but his two-race slump to open 2013 was nothing compared to the six-race nightmare he started last season with. More importantly, Kahne has already recovered, climbing to third in the standings thanks to six finishes of 11th or better in his last seven starts. Kahne has four top-five finishes, including a win, during the stretch, and if he can eliminate the random poor outings that seem to creep up on occasion, he can pile up enough top-five finishes in a short span to win a championship.

7.      Clint Bowyer: A few races into the year, it appeared that the runner-up curse was going to derail Bowyer’s season. However, he has righted the ship recently, ripping off four top-five finishes in the last six races and climbing back into the top five in the standings. Bowyer hasn’t won a race yet this year, but he does have a couple of second-place finishes and seems to be getting stronger. After his late-season surge a year ago and his recent hot streak, Bowyer is definitely a driver to watch as the season goes on.

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