S
stridsberry
Guest
Tony Stewart has used a hot last 2 races to take over the rankings lead, with the highest average ever to date. Drivers gaining ground are lead by Dale Jarrett and John Andretti; taking the biggest nosedives were Rusty Wallace and Michael Waltrip.
1. (4) TONY STEWART 140.1
He’s steadily worked his way back up into championship contention ever since New Hampshire.
2. (1) JIMMIE JOHNSON 132.2
Takes the lead back from Ryan Newman in the Byzantine, confusing-beyond-human-comprehension rookie standings.
3. (11) DALE JARRETT 128.3
In both of the Michigan races this year, 4 tires turned out to be the right call. More than can be said for most other tracks.
4. (5) MARK MARTIN 127.7
He’s inching ever closer to that elusive points lead – but either of the next 2 races could set him back all over again.
5. (3) BILL ELLIOTT 124.6
When you’re driving with one hand, and holding your car in gear with the other, it’s an accomplishment just to stay on the lead lap.
6. (2) RYAN NEWMAN 124.1
The engine gremlins cost him another excellent chance to win a race – but at least he was able to finish this time.
7. (7) RICKY RUDD 123.4
I still find it hard to believe that, this late in the season, a driver with single-digit top-10s is still in contention for the title.
8. (6) STERLING MARLIN 120.3
In order to protect his points lead, Sterling has to prove he can be competitive and finish in the top-5 at the short tracks – something he’s only done once in his last 16 such races.
9. (10) KEVIN HARVICK 118.3
Now THIS was the Kevin Harvick that experts were expecting at the start of season. It’s a shame he waited until halfway through the year.
10. (9) JEFF GORDON 116.2
People keeping going on about Jeff still being in title contention, but he hasn’t even lead a lap since Daytona, and has been a mid-packer since Chicago.
11. (13) MATT KENSETH 111.1
Failed in a bid for the sweep at Michigan, but it sure wasn’t the fault of his pit crew.
12. (8) RUSTY WALLACE 109.9
Looked like they just never managed to get Mad Max dialed in. On a different note, is Rusty ever going to resume his dominance at Bristol?
13. (16) JEFF GREEN 105.5
Okay, so now we know he can finish top-10 at a super speedway. Next up: a short-track!
14. (15) ROBBY GORDON 104.2
Made himself another enemy in the form of Hut Stricklin, and then faded badly in the final few laps.
15. (14) KURT BUSCH 103.4
The last few races have just about shot to hell any hopes he had of a top-5 points finsh.
16. (12) MICHAEL WALTRIP 103.2
If Michael could come any closer to backing up his qualifying efforts, he’d be a lot higher up in the points.
17. (19) JEFF BURTON 101.3
Ran the final few laps on worn-out tires AND a cooked engine, and he still finished 4th. That’s perseverance.
18. (18) BOBBY LABONTE 97.8
It looked for while like Bobby was finally going to get a top-10 finish, but he got overhauled big-time on that final sprint.
19. (20) DALE EARNHARDT JR. 90.6
You don’t see teams change left-sides only very often, and I wonder why you would in the first place.
20. (17) TERRY LABONTE 88.3
I thought he got his lap back coming back to the caution one of those times. How did he end up back on the tail-end of the lead lap again?
21. (22) DAVE BLANEY 86.6
Michigan sure wasn’t as kind and generous to Dave this year as it was last year.
22. (23) RICKY CRAVEN 86.3
Ran in the top-10 just all day, but they made the wrong call and took 2 tires instead of 4 on the next-to-last caution.
23. (21) WARD BURTON 80
He wasn’t as competitive as the first Michigan race…but the engine didn’t give out either. Call it even.
24. (25) BOBBY HAMILTON 78.7
I don’t have any praise for Bobby, but I sure do have praise for his pit crew. You’re going to stop Benny’s contest if you keep these stops up.
25. (28) JOHN ANDRETTI 76.9
John, remember how well you did at Bristol in the spring of 2001? Well, PE would really like it if you cold do that again.
26. (27) KYLE PETTY 75.9
Kyle may have met his goal of 15th-25th, but considering how well he was doing the first half of the year, his 2nd half has been a disappointment.
27. (24) ELLIOTT SADLER 74.9
It looks like the announcement of his new deal was the only highlight of the weekend.
28. (30) KEN SCHRADER 71.9
Two 14th-place finishes in three races give reason to hope that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
29. (26) JIMMY SPENCER 71.6
If I were Jimmy, I would be seriously concerned about whether or not I had a ride for next year.
30. (29) JEREMY MAYFIELD 70.9
What’s going through the mind of Jeremy right now: “Mmmm…only two more weeks until Darlington…”
31. (32) TODD BODINE 59
We’re back to the whole “eye-for-eye” thing again. Was Todd deserving of a fender smashing, or not? The right two people could debate that for weeks.
32. (35) MIKE SKINNER 58.7
He finished on the lead lap. That hasn’t happened much this year.
33. (31) CASEY ATWOOD 58.1
Michigan sure has been cruel to poor Casey this year. And to think he had finished 10th in the August race last year.
34. (34) STEVE PARK 57.5
Steve celebrated his contract extension by showing why he was on the hot seat in the first place.
35. (33) HUT STRICKLIN 57.3
The top-10 watch is still waiting…
36. (37) JERRY NADEAU 53.7
Normally, you get a decent finish if you’re on the lead lap. But that’s not so much so when there’s 32 cars on the lead lap at the conclusion.
37. (38) JOHNNY BENSON 53.6
In a trying, injury-riddled season, Michigan has been a welcome bright spot for Johnny.
38. (36) BRETT BODINE 52.9
Just how bad has his season been? He’s about to get passed in points by a guy who’s run in 5 fewer races.
39. (39) JOE NEMECHEK 41.4
Joe, you might be glad to hear that Bristol was where Jerry Nadeau got his only top-10 of the year. That’s food for thought.
40. (40) STACEY COMPTON 36.5
How nice of Mr. Melling to bring back Stacey, have a strong run (though it ended on a downer), and keep him on the ratings list!
1. (4) TONY STEWART 140.1
He’s steadily worked his way back up into championship contention ever since New Hampshire.
2. (1) JIMMIE JOHNSON 132.2
Takes the lead back from Ryan Newman in the Byzantine, confusing-beyond-human-comprehension rookie standings.
3. (11) DALE JARRETT 128.3
In both of the Michigan races this year, 4 tires turned out to be the right call. More than can be said for most other tracks.
4. (5) MARK MARTIN 127.7
He’s inching ever closer to that elusive points lead – but either of the next 2 races could set him back all over again.
5. (3) BILL ELLIOTT 124.6
When you’re driving with one hand, and holding your car in gear with the other, it’s an accomplishment just to stay on the lead lap.
6. (2) RYAN NEWMAN 124.1
The engine gremlins cost him another excellent chance to win a race – but at least he was able to finish this time.
7. (7) RICKY RUDD 123.4
I still find it hard to believe that, this late in the season, a driver with single-digit top-10s is still in contention for the title.
8. (6) STERLING MARLIN 120.3
In order to protect his points lead, Sterling has to prove he can be competitive and finish in the top-5 at the short tracks – something he’s only done once in his last 16 such races.
9. (10) KEVIN HARVICK 118.3
Now THIS was the Kevin Harvick that experts were expecting at the start of season. It’s a shame he waited until halfway through the year.
10. (9) JEFF GORDON 116.2
People keeping going on about Jeff still being in title contention, but he hasn’t even lead a lap since Daytona, and has been a mid-packer since Chicago.
11. (13) MATT KENSETH 111.1
Failed in a bid for the sweep at Michigan, but it sure wasn’t the fault of his pit crew.
12. (8) RUSTY WALLACE 109.9
Looked like they just never managed to get Mad Max dialed in. On a different note, is Rusty ever going to resume his dominance at Bristol?
13. (16) JEFF GREEN 105.5
Okay, so now we know he can finish top-10 at a super speedway. Next up: a short-track!
14. (15) ROBBY GORDON 104.2
Made himself another enemy in the form of Hut Stricklin, and then faded badly in the final few laps.
15. (14) KURT BUSCH 103.4
The last few races have just about shot to hell any hopes he had of a top-5 points finsh.
16. (12) MICHAEL WALTRIP 103.2
If Michael could come any closer to backing up his qualifying efforts, he’d be a lot higher up in the points.
17. (19) JEFF BURTON 101.3
Ran the final few laps on worn-out tires AND a cooked engine, and he still finished 4th. That’s perseverance.
18. (18) BOBBY LABONTE 97.8
It looked for while like Bobby was finally going to get a top-10 finish, but he got overhauled big-time on that final sprint.
19. (20) DALE EARNHARDT JR. 90.6
You don’t see teams change left-sides only very often, and I wonder why you would in the first place.
20. (17) TERRY LABONTE 88.3
I thought he got his lap back coming back to the caution one of those times. How did he end up back on the tail-end of the lead lap again?
21. (22) DAVE BLANEY 86.6
Michigan sure wasn’t as kind and generous to Dave this year as it was last year.
22. (23) RICKY CRAVEN 86.3
Ran in the top-10 just all day, but they made the wrong call and took 2 tires instead of 4 on the next-to-last caution.
23. (21) WARD BURTON 80
He wasn’t as competitive as the first Michigan race…but the engine didn’t give out either. Call it even.
24. (25) BOBBY HAMILTON 78.7
I don’t have any praise for Bobby, but I sure do have praise for his pit crew. You’re going to stop Benny’s contest if you keep these stops up.
25. (28) JOHN ANDRETTI 76.9
John, remember how well you did at Bristol in the spring of 2001? Well, PE would really like it if you cold do that again.
26. (27) KYLE PETTY 75.9
Kyle may have met his goal of 15th-25th, but considering how well he was doing the first half of the year, his 2nd half has been a disappointment.
27. (24) ELLIOTT SADLER 74.9
It looks like the announcement of his new deal was the only highlight of the weekend.
28. (30) KEN SCHRADER 71.9
Two 14th-place finishes in three races give reason to hope that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
29. (26) JIMMY SPENCER 71.6
If I were Jimmy, I would be seriously concerned about whether or not I had a ride for next year.
30. (29) JEREMY MAYFIELD 70.9
What’s going through the mind of Jeremy right now: “Mmmm…only two more weeks until Darlington…”
31. (32) TODD BODINE 59
We’re back to the whole “eye-for-eye” thing again. Was Todd deserving of a fender smashing, or not? The right two people could debate that for weeks.
32. (35) MIKE SKINNER 58.7
He finished on the lead lap. That hasn’t happened much this year.
33. (31) CASEY ATWOOD 58.1
Michigan sure has been cruel to poor Casey this year. And to think he had finished 10th in the August race last year.
34. (34) STEVE PARK 57.5
Steve celebrated his contract extension by showing why he was on the hot seat in the first place.
35. (33) HUT STRICKLIN 57.3
The top-10 watch is still waiting…
36. (37) JERRY NADEAU 53.7
Normally, you get a decent finish if you’re on the lead lap. But that’s not so much so when there’s 32 cars on the lead lap at the conclusion.
37. (38) JOHNNY BENSON 53.6
In a trying, injury-riddled season, Michigan has been a welcome bright spot for Johnny.
38. (36) BRETT BODINE 52.9
Just how bad has his season been? He’s about to get passed in points by a guy who’s run in 5 fewer races.
39. (39) JOE NEMECHEK 41.4
Joe, you might be glad to hear that Bristol was where Jerry Nadeau got his only top-10 of the year. That’s food for thought.
40. (40) STACEY COMPTON 36.5
How nice of Mr. Melling to bring back Stacey, have a strong run (though it ended on a downer), and keep him on the ratings list!
