Gaging the Elite in NASCAR Right Now
1. Kevin Harvick – Questionable putting him up there but it is the mechanics of the car and not him as the driver that is holding him back. He got better lap times than Truex but pitting and third gear times were the leak in an otherwise top notch game plan.
2. Martin Truex – A monster at laps led, he is gaining the experience he needs as a front runner to make him complete. Pocono was stellar for him. He has to improve in crowded fields with restarts or else he will have wins slipping from him.
3. Jimmie Johnson – He and only he is keeping him up near the top. The car is not the best and do not get us started on the pit crew. Only has innate talent as a driver kept him in the game.
4. Joey Logano – A mess right now after that pit penalty and changing transmissions to boot. Another driver held back by the limitations of his machine.
5. Little E – That awful mistake caused by Brad got him dinged and back to his old nickname. He has the car but is going through a funk on in car decisions.
Finally, we look at someone like Denny Hammlin. The best word to describe him right now is disinterested. What happened to that fighting spirit as he seems to phone in some results. He is a definite fade until July. The rest of the power ranking can be closed out as not many others are worth consideration so near the top Have these names to consider for your pre race futures and top tens. If you have a hunch on someone outside this then handicap them otherwise do not waste your time. This stage is where momentum is built and these men have proven themselves ahead of the pack so far in 2015.
