by John Wiedemann
5/29/2008 The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will race 400 miles on the concrete banking of Dover. It is the halfway mark of the points races leading to the Chase for the Championship. This means that we are getting to the now or never point to make it into the Chase.
The RacingNation.com Power Rankings tells you who we think will be burning up the track. Feel free to let us know your thoughts, send us an email.
RacingNation.com Power Rankings Kyle Busch This is getting old but, until someone makes a case for knocking him off the top, Kyle is still the top dog. Carl Edwards Edwards finished third in this race last year and won the fall race. If there is one driver that can challenge Kyle right now, it is Carl. Greg Biffle – Dover has always been a good track for Biffle. He is on a streak of two consecutive 2nd place finishes in the Charlotte races, as well as a second place finish at Dover last fall. Starting with the 2005 season Biffle has had one finish outside of the top ten, a thirteenth place run in the fall of 2005. Dale Earnhardt Jr. He’s doing everything but finding his way to victory lane. Last weekend he led the most laps and finished 4th. Dale just needs one more step to get that win. Last year he started great in the spring race and finished poorly, then in the fall race he started poorly and finished great. Looks like we need to pay attention to his qualifying. Jeff Gordon He just renewed the contract with sponsor DuPont and would love to finish the weekend with a win in their hometown. Jimmie Johnson After losing an engine last week, look for this team to be locked and loaded for a win this weekend. Denny Hamlin Hamlin is currently in fourth on the downswing of what is becoming a rollercoaster season so far. Three top tens in four starts a Dover bodes well for a good ride this weekend. Matt Kenseth – Matt’s first cup race was at Dover, subbing for Bill Elliott. 190 points out of 12th, he needs a good finish this week – he needs a good finish every week! Tony Stewart Another driver that isnt having the season one may be looking for. Tony normally starts slow but the hot streak should happen soon. Mark Martin Not running a full schedule keeps Martin out of the spotlight, but he has been running well this year. Four top tens, including two top fives, in the last six races are nothing to sneeze at. In the point standings, he is ahead of ten drivers that have run the full schedule. Martin like’s this track and should run up front. Jeff Burton – Dover has been good to Burton and a win this weekend would not be out of the question. Martin Truex Jr. Returning to the site of his first Cup win could be the kick to get Martin’s season back into gear. Others to watch: Kasey Kahne – Will the big Mo continue for Kasey? Elliott Sadler As Kasey has been running better, so has Elliott. He even renewed his contract. David Ragan Last week he dropped one spot out the chase, can he get back in? Kurt Busch Currently 21st in points, he needs top fives NOW if he has any thoughts of making the Chase. Ryan Newman – He is on the cusp of the Chase, a good run puts him back in. Clint Bowyer He is silently fifth in points. At the end of the race, you can find him near the front.