Week 1 Rankings | Kenseth takes point
Monday, Feb. 16, 2009
The top 35 Sprint Cup teams following Daytona Speedweeks, ranked in terms of their performance and their potential for success this season. The number in parentheses before each driver's name is that team's 2009 preseason ranking:
1. (8) Matt Kenseth (car No. 17)
Typically for Kenseth, he may never get credit he's due for winning the Daytona 500.
2. (3) Kevin Harvick (car No. 29)
A Shootout victory and a runner-up finish in 500 made for a very solid Speedweeks.
3. (4) Kyle Busch (car No. 18)
Clearly had the best car in the Daytona 500 but a wreck not of his making ruined that.
4. (11) Tony Stewart (car No. 14)
Teammate Ryan Newman had bad Speedweeks, but Stewart came out of gate strong.
5. (6) Jeff Gordon (car No. 24)
If the race had gone the distance he might've been a factor. But it didn't so he wasn't.
6. (2) Carl Edwards (car No. 99)
This team made it through Speedweeks just OK. Now it's on to his kind of race track.
7. (1) Jimmie Johnson (car No. 48)
Champ stayed almost completely off the radar for the entire duration of Speedweeks.
8. (13) Mark Martin (car No. 5)
If the rain had come a different time the 500 cards might have finally fallen his way.
9. (10) Denny Hamlin (car No. 11)
It could have been interesting if the 500 had come down to his car vs. Kyle Busch's.
10. (5) Greg Biffle (car No. 16)
There might not be anybody who's happier that Speedweeks ended than these guys.
11. (14) David Ragan (car No. 6)
A solid top-10 finish for this driver who hopes that's just a sign of things to come.
12. (9) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (car No. 88)
He has nobody to blame but himself for the problems he and his team had in the 500.
13. (7) Jeff Burton (car No. 31)
14. (16) Jamie McMurray (car No. 26)
15. (19) Clint Bowyer (car No. 33)
16. (12) Kasey Kahne (car No. 9)
17. (15) Brian Vickers (car No. 83)
18. (17) Juan Pablo Montoya (car No. 42)
19. (18) Martin Truex Jr. (car No. 1)
20. (26) Elliott Sadler (car No. 19)
21. (20) Kurt Busch (car No. 2)
22. (21) Casey Mears (car No. 07)
23. (29) Michael Waltrip (car No. 55)
24. (25) Bobby Labonte (car No. 96)
25. (28) Reed Sorenson (car No. 43)
26. (22) Joey Logano (car No. 20)
27. (23) Ryan Newman (car No. 39)
28. (24) David Reutimann (car No. 00)
29. (33) Sam Hornish Jr. (car No. 77)
30. (34) Marcos Ambrose (car No. 47)
31. (27) David Stremme (car No. 12)
32. (30) Scott Speed (car No. 82)
33. (31) Paul Menard (car No. 98)
24. (32) Robby Gordon (car No. 7)
25. (35) Scott Riggs (car No. 36)
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