The 2012 Sprint Cup season is only a few weeks away, and a wild offseason is finally winding down. High-profile drivers and crew chiefs changed teams, and while a majority of the big names landed new rides, Brian Vickers was the odd man out during Silly Season.
While losing a driver that made the Chase in 2010 is a minor blow to fantasy owners, having the rest of the pieces fall in place gives owners a chance to get their ducks in a row heading into the Daytona 500 with some expanded preseason power rankings.
|
Rank
|
Driver |
2011 Driver Rating
|
Stock |
|
1
|
Jimmie Johnson |
99.1
|
In arguably his worst year, Johnson still finished second in top-fives and top-10s and was third in average finish |
|
2
|
Carl Edwards |
101.0
|
He is coming off a year when he had five more top-five and top-10 finishes than the next closest driver |
|
3
|
Kevin Harvick |
92.2
|
He's not flashy, but Harvick's 10.1 average finish the last two years makes him as reliable as any driver |
|
4
|
Kyle Busch |
104.1
|
Expect a meltdown at some point, but he will lead a ton of laps and win plenty of races along the way |
|
5
|
Matt Kenseth |
98.9
|
He is quietly enjoying the best two-year stretch of his career and had three wins to go with 20 top-10s in 2011 |
|
6
|
Tony Stewart |
96.0
|
Another championship may be out of reach, but he is still one of the top all-around drivers |
|
7
|
Jeff Gordon |
96.5
|
He may not be a title threat, but 10-plus top-five finishes and 15-plus top-10s are a lock |
|
8
|
Denny Hamlin |
88.1
|
The hangover from his championship collapse in 2010 ruined his 2011 season, but it won't loom as large this year |
|
9
|
Brad Keselowski |
87.1
|
After a breakout year, Keselowski begins life as Penske Racing's top driver |
|
10
|
Kasey Kahne |
89.7
|
It's Kahne's time to shine as he joins Hendrick Motorsports, but he has to handle high expectations |
|
11
|
Greg Biffle |
85.9
|
His luck was beyond terrible last season, and Biffle should be primed for a rebound year |
|
12
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
83.3
|
Junior returned to respectability last season, but with just four top-fives, he has work left to do |
|
13
|
Ryan Newman |
88.3
|
There is no doubt that the move to Stewart-Haas Racing has saved his career |
|
14
|
A.J. Allmendinger |
80.5
|
The unexpected move to Penske Racing should lead to a career year for the ever-improving Allmendinger |
|
15
|
Clint Bowyer |
87.5
|
His move to Michael Waltrip Racing is a definite equipment downgrade |
|
16
|
Joey Logano |
73.8
|
The results aren't living up to the hype, and the inconsistent youngster is looking at a do or die year |
|
17
|
Martin Truex Jr. |
82.4
|
He has 11 DNFs compared to just five top-five finishes the last three years |
|
18
|
Marcos Ambrose |
76.7
|
Ambrose made some big strides at the intermediate ovals last year, proving he is more than just a road course ringer |
|
19
|
Jeff Burton |
78.7
|
Burton should imrpove on his dismal 2011 numbers, but his days as a top-10 driver are over |
|
20
|
Juan Pablo Montoya |
77.2
|
He is a caution waiting to happen, and his numbers have steadily declined since making the Chase in 2009 |
|
21
|
Kurt Busch |
93.7
|
Busch is the ultimate boom or bust pick, but driving for Phoenix Racing brings a lot of uncertainty |
|
22
|
Paul Menard |
78.9
|
He had a respectable debut with Richard Childress Racing, but his ceiling is limited |
|
23
|
Jamie McMurray |
71.0
|
He regressed big time in 2011, and his career numbers suggest his three-win campaign in 2010 was a fluke |
|
24
|
Mark Martin |
75.9
|
The quality of his performances will make up for his limited schedule this year |
|
25
|
Aric Almirola |
NA
|
The highly-regarded prospect finally gets a chance to go full-time racing in the Cup Series |
|
26
|
Regan Smith |
71.1
|
Smith doesn't have the resources to contend with the top drivers, but he gets the most out of what he does have |
|
27
|
Trevor Bayne |
NA
|
The defending Daytona 500 is running a limited schedule, but he should provide solid results when he does race |
|
28
|
David Ragan |
78.3
|
Landing with Front Row Motorsports wasn't exactly what Ragan had in mind, and it severly limits his fantasy value |
|
29
|
Bobby Labonte |
58.8
|
His fantasy value is minimal at this point in his career, but he does make the field every week |
|
30
|
David Reutimann |
68.2
|
After his dud of a year with Michael Waltrip Racing , things aren't likely to get better with Tommy Baldwin Racing |
