Tue Dec 20 11:32am EST
Power Rankings: The best drivers under 30
By Jay Busbee
Sure, it's the offseason, but that doesn't mean we can't throw out a few Power Rankings now and then. Today, we focus on the young bucks, the drivers under the age of 30 who will be dominating the sport for the next 15 years or so. Most NASCAR drivers don't seem to hit their peak until their early 30s, so we've got plenty of time to watch these cats in action.
1. Kyle Busch (26): His constant struggles in the Chase notwithstanding, Busch is far and away the best driver in this crew, and one of the top handful now in NASCAR. Love him or hate him, he'll be around for a long, long time,
2. Brad Keselowski (27): Kes probably would have struggled to make the top five on this list as recently as July. But his hot streak vaults him almost to the top, and he actually beat Busch in the 2011 season standings. Now, what does he do for an encore?
3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (23): The 2011 Nationwide Series champ is very, very close to the big time. Question is, where's he going to drive on the Sprint level?
4. AJ Allmendinger (30). He turned 30 last Friday, so we're bending the rules a bit to let him in, but what the heck. Dinger is this offseason's unquestionable hard-luck case, with rumors running rampant of him getting pushed out of his car by Kurt Busch and now losing his primary sponsor in Best Buy. Shame, too, because his on-track career is definitely on the upswing.
5. Joey Logano (21): We're getting close to a make-or-break year for Logano. One more season outside the Chase competition and he may well become expendable for the Gibbs organization. Still, he's shown the ability to reel off strings of strong finishes, and perhaps a new crew chief will invigorate him.
6. Trevor Bayne (20): He's got himself a Daytona 500 win, and they can't take that away from him. Not even Tony Stewart has one of those. But now it's time to see if he's a legit Sprint Cup-level driver, or the world's luckiest right-place, right-timer.
7. Brian Vickers (28): His stock took a sharp hit in the wake of several on-track incidents later this year, but he's still talented enough to run with (and into) the leaders. Perhaps a year in Nationwide will settle him out; he ought to be challenging for the championship if he's there.
8. David Ragan (26 on Dec. 24): Another Sprint Cup-level driver who's way too young to write off completely. He too will benefit from some time at a lower level to let things shake out at the Sprint Cup level; his days at NASCAR's highest level probably aren't done.
9. Justin Allgaier (25): Still a bit of an X factor; it'll be interesting to see what he can do once he gets up to the Sprint level and gets some reliable equipment. Strong enough to run with the Sprint regulars in Nationwide, but can he do it in the show?
10. Austin Dillon (21): The trucks champion is already the heir apparent at Childress, and the big "3" on the side of his car is a target. So far, though, he's kept moving. He'll be one of the most fascinating on this list to watch over the next five years, for many reasons, and could well be at the top within a half-decade.
All right, your turn. Who's your pick for the best of the young guns?
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Comments (57) Add A Comment
I wouldn't rank Joey that high. Considering the equipment and the team he has, he should be contending for the championship if he were any good.
Burgh-Fan
Total Comments (5028)
I agree about Joey. We'll see on the rest.
UnBiasedPerspective-…
Total Comments (45140)
Agreed that they ranked Joey a little higher than he should be but they seem to have him on a short lead. Perform this year or else. LOL The new C.C. will help. That's all Jooonya needed, so I hope it's contagious.
JKINDELRAY
Total Comments (15542)
I have to agree with all of ya's, Joey needs to show what he's got or ELSE.
SLY 1
Total Comments (13227)
First and second, agree. The rest are unprovn as of yet or a flash in the (bread)pan
pondscum
Total Comments (5686)
Big Winner today: 4. A J Allmendinger .... Late b-day / Early X-mas present ;-)
.... PENSKE Racing has named A J Allmendinger as the driver of the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger for the 2012 to replace Kurt ...
must be that 3 years in CART / Indy 04-06 ... 5 wins in 40 races ...
... Nova
~ Brown Deer ~, WI
Total Comments (3633)
Wow. Didn't see that one coming. I guess that means Kurt will be in the 43 next year. But with the way the Dinger has been steadily improving in second tier equipment this is a big (and probably last) chance. Good luck to him!
Raistwalker
Total Comments (2065)
I called it last week on T&R ....
Posted Tuesday December 13, 2011, About: Hamlin's new crew chief is...
would A J Allmendinger get a look from Roger Penske, for the #22 then ....
15th in Points A J, over 23rd in points Ragan ....
... Nova
~ Brown Deer ~, WI
Total Comments (3633)
Not so Fast .... rumor is David Ragan in the #43 ...
which if Kurt is still on the Jack Roush - Black List from Kurt actions in 2005 ...
and Roush supplies cars for Front Row, also ...
which leaves only the #51 Phoenix / HMS Chev for Kurt ...
... Nova
~ Brown Deer ~, WI
Total Comments (3633)
Decent list, but Stenhouse (completely unproven in Cup), Logano, and Bayne are too high up for sure. It's good to see Allmendinger have a shot in a more stable setting with a better team.
Grizzly Fattums
Greenville , SC
Total Comments (361)
I'll agree about Stenhouse. You have to remember it was 1 year ago he wasn't sure he'd have a Nationwide ride for 2011 because of all the cars he had wrecked in 2010.
Bayne needs another year or two in Nationwide before going full time to Cup. Yes a Daytona 500 win is impressive, it is also a blind squirrel race. Would we be talking about how impressive his win would have been if it were at Talladega or the July Daytona race?
Lagano needs to add at least one non-rain win to the column next year or he will be out of the #20.
Raistwalker
Total Comments (2065)
Wow. Great for Dinger and great to see Kurt given the boot.
Burgh-Fan
Total Comments (5028)
I am pondscum, and I approve this message!
pondscum
Total Comments (5686)
I am pondscum, and I approve this message!
pondscum
Total Comments (5686)
Woo good. I thought we'd have an issue if you didn't approve Pond!
Raistwalker
Total Comments (2065)
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