NASCAR Power Rankings – Newman Wins the Subway Fresh Fit 600

Ryan Newman finally came through with a terrific victory by taking home the Subway Fresh Fit 600 trophy. It was a nice win for Stewart-Haas Racing, but it’s not enough to put Newman into the Top 5 in the NASCAR Power Rankings.

In fact, the Top 3 spots are dominated by Hendrick Motor Sports who proved this past Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway that they’re still the Kings of the Sprint Cup Hill by putting three drivers into the Top 5.

Let’s check out the rankings!

NASCAR Power Rankings

** Odds listed in sportsbook to win Sprint Cup Championship.

1. Jimmie Johnson +200 – - The bettors have flocked to JJ as his odds to win his 5th straight Sprint Cup has gone down from +250 to +200 in the NASCAR sportsbook. Johnsin finished 3rd in the Subway Fresh Fit 600 last Saturday.

2. Jeff Gordon +500 – - Gordo appears to be back after finishing 2nd at Phoenix International Raceway last Saturday. If he can keep his back from tightening up on him, then he should be JJ’s biggest competition for the Sprint Cup this year.

3. Mark Martin +800 – - Martin jumps all the way to 3rd in the Power Rankings after his 5th place finish at PIR. Mark needs to maintain some consistency in order to stay in the Top 5.

4. Carl Edwards +900 – - Edward’s 7th place finish puts him into the Top 5 in the power rankings. He’s starting to creep into Sprint Cup contender status.

5. Tony Stewart +1000 – - Part of me feels like I’m continuing to give Smoke the benefit of the doubt because he’s Smoke, but what can I do? I still believe Stewart’s going to start winning some races this year. His 23rd place finish in the Subway Fresh Fit 600 was not good.

6. Kevin Harvick +900 – - Harvick has finally cooled off after his hot start. He still managed to finish 13th in the Subway Fresh Fit 600 last Saturday night.

7. Clint Bowyer +1500 – - Sports gamblers still aren’t giving Bowyer any love even though he finished 9th in the Subway Fresh Fit 600 and is ranked 6th in the Sprint Cup standings.

8. Matt Kenseth +1000 – - Hey, I’m not doubting that it’s not fair to drop Kenseth in the power rankings even though he is ranked 2nd in the Sprint Cup standings and finished 6th in the Subway Fresh Fit 600 but that’s what I did. Why? I’m still an unbeliever in Team Kenseth.

9. Kyle Busch +1000 – - Kyle returns to the power rankings because he’s now ranked 8th in the Sprint Cup standings and finished 8th in the Subway Fresh Fit 600.

10. Juan Pablo Montoya +5000 – - Is that Juan Pablo who finished 5th last Saturday at PIR? Yep. I know I’m stretching by putting Juan Pablo in the Top 10 but I really believe he puts together 3, maybe even 4, terrific races.

Dropped-out: Greg Biffle+800, Denny Hamlin +1800, Dale Earnhardt Jr. +1500

Biff finished 22nd in the Subway Fresh Fit 600, Hamlin 30th and Earnhardt Jr. 12th. A case could be made for keeping Dale Jr. in the Top 10, but I believe there’s more upside with Juan Pablo Montoya.

On the Verge: Joey Logano +1800

Logano’s 10th place finish in the Subway Fresh Fit 600 was very nice. It’s a sign that he might be coming into his own.

This week drivers head to Texas for the Samsung Mobile 500. Log onto the sportsbook and check out the racing odds on the driver you like to win the Samsung Mobile 500.