Intrigue At The Break: Points Tell Fascinating Tale

Intrigue At The Break: Points Tell Fascinating Tale

Storylines galore pepper the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings. You have the usual suspects, the return engagements, the surprise dark horses. Heading into the first open week of the young season, a number of nuggets stand out at the top of the charts …
•    Usual Suspects:   Dale Earnhardt Jr. tops the charts in consecutive seasons for the first time in his career. He’s followed by defending series champion Brad Keselowski and five-time champion Jimmie Johnson. Also in the top 10 from last year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup: Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin.
•    Return Engagements: Some major comebacks are brewing early on, in the name of Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch – both of whom have won this season. Edwards, a winner at Phoenix, has scored top-five finishes in three of the last four races, which has launched him to fourth in the standings after missing the Chase last year. Busch, who broke a 31-race drought with his victory at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, has shirked the "worst season ever" label that plagued him in 2012. Aside from winning three of the five races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Busch has piled up three top fives in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition to climb to sixth in the points after barely missing the Chase last season.
•    Surprise Dark Horses: Two drivers currently in the top 10 – Paul Menard and Joey Logano – have yet to make a Chase appearance. A third, Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Ricky Stenhouse Jr., is 12th and currently in position to earn a Chase berth. Few predicted this kind of early season success for the three young guns. Menard, currently eighth in points, has been in this position before. After five races in 2011, he was seventh in points; he finished the year 17th in points. Joey Logano, ninth in points, is enjoying the best start to his career. He’s never been this high in points after five races. Stenhouse has been a picture of consistency befitting his predecessor in the No. 17, Matt Kenseth. Though he has yet to score a top-10 finish, he also has dodged trouble. All five finishes have been in the top 20, and he’s one of five drivers who have finished on the lead lap of every race