Who's hot and who's not Sonoma Raceway edition
It's been an interesting NASCAR Sprint Cup Series so far, as drivers and teams start jockeying for position as the regular season moves deep into its second half.
And with the Cup teams headed to picturesque Sonoma Raceway this weekend for the Toyota/Save Mart 350, here's a quick look at who's hot and who's not.
HOT, KURT BUSCH -- The elder Busch is riding a streak of nine consecutive top-10 finishes, which includes one victory and four top fives. He's finished on the lead lap of every race this season, an impressive statistic.
NOT, DALE EARNHARDT JR. -- Though he has four runner-up finishes on the season, Earnhardt has finished 13th or worse in six of the last seven races.
HOT, CHASE ELLIOTT -- The rookie is posting big numbers this year. In the last six races, Elliott's worst finish is ninth and his average finish has been 5.17. For a first-year driver, that's amazing.
NOT, ARIC ALMIROLA -- In his last 11 races, Almirola's best finish was 18th at Kansas. His other nine finishes have all been 20th or worse. Not good, especially considering Almirola was expected to contend for a Chase spot again.
HOT, KEVIN HARVICK -- The 2014 Sprint Cup champion is having another stellar year, as he leads the points yet again. Harvick has a pair of runner-up finishes and three top fives in the most recent five races.
NOT, KYLE BUSCH -- The hottest driver of the early part of the season and the only one with three victories so far, Busch has finished 30th or worse in the last four races.
HOT, MATT KENSETH -- After a ton of misfortune early in the season, the 2003 series champ has four top-seven finishes, including a victory, in the last five races.
NOT, JIMMIE JOHNSON -- It's been a tough stretch for the six-time Sprint Cup champion, who has finished in the top 15 just once in the last six races.
HOT, BRAD KESELOWSKI -- Check out these numbers for Keselowski: One victory, four top-five and six top-10 finishes in the last six races, as he and Team Penske have got it going on in a big way.
