Top Five NASCAR Drivers of the 2012 Kobalt Tools 400

The 2012 Kobalt Tools 400 was one of the best NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races of the season. Though Tony Stewart was not the favorite to win the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, he ended up as the victor.

Here are the top five drivers of the race, in order of their performance:

Tony Stewart

Stewart had one of his greatest career races in Las Vegas. The Chevrolet driver led for a total of 127 laps out of the 267, and ended up garnering $428,175 for his first-place finish. Stewart is currently ranked as the seventh best driver in NASCAR, and he is well on his way of having another excellent season.

Jimmie Johnson

After not doing well at the 2012 Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson has immensely improved. The 36-year-old driver came in fourth place at the 2012 Subway Fresh Fit 500, and second at the 2012 Kobalt Tools 400. It would not be surprising if the California-born NASCAR driver was to win a race this year.

Greg Biffle

Arguably the most surprising result of the Las Vegas NASCAR race was that Greg Biffle came in third place. Biffle, who is currently ranked as the best driver in NASCAR, due to his consistent and superb performances, obtained $212,365 for his Las Vegas outing. Though I do not expect that he will finish the year as the best driver, Biffle has been having a stellar season.

Ryan Newman

Ryan Newman had his best 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the 2012 Kobalt Tools 400. After coming in 21^st place in the first two NASCAR competitions, he finished fourth-best in Las Vegas. He also earned $201,273 for his superb performance.

Carl Edwards

Currently tied as the fifth best NASCAR driver in 2012, Carl Edwards had a solid race on March 11. The Sprint Cup driver came in fifth place in Las Vegas, and his chances are good that he will win a NASCAR race this season. Edwards obtained $187,281 for his performance at the 2012 Kobalt Tools 400.

Tom Harrington has been an avid and dedicated follower of NASCAR since Jeff Gordon won his first race at the 1994 Coca-Cola 600.

Sources:

Jay Busbee, "Power Rankings: Greg Biffle ascends to the mountaintop," Yahoo! Sports.

Jay Busbee, "Tony Stewart dominates off the line for his first career Vegas win," Yahoo! Sports.

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