NASCAR Power Rankings
By Adam Ruggiero
Love of Sports Correspondent
I’ve taken great pride in researching and formulating these rankings the last 18 weeks, but Kyle Busch has made my job as idiot-proof as a schmoe who rips tickets at the Mega Plex.
Why do we still need that, by the way?
To demonstrate this, I’ll simply do this week’s Power Rankings by setting the keyboard on the floor and letting my pet hamster, Armageddon, mosey along the keys. (I’ll still man the spacebar, though.)
Week 19 Power Rankings
1. Kyle Busch (1)
Good Armageddon, good boy. Seven wins and counting, Busch just may set the modern record for wins in a season. He’ll need seven more to do that, passing the mark set by Jeff Gordon in 1998. Actually, by this time during his record season, Gordon only had five wins. What’s more, Gordon’s success turned his cheers into boos. For Busch, it’s the other way around. Fans are beginning to appreciate how amazing this daring, young wreck-loose is.
2. Jimmie Johnson (4)
Shoulda’, woulda’, coulda’ - Johnson had the LifeLock.com 400 “locked” up until David Gilliland’s late-race engine failure brought out the caution and sealed Johnson’s fate. Still, five Top 5s, nine Top 10s and a win ain’t bad, and those stats have Johnson sitting comfortably fifth in points. He’s a great driver with a great team and he’s second-best in these Rankings, but it’s a distant second.
3. Carl Edwards (5)
I wonder how Carl feels about having his trademark victory back flips upstaged by Busch’s patented, and far more prevalent, stage bows. If his postrace television interviews following disappointing on-track performances are any indication, he’s probably very cordial and all smiles about the situation. Edwards limped to a shameful 32nd-place finish, but that was after a broken splitter forced him from the top three to the rear. Three of his Roush Racing teammates - Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and David Ragan - finished in the Top 10, and Edwards had a faster car than Busch, who won the race, prior to his mechanical problems. Roush continues to improve and Edwards is still leading races, so he’s definitely one to watch out for.
4. Greg Biffle (NR)
Combined with his team’s improvement as a whole, which suggests the machine shop at Roush is on to something with their aero and engine packages, Biffle’s Top 5 finish at Chicagoland tells me he’s poised to make a run of quality performances. He’s shown he’s still got the raw talent to be a top contender in NASCAR, repeatedly leading races and qualifying well. His problems have always come on the mechanical and mental end - blowing a tire, dropping a cylinder or speeding down pit road. He’s crazy fast and wicked smart, and I think he’ll grab a win before the Chase.
5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (2)
Quite a drop here for Little E, but it’s not really his fault. His competition is getting stiffer and his teammates, though generally cooperative, are finishing better and taking some of the top spots Earnhardt used to occupy. There’s only one more track where Junior’s been truly dominant - Talladega - but that won’t come around ‘til after the Chase starts. It could be tough for him to get a win, but with Hendrick’s cars at his disposal, it’s anything but impossible.
6. Kevin Harvick (10)
Well it’s about damn time! Harvick’s spent the entire first half of the season in the wings. He hasn’t had a single impressive performance and no noteworthy accidents or mechanical misfortunes. Heck, if he hadn’t grabbed a top three last weekend, his sponsors might have demanded he strap some killer tail fins to his car just so they got some air time. But he did get his top three, and he’s jumped from 13th to ninth in the last three weeks. I’m not convinced Childress’ engine package has anything for the other big boys at Gibbs, Hendrick and Roush, but Harvick’s solid credentials at some of the upcoming tracks – next race at Indianapolis for starters. I see him gaining a few more spots in the points before the year is out.
7. Tony Stewart (7)
Too bad Tony’s had worse luck than the beer man at a Salt Lake City youth field hockey game, because he’s got the equipment, the team and the ability to be battling Kyle Busch head-to-head in an all-time duel. He led some laps and took a Top 5 at Chicagoland, and with the announcement that he’ll be leaving Gibbs at the end of the year to “team up” with Haas Racing (he’s actually going to be the sole reason Haas stays in Sprint Cup), Stewart appears refreshed and excited to drive now. Watch out for him at Indy – he’s got two wins and a heck of a lot of open wheel experience there. He’s poised for a turnaround.
8. Jeff Gordon (6)
Have Gordon’s best days sailed somewhere over the rainbow? Bad Armageddon, bad! This year is the first in almost two decades that NASCAR hasn’t had Jeff Gordon somewhere in or near the spotlight. He’s managed to keep himself in the Top 10 in points most of the year, but he’s just not at the competitive level as his opponents. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but Gordon might go an entire season without a win for the first time since 1993, his sophomore season. In those 15 years, he’s not only won a race every season, he’s won at least twice each year! Bye, bye, pretty boy.
9. Matt Kenseth (9)
Kenseth battled back from being a lap down to grab seventh, a testament to his and his crew’s experience and calm under pressure. That’s the fortitude their going to have to continue to show if Matt plans on making the Chase. Kenseth, like the other Roush drivers, has been wildly inconsistent and overall disappointing. Things are beginning to come together, but he’s never been one to put up multiple wins and nothing is guaranteed for the #17 team.
10. Jeff Burton (2)
It may not seem fair, but don’t blame me, blame the hamster. Or, maybe you should look at the fact that Burton hasn’t posted a Top 10 in the last five races, and in those he’s averaged just a 19th-place finish. He’s fallen from numero uno in points to third, and the trend is pointing south. He’ll hang around, but I’ve lost confidence in the man for now.
11. Brian Vickers (12)
Every week this kid is running with the big boys, and along with A.J. Allmendinger, he’s putting Red Bull Racing on the NASCAR map. I think the future is especially bright for him and the team, and I’d put even money on the #83 stealing a win before the year’s out.
12. Denny Hamlin (8)
Breakfast may be at Tiffany’s, but Denny’s is home to the early supper. Mr. Hamlin has a knack for breaking things on the otherwise state-of-the-art Gibbs Camrys. Electrical problems whoa’d up the #11 FedEx Toyota at Chicagoland, power steering cost him in Atlanta, a “fuel pick-up” issue denied him the win at Bristol, and the list goes on. He’s good enough and so are his cars, but you’ve got to finish before you can do anything else. Although I hear he makes a great Moons Over My Hammy.
The Silly Season takes a break before the vaunted Brickyard race at Indy. Check back for my preview of who to watch and who to boo.
(Adam Ruggiero’s Power Rankings can be seen in this spot each and every week at this time.)
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(If you know anything about NASCAR whatsoever, you know there’s nothing better to do during a race than enjoy an ice cold beer. Check out our sister site, The Love of Beer, to see what flavor we’re drinking these days.)
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