Power Rankings: Our top 2 finished in the top 2 at Kansas
Our Power Rankings are far from a scientific formula. In fact, it’s the perfect blend of analytics and bias against your favorite driver. And you think we dislike your favorite driver, so it makes sense, right? Direct all your complaints to us at [email protected].
1. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 1): Well this is boring, isn’t it? Johnson led the final 10 laps after he stayed out during the last caution period and the clean air helped him get to victory lane for the 73rd time. Here are some fun facts about his win at Kansas. Johnson’s 10 laps led were the sixth-fewest he’s led in any of his 73 wins. Of the five races he’s won leading less than 10 laps, he’s only taken the lead later in the race than he did at Kansas (lap 258) twice. Once was at Las Vegas in 2006 (when he passed Matt Kenseth on the final lap, and the other was at Atlanta in 2007, when he led the last nine laps.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): Without the caution, Harvick was in control. But as the leader when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hit the wall, he was going to be damned if he did pit, damned if he didn’t. He chose to pit for gas and two tires and was second off pit road. However, he was sixth on the restart because four cars ahead of him stayed out, including Johnson. Because he was sixth, he got to restart in the high line and ended up second. However, had he been in the second row and not the third row on the restart, he might have won the race.
3. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 5): This was the guy who restarted in fifth. And it hurt his chances for the win. Truex, who was second when the caution came out, got just fuel on his pit stop and beat Harvick out of the pits. However, he was on the inside line and with old tires and a propensity to not get going immediately on the restarts all evening, the formula was not a good one for Truex. He faded back to ninth by the end of the race, but he’s still establishing himself as the driver to beat among those without a win. And yes, that sentence makes sense to us.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 3): Following up a win with a third-place finish isn’t terrible. Junior stayed out along with Johnson and almost stole a win had he been able to clear Johnson off the restart. He didn’t, which meant he was playing defense to Harvick, a game that he also lost. It meant a repeat finishing order of the race at Texas, where Johnson, Harvick and Junior finished in the top three (in that order) after a late-race restart.
5. Kurt Busch (LW: 4): Busch led from laps 30-49 and looked like an early contender for the win. Those were the only laps he led. His car was good after the lengthy rain delay, but not really good. Or good enough to contend for a top three spot. Busch ended up eighth. He’s been so good so far this season that he’s 14th in the standings despite missing three races because of his indefinite suspension. Even without the win at Richmond, Busch would be in a position to make the Chase.
6. Joey Logano (LW: 6): Here’s the man who charged from the back of the field not once, but twice throughout the evening on Saturday. The first penalty he got on pit road was because his crew members jumped over the wall too soon. He worked his way through the field and then messed up later by pitting when the pits were closed. He went to the back again. The end result was a fifth-place finish and easily the most cars passed of anyone throughout the entire evening.
7. Matt Kenseth (LW: 8): Kenseth had one hell of a save on lap 130 when he almost lost the car off turn two. While he was officially listed as the reason for the caution, he made out the best of anyone involved in the incident as Brett Moffitt hit Tony Stewart and sent the No. 14 car into the wall. While Stewart’s race was toast, Kenseth’s wasn’t and he ended up finishing sixth.
8. Ryan Newman (LW: 7): Now that the appeal process is over and Newman is officially docked 50 points, Saturday night’s race was his first without crew chief Luke Lambert. And he got a 10th-place finish to show for it. Not terrible, eh? If the No. 31 bunch averages a 10th-place finish throughout Lambert’s suspension, the team will undoubtedly have weathered the storm. Will it happen? Probably not. But it’s not going to be lost without him.
9. Jamie McMurray (LW: 10): McMurray finished 13th Saturday night and is currently the No. 2 driver in the Chase on points. Not bad at all. It’s almost like the No. 1 and No. 42 teams have switched roles from 2014. Last year, Larson was racking up good finishes while McMurray was showing flashes. This year, McMurray has been fast and consistent and looks good for the Chase barring a collapse over the next 15 races.
10. Kasey Kahne (LW: 9): As Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. marched forward from their starting spots outside the top 15, Kahne slipped backwards. After starting second, Kahne survived on the periphery of the top 10 until the final restart. He pitted, and like Martin Truex Jr., fell backwards over the final green flag run. He ended up 17th, a finish not indicative of the speed he showed throughout the race.
11. Brad Keselowski (LW: NR): Keselowski is sixth in points but eighth in average finish. How is that possible? Because Ryan Newman has been a bit more consistent this year (Newman? Consistent?) and Kurt Busch has the third-best average finish and has missed races. Saturday night, Keselowski finished seventh and led 43 laps. If you’re not taking a Hendrick-powered car for the All-Star Race, you better be picking a Penske one.
12. Aric Almirola (LW: 12): Best finish of the year? Best finish of the year. Almirola was 11th at Kansas and is now 11th in the standings, one point outside of the top 10. Keep top-15ing them to death, Almirola. You’re going to be like a gnat that doesn’t go away. And hell, you may also prove that the Chase berth last year wasn’t a fluke. That’s a big boost.
Lucky Dog: Jeff Gordon finished fourth. He’s not much of a Lucky Dog rather than the guy we’d slot 13th (or 12th if we weren’t having so much fun with Almirola).
The DNF: Oh, Tony Stewart. Oh, Tony Stewart.
Dropped Out: Paul Menard
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
