Power Rankings: Joe Gibbs Racing at the summit again
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] and we’ll try to have some fun.
1. Matt Kenseth (LW: 7): With the win on Sunday, Kenseth is guaranteed to move on to the second round and we’re going to go out on a limb and say he makes it to the third. The JGR cars have been mighty fast at the 1.5-mile tracks recently and Kenseth has become very good at Talladega. If Kenseth does make it to the final round, can we avoid talk of how Kenseth slumped last year? Because, as we’ve said before, he really didn’t. He just missed victory lane. With his win on Sunday, he’s now had at least 12 top-five finishes in the last five seasons.
2. Denny Hamlin (LW: 2): So much for taking it easy for two races. Hamlin ended up second on Sunday, though he wasn’t even close to the lead. He was 8.4 seconds from Kenseth with the checkered flag flew. It’s a farfetched scenario, but what if the four JGR cars are near the front of the field late in Sunday’s race? Do Kenseth, Hamlin and Carl Edwards pull over for Kyle Busch? While some NASCAR fans wouldn’t approve, it’s the best strategy. Especially if it could get Busch into the second round.
3. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 4): After cutting a tire and fighting back to finish ninth, Johnson needs to avoid disaster at his best track and he’ll cruise on in to the second round of the Chase. That shouldn’t be a problem. But when thinking back to that flat left-front tire, it’s easy to think that there’s a chance Johnson could be down with Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch in the standings if his car had careened into the wall. How nutty would a second-round Chase scenario without those three drivers be?
4. Carl Edwards (LW: 5): Edwards recovered nicely on Sunday and finished fifth. While fighting back from a penalty isn’t necessarily playing it conservatively, Edwards can be the test case for why teams (read: Harvick) should always risk avoiding the worst-case scenario. Edwards had to serve a drive-through penalty for removing equipment from his pit box and fell all the way to 25th at one point. He made up 20 spots in the last half of the race.
5. Joey Logano (LW: 8): Logano mentioned Friday how he felt his team was hanging with Joe Gibbs Racing over the summer. The stats prove him right – Logano had two wins in August – and he was the first non-JGR car in the race results after finishing third. Plus, he’s tied with Carl Edwards for the most points among drivers without a win in the first two races of the Chase.
6. Kurt Busch (LW: 3): Busch ended up finishing 19th after he was forced to pit for fuel late in the race. He’s in a decent position heading into Dover, however. He’s 17 points up on his brother, who is the first driver out of the Chase currently. Plus, Busch is in a much better position than he was last year. After he finished 36th at New Hampshire in 2014 he was eight points out of 12th. He was 18th at Dover and missed the second round of the Chase.
7. Ryan Newman (LW: 6): Newman finished 10th, though you’re not liable to remember where Newman finished when asked about his most memorable moment of Sunday’s race. That’s his run-in with Danica Patrick. Newman’s car appeared to skate up entering turn one and he tagged Patrick. She went spinning into the wall and then there was a giant foam explosion.
8. Brad Keselowski (LW: 9): Keselowski won’t be penalized for his comments following Sunday’s race. And that’s good. Because his statement is correct when you look at it within the context of the Chase. Yes, we sound like a broken record, but the Chase is set up for entertainment and not fairness. A driver can have one bad race and be eliminated from contention under this system while another rides three mediocre finishes to the next round. That’s not fair. And NASCAR likely knows this.
9. Kyle Busch (LW: 2): If Busch doesn’t advance to the second round of the Chase at Dover, when do we start wondering about a Chase hex? We kid, though you’ll certainly start to see talk of that nature if he’s left out of the 12 drivers moving on. Busch is going to win a race over the next eight races. We’re just not sure if it’ll happen when he’s a member of the Chase or not.
10 Jeff Gordon (LW: 12): Gordon is doing just enough to move on and that’s perfectly acceptable. And, quite honestly, expected. Gordon getting to the second round isn’t a surprise. But will he get to the third round? To do that, he’ll have to get his first top-five since Pocono in August. Yes, it’s been that long. Unless Gordon goes on an incredibly remarkable hot streak, 2015 is bound to be the worst year of his career in terms of top fives. He currently has three. He’s never had less than seven.
11. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 11): How many times do you think it’s crossed Truex’s mind if he could have his teams switch manufacturers before the end of the season? Jumping into a Toyota with JGR-backed data must be incredibly appealing. Truex finished 8th at New Hampshire Sunday and if he gets to the second round of the Chase, expect to see a replay or two of his first career Cup Series win on Sunday.
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 10): Outside of Kevin Harvick, the biggest fuel gamble that fell short at New Hampshire is Junior’s. The No. 88 finished 25th and Junior is now one point from the outside of the top 12. Yes, it is conceivable (though not super likely) that three of the four drivers not moving on to the second round would be Busch, Earnhardt Jr. and Harvick. Oh boy.
The DNF: Harvick didn’t DNF, but man, what a rough way to put yourself in a win-and-in scenario at Dover. Harvick had the day’s dominant car, but the pit call on the final caution came too late and Harvick stayed out. He then wasn’t able to save enough fuel over the course of the final run because of pressure from Matt Kenseth and … well, good luck at Dover, champ.
Lucky Dog: Greg Biffle, congrats on winning the Sylvania 300 minus all of the Chase drivers. He finished 4th.
Dropped Out: No One:
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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!
