Power Rankings: Did Joey Logano get punted from the top spot?
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.
Apologies for being a day late this week. A once-every-30-years title parade and a two-race suspension dominated Tuesday.
1. Joey Logano (LW: 1): There’s no way to justify dropping Logano after what likely would have been a win disappeared when Matt Kenseth pile-drove him into the wall. If it wasn’t for Kenseth, Logano would likely be locked in to run for the title for the second straight season. And no, it’s not a situation where if it wasn’t for Logano, Kenseth would still be in the Chase. There was a very good possibiity that Logano was going to pass Kenseth in the final five laps if there wasn’t contact between the two.
2. Jeff Gordon (LW: 8): The driver already guaranteed a spot in the final four is this one. Gordon was perhaps the most expressive he’s ever been in victory lane after Sunday’s race and you have to wonder just how much of it was relief. While the four-time champion has been going after title No. 5 for quite some time, how much do you really think he’d want a shot at the fifth while being winless? Sure, he said he didn’t care about being a winless champion, but does anyone want to be the subject of that discussion?
3. Kyle Busch (LW: 4): Hell of a recovery for Busch after that spin. He was forced to alter his driving style after it was clear that the inches of wet pavement in the corner at Martinsville wasn’t going to go away. Busch got his left-side tires on that slick patch and went around. He fought back to finish fifth and he’s got to be one of the favorites at Texas, right?
4. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 9): It’s still two races from being reality, but the thought of Truex racing for a title the year before his team switches manufacturers for better performance seems a little surreal, doesn’t it? Furniture Row has done as good a job as anyone of maximizing the 2015 rules package. Can it do the same with the 2016 rules in a Toyota? Eh, who cares now. Truex still has that title to go for. He finished sixth.
5. Kevin Harvick (LW: 6): The No. 4 team learned from its Chicago misfortune and had Harvick pit for a tire rub at Martinsville. The contact that caused the rub came from teammate Kurt Busch on pit road when drivers were stopping to try to restart on the inside line. Harvick did what he should have done at Chicago and the team took tires on the next caution to prevent any calamity. He finished eighth.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 7): Not a bad sequel to last year’s fall race. After winning in 2014, Junior finished fourth on Sunday. He said his car was much faster at the end of the race and also had this to say: “I love Martinsville. But if we are going to run at night we need to put some damn lights up here.” Good point, Junior, the start time of Sunday’s race needs to be up to an hour earlier.
7. Denny Hamlin (LW: 11): How much of Hamlin’s comments about Kenseth’s suspension are due to Hamlin’s past history with Joey Logano and the fact that Kenseth is Hamlin’s teammate? We can’t help but wonder how the associations are coloring things. It’s easy to see how Hamlin wants it both ways — he said it was tough for drivers to act when no authority was laying down the law and is now speaking out against the authority — but NASCAR deserves a lot of blame for letting that confusion happen.
8. Carl Edwards (LW: 2): Meanwhile, Edwards looks poised to be the only JGR driver who hasn’t been replaced by Erik Jones in 2015. Jones will likely sub for Kenseth during his suspension and has already driven for Kyle Busch and Hamlin. Should Edwards watch his back? Nah. We still like his chances to get to the final four even after his tough Martinsville day.
9. Brad Keselowski (LW: 3): Keselowski explained Tuesday night that the initial contact with Matt Kenseth broke the right front suspension on his car. It’s a very sensical explanation. The torque that Kenseth’s rear wheels were generating was enough to knock Keselowski’s car out of sorts, especially given the direct contact the wheels had. And no, Keselowski didn’t crash Kenseth on purpose. That’s a ludicrous proposition.
10. Kurt Busch (LW: 4): Kurt Busch, innocent bystander. The accident between Kenseth and Keselowski launched Busch’s car up into the air and destroyed it significantly. A top five run had turned into a disaster day in the blink of an eye. Busch should be fast at Texas, assuming that he’ll be able to have the same speed that Kevin Harvick has shown. But the issue in making the Chase may not be Busch’s speed but rather the lack of separation between Chase drivers in the standings.
11. Ryan Newman (LW: 12): Newman keeps on chugging on. He finished seventh at Martinsville and is now in 10th in the points standings. Oh, that’s right, only the final eight drivers are alive in the points. Keep trying, Newman! Maybe a year after missing the title by a spot Newman can win the coveted bonus for finishing fifth. How coveted is that bonus? Well, can you name who won it last year?
12. Matt Kenseth (LW: 10): When you get suspended for two races you are going to get dropped out of Power Rankings, so adios Matt. It was a good ride this year. We understand you felt the neeed to dropkick Joey Logano in retaliation. But we also wonder just how much of your Logano punt was aimed towards NASCAR itself rather than Logano. We may never know. Hopefully you get to enjoy the Packers and Panthers in Charlotte on Sunday.
Lucky Dog: AJ Allmendinger, who had no shot of holding off Jeff Gordon for the win.
The DNF: Man, Greg Biffle had a rough day. Danica Patrick too.
Dropped Out: None
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!
