Power Rankings: Kyle Busch at No. 1, because of course
Welcome to Power Rankings. As always, Power Rankings are far from a scientific formula. In fact, it’s the perfect blend of analytics and bias against your favorite driver. Direct all your complaints to us at [email protected] and we’ll try to have some fun.
1. Kyle Busch (LW: 4): When a guy in the top four of last week’s rankings wins his first race(s) at a track where he’s never won at and leads 352 of 400 laps in the process, there’s no way you can argue against having him No. 1. And we weren’t going to make that argument anyway. While Busch dominating and winning at Martinsville might have been a surprise, Busch winning a race so early in the season definitely isn’t one after how he ran through the first five races of the season.
2. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 1): Oh no, Jimmie Johnson hasn’t won at Martinsville since 2013. Has the active master of the half-mile track lost his mojo? No, not really. Since Johnson got his last win at Martinsville he’s had two finishes of 32nd or worse … and four finishes in the top 12. And his ninth-place finish at Martinsville on Sunday was his 23rd top-10 finish in 29 races.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): Harvick finished 17th at Martinsville, but he ran much better than that all day. Why did he fade so far down in the running order? Well, Harvick’s team was one of the ones at the front of the field that stayed out during the final pit stop. But most everyone behind Harvick came in, meaning he was one of the first drivers to get passed by those with fresher tires.
4. Brad Keselowski (LW: 6): Keselowski hung near the top 10 all day, though you may not have guessed it when looking at his car. It looked like it had a bit part in a demolition derby. The 2012 champion ended up finishing fifth after he was one of the drivers that pitted on the final caution and drove through the field.
5. Joey Logano (LW: 5): Logano started Sunday’s race on the pole. He was lapped 80 laps into the race along with fellow front-row starter Kasey Kahne. He simply didn’t have long-run speed as soon as the green flag flew. Logano’s car came to (relative) life after some adjustments and he fought back to finish 11th. Will he get another win at Texas to (all but) lock himself in to the Chase? We wouldn’t be shocked in the slightest.
6. Denny Hamlin (LW: 3): Hamlin said he was a bit embarrassed after he crashed on Sunday. Yeah, wheel-hopping into the wall when you’re the defending champion of the race isn’t the best of looks. But Hamlin had a fast car before he crashed and ultimately, isn’t that what matters? Shake off the wreck and you have confidence for the Chase race in the fall.
7. Carl Edwards (LW: 7): If Logano thought he had it going poorly throughout the majority of the race, he shouldn’t commiserate with Edwards. Edwards spent basically as many laps a lap down as Busch spent ahead of the field. But he got on the lead lap late in the race and thanks to some fresh tires worked himself all the way up to sixth before the race was over.
8. Austin Dillon (LW: 10): The year of Austin Dillon is continuing. Dillon finished fourth on Sunday, his second top-five finish of the year. He now has four in his career, so you can do the math as to how that works out compared to his first two seasons in the Cup Series. We’re still not sure if Dillon is going to get to victory lane in 2016, but if he keeps a top-10 rate of 66 percent up, he’s easily making the Chase.
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 8): Junior’s day could have gone south in a hurry after he was the source of Sunday’s first caution after spinning following a cut tire. But he bounced back for a 14th-place finish and wowed the world Tuesday with a tweet that he was eating a banana and mayonnaise sandwich. The news sent the internet into a tizzy, though if you’re a reader of From The Marbles you’ve already known about Junior’s affinity for more than two years. We’re ahead of the curve, people.
10. Kurt Busch (LW: 9): Busch finished a spot ahead of Earnhardt Jr. in 13th. Do you think Kurt Busch likes banana and mayonnaise sandwiches paired with Monster Energy drinks while operating a Haas CNC machine next to a State Water Heater?
11. AJ Allmendinger (LW: NR): After two top-10 finishes in the early part of 2015, Allmendinger’s season fell apart with three finishes of 30th or worse in the next five races. His second-place finish on Sunday was the second top-10 of 2016. The Dinger better hope deja vu doesn’t strike again. He’s currently 12th in the points standings and a bad stretch like that could drop him outside the top 20 in the points standings before you got done naming all the sponsors on his car.
12. Kyle Larson (LW: NR): A third-place finish after missing the same race a year ago isn’t a bad way to come back. Larson is back in the top 20 in points after falling out thanks to a crash at California. He has three top-12 finishes so far in 2016 but he’s 20th in the standings because he also has three finishes of 25th or worse.
Lucky Dog: How about Brian Vickers? The substitute driver of the No. 14 had a fast car all weekend and got a top 10. The seventh was the best finish for anyone in the No. 14 car since Tony Stewart finished sixth at Bristol in the spring of 2015.
The DNF: Aric Almirola’s engine didn’t have any stamina.
Dropped out: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chase Elliott
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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!
