Time for our latest round of power rankings. Each week throughout the season, we’ll size up who’s rising and who’s falling, based on current standings, behind-the-scenes changes, expected staying power, recent history and general gut feelings. And once again, the lead changes hands. What else would you expect?
1. Carl Edwards. Anybody who’s trying to keep down red beans and rice while driving 500 miles at 200 mph and still manages to come in third deserves some kind of honor. This is that honor. Nice job, Carl. We’ll just leave your certificate right outside the hauler’s lavatory door. Last week’s ranking: 2.
2. Kyle Busch. Busch didn’t win anything at Texas this weekend, which qualifies as some kind of miracle. It was an uncharacteristically quiet week for Kyle, who was en route to a top-10 finish before a late slide left him 16th. Still, better than 17th, I guess. Last week’s ranking: 1.
3. Kevin Harvick. Those of you who screamed last week that Harvick should instantly be put in the top spot? Yeah, this is why he wasn’t. Texas was the very definition of mediocre for Harvick, who ran between 18th and 30th for almost the entire race. He’s good, but at the moment he’s not No. 1 good. See, people? There is a method to this madness. Last week’s ranking: 3.
4. Matt Kenseth. At long last, Kenseth gets his Power Rankings due, and all he had to do was go 4-4-6-1 over his last four races. That’s a fairly stout accomplishment, yes? In breaking his 76-race losing streak, Kenseth looked so dominant that you wonder how that streak lasted as long as it did. Last week’s ranking: 11.
5. Ryan Newman. Like Harvick and Busch, Newman had a decent but essentially forgettable week at Texas. He had an uncharacteristically low starting spot at 16th, and ended up 14th. All that work for two spots? That kind of stinks. Last week’s ranking: 4.
6. Jimmie Johnson. Looking at Jimmie Johnson’s driver chart is like seeing a real-time version of a horror-movie killer: during the long green-flag runs, you can see him picking off position after position as he works his way through the field. Not saying he would’ve won Texas, but he was on a definite trend; if this had been a 600- or 700-mile race, there’d have been trouble. Last week’s ranking: 5.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. At some point, everybody’s going to have to realize that Dale Junior is having a damn fine season. For years, Junior Nation made excuses for why he ran so poorly. Now, Anti-Junior Nation is making excuses for why he’s running so well. Just let the man roll, willya? This’ll all sort itself out over the next few weeks. (P.S. Junior wins Talladega.) Last week’s ranking: 7.
8. Kurt Busch. Listening to Busch’s radio Saturday night, I’ve got to wonder what it’s like when he orders at a drive-thru window. I’ll bet he screams and hollers at the cashier, the fry guy and the burger flipper, telling them how awful his last meal here was and how he’s done with them all. And amazingly, they don’t spit in his food and everyone goes away satisfied. Last week’s ranking: 6.
9. Tony Stewart. Two miles per hour is about the speed that you roll a ball to a baby. It’s also the difference between a probable win and a certain loss for Stewart at Texas this past weekend. As we’ve said many times already, Stewart is running over his head right now, and once the weather turns, he’s already got a head start that he doesn’t usually have. Last week’s ranking: 9.
10. Juan Pablo Montoya. What the-? Juan Pablo Montoya is now the NASCAR model for midpack consistency? Of all the people who I thought would inherit Matt Kenseth’s mantle of Mr. Run-In-The-Teens, I would’ve put Montoya last. (By the way, "Mr. Run-In-The-Teens" isn’t really the best nickname outside of NASCAR. So don’t call him that.) Last week’s ranking: 9.
11. Clint Bowyer. Hey, look who’s back! Clint Bowyer fights his way back into the power rankings with another solid run that well could have been a victory had Brian Vickers not gotten involved. Bowyer is a case study on how to recover from a weak early-season start. Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton ought to take lessons. Or take his car, whichever. Last week’s ranking: NR.
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2. Paul Menard. Admit it, you thought Menard was done. Nice little early-season run, and then poof, no more. But then he went and posted yet another top-5 finish, and all of a sudden maybe we have to pay a little attention to him after all. Keep it up, PFM. Last week’s ranking: NR.
Lucky Dog: Greg Biffle. Who? Oh, yeah, that guy who runs the 16. Wins every now and then, doesn’t he? After being almost completely invisible the last few weeks — I still don’t believe he even showed up at Martinsville — Biffle cranked out a 4th-place finish at Texas and even led a few laps.
DNF: Joey Logano. Oh, the troubles this young lad has seen this year. 2011 was supposed to be his dark horse year, but the dark horse apparently broke his leg walking out of the barn. Shredding your car on pit road just isn’t the way to a solid long-term race.
Dropping out of the rankings: Jeff Gordon (10), with another uninspiring week; Mark Martin (12) with a rough race-ending wreck. Tough week at the shop for those two gentlemen. Charging upward: Marcos Ambrose, David Ragan.
How will Talladega affect our top 12? Tune in and see! Send comments to us Twitter at @jaybusbee, email by clicking here, and via Facebook at The Marbles page.
Power Rankings: Edwards isn’t too sick to take over No. 1
