Frontstretch Editors’ Nextel Cup Power Rankings
As of Sept. 26, 2007
1) Tony Stewart (4 First-Place Votes) (Last Week: No. 1) – Home Depot wants us to smell the Smoke. Bet they won’t put THAT slogan in Tony’s armpits!
2) Carl Edwards (1 First-Place Vote) (Last Week: No. 8) Uh-oh… Roush found out all of the dirty CoT secrets Hendrick had! And it’s not too late for them to join the party at the top with Cousin Carl… even if it cost them 25 points in the process.
3) Jeff Gordon (2 First-Place Votes) (Last Week: No. 4) Would have expected a better showing from the points leader in DuPont’s neck of the woods (Delaware).
4) Jimmie Johnson (Last Week: No. 2) Only four points out despite a blown tire and two lost laps. But Chad still won’t let him use the screwdriver.
5) Kyle Busch (Last Week: No. 6) If only we could have the magical powers to get people running in front of US to pull over…
6) Clint Bowyer (Last Week: No. 3) Could get a gig as Sam the Eagle’s stunt double if this racing thing doesn’t work out.
7) Martin Truex Jr. (Last Week: No. 5) Must feel like he threw one away Sunday after the way the No. 1 car dominated back in June.
8) (tie) Casey Mears (Last Week: NR) Would have had a top-five finish if possible team directives hadn’t trumped him – on the bright side, at least he doesn’t have to listen to Busch whining all week at the office.
8) (tie) Jeff Burton (Last Week: NR) Inside scoop: Burton sandbagging due to fear sponsor overexposure could get AT&T logos removed again. Childress considering ripping off logos on car to regain team’s motivation.
10) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Last Week: NR) Just look at what can happen when your engine doesn’t blow! A couple more finishes and Junior might actually win one of these things.
Dropped Out: Matt Kenseth (No. 7), Kurt Busch (No. 9), Denny Hamlin (No. 10)
Also Receiving Votes: Greg Biffle, Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch.
Who Voted: Tom Bowles, Managing Editor; Toni Montgomery, Senior Editor; Amy Henderson, Assistant Editor; Kim DeHaven, Public Relations Coordinator; Cami Starr, Fantasy Racing Editor; Matt Taliaferro, AthlonSports.com Racing Editor.
The author of Did You Notice? (Wednesdays) Tom spends his time overseeing Frontstretch’s 50+ staff members as its majority owner and Editor-in-Chief. Based outside Philadelphia, Bowles is a two-time Emmy winner in NASCAR television and has worked in racing production with FOX, TNT, and ESPN while appearing on-air for SIRIUS XM Radio and FOX Sports 1's former show, the Crowd Goes Wild. He most recently consulted with SRX Racing, helping manage cutting-edge technology and graphics that appeared on their CBS broadcasts during 2021 and 2022.
You can find Tom’s writing here, at CBSSports.com and Athlonsports.com, where he’s been an editorial consultant for the annual racing magazine for 15 years.
Amy is an 20-year veteran NASCAR writer and a six-time National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) writing award winner, including first place awards for both columns and race coverage. As well as serving as Photo Editor, Amy writes The Big 6 (Mondays) after every NASCAR Cup Series race. She can also be found working on her bi-weekly columns Holding A Pretty Wheel (Tuesdays) and Only Yesterday (Wednesdays). A New Hampshire native whose heart is in North Carolina, Amy’s work credits have extended everywhere from driver Kenny Wallace’s website to Athlon Sports. She can also be heard weekly as a panelist on the Hard Left Turn podcast that can be found on AccessWDUN.com's Around the Track page.