It was a Penske Racing weekend. Not only did Brad Keselowski win the Truck Series race Thursday, Ryan Blaney won the Nationwide race Friday and Joey Logano took a win away from Matt Kenseth, passing him with 44 laps to go Saturday night. Logano became the fifth different driver to win three races this season and will be seeded fourth once the Chase seeding is set.
It was a rough weekend for a number of the top drivers in Thunder Valley. Only four of the Power Ranking top 10 after Michigan finished in the top 10 at Bristol including Logano, Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle. And what is Bristol without controversy? While battling for the lead, Kevin Harvick turned Denny Hamlin into the inside wall, collecting Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Hamlin showed his frustration, throwing his HANS device at Harvick as he passed. No penalties will be levied to Hamlin for that burst of anger.
With Logano’s win Saturday night, four non-win positions are still up for grabs with two races left before the Chase begins. Anything can happen in Atlanta and Richmond as drivers desperately position themselves to either win or make the Chase on points. As we prepare for the Labor Day holiday weekend, see if your driver made it out of Bristol without too much damage.
How The Rankings Are Calculated: Frontstretch does our power rankings similar to how the Associated Press does them for basketball or football. Our expert stable of NASCAR writers, both on staff and from other major publications will vote for the Top 20 on a 20-19-18-17… 3-2-1 basis, giving 20 points to their first-place driver, 19 for second, and so on. In the end, Mike Mehedin calculates the points, adds some funny one-liners, and… here you go!
Rank |
Change |
Name |
Total Votes |
1 |
|
194 |
|
2 |
+2 |
|
185 |
3 |
+2 |
|
176 |
4 |
-2 |
|
170 |
5 |
-2 |
Kevin HarvickThere is no more disappointing two-win driver and team right now than Harvick and the No. 4. A pit road speeding penalty cost him a shot at his third win of 2014. Can you imagine how many wins he would have if not for all the mistakes? Justin Tucker, Frontstretch.com |
158 |
6 |
|
156 |
|
7 |
+4 |
|
124 |
8 |
+1 |
|
104 |
9 |
N/A |
|
95 |
10 |
+5 |
Carl EdwardsDidn’t contend for a win at Bristol, but three Roush Fenway Racing cars in the top 10 bears mentioning, if only from a feel-good standpoint. Jim Noble, ESPN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/PRN |
94 |
11 |
-4 |
|
93 |
12 |
-4 |
Clint BowyerA case could be made that the No. 15 team doesn’t belong in the Chase, and then you look and realize that he’s somehow sitting 10th in points. Kelly Crandall, PopularSpeed.com |
85 |
12 |
-2 |
|
82 |
14 |
-2 |
|
76 |
15 |
-1 |
Kyle LarsonIf he would stop hitting the wall so darn much, maybe this rookie would win a race – and make the Chase. Tom Bowles, Frontstretch.com |
67 |
Jeff Gordon
Joey Logano
Brad Keselowski
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Jimmie Johnson
Matt Kenseth
Greg Biffle
Kurt Busch
Denny Hamlin
Ryan Newman
AJ AllmendingerOthers Receiving Votes: Kyle Busch (62), Jamie McMurray (43), Paul Menard (33), Jeff  Burton (25), Kasey Kahne (25), Aric Almirola (23), Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (20), Marcos Ambrose (8), Austin Dillon (7), Brian Vickers (3), Michael McDowell (2), Tony Stewart (2), Justin Allgaier (1), Ryan Blaney (1)
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Glad to see The Shrub is nowhere near the top ten !! You should create a “moron” vote and see where he ranks on that list. No. 1 I’m sure!!