Frontstretch NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 15 After the 2015 AAA Texas 500

And then there were two… races that is. Despite the fact that there are three races in the Eliminator Round, by virtue of non-Chaser Jimmie Johnson‘s win last weekend, two drivers at most will make it to the championship race based on wins. It’s possible that three drivers could make it in on points if another non-Chaser wins again this Sunday.

If the two previous races had a large impact on points, then Texas very well might have been the final nail in the coffin for others. Drivers like Joey Logano and Kurt Busch find themselves in must-win situations while others like Brad Keselowski need some luck on their side in order to make it.

With only two races remaining this season, the championship is still up the air. Take a look at where our staff ranks the main players and your favorite drivers in this weeks rankings.

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	+2	Kevin Harvick Considering his recent track record in Arizona, PIR would be better off naming the track Kevin Harvick Raceway. Aaron Bearden, Frontstretch First Place Votes: 2	58
2	-1	Kyle Busch Three top-five finishes in the last four races. Who would have thought that, of all the top drivers, Busch would be the quiet one? Summer Bedgood, Frontstretch	56
3	+6	Brad Keselowski None of the drama of 2014, but the same result. So close to a Chase-advancing win, yet so far away. Aaron Bearden, Frontstretch	51
T-4	-2	Jeff Gordon Truly the only driver who has nothing to lose in Phoenix. All eyes are already on Homestead for the No. 24 team. First Place Votes: 1	48
T-4		Martin Truex Jr. None of the drama of 2014, but the same result. So close to a Chase-advancing win, yet so far away. Aaron Bearden, Frontstretch	48
6	+7	Jimmie Johnson Spoiler alert… Johnson still can’t win the championship. Summer Bedgood, Frontstretch	44
7	+1	Carl Edwards No backflips thus far in the Chase, but Edwards’s consistency has him ready to strike should his competitors have issues. Aaron Bearden, Frontstretch	42
8	+4	Kurt Busch Needs a win to advance in the same way that Logano does but hasn’t shown the same amount of speed. Harvick is once again Stewart-Haas Racing’s best chance at winning the championship. Summer Bedgood, Frontstretch	39
9	-2	Dale Earnhardt Jr. Would be in position to advance to the final round of the Chase if the Talladega caution had come 100 feet later. C’est la vie, JR Nation. Aaron Bearden, Frontstretch	36
10		Jamie McMurray Quietly, McMurray continues to be one of the best of the drivers already eliminated earlier in the Chase. Phil Allaway, Frontstretch	31
11	N/A	Matt Kenseth Kenseth was in the race last week but wasn’t ranked. This week, while serving his suspension, Kenseth was absent from the race but still made the rankings. Logano, who finished 40th, fell out. If you don’t think this Kenseth/Logano story is having an impact… think again. Summer Bedgood, Frontstretch	23
12	+3	Paul Menard 13th-place finish. Meh. Aaron Bearden, Frontstretch	23
13	-2	Ryan Newman Newman’s 22nd-place finish would have been a reminder of why he’s no longer in the Chase… if anyone had even noticed. Summer Bedgood, Frontstretch	23
14	N/A	Austin Dillon Judging by his recent results, Dillon could play the role of a sleeper to make the Chase in 2016. Aaron Bearden, Frontstretch	20
15	-9	Denny Hamlin Wound up in the garage area with Logano, which really doesn’t reflect his season… or Logano’s for that matter. One has to wonder where the season for the No. 11 team went so wrong. Summer Bedgood, Frontstretch	18

Others Receiving Votes: Joey Logano (17), Aric Almirola (12), Clint Bowyer (12), Kasey Kahne (9), Erik Jones (5), Danica Patrick (4), Kyle Larson (3), Greg Biffle (2), Casey Mears (2), Brian Scott (2), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2)

Participants: Phil Allaway, Frontstretch; Aaron Bearden, Frontstretch; Summer Bedgood, Frontstretch

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1

First Place Votes: 2

58

2

56

3

+6

51

T-4

-2

First Place Votes: 1

48

T-4

48

6

+7

44

7

+1

42

8

+4

39

9

-2

36

10

31

11

N/A

23

12

+3

23

13

23

14

N/A

20

15

-9

18