If there’s one thing that can be said for certain about Monday’s postponed running of the Pennsylvania 400, it’s that no race in NASCAR’s history was quite like it.
First, there was the fact that it was the first time a track had suffered two postponed races in the same year. Then, there was the rarest of reasons for a race to end: fog. Throw in an underdog winner in Chris Buescher and poor outings for a few Chase hopefuls, and finding takeaways from the wild weekend that was proved difficult at best.
Picking the top 10 after Pocono Raceway’s second race wasn’t easy, and a few of our typical crew couldn’t participate as they traveled home or looked to catch up, but the majority of the experts did their best to peek through the fog and pick the top dogs after a trip through some Pennsylvania mountains.
POWER RANKINGS: Pennsylvania 400
1. KEVIN HARVICK (82 POINTS, +2)
2. BRAD KESELOWSKI (77 POINTS, No Change)
3. KYLE BUSCH (71 POINTS, -2)
“This team is testing things out for the Chase. He will be the championship favorite.” – Albino
4. KURT BUSCH (57 POINTS, +2)
“The guy sponsored by an energy drink just set a record for most races completed in their entirety to start the season. Anyone else smell a marketing opportunity? – Bearden
5. TONY STEWART (37 POINTS, +3)
“We know Smoke’s hot streak is in the summer, but isn’t it good to see him on fire again?” – Fesko
6. CARL EDWARDS (36 POINTS, +3)
“Two rain-delayed races at Pocono, two eighth-place finishes.” – Gable
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen a backflip. Can Edwards right the ship with his second road-course win?” – Bearden
7. JOEY LOGANO (26 POINTS, -2)
8. KYLE LARSON (25 POINTS, Prev. Unranked)
9. MATT KENSETH (21 POINTS, -5)
10. CHRIS BUESCHER (19 POINTS, Press. Unranked)
“As it turns out, ‘win and you’re in’ applies to our power rankings, too.” – Bearden
CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR
These two drivers both showed speed and promise at one point or another, but circumstances kept them from getting the finishes they should’ve earned. A solid run at Watkins Glen International would help either’s top 10 hopes seem a little less foggy.
Austin Dillon (13 Points) – “13th place doesn’t accurately portray just how good Dillon was on Monday.” – Fesko
Denny Hamlin (12 Points) – “Running better lately, but winning the Daytona 500 still erased a lot of potential Chase worries for the No. 11 team.” – Gable
Others receiving votes: Martin Truex, Jr. (11), Jimmie Johnson (6), Fog (3), Ryan Newman (2).
Contributors
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Dustin Albino | @DustinAlbino |
| Phil Allaway | @Critic84 |
| Aaron Bearden | @AaronBearden93 |
| Summer Bedgood | @SummerBedgood |
| Tom Bowles | @NASCARBowles |
| Greg Davis | @GregMDavis |
| Sean Fesko | @TheWriterSean |
| Michael Finley | @FinleyFactor |
| Bryan Gable | N/A |
| Tony Lumbis | @TonyLumbis |
| Toni Montgomery | @ToniLMontgomery |
| Kevin Rutherford | @surfwax83 |
| Jason Schultz | @NASCARJason |
| Joseph Wolkin | @JosephNASCAR |
| Name | Position/Description | |
|---|---|---|
| AnnoyingRaceFan | @AnnoyingRaceFan | I’M @annoyingracefan ON TWITTER (AND INSTAGRAM). PEOPLE CALL ME ARF. I’M A RELATIVE NOBODY. |
| MatthewDillner | @MatthewDillner | NASCAR |
| Brian Eberly | @beberly18 | Writer, Rubbings Racing, Motor Racing Digest |
| Mike Hembree | @MikeHembree | Writer, USA Today |
| Ben Hinc | @lemonlovr | Owner, The Apex |
| Jerry Jordan | @kicknthetires | Owner, Kicknthetires.Net |
| Pete McCole | @PeteMcCole | NASCAR Writer, AutoRacing1.com |
| The Orange Cone | @TheOrangeCone | I am an orange traffic cone. |
| Kyle Pokrefky | @KPokrefky | Writer, The Fourth Turn |
| Reid Spencer | @Reid_Spencer | Lead Writer, NASCAR Wire Service |
| Doug Turnbull | @DougTurnbull | Announcer, PRN Live, Atlanta Motor Speedway |
| Jim Utter | @jim_utter | NASCAR Editor, Motorsport.com |
How they’re made: Following the conclusion of each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, members of a voting panel, including Frontstretch writers, members of accredited media including Motorsport, NASCAR and USA Today, as well as writers from other sites and social media favorites, submit their top 10 drivers for the Power Rankings. The drivers are then given points based off their position, with first place getting 10 points, and each subsequent driver getting one fewer point until the 10th-place driver, who gets a lone point. Points are then tallied, and the rankings are created.
Do you agree with our rankings? Think someone got snubbed, or that one of the top drivers is overrated? Let us know in the comments, and tell others what your top 10 would be.
Aaron Bearden is a Frontstretch alumnus who’s come back home as the site’s Short Track Editor. When he isn’t working with our grassroots writers, he can be found talking about racing on his Morning Warmup newsletter, pestering his wife/dog or convincing himself the Indiana Pacers can win an NBA title.