Sporting News Power Poll after Dover
(October 4, 2011)
While Tony Stewart (Chicagoland and New Hampshire) and Kurt Busch (Dover) have taken the checkered flags in the first three races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the driver who hasn't had a win since the third race of the season is back on top. By virtue of six straight top-10 finishes, capped by his third-place effort at Dover, Edwards was a unanimous No. 1 pick among our voters. The power poll is a weekly collaboration of Sporting News, SceneDaily.com, Rowdy.com and NASCAR Illustrated.
1. Carl Edwards (last week: 4th). Concrete Carl grabbed a share of the Chase lead with a third-place run at Dover. If Edwards can just find a way to convert speed into wins, he'll be dangerous.
2. Jimmie Johnson (7th). Johnson regained his footing in the Chase, but getting dusted on late restarts for the win by chief nemesis Kurt Busch sullied Five-Time's runner-up finish.
3. Kevin Harvick (5th). Although Harvick is tied with Edwards for the points lead, Harvick's finishes of 12th and 10th the past two weeks aren't championship form. Top-five finishes are needed.
4. Kurt Busch (10th). Just when you thought the erratic, temperamental Busch was not a factor, he wins a race and climbs back into the thick of the points race.
5. Tony Stewart (1st). Stewart has finished off the lead lap five times this year. Once was because of a crash at Sonoma, the other four were at concrete, or partially concrete, tracks: Dover twice, Bristol and Martinsville.
6. Matt Kenseth (6th). Kenseth put together a good run and gallant effort to finish fifth at Dover, but this team makes too many mistakes to be a serious contender.
7. Brad Keselowski (2nd). BK had another top 10 in the bag until his power steering failed. At least his arms and shoulders got a workout.
8. Jeff Gordon (3rd). Gordon has failed to lead laps in two of the first three Chase races (Chicagoland and Dover). What's up with that?
9. Kyle Busch (8th). Busch held serve at Dover but never threatened to win the race. To win a title, Busch still needs to find a higher gear.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (9th). Two major problems in two straight races were not something the 88 could afford.
11. Clint Bowyer (12th). Had Bowyer not run out of gas at Loudon, he'd be looking at three straight top 10s after finishing eighth at Dover.
12. Ryan Newman (11th). In his past six races, Newman has finished eighth three times and 20th, 25th and 23rd. Unfortunately for Newman, two of those three eighths were pre-Chase.
13. Kasey Kahne (18th). The driver of the No. 4 car finished fourth for the third time this season. His only other top five is a third. As interesting as that might be, it speaks volumes of his ineffectiveness in '11.
14. AJ Allmendinger (20th). One of the best saves of the year propelled AJ to his seventh top 10 of the 2011. His career best: eight in 2010.
15. Denny Hamlin (15th). Hamlin ended the regular season with consecutive finishes of seventh, eighth and ninth. Now he's simply finished in the Chase after finishes of 31st, 29th and 18th.
16. Greg Biffle (13th). Once again, good speed didn't lead to a good finish for the Biff.
17. Mark Martin (17th). Martin served as ESPN's in-race reporter, but not much was heard from him outside of that during a ho-hum 19th-place run.
18. Jeff Burton (21st). Burton steadily got better in the second half of the race and finished 11th, his best run since Watkins Glen.
19. David Ragan (14th). Ragan's momentum from a successful three-race stretch was squashed with his 21st at Dover. Mid-pack finishes are not what Ragan needs if he hopes to remain at Roush Fenway.
20. Marcos Ambrose (NR). His ninth-place finish was Ambrose's first single-digit finish since winning at Watkins Glen. It was his second Dover top 10 of the season and his career.
21. Juan Pablo Montoya (19th). There are now seven races left in the season for Montoya to do something significant. Don't hold your breath,
22. Paul Menard (23rd). My, how the mediocre has fallen.
23. Regan Smith (22nd). Smith finished 17th for the second time in three races and the fourth time this season. I'd say he has that mastered.
24. Brian Vickers (25th). Finished 14th to get to six points of cracking the top 25 in points. It wouldn't mean much, but it would mean something.
25. Martin Truex Jr. (16th). Truex won the pole, then went out Sunday and finished 30th. And Bowyer WANTS to drive for Michael Waltrip Racing? The money must be really good.
2. Jimmie Johnson (7th). Johnson regained his footing in the Chase, but getting dusted on late restarts for the win by chief nemesis Kurt Busch sullied Five-Time's runner-up finish.
3. Kevin Harvick (5th). Although Harvick is tied with Edwards for the points lead, Harvick's finishes of 12th and 10th the past two weeks aren't championship form. Top-five finishes are needed.
4. Kurt Busch (10th). Just when you thought the erratic, temperamental Busch was not a factor, he wins a race and climbs back into the thick of the points race.
5. Tony Stewart (1st). Stewart has finished off the lead lap five times this year. Once was because of a crash at Sonoma, the other four were at concrete, or partially concrete, tracks: Dover twice, Bristol and Martinsville.
6. Matt Kenseth (6th). Kenseth put together a good run and gallant effort to finish fifth at Dover, but this team makes too many mistakes to be a serious contender.
7. Brad Keselowski (2nd). BK had another top 10 in the bag until his power steering failed. At least his arms and shoulders got a workout.
8. Jeff Gordon (3rd). Gordon has failed to lead laps in two of the first three Chase races (Chicagoland and Dover). What's up with that?
9. Kyle Busch (8th). Busch held serve at Dover but never threatened to win the race. To win a title, Busch still needs to find a higher gear.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (9th). Two major problems in two straight races were not something the 88 could afford.
11. Clint Bowyer (12th). Had Bowyer not run out of gas at Loudon, he'd be looking at three straight top 10s after finishing eighth at Dover.
12. Ryan Newman (11th). In his past six races, Newman has finished eighth three times and 20th, 25th and 23rd. Unfortunately for Newman, two of those three eighths were pre-Chase.
13. Kasey Kahne (18th). The driver of the No. 4 car finished fourth for the third time this season. His only other top five is a third. As interesting as that might be, it speaks volumes of his ineffectiveness in '11.
14. AJ Allmendinger (20th). One of the best saves of the year propelled AJ to his seventh top 10 of the 2011. His career best: eight in 2010.
15. Denny Hamlin (15th). Hamlin ended the regular season with consecutive finishes of seventh, eighth and ninth. Now he's simply finished in the Chase after finishes of 31st, 29th and 18th.
16. Greg Biffle (13th). Once again, good speed didn't lead to a good finish for the Biff.
17. Mark Martin (17th). Martin served as ESPN's in-race reporter, but not much was heard from him outside of that during a ho-hum 19th-place run.
18. Jeff Burton (21st). Burton steadily got better in the second half of the race and finished 11th, his best run since Watkins Glen.
19. David Ragan (14th). Ragan's momentum from a successful three-race stretch was squashed with his 21st at Dover. Mid-pack finishes are not what Ragan needs if he hopes to remain at Roush Fenway.
20. Marcos Ambrose (NR). His ninth-place finish was Ambrose's first single-digit finish since winning at Watkins Glen. It was his second Dover top 10 of the season and his career.
21. Juan Pablo Montoya (19th). There are now seven races left in the season for Montoya to do something significant. Don't hold your breath,
22. Paul Menard (23rd). My, how the mediocre has fallen.
23. Regan Smith (22nd). Smith finished 17th for the second time in three races and the fourth time this season. I'd say he has that mastered.
24. Brian Vickers (25th). Finished 14th to get to six points of cracking the top 25 in points. It wouldn't mean much, but it would mean something.
25. Martin Truex Jr. (16th). Truex won the pole, then went out Sunday and finished 30th. And Bowyer WANTS to drive for Michael Waltrip Racing? The money must be really good.
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