Sporting News Power Poll after Michigan

Sporting News Power Poll after Michigan


By the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

Kevin Harvick retained the top spot in this week’s Sporting News Power Poll after his victory in Sunday’s Carfax 400 at Michigan. Carl Edwards continued his ascent toward the top of the standings, jumping from fourth to second in the Power Poll, with his sixth straight top-10 finish, a third at Michigan. The weekly poll is a collaboration of Sporting News and Rowdy.com.

1. Kevin Harvick (last week: 1st) He now has a win at a downforce track, and that really signals he’ll be a force in the final 10 races.
2. Carl Edwards (4th) Talk about peaking at the right time. Over the past six races, Edwards has a series-best average finish of 4.3.
3. Tony Stewart (3rd) Smoke is smokin’ with five straight top-10 finishes and a jump to fourth in the standings—but he’s still looking for that elusive first win.
4. Greg Biffle (10th) He still can’t make a four-tire call work but is starting to look a lot more like the Biffle of 2008.
5. Denny Hamlin (16th) Two top-five finishes in the past three races signal a bit of a revival for Hamlin. Would be nice to see him win once more before the Chase, though.
6. Juan Pablo Montoya (9th) For the first time since his Talladega-Richmond-Darlington run Montoya has posted back-to-back top 10s. Too little too late to make the Chase, though.
7. Jeff Burton (2nd) Should there be a “Help Wanted: Pit Crew” sign hanging out of the No. 31’s shop? Too many times has that hurt Burton this year.
8. Jeff Gordon (2nd) Ran like a yo-yo at Michigan, where he started 36th, charged into the top five and fell back to 27th late in the race.
9. Matt Kenseth (14) Hooray! Kenseth finally finishes in the top 10 again. And he makes it a top five, too.
10. Jimmie Johnson (15th) Johnson finishes outside the top 10 for the fifth time in six races. Now watch what he does in the final three regular-season races to remind everyone who’s the reigning champ.
11. Kyle Busch (7th) The Gibbs-dominant days of midsummer appear to be long gone.
12. Clint Bowyer (17th) His 13th-place finish looks lackluster, but compared with Mark Martin’s 28th-place run, it’s great. And that’s all that matters for the No. 33.
13. Kurt Busch (6th) Busch’s worst finish of the season comes three races before the Chase, plummeting him six spots in the standings to 10th.
14. Martin Truex Jr. (20th) A very quiet eighth at his best downforce track has to be encouraging for next year.
15. Jamie McMurray (8th) Never in contention at Michigan, McMurray saw his slim hopes of making the Chase dim with a 20th-place finish.
16. Kasey Kahne (18th) Started on the pole and went backward from there. Kahne has started in P1 twice this season and has failed to lead a single lap both times.
17. AJ Allmendinger (12th) Followed up his Watkins Glen top 10 with a 17th at MIS. AJ has never logged consecutive top 10s.
18. Mark Martin (13th) Michigan is a brutal blow to Martin’s Chase chances after he does a most-un-Martin-like thing: pushes the car too hard too early.
19. Ryan Newman (11th) Joey has the reach advantage, but Ryan’s stockier. We say Ryan in the first by submission.
20. David Reutimann (22nd) At one point Sunday, Reutimann was running in fourth position. That marks the first time he ran in the top five since his Chicagoland win.
21. Marcos Ambrose. (19th) He was fast at MIS. Bristol is one of his best ovals. A late season surge can salvage Ambrose’s season.
22. Joey Logano (NR) Logano has nine top-10 finishes this season, but only twice have they come in consecutive weeks. If he builds consistency in the final 13 races, he should be part of the Chase picture in 2011.
23. Paul Menard (21st) Menard to RCR is announced one day. Paul matches his worst finish of the season the next. Buyer’s remorse, RC?
24. David Ragan (NR) Much, much, much better than earlier this season.
25. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (25th) Earnhardt salvaged a 19th-place finish after losing a lap on Sunday, but Junior isn’t making a statement that he’s Chase-worthy.