Sporting News Power Poll

Sporting News Power Poll

By the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(March 22, 2011)

Carl Edwards’ second-place finish at Bristol—his third first-place or runner-up finish of the season—was enough to keep him atop this week’s Sporting News Power Poll. Kyle Busch, who won Sunday’s Jeff Byrd 500, jumped to second from ninth. Points leader Kurt Busch, the only driver with top-10 finishes in each of the first four races, remained third in the weekly collaboration of Sporting News, SceneDaily.com, Rowdy.com and NASCAR Illustrated.

1. Carl Edwards (last week: 1st) A ho-hum weekend at Bristol with another pole and a third top-two finish in four races.
2. Kyle Busch (9th) After another Bristol sweep, move him to the head of the class, no matter what the class is—Cup, Nationwide or truck.
3. Kurt Busch (3rd) Kurt has yet to show the oomph of his little brother, but no one has been more consistent through four races.
4. Jimmie Johnson (10th) If not for late slip-up on pit road, Johnson may very well have defended his Bristol win from a year ago.
5. Ryan Newman (4th) Newman is looking more like the Flyin’ Ryan of old with his third consecutive top-10 finish.
6. Tony Stewart (2nd) Stewart was fast in Bristol practice but couldn’t get the handle right on race day. He finished 19th, the last car on the lead lap.
7. Paul Menard (12th) Menard continues to impress. He scored his third career top five even though he was down a cylinder. He’s the biggest surprise of 2011.
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8th) His speeding penalty cost him, but Junior continues to show confidence and the ability to make the car better with crew chief Steve Letarte.
9. Kevin Harvick (16th) The 29 may be a championship-caliber team, but it isn’t having championship-caliber luck.
10. Jeff Gordon (6th) Gordon has been the lowest finishing Hendrick Motorsports driver for the past two races, yet remains the only one with a 2011 victory.
11. Matt Kenseth (13th) A late rally Sunday flashed signs of the Kenseth of old.
12. Juan Pablo Montoya (5th) It’s beginning to look like one of those up-and-down seasons for Montoya after a tough 24th-place finish at Bristol.
13. Kasey Kahne (17th) Kahne has been solid but unspectacular so far. If this is his team finding its footing, the No. 4 could be dangerous later in the season.
14. Martin Truex Jr. (11th) Good effort, so-so result. Truex led 63 laps at Bristol before the handling went away in his Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota.
15. Mark Martin (15th) Martin is 11th in points after a 12th-place finish at Bristol—his final campaign in the No. 5 Chevy is off to a so-so start.
16. Denny Hamlin (7th) Hamlin is the big loser coming out of Bristol. His 33rd-place finish dropped him nine places in the standings.
17. AJ Allmendinger (14th) Bristol takes a bite out of AJ—again. His 31st Sunday was right on his average and drops him out of the top 10 in points.
18. Greg Biffle (21st) Needing something, anything to keep 2011 from feeling like a lost season, the Biff carded a top 10 at Bristol.
19. Bobby Labonte (23rd) Labonte finished 13th Sunday to lower his average finish to 15.5. The last time he finished a season with an average finish in the teens was 2004.
20. Marcos Ambrose (19th) For the first time this season Ambrose failed to run in the top 10 at any point during a Cup race.
21. Clint Bowyer (18th) Bowyer should have finished better than 35th, but radiator damage from a wreck contributed to his blown engine.
22. David Ragan (NR) Ragan said the 16th-place result at Bristol was “not a win, but we’ve got to look at the positive and get better.” He’s right on both counts.
23. Brad Keselowski (NR) Keselowski salvaged a lead-lap finish from a miserable day. The bill for duct tape was a whopper.
24. Jamie McMurray (NR) McMurray is keeping the fab shop in business even if he isn’t at fault. Was able to scrape out 21st-place run.
25. Jeff Burton (22nd) At least he was first in something at Bristol—the first car off the lead lap.