Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports remain dominant.
The constant back-and-froth between Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske and which top-flight organization will reach Victory Lane continued in the Oral-B USA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
This time, it was Kasey Kahne of Hendrick taking the honors and securing himself a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. This was the 14th race out of the last 19 that was won by a driver from either Hendrick or Penske. For the year, that's 16 wins in 25 races.
These power rankings reflect the dominance exhibited by NASCAR's two powerhouse teams.
1. Joey Logano (Last week: 1)
Following a Bristol win, Logano ascended to the No. 1 position last week. He only maintains that ranking because no one else in consideration really did anything of note at Atlanta. Gordon, Earnhardt and Keselowski all had their own issues. But a return to trip Richmond, where Logano won in the spring, gives him a chance to further cement his standing. Or at the least, it offers someone else a chance to show that they should be ranked first.
2. Jeff Gordon (LW: 2)
Ignore the result and instead focus on the process that netted Gordon a 17th-place finish Sunday. After having slammed the wall due to a tire failure while running second, the current points leader fell two laps down. Nevertheless, Gordon fought all race to get back on the lead lap, eventually doing so thanks to the final caution of the night. That achievement was then met with an enthusiastic response from his team, demonstrating the camaraderie and doggedness within the No. 24 team.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 4)
Having a dominant car and not winning is a familiar theme for Harvick this season, but unlike other instances his downfall wasn't anything he or the 4 crew did or didn't do. A late-race restart scrum involving Logano, Paul Menard and others knocked Harvick out of contention. At least he was able to avoid the cat/squirrel/armadillo/mountain lion/furry animal that darted across the track.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 5)
When Tony Stewart blew a tire, a large chunk punctured the nose on Earnhardt's car; the race only became more of a struggle from there. But nowadays, a struggle for the 88 team equals out to finishing 11th, further underscoring just how the high the expectation level has raised for Earnhardt and company.
5. Brad Keselowski (LW: 3)
Much better than what shows in the box score (39th), Keselowski's night came undone when a lapped car caused Denny Hamlin to slow and forced him into the wall. Keselowski, understandably, wasn't pleased with Hamlin and said as much, but also acknowledged "that's racing."
6. Matt Kenseth (LW: 7)
On the strength of a second place finish and a third in consecutive weeks, sitting third in points with as many top-10 finishes as anyone, a case could be made that Kenseth deserves consideration for the No. 1 ranking. Then again, he's still winless. And in a year where winning is supposed to be everything, that hurts.
7. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 6)
It's hard for the defending champion to do anything under the radar, but the drama of the past two weeks has largely overshadowed Johnson's return to form, which includes consecutive top-five finishes.
8. Denny Hamlin (LW: 10)
His engine may be down on power, but Hamlin is compensating with some fine driving and great pit work. No driver spent less time on pit road at Atlanta, a fact which enabled Hamlin to record his sixth top-10 finish in eight races. With Joe Gibbs Racing continuing to improve, it seems a given that Hamlin is going to pop off a victory or two sometime soon.
9. Greg Biffle (LW: 9)
Five straight top-10s has moved Biffle from outside the Chase to in it -- with a caveat. He just has to escape Richmond relatively unscathed and more importantly, hope no new winner emerges. If both happen, Biffle is in the playoffs. If not, well, there is always next year.
10. Kurt Busch (LW: 8)
Continuing a season long trend where the result doesn't match the performance, Busch was running second when a tire let go and put him in the wall.
11. Ryan Newman (LW: 11)
Newman is Exhibit B that points racing still has a place at the top rung of the NASCAR ladder. (Kenseth is Exhibit A.) But while the consistency is admirable and will get you into the Chase, it remains to be seen just how far that approach will take you in a championship format designed to emphasis winning.
12. Kyle Larson (LW: 12)
Whether he makes the Chase or not doesn't detract from what has been an excellent rookie season. However, as good as he has been at times, there is no denying the amount of points Larson has left on the table. This is especially true as of late, where expected high finishes at Michigan, Bristol and Atlanta never materialized.
13. Kasey Kahne (LW: Unranked)
He is simply too good of a driver with too good of a team not to win a race and qualify for the playoffs. And had Kahne failed to win at Atlanta or Richmond, it would have meant significant changes on the No. 5 team, likely beginning with crew chief Kenny Francis.
14. Carl Edwards (LW: 14)
After struggling for the majority of the season on intermediate tracks, Roush Fenway Racing has seemingly righted the proverbial ship with both Edwards and Biffle finishing in the top 10 at Atlanta. While those gains won't be enough to make Edwards a factor in the Chase, it does mean a solid chance at grabbing one victory in a Roush car before heading to JGR next season.
15. Clint Bowyer (LW: 13)
Were it not for transmission troubles Sunday, Bowyer would be in solid shape to return to the Chase for a third straight year. As it is, he finds himself on the wrong side of the bubble and either needs to win at Richmond or get some help.
from SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1pKXJrz
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