A new year means a new set of Power Rankings! After
every race, we'll opine about who we think is at the top of the Sprint
Cup heap and how and why they got there. Remember, this isn't
scientific, as our formula is the perfect blend of analytics and bias
against your favorite driver. So let's get on with it, shall we?
1. Jimmie Johnson (Last Week: 1): Wow,
Jimmie, you're acclimating yourself quite nicely to the top spot. Sure
you don't need anything? Drinks? Food? A hot towel? You're good? You're
sure? Wow, it's like you've been here before. You're an old pro at this.
Anyway, I know it's reeeeeeeally early, but would anyone be surprised
if Jimmie Johnson led the points standings the entire regular season?
2.Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 4):
Did you know that Junior finished fifth on Sunday? That's two top fives
to start the year for the driver who could formerly be known as
NASCAR's Most Popular Driver. He hasn't done that to start the season
since 2004, a year he finished fifth. Yeah, he's driving the second-best
car in his shop. So what? Look at the points standings.
3. Brad Keselowski (LW: 3): You have to wonder if his previous conflict with Carl Edwards
crossed Keselowski's mind at any point during the race's final caution
flag. Yeah, Jetski and Carl have gotten along lately and there was no
need to resuscitate that tiff over the two laps at Phoenix. But can you
imagine the craziness that would have prevailed if Keselowski would have
pushed Edwards into the wall instead of into the lead when the green
flag waved?
4. Denny Hamlin (LW: 11): What?
The Hamster is higher than Edwards? Well, previous performance has to
have some bearing in these rankings, and he was here last week. And we
loved that apron-cutting pass on the final lap so much that it merited a
power rankings bump. Especially given that Hamlin started the race in
the back of the pack because of a pre-race engine change.
5. Carl Edwards (LW: Not Ranked):
NASCAR is rigged! They made it so the Subway car won the Subway race!
How could they be so obvious?! If you actually believe that theory, then
you should bet heavily on Jimmie Johnson at Las Vegas. It was a nice
Daytona bounceback for Edwards, who might have changed tires fewer times
at Phoenix than he crashed cars in Volusia County.
6. Clint Bowyer (LW: NR):
Finishes of sixth and 11th in the first two races of the season will
put you in fourth place in the points standings, sixth in the power
rankings and who-knows-where in the hearts of NASCAR fans. Depends on
how fast those hearts are beating from the rabid consumption of 5-Hour
Energy, I guess.
7. Mark Martin (LW: 5):
Yeah, Martin finished 21st, but leading 75 laps is good for something,
right? Yeah, but those 75 laps were at the beginning of Sunday's race,
and then Martin was never in contention after the halfway point. Does
that sound anything like 2012?
8. Matt Kenseth (LW: NR):
Can we safely put to bed any of the theories that Kenseth will struggle
early in his transition to JGR? Yeah, he got bit by the JGR motor
gremlins while leading at Daytona, but we've seen that they're not very
discerning.
9. Aric Almirola (LW: NR):
Bacon. Bacon. Bacon. Bacon. Did you know that if the regular season
ended today that Almirola would make the Chase? No, you didn't. Don't
lie.
10. Greg Biffle (LW: 6):
Biffle would make the Chase too. he led briefly at Phoenix, but that
was that early in the race and he finished 17th. Remember, this is an
odd-numbered year.
11. AJ Allmendinger (LW: NR):
Not a bad season debut for Allmendinger, eh? With his partial schedules
in both the Sprint Cup and IndyCar Series, Allmendinger has a chance to
become the first driver to post top 10s in the same year in both series
since Tony Stewart.
12. Casey Mears (LW: NR):
His 14th place finish was his highest since a 12th at Martinsville in
2011. And perhaps most importantly for Geico, he got a ton of TV time
from the numerous replays showing Junior having to slow down on pit road
to avoid Mears pulling into his pit stall.Dropped Out: Danica Patrick, Regan Smith, Michael McDowell, JJ Yeley, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Lucky Dog: Oh man, you got any ideas?
The Front Row Racing DNF: Front Row Racing! It's been a brutal opening two races for the team. All three cars were involved in the same accident at Daytona, and the Davids Gilliland and Ragan crashed again at Phoenix while Josh Wise finished 35th.
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