NASCAR power rankings: Even Talladega’s craziness couldn’t slow Joey Logano

In just its second season, NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup championship elimination format has demonstrated a knack for inciting chaos and inducing controversial moments.

But while those truisms have certainly defined this year’s playoffs with multiple allegations of chicanery, another regular occurrence has emerged in the form of Joey Logano becoming the sole driver to reach victory lane in Round 2 and the first to ever pull off a sweep in a single three-race bracket.

The latest triumph for the Team Penske driver followed a disordered finish Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. The race was decided by a caution some contend was deliberately caused by a desperate Kevin Harvick -- it froze the field with Logano narrowly leading Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had the superior car and was poised to capture the lead.

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, and in Logano’s case he’s been both lately. He dominated three weeks ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway, showed his ruthlessness by dumping Matt Kenseth out of the lead the next week at Kansas Speedway and was the beneficiary when bedlam reigned Sunday.

“We got momentum, that’s for sure,” said Logano, who’s won a series-best six races in 2015. “This team has been firing on all eight (cylinders) right now. It’s amazing all these different types of racetracks we’ve been able to win at this season, how hard everyone keeps fighting.

“We want the big trophy at the end of the year. We want to win every trophy in between, but we want the big one at the end of the season.”

NASCAR Power Rankings

1. Joey Logano (Last week: 1)

Beyond just sweeping Round 2, widely acknowledged as the toughest of the four Chase brackets, Logano’s been sensational throughout the duration of the playoffs. He is the only driver to record top 10s in all six races and sports an impressive average finish of 3.67.

2. Kyle Busch (LW: 5)

Never before has Kyle Busch been better positioned to win a career-first title than at the present moment. Now, the question is whether the driver whose postseason meltdowns have become a regular fall occurrence, much like leaves changing color, can continue to advance toward something he’s never done previously -- enter the final race of the season with a shot at the championship.

3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 3)

How eventful a playoffs has Harvick experienced? A synopsis: He shoved Jimmie Johnson; nearly had a Round 1 self-destruction, produced in a must-win situation, only to be accused of cracking his bumper to dodge post-race technical inspection after winning; and now faces allegations he intentionally caused a caution just to escape elimination.

4. Denny Hamlin (LW: 2)

Small mistakes are often absolutely devastating in the playoffs, a lesson Denny Hamlin now knows all too well. With the No. 11’s roof hatch coming ajar, crew chief Dave Rodgers called his driver to pit road twice under the green flag and with the race being relatively clean -- at least until the closing laps -- Hamlin could never overcome the three laps he fell behind. And despite holding an 18-point cushion entering the weekend, he left Talladega on the wrong side of the cutoff.

5. Carl Edwards (LW: 7)

Second year in a row Carl Edwards has advanced to the third round, but unlike last season he has the speed and consistency required to be a factor. Only Logano has a better average finish in the Chase than Edwards (6.8), who also possesses multiple victories at Texas and Phoenix. The one concern is Martinsville where he’s 0-for-22 in his career with just a lone top five.

6. Kurt Busch (LW: 6)

Don’t sleep on Kurt Busch’s chances to get out of Round 3, as he won last season at Martinsville, has been routinely strong on mile-and-a-half tracks like Texas and nearly won Phoenix in the spring. And even if he can’t win, the 2004 Cup champion has shown the necessary consistency to point his way to the final round.

7. Jeff Gordon (LW: 8)

When the Chase started Jeff Gordon’s goal was to avoid any crippling finishes and just make it Round 3, which features three tracks where he typically excels. And though it wasn’t flashy, the No. 24 team has made it to the third bracket poised for a potential breakthrough and advancement to the championship finale. Up first is Martinsville, where Gordon owns eight victories and a robust 6.9 average finish.

8. Matt Kenseth (LW: 4)

The second round is going to haunt Matt Kenseth for some time. He had perhaps the fastest car at Charlotte only for curious pit strategy to result in his undoing, was leading at Kansas with five laps to go when Logano spun him, and any chance of a victory Sunday evaporated thanks to the caution Harvick willingly or unwillingly triggered.

9. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 9)

The driver and team that continue to do the most with the least are now one step closer to the championship. Whether Martin Truex Jr. can make it to the last race of the season still in title contention could hinge on how he performs Sunday at Martinsville. The Virginia short track is his second-worst based on average finish and just twice in 19 starts has he placed in the top five. But one of those top-five finishes came in the spring, giving credence that the clock may not be ready to strike midnight on Truex’s Cinderella run.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 12)

Had Earnhardt blasted NASCAR for how the last few laps unfolded, few would have begrudged him. But similar to how he handled the disappointment of being eliminated a year ago at Talladega, he again did so with class. There was no anger in his voice or fingers pointed, just exuberance over what he and his team accomplished in 2015 and optimism for what he feels is to come.

11. Brad Keselowski (LW: 11)

As Earnhardt stood on pit road taking in the fact that by the slimmest of margins he had been eliminated, Brad Keselowski came up and offered Earnhardt a few words of encouragement culminating with the two good friends embracing. Earnhardt later praised Keselowski for giving him an honest shove as he tried to draft past Logano on the final restart even though Keselowski and Logano were teammates.

12. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 10)

With the focus of the Hendrick Motorsports camp on getting Earnhardt and Gordon into the next round, Jimmie Johnson aptly played the role of wingman Sunday. Mostly working with Gordon, Johnson factored heavily in ensuring his teammate was near the front at the end and in position to advance, which Gordon did comfortably.