NASCAR power rankings: Harvick rises; Earnhardt Jr., Busch descend after engine woes

As the Sprint Cup Series heads into its summer stretch, there seems to be a clear hierarchy as two drivers have firmly established themselves as the top contenders. Behind them, a host of drivers ever capable of winning the championship follows, but each with obvious flaws holding them back.

So while the top two drivers in the power rankings remain the same this week, as it’s been throughout the year, there is continued fluidity from third on down.

1. Matt Kenseth (Last week: 1)

A common theme for Kenseth through the early part of the season was that he would be in contention early, then something would happen that would prevent him from getting the appropriate finish. This was again the case at Charlotte where he led 112 laps before getting caught up in a crash he didn’t instigate, though he still finished 15th.

2. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 2)

For the second year in a row Johnson couldn’t carry over his dominance in the All-Star Race to the 600, as the 48 car was off all night. And strangely this was the sixth consecutive year where he has failed to post a top-10 finish in NASCAR’s longest race.

3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 7)

Although Harvick is adamant that he isn’t having second thoughts about leaving Richard Childress, you have to think with Stewart-Haas Racing continuing to underperform, there has to be a tinge of doubt whether he made the right decision to leave his home of 12 years.

4. Kasey Kahne (LW: 8)

In the lead with 14 laps to go and trying to decide whether to pit or not, Kahne and Kenny Francis were damned if they did and damned if they didn’t. Because in that situation whatever decision they made the guys behind them were going to do the opposite. Its choices like this that causes crew chiefs to wake up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat.

5. Clint Bowyer (LW: 6)

Leave it to Bowyer to put NASCAR’s longest race in perspective: “If they’re gonna make us go 600 miles, I wish they’d put someone in here with us so we could shoot the s---,” the affable driver radioed to his crew during one of the night’s many cautions.

6. Carl Edwards (LW: 4)

It’s by no means flashy but it’s been effective, as Edwards continues to churn out solid finishes every week with seven top 15s in his last eight starts. That consistency has him second in points heading to Dover where his average finish of 8.3 is tops among all drivers.

7. Kyle Busch (LW: 3)

At times it can be hard to justify Busch’s irritability, but even his biggest detractors have to admit that he has been absolutely snakebit like few others over the previous 18 months. The last example was twofold. First, his car was hit by a falling cable while leading, and then, after fixing the damage and maintaining his lead, he had to deal with yet another engine failure.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 5)

Through the first five races of 2013, Earnhardt’s worst result was seventh and he had an average finish of 4.4. But in the subsequent seven races he has recorded just two top 10s, has finished 16th or worse five times with an average finish of 20.5.

9. Denny Hamlin (LW: 15)

After just two races Hamlin finds himself 53 points behind 20th place with 14 regular-season races remaining. It’s no longer a case of whether he will finish high enough in the standings to be eligible for a wildcard, but can he win enough to cash in?

10. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 11)

It’s gone a bit unnoticed, but after a slow start to the year which saw him 25th in points after the first five races, Martin Truex Jr. has climbed up to ninth overall. And he’s heading to Dover, which is not only his home track, but the site of his lone Cup win back in 2007.

11. Kurt Busch (LW: 13)

Busch probably should have won the All-Star Race but didn’t due to a slow pit stop. And were it not for a dislodged battery cable he probably would have won the 600. If there is any solace to be had, it’s that this team has shown the ability to win and just needs to learn how to close out races better.

12. Ryan Newman (LW: 14)

The overlooked member of Stewart-Haas Racing has finished in the top 10 in half the races this season with a sixth at Charlotte being his latest effort. But unless some major sponsorship comes along, Newman will likely be racing for a different team in 2014.

13. Brad Keselowski (LW: 9)

After getting mixed up in a lover’s spat at Charlotte, the defending Cup champ has now gone four straight races without posting a top 10. The good news for him is the return this weekend of suspended crew chief Paul Wolfe, whose absence was noticeably missed.

14. Jeff Gordon (LW: 10)

Having yet to post consecutive top 10s this season, Gordon simply can’t get any traction from week to week. That inconsistency has him 15th in the standings and the only Hendrick Motorsports driver not to be sixth or better in points.

15. Paul Menard (LW: Unranked)

Life is good for Menard, who sits 10th in points, is fresh off signing a three-year contract extension and in midst of the best start to a season in his career.