NASCAR power rankings: Talladega win vaults Brad Keselowski to No. 1

In the aftermath of the fireworks produced at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Carl Edwards said a week ago he could envision NASCAR CEO Brian France with his legs up and a smile on his face, happy with the new Chase for the Sprint Cup format he implemented.

If France was happy with the drama at Charlotte, then he must have been absolutely ecstatic with what unfolded Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

Facing essentially a must-win scenario, Brad Keselowski came through in a big way, taking the checkered flag and further validating NASCAR’s championship format. Short of Dale Earnhardt Jr. finding a way to also advance, the Geico 500 was everything France could have wanted in an elimination race.

1. Brad Keselowski (Last week: 5)

Sometime far down the road when his career has wrapped and Keselowski is looking back on his accomplishments, Sunday’s win will almost certainly rank near the top. On a track where drivers have little control of their fate and accidents generally wipe out a large number of the field, Keselowski didn’t leave his destiny to chance. Executing a flawless game plan, he ran up front and on the final lap drove with gusto that was one part determination, one part desperation.

2. Joey Logano (LW: 1)

Logano luckily escaped an early spin through the grass with minimal damage, allowing him to recover and climb back into contention. Why was that sequence key? Because it allowed him to still fulfill the role of Keselowski’s wingman and push his teammate to the front and ultimately the lead.

3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2)

Until his windshield got coated in oil off Jamie McMurray’s car, Harvick was committed to sticking near the front. From there, the day became a bit of an adventure, including a spin on pit road. Nevertheless, Harvick netted a ninth and may have won had he had a bit more help at the end.

4. Jeff Gordon (LW: 3)

A conservative strategy to run in the back nearly cost Gordon, who could never get to the front when he needed to and finished 26th. That result meant he advanced to Round 3 by a scant three points.

5. Kyle Busch (LW: 4)

At Talladega, you’re often a victim of circumstance, and that’s exactly what occurred Sunday. When a wreck began ahead of him, Busch slowed to avoid, which he would have -- provided Austin Dillon had not ran into the back of the No. 18 car. The damage was extensive, and despite an extraordinary effort by Busch’s team, it wasn’t enough to prevent him from dropping below the Chase cutline.

6. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 8)

Post-race, Johnson continually pointed out how the 48 went down swinging, leading the most laps and doing everything short of winning. The downfall of the defending champion Sunday came on the first green-white-checker restart; Johnson, restarting fourth, pulled out of line to pass to only to realize he had no drafting partner.

7. Denny Hamlin (LW: 7)

Hamlin is in the position he wanted to be prior to the Chase -- safely into Round 3 with a bevy of upcoming tracks which are among his best. Now the challenge is for Hamlin to follow through on his claim he’ll be a factor.

8. Matt Kenseth (LW: 9)

Because that’s just how it goes in NASCAR when two drivers have an altercation, Kenseth and Keselowski were parked next to another in the Talladega garage. (And no, it wasn’t some kind of joke by officials. The two were ninth and 10th in points, which determine where teams are parked in the garage.) And of course, Kenseth ended up pushing Keselowski to victory, though he was left with little choice due to his precarious position in the standings.

9. Kyle Larson (LW: 6)

Restrictor-plate races haven’t been kind to Larson, whose best finish in four races was a ninth in the July Daytona race. Things may not be much better at Martinsville, another track where rookies tend to find trouble and not success.

10. Ryan Newman (LW: 10)

For really the first time all year, Newman had a bona fide chance to win. He came up a lap short, but did record just his third top five of the season.

11. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 13)

All weekend, Earnhardt talked about the importance of staying upfront, where he could escape the madness that’s associated with being in the swarm of cars mid-pack. For almost the entirety of the race he did just that, running first or second. Of course, when Earnhardt did get shuffled back his concerns proved prophetic, as he got collected in a wreck, which erased any chance of avoiding playoff elimination.

12. Carl Edwards (LW: 12)

Edwards continues to skirt elimination on steady, though unspectacular results. Will that be good enough to carry him through the Eliminator Round and to Homestead? It’s unlikely. Then again, few thought Edwards would make it this far.

13. Kurt Busch (LW: 14)

With the relationship between Busch and Daniel Knost dissolving into Busch regularly lamenting Knost’s inability to improve the 41 car mid-race, the forthcoming change in crew chiefs is much-needed. Busch and Tony Gibson should form a formidable duo. The experienced Gibson will not be hesitant to challenge Busch when needed, and confident enough to not take his driver’s tirades personally.

14. Jamie McMurray (LW: 11)

Although redundant, McMurray again had a fast car without the finish to show for it. This time the culprit was a flat tire, as he was running in the top five Sunday.

15. Clint Bowyer (LW: Unranked)

Talladega was Bowyer’s best shot to grab a victory before the year is out. He came close, putting together a late charge to third. Considering the frustrating season Bowyer’s experienced, that might be as good as a win.