NASCAR power rankings: Jeff Gordon back on top

An all too familiar theme continues this week as a driver representing Hendrick Motorsport tops the NASCAR power rankings. But unlike a week ago Dale Earnhardt Jr. is no longer No. 1, overtaken by Michigan winner Jeff Gordon, who also snatched the points lead from his teammate.

1. Jeff Gordon (Last week: 2)

As if further proof was needed regarding Gordon’s viability as a championship contender, he goes out and wins at Michigan, a track that shares many characteristics with those in the Chase. Whether this rejuvenation culminates with a fifth title is still to be determined, it’s apparent how much Gordon is relishing the experience.

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 1)

Earnhardt Jr. keeps knocking out top-fives consistently, as his fifth-place run Sunday was his series-best 11th of the season. If you’re a member of Junior Nation, that has to get you excited about the playoffs and the potential possibilities.

3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 3)

Sunday marked the fourth consecutive runner-up finish for Harvick at Michigan. More importantly, it was one of the few times this year he and the No. 4 crew experienced a mistake-free, drama-free race.

4. Joey Logano (LW: 4)

While Gordon, Earnhardt, Johnson and others get the bulk of the headlines Logano continues to quietly turn in a fantastic season. He led the most laps and placed third at Michigan, the fourth straight race Logano has finished sixth or better. If you’re looking for a sleeper championship contender look no further than the No. 22 team.

5. Brad Keselowski (LW: 5)

A native of Michigan, Keselowski is very open about how much he yearns to win on his home track. And it looked like he had the car to do it Sunday, until a flat tire sent him into the wall. That he rallied to finish eighth demonstrated nice resolve, but in the big picture it left Keselowski feeling empty.

6. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 8)

After a five-week dry spell Johnson was back in the top-10 (ninth). And all it took was a pair of vise-grips and some efficient multi-tasking by the defending series champ to fix a broken shifter.

7. Matt Kenseth (LW: 6)

When Danica Patrick broke loose and spun in front of the field Kenseth got tagged from behind and sent into the wall, essentially ending his afternoon. Although he’s fifth in points and a virtual lock to make the Chase, it’s bizarre that a driver who had seven victories a year ago is on the verge of entering the Chase winless.

8. Kurt Busch (LW: 10)

Busch slapped the wall trying to complete a bold pass for the lead late. He would later acknowledge that because points are of little consequence (Busch is already in the Chase), he was playing with house money and had nothing to lose racing hard for the win.

9. Denny Hamlin (LW: 12)

Between angering NASCAR’s most popular driver, who’s usually mild-mannered, and lamenting about the lack of horsepower in his Toyota engines, Hamlin had a fairly routine eighth-place finish. Theatrics aside, Michigan represented his fifth top-10 in the past six races.

10. Ryan Newman (LW: 13)

Newman had a nice rebound to finish 11th a week after bouncing off the guardrail -- and Michael McDowell -- at Watkins Glen. But that’s not what had people talking post-race, as it was Newman’s confrontation with Johnson that will be most remembered. It was an exchange that never turned physical, though it certainly looked on the cusp of boiling over.

11. Greg Biffle (LW: Unranked)

Considering his past success at Michigan, Biffle was thinking win Sunday. He had to settle for 10th, a result good enough to move him inside the Chase cutoff. There is no margin for error as one bad finish or a new winner in the next three weeks will slide Biffle out.

12. Kyle Busch (LW: 7)

Oh, how quickly a team’s fortunes can change. Since recording three runner-ups in four races, Busch has finished 39th, 40th and 42nd in consecutive weeks. If that stretch of poor performances continues at Bristol a meltdown might not be just expected, but likely inevitable.

13. Clint Bowyer (LW: 14)

A solid sixth moves the winless Bowyer slightly off the Chase bubble. The reality, however, is even if he makes the Chase, Bowyer simply doesn’t have the speed to be much of a playoff factor.

14. Kyle Larson (LW: 9)

When the weekend began Larson was solidly in position to become only the second rookie to get into the Chase. That foothold vanished thanks to a run-in on pit road and then a crash, which saw Larson’s car catch fire.

15. Kasey Kahne (LW: 11)

If Kahne is feeling like a bit of a Hendrick Motorsports outcast, it’s justifiable. Each of his teammates has three victories thanks to Gordon winning at Michigan. All the while Kahne is winless, might not qualify for the Chase, and will enter the offseason with a contract set to expire after next year.