NASCAR power rankings: Joey Logano uses muscle to stay No. 1

Two consecutive victories and each came via completely different means.

A week ago Joey Logano won by sheer domination, leading 68 percent of the laps and riding comfortably ahead when he raced underneath the checkered flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This this week’s victory required substantially more willpower along with the use of his front bumper, as he muscled past Matt Kenseth with five laps remaining Sunday at Kansas Speedway.

Was Logano’s move unethical or did Kenseth get what he had coming after throwing a fierce block that sent Logano bouncing into the wall? The answer will vary depending on your perspective. No matter, Logano received the bounty for winning, while Kenseth is standing on the brink of Chase for the Sprint Cup elimination facing a virtual must-win situation Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, a daunting prospect.

What’s not open to interpretation is that Logano is no longer the prodigious teenager whose father once had to implore his son to stand up for himself. Kansas served another reminder in a season full of them that the 25-year-old has established his place in NASCAR’s hierarchy -- a post firmly at or near the top.

NASCAR Power Rankings

1. Joey Logano (Last week: 1)

In becoming the first driver to sweep the first two races of a round, Logano also earned the animosity of Kenseth and likely the entirety of Joe Gibbs Racing. Contempt that could easily manifest itself and make Logano’s road to the championship far more arduous than it would be otherwise.

2. Denny Hamlin (LW: 3)

A fourth at Charlotte and a runner-up Sunday provides Denny Hamlin with leeway heading into Talladega, 18 points clear of elimination. That’s the good news. The bad news is teammate Kyle Busch had a 19-point advantage at the same juncture last year and still managed to get bounced in the second round when he got collected in a multi-car wreck.

3. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2)

As he’s had throughout the Chase, Kevin Harvick’s car was capable of winning but in a familiar tale the No. 4 team squandered what should have been a top five. This time the strong effort came undone when Harvick dragged a fuel can out of his pit stall during a green flag stop, bringing about a pass-through penalty. That cost the defending champ a lap he never got back and he finished 16th.

4. Matt Kenseth (LW: 4)

Everything looked oh so promising, then a tap from Logano turned Kenseth and his championship hopes completely around. While mathematically he could still point his way into the next round, that scenario would involve just about every driver above him in the standings encountering severe misfortune at Talladega. All of which means, Kenseth’s only avenue to advancing is reaching victory lane.

5. Kyle Busch (LW: 5)

Often his own personal house of horrors, Kansas was kind to Busch this go ‘round. He ended up fifth and with the exception of a vibration -- an issue many drivers dealt with Sunday -- had an uneventful run. Sitting six points below the cut line, Busch doesn’t need a superb Talladega result, but cannot have a repeat of last year when he got a piece of the “big one” and finished 40th.

6. Kurt Busch (LW: 7)

After a fifth and a sixth to begin Round 2, Kurt Busch thought he had built himself up a nice cushion in case trouble should strike at Talladega. Not so. He’s just 13 points above the cut line, a fact conveyed to Busch during an interview with NBC and his reaction when finding out was a look of a man who had his pending parole revoked at the last minute.

7. Carl Edwards (LW: 6)

The long sought first win on his home track will have to wait another year, but an eighth should please Carl Edwards on a day when many Chase contenders experienced myriad problems. And though he hasn’t flashed the same speed as teammate Kenseth, who’s won one playoff race and several others, Edwards’ consistency does have him in far better shape to qualify for Round 3.

8. Jeff Gordon (LW: 11)

Each week continues to be a struggle and yet Jeff Gordon has grinded out top 10s the past two weeks, placing him in a position where if he can escape Talladega unscathed, he should advance. And if Gordon can do that, the third round sets up favorably with races at three of his better tracks -- Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix -- on the docket.

9. Martin Truex, Jr. (LW: 8)

In line for a top 10 until a wayward tire on pit road incurred a pass-through penalty, Martin Truex, Jr. did rebound to finish 15th. That has him provisionally holding the eighth and final transfer spot, though by a slim six-point margin.

10. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 12)

For the first time in three weeks that saw the No. 48 car not befallen by a mechanical failure of some kind and wouldn’t you know it, Jimmie Johnson finished third. Amazing what happens when you give a great driver equipment that doesn’t fall apart.

11. Brad Keselowski (LW: 9)

Having taken the pole position in qualifying and showing speed in every practice, it appeared Brad Keselowski was poised to breakout after a middling start to the playoffs. Instead Kansas was just another not bad, but not great race that saw him labor to finish ninth.

12. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (LW: 10)

Had Dale Earnhardt, Jr. cursed out his pit crew after another loose wheel, a reoccurring problem throughout 2015 that erased a potential top 10 at Kansas and turned Talladega into a must-win, few would’ve blamed him for being frustrated. But Earnhardt was remarkably upbeat despite circumstances, buoyed by his success on restrictor-plate tracks -- he owns this season at Daytona and Talladega -- and that he can race uninhibited this weekend.