Championship run propels Kyle Busch to top of NASCAR power rankings

After 36 races entailing 13,826 miles and encompassing numerous highlights -- and seemingly just as many lowlights -- the 2015 NASCAR season concluded with a flourish.

In a virtually winner-take-all event last week, Kyle Busch unseated defending champion Kevin Harvick by getting the better jump on a decisive restart with seven laps remaining. The victory was Busch’s fifth of the season and capped an extraordinary return from a significant injury sustained in February that had the 30-year-old questioning whether he would ever race again.

Far sooner than expected Busch would resume driving, never once showing any indication that his season and career had been in peril. It was the kind of story that earned justifiable praise including the admiration of team owner Joe Gibbs, who repeatedly marveled at the comeback and said it surpassed anything he had witnessed during his time as an NFL head coach.

Busch may not been a participant in all 36 races, but in the end that will be a mere footnote. By overcoming devastating injuries and decisively outdueling Harvick, he more than proved himself a worthy champion -- on and off the track.

NASCAR Power Rankings

1. Kyle Busch (Last week: 2)

Though controversial, NASCAR’s decision to grant Busch a Chase waiver was correct and only proved more so as events played itself out. Despite an 11-race absence -- only Joey Logano won more and in the playoffs -- Busch put forth a championship-caliber performance to further silence the doubters. In every facet, Busch demonstrated he was worthy titlist and there is every reason to believe 2015 won’t be the lone Sprint Cup trophy sitting on his mantle.

2. Kevin Harvick (LW: 1)

From when the green flag dropped at Daytona to when the checkered flag waved at Homestead, Harvick defended his Sprint Cup championship with an unmatched consistent superiority. Nearly every week he was in contention to win, posted an impressive 8.7 average finish buoyed by 13 runner-ups -- the most since Bobby Allison in 1970 -- and led 863 more laps than the next best driver (Logano). That he fell one spot short of a second title may hurt, but he should have zero regrets with how the season played out.

3. Joey Logano (LW: 3)

By any statistical measure Logano produced a fantastic 2015, leading the series in wins, tying Harvick in top-five finishes, and recording the second-most top-10s. And yet, Logano’s season is defined not by the successes but by his bitter feud with Matt Kenseth that culminated with Kenseth deliberately denying Logano a victory at Martinsville Speedway, which effectively knocked him out of the playoffs.

4. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 8)

Five victories is praise-worthy and something a large number of drivers would deem an outstanding season. But when you’ve won six championships and are seeking to obtain a place alongside immortals like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, anything short of another title is going to be constituted as a letdown -- especially when you go through a 12-race span without leading a single lap.

5. Jeff Gordon (LW: 4)

No, Jeff Gordon’s swan song didn’t culminate with a fifth championship, but it certainly didn’t lack for magical moments. Atop that list was the final four clinching win at Martinsville that saw him jump up and down like a child on Christmas morning, and his final race where a myriad of drivers -- including Harvick, Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson -- all paid tribute in various ways.

6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 5)

Three wins, high-level consistency and all with a rookie crew chief, make Earnhardt Jr.‘s 2015 an unabashed success. Still, the season could’ve been even better had he not come up a few hundred feet short of winning the Chase elimination race at Talladega. Because, had Logano not won, Earnhardt likely makes the championship finale instead of suffering a second straight Round 2 elimination. That kind of sting takes a while to forget.

7. Carl Edwards (LW: 6)

Entering his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, Carl Edwards faced expectations that he would challenge for the championship. Although that didn’t materialize as thought, the effort was still present in the form of two wins and a narrow Round 3 elimination -- a scant five points behind Martin Truex Jr. -- and gives further credence Edwards made the right decision to jump ship from floundering Roush Fenway Racing to join JGR’s flourishing lineup.

8. Kurt Busch (LW: 7)

A year that begin with an indefinite suspension, turned out far more positively than imagined, as Kurt Busch won more than a single race for the first time since 2011, while reemerging as a driver to contend with on a near weekly basis and as a championship contender. And the strong bond he forged with crew chief Tony Gibson bodes well going forward.

9. Brad Keselowski (LW: 10)

A peculiar season for Brad Keselowski that saw him lead the third-most laps, but win only once and finish in the top five just nine times. And that lone visit to Victory Lane is a stark contrast to Penske teammate Logano, who won six times and never dealt with bouts of inconsistency that too often hampered Keselowski’s No. 2 team.

10. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 7)

Was 2015 a mere fluke, a confluence of factors that fortuitously worked in Martin Truex Jr.‘s favor or the building block to something even bigger? The evidence suggests the latter. Beginning next season Furniture Row Racing is switching manufacturers, which will not only provide an influx of capital for the single-car team, but also enter into a technical alliance with JGR that lays the foundation to expand.

11. Denny Hamlin (LW: 11)

A good season that featured a pair of victories and yet, it still feels as if Denny Hamlin could’ve accomplished more this season. While teammates Busch and Kenseth won five times apiece and gave the appearance of legitimate title contenders -- which became an actuality when Busch delivered JGR its first championship since 2005 -- Hamlin’s Chase came undone by a strange mechanical failure where the roof flap came ajar in the Talladega elimination race.

12. Matt Kenseth (LW: Unranked)

He reached the winner’s circle on five occasions, but it was the race Matt Kenseth saw slip away and the resulting fallout that will ultimately define his season. Because had he prevailed at Kansas, there would have been no Round 2 elimination and the deliberate crashing of Logano never would have transpired. But even though he attempted to justify his actions, there will forever be a noticeable blemish on Kenseth’s otherwise unimpeachable career.