Richmond victory propels Kurt Busch up NASCAR power rankings

When Kurt Busch returned after a three-week suspension, it quickly became apparent that the question wasn’t whether he would win a race, but when and how soon. And the answer to that question came last Sunday at Richmond International Raceway, and in a dominating performance where Busch led 291 of 400 laps and cruised to his first victory in over a year.

1. Kevin Harvick (Last week: 1)

Lost amid Busch’s return to the winner’s circle, Kevin Harvick once again finished second. If this sounds a little familiar it’s because he’s been second five times this season, which combined with two wins gives Harvick seven top-two finishes in nine races.

2. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 2)

For the third straight week Jimmie Johnson notched a top-five finish, which is very good. What’s not good is him continuing to struggle in qualifying, which for the second consecutive week proved costly. Although he moved from 36th on the grid to third, Johnson was behind on track position all day and never was in position to race Busch and Harvick on an even playing field. It’s similar to what happened the week before at Bristol, where Johnson had to scrap to move from 28th to second.

3. Joey Logano (LW: 3)

Started on the pole, led a lot of laps early, then faded a bit, only to rally late to finish in the top-five. In other words, Richmond was a carbon copy of how Joey Logano has been in nearly every race this season with the exception of his Daytona 500 win.

4. Kurt Busch (LW: 12)

Busch garnered a lot of the headlines Sunday, but crew chief Tony Gibson deserves his share of praise. Long underrated and with a self-described old-school approach, Gibson knows how to build fast cars, regularly achieves maximum results and possesses the personality to coexist harmoniously with drivers who are known for their Type-A personalities -- including Busch and before him, Danica Patrick.

5. Jeff Gordon (LW: 4)

After opening the season with finishes of 33rd, 41st and 18th, Jeff Gordon hasn’t placed outside the top 10 in the six races since, including an eighth Sunday. But in what is his final full campaign, it’s all about winning. And that’s something he hasn’t come close to doing yet, as Gordon has been consistent, but has been lacking in the speed department.

6. Matt Kenseth (LW: 8)

While it appeared as if Joe Gibbs Racing fell into a black hole Sunday, Matt Kenseth was the lone exception. He finished seventh, which could have been better had he not gotten shuffled back on a restart with 22 laps to go.

7. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 6)

A week after his consecutive top-10 streak ended, Martin Truex Jr. finished 10th Sunday. At his current pace he’s well positioned to make the Chase, which would be a terrific feel-good story for all involved with the No. 78 team. What this group could really use, though, is a victory. Not only as a safeguard in case there are more than 16 regular season race winners (unlikely), but proof that this team is capable of beating the sport’s best.

8. Brad Keselowski (LW: 5)

If there was someone who may have challenged Busch and Harvick, Keselowski was the likeliest candidate as he emerged in the second half as the fastest non-Stewart-Haas Racing driver. A dropped cylinder held him back, however, as he could keep pace when the race stayed green but once the cautions started falling -- three over the final 50 laps -- Keselowski couldn’t get up to speed quick enough on the restarts and fell to 17th.

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 7)

Tony Stewart made it clear where he thought the blame lay for the wreck that knocked him out, but by any definition, the accident between himself and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of them racin’ deals. Coming off a restart and with 40 laps remaining, everyone was fighting hard for every position and while Earnhardt could have given more room, Stewart certainly drifted up and into the No. 88 car.

10. Kasey Kahne (LW: 9)

A rollercoaster of a weekend for Kasey Kahne, who despite being fast in practice could only muster the 40th-fastest qualifying time. But the speed that went missing returned on Sunday, as he quickly worked his way to the front and left Richmond with a sixth-place finish.

11. Jamie McMurray (LW: Unranked)

Over the offseason when Keith Rodden resigned as crew chief to take the same role with Kasey Kahne it seemed a setback for Jamie McMurray, as Rodden had turned around the sputtering No. 1 team. Apparently the loss wasn’t all that significant. Paired with a first-time crew chief in Matt McCall, McMurray is more consistent than he was a year ago and appears on the cusp of grabbing a couple of wins and earning what would be a first ever Chase berth.

12. Denny Hamlin (LW: 10)

A lot of teams were thrown for a loop when rain turned Richmond from a night race to one held in the day, but none more so than the No. 11 team. Instead of challenging for a third Richmond victory as expected, Denny Hamlin was an absolute nonfactor. Within 50 laps, he had dropped from his second starting position to 14th and when the Toyota Owners 400 conclude, Hamlin finished 22nd, two laps down.