Kevin Harvick bumps Jimmie Johnson, recaptures No. 1 ranking

The longest race on the NASCAR schedule has a history of producing surprise winners and Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway didn’t disappoint. Although Carl Edwards is by no means unfamiliar with victory lane, a slow start to the season gave little indication he was ready to break through and win for the first time since joining Joe Gibbs Racing.

But gambling his driver could go the final 62 laps without pitting for fuel, crew chief Darian Grubb made the decisive call to keep Edwards on the track. The decision proved correct and Edwards had the 24th victory of his career.

“This one feels pretty big to me,” Edwards said. “I just cannot thank Joe Gibbs and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing enough. Everyone took a big chance. Darian took a chance.

“Up to this point in the year, we have just basically done a good job holding it all together and staying focused, but we’ve not delivered the results that we all planned on. To get this win and to put ourselves in a position to be in the Chase and to be able to now take a deep breath and step back and work on all the little things that we know we need to work on to be a championship-level team, this is just a huge opportunity.”

1. Kevin Harvick (Last week: 2)

It’s a given at this juncture Kevin Harvick is going to finish in the top 10 every week barring an accident or a part breaking. And his ninth-place run at Charlotte would’ve been better had the race not turned into a fuel-mileage derby. Regardless, it still was enough to bump him back to No. 1 after a one-race hiatus.

2. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 2)

Jimmie Johnson got away with a spin on early, as he didn’t hit anything and escaped damage. He wasn’t so fortunate, however, when he spun a second time and smacked the inside pit wall off Turn 4. The mishap erased what had been a good comeback, as he had been running inside the top-10, and ended a five-week stretch of finishing third or better.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 5)

One of the keys to winning a championship is performance on mile-and-a-half tracks, which encompass half the Chase for the Sprint Cup schedule. And in this area, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has to be quite pleased with his No. 88 team. As he now has finished fourth or better in every race on a 1.5-mile speedway this season, including a third at Charlotte.

4. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 6)

Seemingly every week Martin Truex Jr. keeps knocking on the door to victory lane and yet there continues to be no response. The latest illustration saw him lead a race-high 131 laps Sunday, only for his potential bid to come undone due to strategy. Consequently, his winless streak is now at 68 races and spans almost two years.

5. Kurt Busch (LW: 4)

Strong early, Kurt Busch’s car slowed down once the sun went down; a common occurrence in a race that begins in the late afternoon and concludes in the late evening. But he did score another top-10 (10th) and has led in every single race he’s competed in this season with the exception of Phoenix, his first race back from suspension.

6. Joey Logano (LW: 3)

No Team Penske sweep of the Indianapolis-Charlotte doubleheader, with the speed Juan Pablo Montoya and company flexed during the Indy 500 largely absent by their NASCAR counterparts in Coca-Cola 600. Joey Logano finished 13th and lamented afterward his car was “junk.”

7. Matt Kenseth (LW: 9)

He had a faster car than his teammate Edwards, but what Matt Kenseth didn’t have was better strategy. Nevertheless, his trademark consistency is in full effect as he netted fourth-place and owns five top-10 finishes in the past seven races.

8. Brad Keselowski (LW: 8)

Two weeks in a row the No. 2 team committed an infraction on pit road. Whereas during the All-Star Race Brad Keselowski sped and knocked himself out of the lead, the penalty for removing equipment out his stall Sunday wasn’t as impactful. The violation transpired on Lap 27, giving Keselowski more than enough time to get back up front. He finished seventh.

9. Jeff Gordon (LW: 7)

The symmetry of Jeff Gordon in his final start winning the very race that marked his first career victory back in 1994 would’ve been something special. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. The No. 24 just wasn’t very good Sunday, as evident by the fact Gordon’s average running position was a mundane 15th.

10. Ryan Newman (LW: 10)

Were it not for the 50-point penalty, he would be sitting fifth in the standings. As it is, Ryan Newman’s ranked 11th but still very much in contention for a Chase bid. And in the two races he’s been without crew chief Luke Lambert, who’s serving a six-week suspension, Newman’s finished 10th and sixth.

11. Denny Hamlin (LW: Unranked)

Considering his health ailments in recent years -- broken back, piece of metal in his eye, severe neck spasms and Sunday, a migraine -- it would seem to be a natural fit for JGR to find Denny Hamlin sponsorship related to the medical industry.

12. Carl Edwards (LW: Unranked)

For a brand-new team still finding its way and lacking consistency and speed, Charlotte was a huge triumph. Now with a victory to his name and virtually secured a Chase spot, Edwards and Grubb have ample time to get things sorted out before the start of the playoffs in September.