NASCAR Power Rankings: Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson maintain hold on top positions

Talladega Superspeedway races are supposed to be wide-open affairs, where side-by-side action is commonplace and single-file racing is an anomaly. On Sunday, though, the Geico 500 didn’t feature the typical door-to-door racing, as drivers were limited in how much they could pass due to aerodynamic changes to the cars and a group mindful of being hesitant to jump out of line.

Regardless of how the events unfolded, a worthy winner emerged in Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had the superior car leading a race-high 67 laps and was firmly in control throughout. Of course, the victory -- Earnhardt’s first in over a decade at Talladega -- was overwhelming popular among a very large and vocal fan base.

NASCAR Power Rankings

1. Kevin Harvick (Last week: 1)

Even in spite of getting a piece of the early wreck that damaged the nose of the No. 4 car, Kevin Harvick finished in the top 10 for the ninth time in 10 races this season. Kansas presents a very good opportunity for him to get his third win of 2015, as it’s a style of oval Harvick excels on and where he probably should have won last spring, were it not for a pit road miscue.

2. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 2)

Imagine if Jimmie Johnson, who was running tucked behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the final 26 laps, had pulled out and passed his teammate for the win on Sunday? The uproar from Junior Nation may have culminated in a near riot, resembling what occurred when Jeff Gordon won in 2007 and tied Dale Earnhardt Sr.‘s career victory mark.

3. Kurt Busch (LW: 4)

A faulty alternator kept Kurt Busch from a better finish than 12th, which considering the volatility of plate racing is something to be happy about. What the mechanical issue also did was keep alive Busch’s streak of never having won a points event at Daytona or Talladega. He’s now 0-for-57 in his career.

4. Joey Logano (LW: 3)

Any chance Joey Logano had of going 2-for-2 in restrictor-plate races quickly vanished when he got swept up into the “Big One” that included Kyle Larson, Kasey Kahne and David Ragan among several others. It marked just the second time Logano failed to finish inside the top 10 this season, with the other occurrence also because of a crash at Bristol.

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 9)

Earnhardt has spoken often how much he would love to have an early season victory because of the advantages it provides the No. 88 team in terms of strategy. It may have taken a little longer than last year, but now that he has that win he no longer has to concern himself with, being mindful of points and the consequences of poor finishes.

6. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 7)

Quietly Martin Truex Jr. left Talladega with a top 10 finish, something he’s done in all but one race this season. And with Logano’s troubles, Truex moved to second in points and continues to be the biggest surprise in 2015 by far.

7. Jeff Gordon (LW: 5)

He said he had a potentially winning car, but a speeding penalty never gave Jeff Gordon the chance to show it. The infraction is in the latest in an epidemic that has also seen him commit avoidable mistakes at Daytona and Martinsville, like Talladega, were races he could’ve won.

8. Brad Keselowski (LW: 8)

With little to lose, Brad Keselowski was one of the few drivers who tried to make something happen by establishing the bottom groove over the final laps. But while he may been willing to dice it up, others weren’t as keen and Keselowski dropped like a rock towards the back of the field.

9. Matt Kenseth (LW: 6)

When Matt Kenseth became stuck in traffic late, his race essentially ended there because of how difficult it was to pass. His 25th-place result is just the second in his last eight Talladega starts he’s finished 20th or worse.

10. Denny Hamlin (LW: 12)

Stuck behind a pair of teammates, Denny Hamlin knew any shot of winning was minute. He simply didn’t have the necessary help nor the horsepower to pass both Earnhardt and Johnson. To his credit, Hamlin still made a go of it and tried passing Johnson on the final lap only for the four-time champion to throw a big block, which sent Hamlin from third back to ninth.

11. Jamie McMurray (LW: 11)

The strong early season run continues for Jamie McMurray, who finished 11th Sunday and moved to seventh in the standings. That’s a career mark for the Chip Ganassi Racing driver who’s never ranked this high at this juncture of the season.

12. Kasey Kahne (LW: 10)

Like his Hendrick Motorsports brethren, Kahne had a car capable of reaching victory lane. Unfortunately, what he didn’t have on his side was luck, because when Trevor Bayne turned sideways on Lap 48, Kahne had no escape and suffered heavy damage.