VideoAudio Sign UpLearn MoreDemo Sign UpLearn MoreDemo Sign UpLearn MoreDemo Sign UpLearn MoreDemo
Power Rankings: Sonoma
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
Email | Archive
June 21, 2006
12:09 PM EDT (1209 GMT)

Biggest Gain this week: Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears, up six spots

Biggest Drop this week: Jeff Burton down seven spots

New this week: Robby Gordon (20), Martin Truex Jr. (22), Reed Sorenson (25).

Dropped out: Brian Vickers (17), Jeremy Mayfield (23), Dale Jarrett (25).

Week 16 of 36, Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway
Rank Prev Number Driver Comments
 1  2 Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Johnson With the Casey Mears signing, he and Gordon are planning to form the GJM Posse. Kyle Busch doesn't stand a chance.
 2  6 Kasey Kahne Kasey Kahne Carl Edwards had the quote of the week when talking about Kasey:
Question: "What do you see in Kasey Kahne on these big tracks?"
Carl's answer: I saw his rear bumper really, really well."
 3  4 Greg Biffle Greg Biffle Unfortunately, chicken breast combos at Subway are $7.98, and when you hand the cashier a $10 bill, they stare at you for 30 seconds, assuming you are about to give them 98 cents from your wallet.
 4  1 Matt Kenseth Matt Kenseth Funny thing about Power Rankings: Matt Kenseth led last week and we used a picture of Kenseth to promote them. And way fewer people read them. From now on, we will only use pics of Dale Jr. talking to Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne.
 5  9 Kevin Harvick Kevin Harvick Yep. They showed DeLana in a hat again during the anthem. And it still isn't a big deal. Now, if she had left it on during the Canadian anthem, I'd be outraged.
 6  5 Denny Hamlin Denny Hamlin Report: Video-game freak Denny Hamlin about to find out that Scott Pruett is a lot harder to pass at Sonoma in real life
 7  8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt Jr. I nearly fell over laughing when Dick Berggren goes, "Junior, ever had a stranger third-place finish?"
Junior: "Well, yeah, I have."
 8  7 Tony Stewart Tony Stewart I can't wait to see the Jeff Green piñata.
 9 10 Mark Martin Mark Martin Report: Media machine failing to properly hype Martin's final Sonoma start
10  3 Jeff Burton Jeff Burton Report: Jeff insisting on holding his own umbrella until he wins this year
11 15 Carl Edwards Carl Edwards The three worst trends in NASCAR are as follows:
3. Top rides going to winless drivers
2. Demise of single-car teams
1. LarryMac repeatedly saying "Cousin Carl"
12 12 Kurt Busch Kurt Busch Hey now! How come he didn't get a speaking part in the "Newman?!" Young Guns commercial? Did he not have facial skin to manufacture a fake 12?
13 13 Kyle Busch Kyle Busch Convo overheard at Hendrick last week:
Hendrick official: "Got really bad news, Kyle."
Kyle: "What is it? You signed Mystic Tans as an associate?"
Hendrick official: "No. We just hired the guy you threw your HANS at."
Kyle: "You shouldn't end a sentence with the word 'at.'"
Hendrick official:"OK. We just hired the guy you threw your HANS at, Kyle."
14 20 Jeff Gordon Jeff Gordon Report: Gordon really hoping he matches David Gilliland's number of 2006 NASCAR victories this weekend
15 11 Jamie McMurray Jamie McMurray Only two more races until we get to hear "Mac …… marry."
16 18 Bobby Labonte Bobby Labonte Forensic experts: Bobby Labonte not likely the stuntman currently starring as the chicken on the motorcycle in the Burger King commercials; is most likely Joe Nemechek
17 14 Scott Riggs Scott Riggs He's no Jeff Gordon on the road courses, so he has got to see the irony of easily qualifying for Sonoma and failing to qualify for Daytona.
18 24 Casey Mears Casey Mears Report: Mears, Johnson, Gordon planning to form all-California alliance against Kyle Busch
19 16 Ryan Newman Ryan Newman Report: Ryan really wishing he wasn't tied with Scott Riggs in Bud Poles
20 NR Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Robby is very much in favor of another Jeff Gordon transmission failure this weekend.
21 22 Elliott Sadler Elliott Sadler Get a haircut, man! Muzzle-loading season is six months away!
22 NR Martin Truex Jr. Martin Truex Jr. The longest sentences in LarryMac's arsenal have these three phrases in them:
3. "Track temperature." (about 13 seconds)
2. "I spoke to his crew chief in the garage area this morning." (roughly 26 seconds)
1. "I want you to take a look at Martin Truex Jr. in that 1 car." (6-7 minutes, depending on what lap)
23 21 Clint Bowyer Clint Bowyer Darrell Waltrip nearly referred to the spinning Clint Bowyer as "Dave Blaney." And it would have been a great opportunity for Darrell to mention that Mikey is Blaney's teammate.
24 19 J.J. Yeley J.J. Yeley I joked last week that he should try self-mutilation (worked for Tony and Denny) to ease his woes. And of course, I got e-mails from self-mutilation groups saying I am insensitive to your disease. J.J Yeley had no idea he'd be wrapped up in self-mutilation awareness.
25 NR Reed Sorenson Reed Sorenson Report: Target stores to offer 50 percent off Underoos in celebration of Sorenson's first top-five finish

The Power Rankings are written by Ryan Smithson and the opinions listed here are solely those of the writer. To email Ryan about the Rankings, click here.
0
ARCHIVES
0
• Week 1 at Daytona International Speedway
• Week 2 at California Speedway
• Week 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• Week 4 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Week 5 at Bristol Motor Speedway
• Week 6 at Martinsville Speedway
• Week 7 at Texas Motor Speedway
• Week 8 at Phoenix International Raceway
• Week 9 at Talladega Superspeedway
• Week 10 at Richmond International Raceway
• Week 11 at Darlington Raceway
• Week 12 at Lowe's Motor Speedway
• Week 13 at Dover International Speedway
• Week 14 at Pocono Raceway
• Week 15 at Michigan International Speedway
• Week 16 at Infineon Raceway
• Week 17 at Daytona International Speedway
• Week 18 at Chicagoland Speedway
• Week 19 at New Hampshire International Speedway
• Week 20 at Pocono Raceway
• Week 21 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Week 22 at Watkins Glen International
• Week 23 at Michigan International Speedway
• Week 24 at Bristol Motor Speedway
• Week 25 at California Speedway
• Week 26 at Richmond International Raceway
• Week 27 at New Hampshire International Speedway
• Week 28 at Dover International Speedway
• Week 29 at Kansas Speedway
• Week 30 at Talladega Superspeedway
• Week 31 at Lowe's Motor Speedway
• Week 32 at Martinsville Speedway
• Week 33 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Week 34 at Texas Motor Speedway
• Week 35 at Phoenix International Raceway
• Week 36 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
• Week 37 at Daytona International Speedway
Superstore
AUCTIONS