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LAS VEGAS

  • Who's Up

Biggest Gain this week:

Joe Nemechek: 0 to 8th

New This Week :
Joe Nemechek
David Ragan
J.J. Yeley
David Stremme
Johnny Sauter
Elliott Sadler
Robby Gordon
Ryan Newman
Bobby Labonte

  • Who's Down

Biggest Drop this week:

Kasey Kahne: 4th to 21st

Dropped Out :
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Carl Edwards
Martin Truex Jr.
Jamie McMurray
Michael Waltrip
Dave Blaney
Scott Riggs
Ricky Rudd
Dale Jarrett

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 13
    CHANGE : +12

  • 1

  • Mark Martin

    Riding point for the first time since September 2002, Martin remains steadfast: He will run a limited schedule in 2007. ... Time will tell.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 3
    CHANGE : +1

  • 2

  • Jeff Burton

    Back-to-back solid runs to begin the year for the driver who unquestionably is the conscience of the garage. The sport couldn't ask for a better public face.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 8
    CHANGE : +5

  • 3

  • Jeff Gordon

    Has opened the season with consecutive top-10 finishes for the first time since 2004, when he finished third in points.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 2
    CHANGE : -2

  • 4

  • Kevin Harvick

    California was shaping up to be a mirror finish of the season opener at Daytona: A last-lap dash to the checkers. Alas, a flat tire let the air out of his balloon.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 10
    CHANGE : +5

  • 5

  • Matt Kenseth

    He dominated at California and now looks to improve on a 10.0 average finish in races following a victory, including 11 top-10s in 14 attempts.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 7
    CHANGE : +1

  • 6

  • Jimmie Johnson

    He and Matt Kenseth may be the two most stealth drivers. In the waning laps of the race -- as either of these drivers is making a push for the lead -- the announcers will chirp: "Where'd he come from?"

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 5
    CHANGE : -2

  • 7

  • Kurt Busch

    Bounced back at California after a disappointing start at Daytona. He needs consistency: Aside from a stretch of five consecutive top-10s last year he's been up and down during his run with Penske.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : NR

  • 8

  • Joe Nemechek

    Reunited with crew chief Peter Sospenzo -- the two worked together at Hendrick Motorsports in 2002-03 -- Nemechek is off to his best points start (seventh).

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : NR

  • 9

  • David Ragan

    If Mark Martin wasn't off to such a great start, Ragan would be getting a lot more pub. Instead, he's been steady -- fifth and 16th -- and has done a good job keeping the fenders on the car.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 15
    CHANGE : +5

  • 10

  • Clint Bowyer

    Followed up his wild finish at Daytona with a sixth-place finish at California. Most importantly, he crossed the stripe wheels down sans flames.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : NR

  • 11

  • J.J. Yeley

    He's finished 12th and 13th in the first two races. Anyone want to wager on 14th at Vegas? Bottom line: Top-15s will get you into the Chase.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 11
    CHANGE : -1

  • 12

  • Kyle Busch

    We'll be honest: There were 24 blurbs written before this one; we just skipped it and came back at the end. Why? Because we don't have anything to say about Kyle. He's too ... vanilla.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : NR

  • 13

  • David Stremme

    Notice a trend? Stremme is the fourth driver previously not ranked. Yeah, there's a new criteria: How are you running right now, opposed to how you might be in the long run.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 17
    CHANGE : +3

  • 14

  • David Gilliland

    With Ricky Rudd to lean on, Gilliland may be a wild card when the series rolls into Richmond in September. Robert Yates Racing is far from a has-been organization.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : NR

  • 15

  • Johnny Sauter

    OK, raise your hand if you had Johnny Sauter a) making the field for Daytona and California, or b) watching the first two races from home. ... Be honest!

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 16
    CHANGE : 0

  • 16

  • Greg Biffle

    Biffle didn't get a lot of on-track air time during February, but still mugged for the cameras while making a pitch for a track in Washington. And he came across much better than Rep. Larry Seaquist ...

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 1
    CHANGE : -16

  • 17

  • Tony Stewart

    Freefall from No. 1 to No. 17? Like we said earlier: How are you running right now? Sure, he was strong at Daytona and eighth at Cali, but sometimes the numbers just don't add up. That said, we do know where he will be in the long run.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : NR

  • 18

  • Elliott Sadler

    Sadler picked up 14 spots at California. If he can continue to do that -- and improve from a woeful 38th-place starting position -- he'll be in the thick of it come September.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : NR

  • 19

  • Robby Gordon

    If Robby Gordon fell in a forest and no one was around ... well, same thing as for his NASCAR career: If he quit tomorrow, would anyone notice? Dude can't buy publicity -- but he can drive.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 14
    CHANGE : -6

  • 20

  • Juan Montoya

    Will his Busch Series success in Mexico City make a difference at Las Vegas? Only if the race is moved to the streets of Sin City. And considering the facelift LVMS received, that ain't happening.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 4
    CHANGE : -17

  • 21

  • Kasey Kahne

    Where was Kahne while NASCAR was making its pitch for a track in Washington? Everyone knows if you want something done, get a woman to drive the project. And we know older women already have a thing for Kasey ...

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 12
    CHANGE : -10

  • 22

  • Denny Hamlin

    With all the different FedEx commercials, we wonder if Joe Gibbs will ever ask Denny to choose between being a driver or a public personality? (And yeah, that's the only way a Dale Earnhardt Jr. inference makes the Power Rankings this week.)

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : NR

  • 23

  • Ryan Newman

    It's now been 23 races since Newman posted a top-five finish -- June 25, 2006, at Infineon, a second-place run. Did you know: He had 11 top-fives in 2004; since then, he has 10 in the past 74 races.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : NR

  • 24

  • Bobby Labonte

    Labonte was one of the most consistent drivers at California: started 28th, finished 28th. Clint Bowyer (sixth) and Ken Schrader (36th) completed the finish-where-you-start trifecta.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 18
    CHANGE : -7

  • 25

  • Casey Mears

    Small world: Juan Montoya (who replaced Mears) and Brian Vickers (whom Mears replaced) have gotten more pub in the past two weeks than Mears. Good things come to those who wait, Casey.

2007 Power Rankings

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