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TEXAS

  • Who's Up

Biggest Gain this week:

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 16th to 10th

New This Week :
Tony Raines
Reed Sorenson

  • Who's Down

Biggest Drop this week:

Bobby Labonte: 13th to 21st

Dropped Out :
David Gilliland
Casey Mears

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 1
    CHANGE : 0

  • 1

  • Jeff Gordon

    OK, so he doesn't have three wins like his victory-hording teammate -- but Gordon has been the model of consistency through six races (5.2 average finish). And despite what Jeff said after Martinsville -- "I'm not going to wreck a guy to win a race" -- does anyone believe had it not been a Hendrick car that Jeff would've punted 'em into the wall? Neither does Matt Kenseth. Or Rusty Wallace. Or ...

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 3
    CHANGE : +1

  • 2

  • Jimmie Johnson

    He's won half the races through 1/6th of the season, but he's third in points and his average finish is 10.2. Until Gordon hiccups, JJ can do no better than runner-up.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 2
    CHANGE : -1

  • 3

  • Jeff Burton

    You can't take anything away from the early season success of Burton, and yet he takes a dip in the rankings? He's not as consistent as Gordon (though very close) and he doesn't have the wins to rival Johnson.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 3
    CHANGE : -1

  • 4

  • Matt Kenseth

    The worst thing you can say about Kenseth -- and yep, it's a stretch -- is that he "struggled" in the first two COT races: 10.5 average finish. (Average finish in the first four races: 8.7.) Other drivers only wish they struggled like that.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 5
    CHANGE : 0

  • 5

  • Denny Hamlin

    Hamlin remains the most consistent of the Gibbs drivers and he heads to Texas with three top-10 finishes in as many starts at the track.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 7
    CHANGE : +1

  • 6

  • Kyle Busch

    Yeah, he does look like Pee-Wee Herman. Moving on ... the Bowtie Brigade is chewing up the competition: five wins, 24 top-five finishes and 40 top-10s in six races. And Kyle is doing his part with one win, two top-fives and four top-10s.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 9
    CHANGE : +2

  • 7

  • Clint Bowyer

    Another solid performance by Bowyer at Martinsville; four top-11 finishes in the past five races. He's replaced Kevin Harvick as RCR's happy-go-lucky driver.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 6
    CHANGE : -2

  • 8

  • Tony Stewart

    Not a bad finish (seventh at Martinsville) for a guy who isn't a big fan of the COT. It's scary to think how good Stewart will be once he gets comfortable.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 10
    CHANGE : +1

  • 9

  • Carl Edwards

    Some idiot on the radio not named Don Imus said the other day, "Carl Edwards is the best thing going for Roush Racing." ... Not until Kenseth hangs 'em up, which is not a slight of Carl but another example of how Matt is overlooked.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 16
    CHANGE : +6

  • 10

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr.

    JR Motorsports -- the next megateam in NASCAR. DEI will always be Dale Earnhardt Inc.; JRM will be Junior's legacy. Will the two co-exist in harmony or be the feature match at Wrestlemania XXX: Junior's deed vs. Teresa's hair!

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 15
    CHANGE : +4

  • 11

  • Jamie McMurray

    Back-to-back top-10 finishes for the first time since Charlotte-Dover in 2006. This bodes well for when the COT is fully implemented.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 8
    CHANGE : -4

  • 12

  • Kevin Harvick

    Only two top-20 finishes in the past five races. Dude, it's time turn the tables on karma: Plead with DeLana to remove her cap during the national anthem.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 12
    CHANGE : -1

  • 13

  • Elliott Sadler

    To help promote Autism Awareness Month, Sadler will be wearing a special autism helmet during the remaining races in April and it will be auctioned online to benefit the Hermie and Elliott Sadler Charitable Foundation. (Sadler's niece Halie is autistic.) ... You'll have to out-bid me, folks.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 11
    CHANGE : -3

  • 14

  • David Stremme

    He finished 35th at Martinsville, by far his worst finish of the season. A bump in the road or a harbinger of things to come? I believe the glass is half full, but time will tell.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 19
    CHANGE : +4

  • 15

  • Juan Montoya

    Fans of bump 'n' grind racing are going to have a field day if Montoya ever gets in position to battle for the checkered flag. He is Cole Trickle.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 18
    CHANGE : +2

  • 16

  • Kurt Busch

    Texas, Phoenix and Talladega ... Busch is primed to make a run up the point standings during the next three weeks. His worst average finish at those three tracks is 13.0 at Phoenix, where he has five top-10s in eight races.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 14
    CHANGE : -3

  • 17

  • J.J. Yeley

    And here's the polar opposite of Kurt Busch. ... Yeley's track record at Texas, Phoenix and Talladega is nothing to write home about; only three top-20 finishes in seven races.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 21
    CHANGE : +3

  • 18

  • Ryan Newman

    I really want to root for Ryan Newman. He's a smart guy, doesn't have a lot of time for stupid questions, does a lot for the good of others (and animals).

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 22
    CHANGE : +3

  • 19

  • David Ragan

    Yes, the kid has a pulse! I loved the emotion he showed during the Busch race at Nashville. He'll be a spitfire once he gets comfortable at the Cup level. ... On another note, he's completed all 1,000 laps raced at Martinsville, which ain't too shabby.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 17
    CHANGE : -3

  • 20

  • Greg Biffle

    Maybe the folks at Duncan will get into the sponsorship game. The way Biff's past 18 months have yo-yo'ed, it'd be a perfect match.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 13
    CHANGE : -8

  • 21

  • Bobby Labonte

    Glad he got it out of the way early: BLab now has finished last in a race for three consecutive years:
    April 1, 2007, at Martinsville
    March 19, 2006, at Atlanta
    Feb. 20, 2005, at Daytona

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 20
    CHANGE : -2

  • 22

  • Robby Gordon

    Did you know: Martinsville was the first race this season in which Gordon failed to finish better than he started? Still, for the year his starting average is 36.2 and his finishing average is 23.3.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : 23
    CHANGE : 0

  • 23

  • Martin Truex Jr.

    He's following in Ryan Newman's footsteps: good qualifying run (15.3 average start), not so good finish (26.2 average -- and 24th in the point standings).

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : NR

  • 24

  • Tony Raines

    OK, so what's the deal with the elephant in the DLP commercials? Inquiring minds want to know -- and I'll have the answer in Cross' Words on Monday. ... Good thing about Texas: Raines' finish has improved each race at the track -- 42nd, 24th and 19th.

  • Rank

    PREVIOUS : NR

  • 25

  • Reed Sorenson

    He's crashed-out of two races this year and finished 43rd both times, which goes a long way toward explaining that he's 452 points behind Jimmie Johnson. ... Growing pains, buddy; the good news is that all three Ganassi drivers are on the come.

2007 Power Rankings

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