Kenseth receives a top-spot vote, but Johnson remains; Keselowski tumbles after bad finish, failed appeals hearing

Driver                    Change            High/Low            Last race

1. Jimmie Johnson  

Outlook: Johnson recovered from brief contact with Tony Stewart to finish in a respectable 12^th at Richmond. It wasn’t enough to be his seventh top-10 in nine races, but it was plenty to keep his lofty lead in the standings.
Standings: 1st, 343 points

2. Kasey Kahne        

Outlook: Perhaps no driver came into Richmond hotter than Kahne, but a mix-up with Mark Martin proved costly for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. Still, he’s in great position at third in the standings.
Standings: 3rd, 297 points

3. Clint Bowyer        

Outlook: Heading into the Richmond race, things looked a little dicey for Bowyer, as his engine received some changes as a precautionary measure in light of the recent Toyota penalties. It sure didn’t matter, as Bowyer raced to a second-place finish. And he had plenty to say about the new Gen-6 car post-race.
Standings: 5th, 290 points

4. Matt Kenseth         

Outlook: After taking the pole ahead of the Richmond race, it looked as if Kenseth was primed to make a statement victory but finished seventh despite leading 140 laps. Regardless, he’s still holding onto a Chase for the Sprint Cup wild card spot, but his fate will be determined at his appeals hearing May 8.
Standings: 13th, 241 points

5. Carl Edwards    

Outlook: Getting driven to school by Carl Edwards in 2012 would have been cool, sure. But now that he sits second in the points standings, it’s even cooler.
Standings: 2nd, 300 points

Related Links:

Aaron’s 499 entry list

Chipper Jones to be Talladega grand marshal

Post-race reactions: Toyota Owner’s 400

Victory Lane: Richmond smiles on Harvick

Sights and Sounds: Toyota Owners 400

Mobil 1 Driver of the Race

Weekend Top 5: Richmond

Race Rewind: Toyota Owners 400

NASCAR Automotive Technology Series: Seven-post shaker

6. Brad Keselowski

Outlook: With the news dropping Wednesday that the penalties issued to he and Penske teammate Joey Logano were to be upheld, Keselowski's status as a heavyweight contender took a hit. He'll likely get back up there, but for the time being his stock is down. | Penske latest
Standings: 6th, 263 points

7. Kyle Busch          

Outlook: Busch avoided disaster on Saturday after a penalty was reversed, but he might not be so lucky this weekend. Averaging just one top-10 finish per four starts in 16 career appearances at Talladega, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver could lose some ground in the standings.
Standings: 7th, 278 points

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Outlook: Earnhardt was the brightest spot in an otherwise dim race for Hendrick cars, moving up late in the race to finish 10^th.  Expect another solid race from Junior at Talladega, where both he and his father have reigned supreme.
Standings: 4th, 297 points

9. Kevin Harvick           

Outlook: Harvick may have only led four laps all season, but he’s been just good enough that his win at Richmond vaulted him into the top 10 in points and secured his place there for the time being.
Standings: 9th, 271 points

10. Joey Logano            

Outlook: The last few laps and green-white-checkered finish of the Toyota Owners 400 weren’t for the faint of heart. Logano proved he can hang with the big dogs by securing a third-place finish after a heated restart and thrilling culmination.
Standings: 17th, 228 points

11. Greg Biffle          

Outlook: In some races, some drivers are extremely lucky, while others are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Biffle fell into that second category at Richmond. While still in eighth place, he dropped four places in the standings and has never won at Talladega in 20 starts.
Standings: 8th, 272 points

12. Jeff Gordon       

Outlook: While an 11^th-place finish didn’t harm his place in the standings too much, it didn’t help Gordon much, either. After taking the final practice and qualifying third, the Hendrick driver has to be unsatisfied with the way he fell behind in the race, but will be looking forward to Talladega, where he finishes in the top 10 nearly half the time (19 of 40 starts).
Standings: 14th, 235 points

13. Martin Truex Jr.    

Outlook: For a driver looking to build some momentum, Truex Jr. was the unlucky recipient of a tight car and was later spun out once he gained track position at Richmond. Still, he’s just barely on the outside looking in with regard to the Chase.
Standings: 10th, 240 points

14. Paul Menard        

Outlook: There has been just one driver to finish on the lead lap in every event this season. Not Jimmie Johnson. Not Brad Keselowski. Paul. Menard.
Standings: 11th, 227 points

15. Aric Almirola       

Outlook: Almirola now has three consecutive top-10 finishes in hand, as well as the first of two wild card spots in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.  It’ll be tough to keep the streak alive at Talladega, however, where he has not finished above 12^th in six tries.
Standings: 11th, 258 points

16. Jamie McMurray    

Outlook: McMurray has gotten off to a pretty promising start in 2013 but is still looking for a signature race this season. He has no top-fives and will need a win to stay in Chase contention. He’s currently out of a spot, despite being in 12^th place.
Standings: 12th, 245 points

17. Kurt Busch      

Outlook: Busch didn’t seem to think his run-in with Tony Stewart was as big of a deal as say, Stewart did. Probably because Busch has two top-fives to his credit this season, while Stewart merely has one top-10.
Standings: 20th, 216 points

18. Ryan Newman     

Outlook: While he was up to fourth place late in the race, Newman fell behind as things wound down and he finished in 15^th.  With two DNFs under his belt, his one top-five and four top-10 finishes this season haven’t amounted to much, as he’s still in 16^th place.
Standings: 16th, 229 points

19. J. Pablo Montoya

Outlook: Everyone was surprised at how well Montoya ran the Richmond race -- especially at the end. The EGR driver nearly secured his first Sprint Cup win on an oval track but was still pleased with his fourth-place finish.
Standings: 24th, 183 points

20. Tony Stewart          

Outlook: Frustration clearly got to the agitated and disappointing Stewart on Saturday, as minor contact with Kurt Busch led to a heated exchange between the drivers post-race. There’s still plenty of season left and this might not be the end of Stewart’s meltdowns.
Standings: 22nd, 207 points

In the rearview

Note: These rankings have been determined by a poll that included writers Kenny Bruce, Holly Cain, David Caraviello and Zack Albert, and video host Alan Cavanna. Tell us what you think about the Power Rankings. Use the hashtag #NASCARPOWER.

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.