S
stridsberry
Guest
This has got to be some sort of record; completed Power Ratings barely 27 hours following the race. It should be noted that the influence of last season on the ratings dropped from 50% to 33% this week, and will continue to be phased out these next two weeks. Matt Kenseth took over the points lead on Sunday, and also took over the lead in the Ratings. Drivers making big gains were Bobby Labonte, Jimmy Spencer, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.; taking a fall were Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd, and Bill Elliott.
1. (2) MATT KENSETH 155.2
Matt seems to always run best when he’s starting towards the back of the field, and Atlanta proved to be no exception.
2. (1) TONY STEWART 151.5
Consecutive 5th-place finishes have him already challenging for the points lead.
3. (3) JIMMIE JOHNSON 131.7
His was the only Chevy engine to expire. Was it a bad part, or did he overrev (as was speculated) on the restart? You make the call.
4. (5) MICHAEL WALTRIP 129
That point lead sure didn’t last long, did it? He must have been given one of Jeff Green’s RCR cars by mistake.
5. (4) KURT BUSCH 121.7
On a day of puking engines, his was one of the first to give out. He needs an antidote to get back on track.
6. (9) RYAN NEWMAN 119.3
Got off-sequence during a long green-flag run, got lapped on another long green-flag run, and still finished 10th.
7. (17) BOBBY LABONTE 118.7
A dominant car all day long put him in the winner’s circle for the first time in nearly a year.
8. (13) DALE EARNHARDT JR. 117.8
They were racing at Atlanta, and an Earnhardt finished in the top-5. In other news, the sky is blue, and the Moon orbits around the Earth.
9. (10) JEFF GORDON 115.8
This team needed a good pick-me-up, and they found it on Sunday. Now he’s off to a track where he is one of the all-time greats.
10. (8) DALE JARRETT 115.5
Got beat by his new teammate for the first time this season.
11. (7) JEFF BURTON 112.5
It’s not as if the late blown engine cost him that much, because he was already several laps down.
12. (6) MARK MARTIN 110.5
Two straight early blown engines! Mark’s probably still giving ‘em hell at the shop as of right now.
13. (12) STERLING MARLIN 108.3
I didn’t see him at all the entire day; then I look at the results, and he’s in 14th. It was enough to crack the top-20 in points.
14. (16) JOHNNY BENSON 106.3
6th in points without a single top-10 finish; that’s consistency at it’s finest. It won’t work that well for much longer, though.
15. (14) RUSTY WALLACE 104.5
An encounter with the wall cost him a legitimate shot at a top-5 finish, and instead he had to limp it home in 15th.
16. (15) KEVIN HARVICK 102.8
He’s still holding on to the top-10 in points – but just barely.
17. (11) RICKY RUDD 101
The car ran like crap for most of the race, and then the engine decide to put the rest of the beast out of its misery.
18. (18) RICKY CRAVEN 99.7
It was the first major test for the in-house engine program, and they performed just fine. He could be one to watch at Darlington; crashes cost him two potential top-5s there last year.
19. (21) DAVE BLANEY 97.3
This week, he has bragging rights as the top single-car team in the points – but only by one.
20. (19) ROBBY GORDON 93.5
Robby has been spectacular so far, but he’s done enough to stay in the top-20 in points.
21. (T23) JOE NEMECHEK 92.3
Two pit-road miscues cost him a very real shot at winning. On the upside, he now has consecutive top-10s for the first time in over two years.
22. (T23) ELLIOTT SADLER 91.7
This was easily the most impressive weekend of his young Yates career. Come to think of it, Schrader’s best runs were when Pedigree had the primary colors. Maybe they should run it more often.
23. (27) STEVE PARK 83
Despite being a lap down, he still had a shot at the top-10, until his crew chief/spotter ran him into a mess on the final pit stop.
24. (34) JIMMY SPENCER 81.2
His came back from a loose wheel early to post this team’s best finish since Robby Gordon ran 2nd at Sears Point in 2001.
25. (25) JEREMY MAYFIELD 79.3
He’s been unspectacular ever since showing some promise at Daytona. But at least he’s doing better than Bill. Speaking of Bill…
26. (20) BILL ELLIOTT 78.3
When are you going to start having some decent runs? Darlington would be a great place to start.
27. (29) TERRY LABONTE 77.5
A 2nd-straight steady top-20 finish for the Ice Man. But he still needs binoculars to see the next highest Hendrick car.
28. (26) CASEY MEARS 77.3
Has anybody noticed that he’s currently the highest rookie in the point standings?
29. (31) WARD BURTON 76.5
At this time last year, his slump started. Maybe this year he’ll have a reversal of fortunes.
30. (33) GREG BIFFLE 76.2
He’s already hard at work making up for Las Vegas.
31. (22) JAMIE McMURRAY 75.3
While he has the only top-5 – heck, top-10 – finish by a rookie so far, his next best run is 31st.
32. (28) KYLE PETTY 70.7
I’ve started thinking that, by reassuming the role of team manager, Kyle has overextended himself again. Why else would he be struggling so mightily?
33. (32) JEFF GREEN 70.3
It’s gotten worse; now he’s only ahead of one rookie in points.
34. (30) JACK SPRAGUE 68.8
He has done absolutely “Jack squat” since the season opener. Oh, for the glory days of Busch and Trucks…
35. (35) KENNY WALLACE 66
I know that Kenny can do much better than this. Than again, nobody’s done anything in this car, so who am I to expect more.
36. (37) TODD BODINE 65
Umm…he was the highest finishing military-sponsored car! And the highest finisher whose car looks like a flag! Yeah!
37. (36) TONY RAINES 64.7
It’s looking like he’s nearly ready to crack the top-20. It would be the highest finish for an unsponsored car in about a year. (Joe Nemechek, 17th Darlington 3/02.)
38. (39) JERRY NADEAU 61.8
The day started out promising, but ended with a hard lick into the wall. The best thing that can be said is that he’s the highest driver in points without a top-20 finish.
39. (38) JOHN ANDRETTI 60.7
The pit-road fiasco cost him several spots late. But at least he finished this time.
40. (42) MIKE SKINNER 54.5
Well…at least the engine didn’t give out.
41. (41) KEN SCHRADER 51.5
Slow qualifying lap, slow car, blown engine. Eerily reminiscent of this car last year.
42. (40) LARRY FOYT 47.2
It’s just as well that his engine was the first to give way; it got the moving road-block off the track.
43. (43) DERRIKE COPE 31.8
No real reason that he’s on the list; it’s just that he has more points than all the other part-timers.
1. (2) MATT KENSETH 155.2
Matt seems to always run best when he’s starting towards the back of the field, and Atlanta proved to be no exception.
2. (1) TONY STEWART 151.5
Consecutive 5th-place finishes have him already challenging for the points lead.
3. (3) JIMMIE JOHNSON 131.7
His was the only Chevy engine to expire. Was it a bad part, or did he overrev (as was speculated) on the restart? You make the call.
4. (5) MICHAEL WALTRIP 129
That point lead sure didn’t last long, did it? He must have been given one of Jeff Green’s RCR cars by mistake.
5. (4) KURT BUSCH 121.7
On a day of puking engines, his was one of the first to give out. He needs an antidote to get back on track.
6. (9) RYAN NEWMAN 119.3
Got off-sequence during a long green-flag run, got lapped on another long green-flag run, and still finished 10th.
7. (17) BOBBY LABONTE 118.7
A dominant car all day long put him in the winner’s circle for the first time in nearly a year.
8. (13) DALE EARNHARDT JR. 117.8
They were racing at Atlanta, and an Earnhardt finished in the top-5. In other news, the sky is blue, and the Moon orbits around the Earth.
9. (10) JEFF GORDON 115.8
This team needed a good pick-me-up, and they found it on Sunday. Now he’s off to a track where he is one of the all-time greats.
10. (8) DALE JARRETT 115.5
Got beat by his new teammate for the first time this season.
11. (7) JEFF BURTON 112.5
It’s not as if the late blown engine cost him that much, because he was already several laps down.
12. (6) MARK MARTIN 110.5
Two straight early blown engines! Mark’s probably still giving ‘em hell at the shop as of right now.
13. (12) STERLING MARLIN 108.3
I didn’t see him at all the entire day; then I look at the results, and he’s in 14th. It was enough to crack the top-20 in points.
14. (16) JOHNNY BENSON 106.3
6th in points without a single top-10 finish; that’s consistency at it’s finest. It won’t work that well for much longer, though.
15. (14) RUSTY WALLACE 104.5
An encounter with the wall cost him a legitimate shot at a top-5 finish, and instead he had to limp it home in 15th.
16. (15) KEVIN HARVICK 102.8
He’s still holding on to the top-10 in points – but just barely.
17. (11) RICKY RUDD 101
The car ran like crap for most of the race, and then the engine decide to put the rest of the beast out of its misery.
18. (18) RICKY CRAVEN 99.7
It was the first major test for the in-house engine program, and they performed just fine. He could be one to watch at Darlington; crashes cost him two potential top-5s there last year.
19. (21) DAVE BLANEY 97.3
This week, he has bragging rights as the top single-car team in the points – but only by one.
20. (19) ROBBY GORDON 93.5
Robby has been spectacular so far, but he’s done enough to stay in the top-20 in points.
21. (T23) JOE NEMECHEK 92.3
Two pit-road miscues cost him a very real shot at winning. On the upside, he now has consecutive top-10s for the first time in over two years.
22. (T23) ELLIOTT SADLER 91.7
This was easily the most impressive weekend of his young Yates career. Come to think of it, Schrader’s best runs were when Pedigree had the primary colors. Maybe they should run it more often.
23. (27) STEVE PARK 83
Despite being a lap down, he still had a shot at the top-10, until his crew chief/spotter ran him into a mess on the final pit stop.
24. (34) JIMMY SPENCER 81.2
His came back from a loose wheel early to post this team’s best finish since Robby Gordon ran 2nd at Sears Point in 2001.
25. (25) JEREMY MAYFIELD 79.3
He’s been unspectacular ever since showing some promise at Daytona. But at least he’s doing better than Bill. Speaking of Bill…
26. (20) BILL ELLIOTT 78.3
When are you going to start having some decent runs? Darlington would be a great place to start.
27. (29) TERRY LABONTE 77.5
A 2nd-straight steady top-20 finish for the Ice Man. But he still needs binoculars to see the next highest Hendrick car.
28. (26) CASEY MEARS 77.3
Has anybody noticed that he’s currently the highest rookie in the point standings?
29. (31) WARD BURTON 76.5
At this time last year, his slump started. Maybe this year he’ll have a reversal of fortunes.
30. (33) GREG BIFFLE 76.2
He’s already hard at work making up for Las Vegas.
31. (22) JAMIE McMURRAY 75.3
While he has the only top-5 – heck, top-10 – finish by a rookie so far, his next best run is 31st.
32. (28) KYLE PETTY 70.7
I’ve started thinking that, by reassuming the role of team manager, Kyle has overextended himself again. Why else would he be struggling so mightily?
33. (32) JEFF GREEN 70.3
It’s gotten worse; now he’s only ahead of one rookie in points.
34. (30) JACK SPRAGUE 68.8
He has done absolutely “Jack squat” since the season opener. Oh, for the glory days of Busch and Trucks…
35. (35) KENNY WALLACE 66
I know that Kenny can do much better than this. Than again, nobody’s done anything in this car, so who am I to expect more.
36. (37) TODD BODINE 65
Umm…he was the highest finishing military-sponsored car! And the highest finisher whose car looks like a flag! Yeah!
37. (36) TONY RAINES 64.7
It’s looking like he’s nearly ready to crack the top-20. It would be the highest finish for an unsponsored car in about a year. (Joe Nemechek, 17th Darlington 3/02.)
38. (39) JERRY NADEAU 61.8
The day started out promising, but ended with a hard lick into the wall. The best thing that can be said is that he’s the highest driver in points without a top-20 finish.
39. (38) JOHN ANDRETTI 60.7
The pit-road fiasco cost him several spots late. But at least he finished this time.
40. (42) MIKE SKINNER 54.5
Well…at least the engine didn’t give out.
41. (41) KEN SCHRADER 51.5
Slow qualifying lap, slow car, blown engine. Eerily reminiscent of this car last year.
42. (40) LARRY FOYT 47.2
It’s just as well that his engine was the first to give way; it got the moving road-block off the track.
43. (43) DERRIKE COPE 31.8
No real reason that he’s on the list; it’s just that he has more points than all the other part-timers.
Look forward to reading this every week!
