After Las Vegas rankings

Johnson rises to the top after Las Vegas

DAVID POOLE/dpoole@charlotteobserver.com

Monday, Mar. 12, 2007

That’s Racin’ ranks the top 40 teams in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series following the UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Rankings based on team performance and potential. Each team’s previous ranking is in parentheses:)

1. (5) Jimmie Johnson – car No. 48

Adapted best to conditions at Las Vegas. That bodes well for the rest of this season.

2. (2) Matt Kenseth – car No. 17

Closed out the Las Vegas race with charge that carried him to another top-five finish.

3. (3) Mark Martin – car No. 01

This is the first time he’s ever had three straight top-five finishes to start a season.

4. (8) Jeff Gordon – car No. 24

Didn’t win at Las Vegas, but this team did show that this car can run up front again.

5. (1) Kevin Harvick – car No. 29

Never any kind of factor Las Vegas, which has to be a little troubling for this team.

6. (4) Tony Stewart – car No. 20

Hated the way he had to race at Vegas, but still managed to come away with a top 10.

7. (6) Jeff Burton – car No. 31

Late mechanical issue ruined what otherwise could have been winning day at Vegas.

8. (10) Denny Hamlin – car No. 11

Kept digging and kept digging to get his third-place finish on the new Vegas track.

9. (7) Kyle Busch – car No. 5

Given the adversity this team fought at Las Vegas, ninth-place finish wasn’t that bad.

10. (9) Kurt Busch – car No. 2

Speeding penalty on green-flag pit stop wiped out changes for a top-10 run at Vegas.

11. (18) Carl Edwards – car No. 99

12. (14) Ryan Newman – car No. 12

13. (17) Dale Earnhardt Jr. – car No. 8

14. (12) Kasey Kahne – car No. 9

15. (13) Greg Biffle – car No. 16

16. (11) Clint Bowyer – car No. 07

17. (15) J.J. Yeley – car No. 18

18. (16) David Stremme – car No. 40

19. (20) Elliott Sadler – car No. 19

20. (25) Bobby Labonte – car No. 43

21. (19) David Gilliland – car No. 38

22. (26) Jamie McMurray – car No. 26

23. (21) Joe Nemechek – car No. 13

24. (27) Ricky Rudd – car No. 88

25. (28) Tony Raines – car No. 96

26. (31) Robby Gordon – car No. 7

27. (24) Casey Mears – car No. 25

28. (35) Martin Truex Jr. – car No. 1

29. (36) Juan Pablo Montoya – car No. 42

30. (22) David Ragan – car No. 6

31. (34) Reed Sorenson – car No. 41

32. (30) Dave Blaney – car No. 22

33. (23) Johnny Sauter – car No. 70

34. (37) Sterling Marlin – car No. 14

35. (32) Jeff Green – car No. 66

36. (33) Scott Riggs – car No. 10

37. (38) Ken Schrader/Jon Wood – car No. 21

38. (39) Dale Jarrett – car No. 44

39. (NR) Kyle Petty – car No. 45

40. (29) Brian Vickers – car No. 83

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