AFTER DOVER RANKINGS

Top three maintain
grip on rankings

Potential points penalties for Edwards keeps him from moving up

DAVID P0OLE/ The Charlotte Observer

Monday, Sep. 24, 2007

• Slideshow | All the action at Dover
• Race results | Unofficial scoring from Dover
• Slideshow | Saturday's Busch Series and Nextel Cup action at Dover

That's Racin's David Poole ranks the top 40 teams in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series following the Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. (Rankings based on team performance and potential. Each team’s previous week's ranking in parentheses:)

1. (3) Tony Stewart – car No. 20

2. (2) Jeff Gordon – car No. 24

3. (1) Jimmie Johnson – car No. 48

We’ve told you that these guys are virtually interchangeable in the top three spots, so they’re ranked here strictly in order of their finish on the wild afternoon at Dover.

4. (4) Carl Edwards – car No. 99

If the rest of the Chase tracks were concrete, this team would be No. 1 this week. But likely points penalty for Dover rules infraction keeps us from moving up after win there.

5. (9) Kyle Busch – car No. 5

Trouble seemed to find him in ’06 Chase but this year he’s deftly dodging danger.

6. (10) Clint Bowyer – car No. 07

Can’t afford to start 42nd many times in Chase but he sort of got away with it a Dover.

7. (8) Martin Truex Jr. – car No. 1

Considering how bad it could have turned out, 13th in wrecked Dover car wasn’t bad.

8. (5) Denny Hamlin – car No. 11

9. (6) Matt Kenseth – car No. 17

Both had the worst possible Chase days at Dover – bad finishes after big things spoiled good runs in great cars. A championship’s too hard to win to survive that often.

10. (7) Kurt Busch – car No. 2

Car snapped sideways to set off the big Dover crash and reshape the Chase standings.

11. (12) Jeff Burton – car No. 31

12. (11) Kevin Harvick – car No. 29

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

14. (15) Casey Mears – car No. 25

15. (17) Greg Biffle – car No. 16

16. (21) Mark Martin/Regan Smith – car No. 01

17. (14) Ryan Newman – car No. 12

18. (19) Jamie McMurray – car No. 26

19. (20) Juan Pablo Montoya – car No. 42

20. (16) Bobby Labonte – car No. 43

21. (18) Kasey Kahne – car No. 9

22. (25) Robby Gordon – car No. 7

23. (22) Reed Sorenson – car No. 41

24. (23) J.J. Yeley – car No. 18

25. (24) David Ragan – car No. 6

26. (26) Jeff Green – car No. 66

27. (27) Tony Raines – car No. 96

28. (31) David Gilliland – car No. 38

29. (36) Elliott Sadler – car No. 19

30. (37) Kenny Wallace/Ricky Rudd – car No. 88

31. (33) Brian Vickers – car No. 83

32. (34) David Reutimann – car No. 00

33. (29) David Stremme – car No. 40

34. (35) Paul Menard – car No. 15

35. (32) Ken Schrader – car No. 21

36. (28) Johnny Sauter – car No. 70

37. (30) Dave Blaney – car No. 22

38. (38) Scott Riggs – car No. 10

39. (39) Kyle Petty – car No. 45

40. (NR) Michael Waltrip – car No. 55

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