AFTER LOUDON RANKINGS

Johnson's got some company in his rear-view mirror

He's still No. 1, but top 3 are 'interchangeable'

DAVID POOLE

dpoole@charlotteobserver.com

Monday, Sep. 17, 2007

That’s Racin’s David Poole ranks the top 40 teams in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series following the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, N.H. (Rankings based on team performance and potential. Each team’s previous week’s ranking in parentheses:)

1. (1) Jimmie Johnson – car No. 48 Atop points and these rankings by thinnest of margins. Top three are interchangeable.

2. (3) Jeff Gordon – car No. 24 Best in non-Clint Bowyer division at Loudon. Sort of feels like this team needs a win.

3. (2) Tony Stewart – car No. 20 Finished 11th or better in hist first 12 Dover races, but no better than 15th in past five.

4. (5) Carl Edwards – car No. 99 He creeps up one spot because he salvaged 12th in his backup car at New Hampshire.

5. (6) Denny Hamlin – car No. 11 Figures to be solid at Dover, where he’s finished 11th, ninth and fourth in three tries.

6. (7) Matt Kenseth – car No. 17 Crashed in ‘05 and ran out of gas in ’06 Dover fall race. Needs better luck this time.

7. (4) Kurt Busch – car No. 2 Fell to 12th after Chase opener, but team’s effort kept bad situation from being worse.

8. (8) Martin Truex Jr. – car No. 1 Eyes will be on this team after its dominant victory at Dover in the spring race there.

9. (9) Kyle Busch – car No. 5 Strategy, hard work led to top five at Loudon. More of that and they’ll move up fast.

10. (12) Clint Bowyer – car No. 07 Brilliant in first win at Loudon. Nine more good weeks and they’ll shock the world.

11. (10) Kevin Harvick – car No. 29
12. (11) Jeff Burton – car No. 31
13. (13) Dale Earnhardt Jr. – car No. 8
14. (15) Ryan Newman – car No. 12
15. (16) Casey Mears – car No. 25
16. (14) Bobby Labonte – car No. 43
17. (17) Greg Biffle – car No. 16
18. (19) Kasey Kahne – car No. 9
19. (21) Jamie McMurray – car No. 26
20. (18) Juan Pablo Montoya – car No. 42
21. (20) Mark Martin/Regan Smith – car No. 01
22. (22) Reed Sorenson – car No. 41
23. (24) J.J. Yeley – car No. 18
24. (23) David Ragan – car No. 6
25. (25) Robby Gordon – car No. 7
26. (28) Jeff Green – car No. 66
27. (32) Tony Raines – car No. 96
28. (31) Johnny Sauter – car No. 70
29. (26) David Stremme – car No. 40
30. (29) Dave Blaney – car No. 22
31. (27) David Gilliland – car No. 38
32. (33) Ken Schrader – car No. 21
33. (30) Brian Vickers – car No. 83
34. (35) David Reutimann – car No. 00
35. (36) Paul Menard – car No. 15
36. (34) Elliott Sadler – car No. 19
37. (37) Kenny Wallace – car No. 88
38. (39) Scott Riggs – car No. 10
39. (38) Kyle Petty – car No. 45
40. (40) Ward Burton – car No. 4

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