AFTER INDIANAPOLIS RANKINGS

Move right on over Gordon,
there's a new No. 1 in town

Back-to-back wins push Stewart to top of rankings

Monday, Jul. 30, 2007

That’s Racin’s David Poole ranks the top 40 teams in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series following the USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. (Rankings based on team performance and potential. Each team’s preseason ranking is in parentheses:)

1. (3) Tony Stewart – car No. 20 Momentum and the Chase format makes this the team to beat for the title right now.

2. (1) Jeff Gordon – car No. 24 It’s hard to demote a guy after his eighth straight top-10 finish, but here you go.

3. (2) Matt Kenseth – car No. 17 Another quiet top 10 at Indianapolis. Momentum doesn’t seem as vital to this team.

4. (4) Denny Hamlin – car No. 11 Hangs onto this spot more because of Pocono promise than Indianapolis performance.

5. (8) Kyle Busch – car No. 5 Team has a remarkable 866 points in six races since its driver became a lame duck.

6. (7) Kevin Harvick – car No. 29 Ran into a tough break – well, actually, it ran into this car’s fender – late in Indy race.

7. (6) Carl Edwards – car No. 99 For goodness sakes, ESPN, the man’s thumb is going to be JUST FINE! Let it go!

8. (5) Jimmie Johnson – car No. 48 Stewart surge and Johnson swoon have become familiar summertime Cup themes.

9. (9) Martin Truex Jr. – car No. 1 Battled through some adversity to get decent Indy finish and some Chase cushion.

10. (10) Jeff Burton – car No. 31 A little worked up at Kyle Busch after the race at Indianapolis. Good to see that fire.

11. (11) Clint Bowyer – car No. 07

12. (13) Kurt Busch – car No. 2

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

14. (18) Mark Martin – car No. 01

15. (14) Ryan Newman – car No. 12

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

17. (17) Greg Biffle – car No. 16

18. (15) Jamie McMurray – car No. 26

19. (16) Casey Mears – car No. 25

20. (20) Bobby Labonte – car No. 43

21. (21) Reed Sorenson – car No. 41

22. (22) David Gilliland – car No. 38

23. (23) David Ragan – car No. 6

24. (24) Robby Gordon – car No. 7

25. (25) J.J. Yeley – car No. 18

26. (33) Ricky Rudd – car No. 88

27. (26) Kasey Kahne – car No. 9

28. (27) Elliott Sadler – car No. 19

29. (28) Tony Raines – car No. 96

30. (36) Dave Blaney – car No. 22

31. (31) David Stremme – car No. 40

32. (29) Jeff Green – car No. 66

33. (32) Johnny Sauter – car No. 70

34. (38) Paul Menard – car No. 15

35. (34) Bill Elliott– car No. 21

35. (37) Brian Vickers – car No. 83

36. (35) Kyle Petty – car No. 45

37. (37) David Reutimann – car. No. 00

38. (NR) Ward Burton – car No. 4

39. (NR) Scott Riggs – car No. 10

40. (NR) Ken Schrader – car No. 49

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