AFTER KANSAS RANKINGS

Hendrick teammates claim top spots in this week's rankings

Johnson cruising, Gordon rolling before 'Dega

DAVID POOLE

dpoole@charlotteobserver.com

Monday, Oct. 01, 2007

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

1. (3) Jimmie Johnson – car No. 48
With 10 more laps or five more minutes of daylight he might have won at Kansas.

2. (2) Jeff Gordon – car No. 24
Will he tick off the fans at Talladega and take charge in the Chase at the same time?

3. (6) Clint Bowyer – car No. 07
This team can officially stop saying nobody gives it a chance at the title. They have it.

4. (1) Tony Stewart – car No. 20
Isn ‘t the only guy who’d be mad if things turned out as they did for him at Kansas.

5. (4) Carl Edwards – car No. 99
Edwards can still get hot enough to make up the deficit dumped in his lap at Kansas.

6. (5) Kyle Busch – car No. 5
Busch would be buried by fans if he dumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. instead of vice versa.

7. (7) Martin Truex Jr. – car No. 1
Sometimes bad luck just stalks you until it gets you, like it did to this team at Kansas.

8. (12) Kevin Harvick – car No. 29
Made up ground at Kansas. Plate race certainly provides hope for more of the same.

9. (10) Kurt Busch – car No. 2
Can’t win for losing in Chase. Nobody here or lower can afford another bobble.

10. (9) Matt Kenseth – car No. 17
Engine woes at Dover. Wrong place at wrong time at Kansas. Title hopes flickering.

11. (8) Denny Hamlin – car No. 11
He and teammate Stewart could have clash of the frustration titans after Kansas mess.

12. (11) Jeff Burton – car No. 31
Made lemonade in the first half of last year’s Chase, but ’07 has been mostly lemons.

13. (15) Greg Biffle – car No. 16

14. (14) Casey Mears – car No. 25

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

16. (16) Mark Martin – car No. 01

17. (21) Kasey Kahne – car No. 9

18. (23) Reed Sorenson – car No. 41

19. (17) Ryan Newman – car No. 12

20. (18) Jamie McMurray – car No. 26

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

22. (22) Robby Gordon – car No. 7

(25) David Ragan – car No. 6

(20) Bobby Labonte – car No. 43

(24) J.J. Yeley – car No. 18

(29) Elliott Sadler – car No. 19

(27) Tony Raines – car No. 96

(26) Jeff Green – car No. 66

(33) David Stremme – car No. 40

(28) David Gilliland – car No. 38

(37) Dave Blaney – car No. 22

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

(32) David Reutimann – car No. 00

(34) Paul Menard – car No. 15

(38) Scott Riggs – car No. 10

(35) Ken Schrader – car No. 21

(36) Johnny Sauter – car No. 70

(31) Brian Vickers – car No. 83

(39) Kyle Petty – car No. 45

(40) Michael Waltrip – car No. 55

reprint or license