Post-Talladega rankings

Editor's note: Below are the rankings from last week, as compiled by our late colleague David Poole. Accompanying his rankings is a short note that pretty much sums up Poole's strongly held views about that track and its events on the NASCAR schedule.

The top-35 Sprint Cup teams following the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Teams are ranked in terms of their performance and their potential for success this season. (Previous ranking in parentheses).

None of this week’s rankings change from after the Phoenix race. Nothing that happened at Talladega had anything to do with which team is better than another. We’ll evaluate the teams again after Richmond, when some legitimate racing actually takes place. - David Poole

(1) Jeff Gordon (car No. 24)

(2) Jimmie Johnson (car No. 48)

(3) Kyle Busch (car No. 18)

(4) Tony Stewart (car No. 14)

(5) Kurt Busch (car No. 2)

(6) Denny Hamlin (car No. 11)

(7) Clint Bowyer (car No. 33)

(8) Carl Edwards (car No. 99)

(9) Mark Martin (car No. 5)

(10) David Reutimann (car No. 00)

(11) Matt Kenseth (car No. 17)

(12) Jeff Burton (car No. 31)

(13) Greg Biffle (car No. 16)

(14) Kasey Kahne (car No. 9)

(15) Kevin Harvick (car No. 29)

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

(17) Jamie McMurray (car No. 26)

(18) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (car No. 88)

(19) Ryan Newman (car No. 39)

(20) Martin Truex Jr. (car No. 1)

(21) Brian Vickers (car No. 83)

(22) David Stremme (car No. 12)

(23) Sam Hornish Jr. (car No. 77)

(24) Bobby Labonte (car No. 96)

(25) AJ Allmendinger (car No. 44)

(26) Marcos Ambrose (car No. 47)

(27) Reed Sorenson (car No. 43)

(28) David Ragan (car No. 6)

(29) Casey Mears (car No. 07)

(30) Michael Waltrip (car No. 55)

(31) Paul Menard (car No. 98)

(32) Joey Logano (car No. 20)

(33) David Gilliland (car No. 71)

(34) Elliott Sadler (car No. 19)

(35) Robby Gordon (car No. 7)