AFTER DAYTONA RANKINGS

Hamlin stuck inside Hendrick sandwich at No. 2

Jeff Gordon still No. 1 in rankings; Johnson in third

Monday, Jul. 09, 2007

That’s Racin’s David Poole ranks the top 40 teams in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series following the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Rankings based on team performance and potential. Each team’s preseason ranking is in parentheses:)

1. (1) Jeff Gordon – car No. 24 It seems Ella Sofia Gordon might not receive a baby gift from Kyle Busch.

2. (2) Denny Hamlin – car No. 11 Chose not to escalate the spat with teammate Tony Stewart after their Daytona wreck.

3. (3) Jimmie Johnson – car No. 48 Johnson lost ground to finish 10th in the frantic final laps in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona.

4. (5) Matt Kenseth – car No. 17 Another top-10 at Daytona but this time he was only fourth-best Roush Fenway car.

5. (4) Tony Stewart – car No. 20 Just once, wouldn’t you love to hear Stewart say, “That one was totally my fault?”

6. (9) Carl Edwards – car No. 99 Should get share of the credit for Jamie McMurray’s win because of his last-lap help.

7. (6) Martin Truex Jr. – car No. 1 Had a turn near the front in the Pepsi 400 but just couldn’t quite manage to stay there.

8. (7) Kevin Harvick – car No. 29 Just one more satisfied member of the ever-growing Juan Pablo Montoya fan club.

9. (11) Kyle Busch – car No. 5 Hendrick stepchild? He inches short of a historic Busch-Cup daily double at Daytona.

10. (8) Jeff Burton – car No. 31 Just treading water, which looks like it will work out fine at least til the Chase starts.

11. (12) Clint Bowyer – car No. 07 Ignition box problem sidetracked what might have been a dominant run in Pepsi 400.

12. (10) Dale Earnhardt Jr. – car No. 8 Collateral damage in Hamlin-Stewart mess. Cost him much of his Chase cushion.

13. (14) Jamie McMurray – car No. 26 14. (13) Ryan Newman – car No. 12 15. (17) Kurt Busch – car No. 2 16. (18) Greg Biffle – car No. 16 17. (15) Casey Mears – car No. 25 18. (16) Mark Martin/Regan Smith – car No. 01 19. (19) Juan Pablo Montoya – car No. 42 20. (20) Robby Gordon – car No. 7 21. (23) Kasey Kahne – car No. 9 22. (21) Bobby Labonte – car No. 43 23. (22) J.J. Yeley – car No. 18 24. (26) David Ragan – car No. 6 25. (24) Elliott Sadler – car No. 19 26. (33) David Gilliland – car No. 38 27. (25) Tony Raines – car No. 96 28. (27) Reed Sorenson – car No. 41 29. (28) Jeff Green – car No. 66 30. (29) Sterling Marlin – car No. 14 31. (32) David Stremme – car No. 40 32. (34) Johnny Sauter – car No. 70 33. (30) Ricky Rudd – car No. 88 34. (31) Bill Elliott– car No. 21 35. (35) Dave Blaney – car No. 22 36. (38) David Reutimann – car. No. 00 37. (39) Brian Vickers – car No. 83 38. (40) Paul Menard – car No. 15 39. (37) Joe Nemechek – car No. 13 40. (36) Kyle Petty/John Andretti – car No. 45

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