2008 Power Rankings
Race 20 - Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis
http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/feat...ndy/index.html
INDIANAPOLIS - Week 20 of 36 | By: Mark Aumann
Who's Up - Biggest Gain this week:
Greg Biffle: 14th to 8th
New This Week : David Ragan
Who's Down - Biggest Drop this week:
Clint Bowyer: 9th to 14th
Dropped Out : Kurt Busch
Rank 1 PREVIOUS : 1 CHANGE : 0 Kyle Busch
The latest conspiracy theory from the tinfoil hat brigade: Kyle's receiving additional horsepower from a super-secret alien particle emitter.
Rank 2 PREVIOUS : 3 CHANGE : +1 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
There are two more Shifting Gears episodes to come, but don't expect to see any of the "highlights" from Chicagoland.
Rank 3 PREVIOUS : 5 CHANGE : +2 Jimmie Johnson
Sure, he lost the race, but Jimmie can take solace in the fact that he's got one more ESPY than Kyle Busch.
Rank 4 PREVIOUS : 4 CHANGE : 0 Matt Kenseth
"Most guys take their off week to go to the beach or to get away from racing and I'm doing just the opposite." Of course, I can't remember the last surf movie shot in Green Bay.
Rank 5 PREVIOUS : 2 CHANGE : -3 Carl Edwards
Carl thought he was over his issues, until the Cardinals announcers started talking about "throwing a late-breaking splitter."
Rank 6 PREVIOUS : 7 CHANGE : +1 Jeff Gordon
This week is Jeff's annual charity bowling tournament. He used to average 185, but that was before the HANS device impeded his throwing motion.
Rank 7 PREVIOUS : 10 CHANGE : +3 Tony Stewart
The best thing about getting Old Spice stuff for free? You've got all the men on your Christmas gift list already covered.
Rank 8 PREVIOUS : 14 CHANGE : +6 Greg Biffle
After five consecutive finishes outside of the top 10, a fourth at Chicagoland was critical for the No. 16 team's Chase hopes.
Rank 9 PREVIOUS : 15 CHANGE : +6 Kevin Harvick
Kevin brought a taste of Sprint Cup racing to Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine over the weekend, including a one-day rain delay.
Rank 10 PREVIOUS : 6 CHANGE : -4 Jeff Burton
Finishing 19th wasn't great, but the No. 31 team overcame an awful lot of adversity to even get to that point.
Rank 11 PREVIOUS : 12 CHANGE : +1 Brian Vickers
If you're going to blow up the engine, coming out of the last corner on the last lap is probably better than coming out of the first corner on the first lap.
Rank 12 PREVIOUS : 8 CHANGE : -4 Denny Hamlin
When they do a launch countdown at the Cape, it's "3, 2, 1, ignition." Unfortunately, for Denny at Chicagoland, it went the opposite way.
Rank 13 PREVIOUS : 13 CHANGE : 0 Kasey Kahne
Kasey's co-hosting "Live with Regis and Kelly" this week, and hopefully, there are no plans to force him to get a fashion makeover.
Rank 14 PREVIOUS : 9 CHANGE : -5 Clint Bowyer
Clint's still upset with his travel agent. He thought he had booked a weekend in Cabo San Lucas, and instead wound up in a cab in St. Louis.
Rank 15 PREVIOUS : NR *** David Ragan
One of these days, one of the TV talking heads is going to see the No. 6 and not say, "Hey, another surprising run for David Ragan this week!"