NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 20 Drivers Coming out of Kansas

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series leaves Kansas Speedway after another usually quiet race (caution-wise) but an exciting finish that gave the fans something to cheer about.

Denny Hamlin held off a hard-charging Martin Truex Jr. for the last 30 laps after Truex led a race-high 173 laps. A big win for Hamlin to get his second win of the season and to solidify himself after having a rough season last year.

This race had some very interesting moments, from pit-stop problems to a lot of motor issues. It has been interesting to see dominant drivers from last year, struggle this year.

No wins for Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon or Kevin Harvick.

Let's see how Kansas shook up the power rankings for this week.

20. Kasey Kahne

Previous Week: Not Ranked

Kasey Kahne finally breaks through into my power rankings for the first time this season.   Kahne may have not had a winning car in Kansas, but he had a Top-10 car.

Even after running out of fuel during green flag racing, Kahne earned his second straight Top-10 finishes of the year with a eighth-place finish in the STP 400.   

While Kahne is still digging himself out of a big hole that his four finishes of 29th or worse put him in. Kahne has climbed up to 26th in points. While he's way behind and the Chase looks like a long shot, it may not be as tough to move up the points as many would think.

With most of the drivers on the Sprint Cup circuit struggling to be consistent, and Kahne building some momentum, he could break into the Top 20 and get a win or two for the wild-card positions. 

Don't give up on Kahne yet, he could get his first win of the season next Saturday night in Richmond. He did finish third in last year's race.

19. Jeff Gordon

Previous Week: 14th

Jeff Gordon can't catch a break this season.  

After making a real charge last week in Texas, Gordon was going to have to do it once again. Gordon started 20th and drove his way up to the ninth position. It took most of the race to get Gordon's car handling well, and once the team got the car handling better, the engine began to fail.

Gordon lost a cylinder and had to drive the rest of the race down on power. The motor issues relegated Gordon to a 21st-place finish and slipped to 18th in points.

Gordon took a big fall in the rankings because no matter how good of car he has, he needs some luck to get the finishes to back it up.

Going into Richmond, Gordon finished 39th in last year's race due to a crash. Doesn't that finish fool you. Gordon has nine Top-10 finishes in the last 10 races at Richmond.

18. Marcos Ambrose

Previous Week: 18th

Marcos Ambrose recovered from a 28th-place starting position in the STP 400 to climb to a 16th-place finish. While it was not a finish that would change the world, it was good enough to move Ambrose into a tie for 20th in points with RPM teammate Aric Almirola.

Ambrose has been hanging out in the Top 20 for the last four races, but if Ambrose wants to be taken seriously as a Chase contender, he needs Top-10 finishes. He has none so far this season.

Richmond was not too kind to Ambrose in 2011. Ambrose finished 23rd and 21st in Richmond's two races last year.

Let's see if he repeats his finishes from 2011 in Richmond or his finishes from 2010, which were ninth and fifth.

17. Jeff Burton

Previous Week: 16th

I almost forgot that Jeff Burton was in the STP 400.

He started 12th, which was a decent starting position, but he just faded right back to a 22nd-place finish. That has been a theme for Jeff Burton this season.

Burton can't see to contend for wins or even Top-20 finishes. In four races since his sixth-place finish in Bristol, Burton has finished 22nd three times and finished 29th last week in Texas.  

Those finishes are going to put Jeff Burton on the hot seat to perform better, or he's going to leave car owner Richard Childress with no choice but to make a change. Austin Dillon is waiting in the wings to get into the Sprint Cup Series.

Unfortunately for Burton, Richmond is next weekend, and he has not finished in the Top 10 since the spring race, back in 2010.

16. Juan Pablo Montoya

Previous Week: 20th

I was amazed to see that Juan Pablo Montoya finished 12th after bringing out a caution for hitting the wall.

Even while fighting the handling on his car to damaging the car, Montoya kept charging and salvaged a decent finish out of a day that could have gone horribly wrong.

What's even more surprising is that Montoya has moved up to 16th in points and is starting to close in on the Chase.  

Montoya does have time to make a run and with a lot of good drivers struggling on any given week, don't be surprised to see the No. 42 car climb up the points standings.

15. Joey Logano

Previous Week: 17th

Joey Logano was looking like he could get his first Top-10 finish since Phoenix. He started third, and he has great equipment. Things have not gone right for Logano, and his car and/or he could not keep up with the rest of the leaders.  

Logano left Kansas Speedway with a 15th-place finish and sits 12th in points.  

What helped Logano get up to 12th in points is how close the points are from 11th- to 16th-place. Those points are being changed constantly with drivers in those positions either having mediocre runs or having rough races to recover from.

Logano was never a factor in the STP 400, and that can't happen. I keep saying that every week, but it is true.  

In last year's race in Richmond, Logano finished 11th, and unless he shows up with a great setup, I don't see Logano finishing that high next weekend.

Logano needs to turn things around and do it in a hurry before drivers around him turn their seasons around and leave him in the dust.

14. Clint Bowyer

Previous Week: 11th

Kansas Speedway did not have the hometown feel for Clint Bowyer in the STP 400.

Bowyer brought out the first caution on Lap 52 when he spun due to his engine failure. The motor issues landed Bowyer in the garage with a 36th-place finish.  

Bowyer slipped to 11th points, 22 points behind Ryan Newman for 10th and a spot in the Chase. Bowyer was not the only MWR car with motor issues when Mark Martin dropped a cylinder late in the race.

Bowyer finished sixth in the spring Richmond race last year and has a win back in 2008.

While this was Bowyer's first DNF of the season, it put him right in the clutches of a group of drivers from 11th to 16th in points that are separated by 20 points.  

Another bad day for Bowyer could cost him badly.

13. Paul Menard

Previous Week: 12th

Paul Menard started off 2012 very well with three Top-10 finishes in the first four races, but now, it looks like he's fading back a bit.

Menard has finished the last four races 18th or worse, including an 18th in Kansas.

Menard has slipped back to being tied for 13th in points and 31 points out of the Chase. Unless Menard is going to shock the NASCAR world and win three races before the Chase, he needs Top-10 finishes to get back into the Top 10 in points.

It's his only chance to make the Chase.

I don't expect to see Menard in the Top 10 next weekend in Richmond. He has never finished in the Top 10 in 10 career starts, and he's finished 37th in this race last season.

12. Brad Keselowski

Previous Week: 15th

After a 36th-place finish last week in Texas, Brad Keselowski recovered with a 11th-place finish in the STP 400. What made this impressive is how he was able to make up for missing pit road during a green flag run.

While Keselowski has a win and three Top-10 finishes this season, he has had enough bad races to leave him 15th in points—32 points out of the Chase. Keselowski made the Chase by getting the wild-card slot, but a driver should not have to rely on that to make the Chase.  

But Keselowski needs to get some decent finishes in a row to make any run for the Top 10 in points. Too bad Richmond is next week.  

Keselowski finished 12 laps down in 36th in the spring Richmond race last season.

11. Kyle Busch

Previous Week: 13th

I keep saying this week after week that we are not seeing the same Kyle Busch whom we have been accustom to seeing. He has not shown the dominance and power that we've gotten used to seeing.

I can't argue that Busch did a good job Sunday in the STP 400. Busch started 25th and worked his way to a 10th-place finish. Once Busch cracked the Top 10, it looked like he ran out of steam and could not gain any more ground on the leaders.

Busch now sits tied for 13th in points, still 31 points outside the Top 10. It is very surprising that Busch has been shut out of victory lane this season.  

Will we see the real Kyle Busch soon? Maybe next weekend in Richmond.  

Busch has three wins at Richmond, including last year's spring race. Busch also has a stunning 11 top-five finishes in 14 career races in Richmond.

If Kyle Busch is going to make a statement, it's going to be in Richmond.

10. Ryan Newman

Previous Week: sixth

After Ryan Newman got his first win of the year at Martinsville, he has had a little bit of a slide in recent weeks.

Newman could not make any progress after starting 13th in Kansas and faded back to a 20th-place finish—his second finish of 20th or worse in a row.  

Newman has taken a tumble in the points, falling back to 10th place and 22 points ahead of Clint Bowyer in 11th.

It has been rather unusual to see both Newman, and his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Tony Stewart have struggles in the last few weeks. I would not be worried yet, but Newman can't risking falling any further in points.

Newman finished 20th last year in Richmond, but with Newman's success so far this season, I'd expect the No. 39 car to finish a little better than that. I'm not sure how much though.

9. Tony Stewart

Previous Week: seventh

Just like his teammate, Tony Stewart has not had strong runs in recent weeks. After a seventh-place finish in Martinsville, Stewart struggled to finish 24th in Texas and 13th this past weekend in the STP 400.

Stewart did not have a great qualifying run (started 23rd), and Stewart fought his way up a bit but just did not have a car that had good enough handling to break into the Top 10.  

Even with Stewart's two wins this season, he finds himself eighth in points—47 points out of first. It just goes to show that the points are closer than people think and that every race counts. Two wins and Stewart is pretty far behind Greg Biffle for first in points.

Going into Richmond, Stewart has three wins and 17 Top-10 finishes in 26 starts. He finished ninth in the spring race last season. 

While Stewart is sliding a bit, he's a champ. He knows how to get the job done.

8. Carl Edwards

Previous Week: ninth

Since Carl Edwards finished 39th in Bristol, he has turned things around a bit. Edwards has four straight finishes of 11th or better, including a ninth this past Sunday in Kansas.

Edwards was expected to lead the Roush Fenway Racing stable this season, but he's the bottom guy in that shop. Edwards is back in the Top 10 in points, getting up to ninth, but still 61 points behind his teammate Greg Biffle for first. 

Even with the fact that Carl Edwards has not won in over a year, I would be surprised to see that losing streak last for too much longer.  

Now Edwards has never won in Richmond. He finished fifth in the spring race last season and finished second in the fall race.

7. Denny Hamlin

Previous Week: 10th

Denny Hamlin become the second repeat winner this season with his win in the STP 400 this past Sunday. Hamlin paired with championship winning crew chief Darian Grubb. They have been working pretty well together this season. 

Hamlin moves up to fifth in points, just 23 points out of first place. Hamlin seems to have gotten the memories of a dreadful 2011 season out of his mind and is focused on winning and the championship this season.  

Just like the other multiple winner Tony Stewart, Hamlin has struggled in a few races to go along with his win. While Kyle Busch is having a down year by his standards, Hamlin has taken the lead at Joe Gibbs Racing and is running with it.

He could run right back into victory lane next weekend in Richmond. He finished second in the spring race last season and has two wins there as well.

6. Jimmie Johnson

Previous Week: eighth

I have to start with this. What an ugly car Jimmie Johnson drove in Kansas. I can't understand why anyone thought that would be a good color for the car. 

With the unusual looking car, Johnson drove his way to a third-place finish and moves into seventh in points. He's still 37 points behind Greg Biffle.

If you take out Johnson's 42nd-place finish in Daytona, Johnson has had some good finishes. But this is NASCAR. There is no mulligans, and Johnson is still trying to dig himself out of that hole.

Johnson looked like he could make a charge for the lead, but just like Texas, he faded at the end and could not make a run for it.

It has to be only a matter of time before Johnson gets into victory lane, right? Or is the competition so tough this season that wins are much harder to come by? 

I would be surprised if Johnson did not get another Top-10 finish next week in Richmond. He finished eighth in this race last year, and he has three wins at this track as well. 

5. Kevin Harvick

Previous Week: fifth

Kevin Harvick is doing what he usually does. He's lingering in the championship hunt with good finishes but staying quiet enough to sneak up on the competition. Harvick got his fifth Top-10 finish of the year with a sixth in the STP 400. This is even after he ran out of fuel during a green flag run.  

Harvick is now sixth in points and 25 points out of first place. After four wins last season, Harvick is still searching for win No. 1 this year. We're seeing different winners so far this season, but a lot of the guys who are shut out of victory lane, so far, will get into victory lane sometime this season. Harvick will be one of those guys getting into victory lane.

He'll certainly be a contender in Richmond. He finished 12th in the spring race last season and backed it up with a victory in fall race.  

The future dad will get into victory lane soon, maybe even on Saturday night.

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Previous Week: second

Eight races into the 2012 season and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s worst finish is 15th. Rick Hendrick might have struck gold, pairing Earnhardt with crew chief Steve Letarte.

Earnhardt got his fourth straight Top-10 finish with a seventh-place finish in Kansas. He's in fourth in points, just 21 points out of first place. Earnhardt has not been out of the top five in points all season long.

While we are all wondering when will Earnhardt win, he has been very impressive and showing consistency that can win a championship.  

It will be interesting if Earnhardt can keep the momentum going into Richmond. I'm looking two weeks ahead at Talladega. That's the date I'm circling for Earnhardt to head into victory lane.

3. Matt Kenseth

Previous Week: fourth

Matt Kenseth earned his third straight top-five finish and fourth in the last five races with a fourth-place finish this past Sunday in Kansas.

The Daytona 500 winner has been trying to keep up with his teammate Greg Biffle and has done pretty well at it. Kenseth sits third in points—17 points behind Biffle for first.  

Kenseth did a great job driving from his 18th place starting position to fourth. He did this with a lot of green-flag runs but took any advantage that he could. He was almost caught speeding on pit road trying to gain every second he could.

He's going to need to do anything he can to get a good finish next weekend in Richmond. He has not finished in the Top 10 in Richmond since the spring race, back in 2007.

2. Martin Truex Jr.

Previous Week: third

What a tough break for Martin Truex Jr.  After dominating the STP 400, leading a race-high 173 laps, Truex just fell short.  

When the sun came out after a mostly overcast day, Truex's car got loose and that allowed Hamlin to get past him for the win. Truex did everything he could to catch Hamlin, trying to dive bomb the No. 11 car twice, which hurt Truex's momentum. He did make sure to bring the car home in second place.

This was Truex's fifth straight Top-10 finish of the season, and it moves him into second in points, just 15 points behind Greg Biffle for the points lead.

While losing a race that he dominated, Truex has to stay focused and shake it off. He got second, and he's out there to win a championship.   

He's going to need to put his focus into Richmond, where Truex has finished 22nd or worse in five of the last six races.

1. Greg Biffle

Previous Week: first

Greg Biffle has been the definition of consistency so far in 2012. After Biffle won last week in Texas, he kept the momentum going by finishing fifth in Kansas. That was his fifth top five of the season.  

Biffle sits at the top of the points standings, and he's not looking back. Biffle's worse finish of the year has been 13th twice.  

Biffle and his crew chief Matt Puccia have come to every race with a good setup and always making it better. Whether that will last all season is unlikely. I mean Biffle has to have a bad day someday, right?

That day could come in Richmond, where he has not finished in the Top 10 since 2006.