NASCAR Power Rankings: New Hampshire

(Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

"Hey, I won the race last year in exactly the same fashion," Busch said, "so I know exactly what Joey Logano is feeling. I can only describe it as a mix of elation and luck, much like the feeling one would get when he marries a beautiful woman, but only because he's a race car driver. But what would I know about that?"

"But what can I say? 'The Girl is Mine.'"

5. Denny Hamlin

While his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates were making headlines (good and bad), it was business as usual for Hamlin. Hamlin improved his position in the points for the third straight week, with his 15th at Loudon moving him up a spot to sixth.

"Joey's performance was definitely something to shout about," Hamlin said, "while Kyle's was surely something to shout at."

"But what do I have to do to get some attention here at Joe Gibbs Racing? Well, I guess I either have to win a race, wreck the field, or bleach my skin an ivory white and wear a single sequined glove. Doing the latter would probably raise fewer eyebrows than the actions of Kyle Busch."

6. Carl Edwards

Edwards' No. 99 Aflac Fusion was quick throughout the duration of the Lenox Industrial Tools 301, but an out-of-sequence pit stop for a loose wheel thwarted any chance of a top-10 finish. After the fateful pit stop, Edwards resumed racing in the 29th spot, but made up 10 positions before rain ended the race, and finished 19th.

"That was a frustrating finish in what has been a frustrating year," Edwards said. "I'm still winless after 17 races. But I can't be discouraged. While my 'Victory Tour' has yet to bear the success of the Jackson's 1984 mega-tour, I plan to keep plugging away."

"After nine wins last year, I sure do miss the thrill of victory. But I predict a win soon. As for visiting Victory Circle, I'm fully confident that 'I'll Be There.'"

7. Kyle Busch

Busch was involved in a lap 175 crash that started when Dale Earnhardt, Jr. spun his tires on a restart. As cars in front checked up, Busch's No. 18 Interstate Battery Toyota hit the rear of Martin Truex, Jr.s No. 1 car, which spun into traffic, collecting eight cars, including three Richard Childress Racing cars.

As the field circled under caution, Truex feigned a helmet toss at Busch's No. 18 car, while others affected by the crash grumbled their disapproval. Busch went on to finish seventh, his first top-10 finish since Charlotte, and improved one spot in the standings to eighth.

"I guess Truex though better of committing 'Interstate Battery,'" Busch said. "Heck, I'd be angry too if I was heading to Michael Waltrip Racing and it was considered a promotion. Obviously, I have a problem with 'Junior's.'"

"To anyone that's mad at me, Michael Jackson would surely sing 'You Are Not Alone.' I've got 75 percent of RCR, 20 percent of all drivers, and 100 percent of Junior Nation mad at me.

"But I've apologized for my part in the incident at Loudon, which is an admission that I've been 'Bad.' Of course, that was an apology staged by my public relations team, who dislike me about as much as most drivers dislike me. Had it been solely up to me, the apology would have consisted of a 'crotch grab.'"

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