NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 20 Drivers Coming out of Pocono

The Pocono 400 had the excitement that NASCAR desperately needs.  

The fans got what they wanted in various ways. There was a great battle between the veteran, Mark Martin, and the young guy still trying to prove himself, Joey Logano.  

The newly paved Pocono Raceway had some great racing and great battles all throughout the race. There was even some controversy with so many speeding violations on pit road.

After an exciting Pocono 400, here are my top 20 drivers.

20. Aric Almirola

Aric Almirola has slowly been getting better throughout the 2012 season.

In a new ride and facing a lot of new tracks, Almirola has stepped up to the challenge and is prime for a good second half of the 2012 season.

After a sixth-place finish at Dover, Almirola could not keep the momentum going at Pocono, as he was caught up in the controversial speeding penalties. Unable to get up to the front, Almirola ended up 28th.  

Almirola sits 20th in points, but he faces another challenge when the Sprint Cup Series heads to Michigan. Almirola has never raced at Michigan in a Sprint Cup car.

19. Jeff Burton

Jeff Burton's days at RCR could be numbered if he doesn't pick up the pace for the rest of the season.  

Burton has had mostly mediocre runs this season (much like 2011) and it will cost him his ride. Burton was hoping for a good run, but was only able to get a 15th after starting 20th.  

He has only one top-10 finish in the last 10 races. Michigan doesn't look to be the place where he gets another top 10.

Burton has only one top 10 in his last 18 races at Michigan.

18. Jamie McMurray

Jamie McMurray is another driver who was hoping to shake off a rocky 2011 season. 

So far, that has not been the case in 2012.

McMurray earned only his third top 10 of the season with a 10^th in the Pocono 400. In order to keep his sponsors (and EGR) happy, McMurray will have to build some consistency.  

Now, I will say that McMurray has had some decent runs, but not the finishes to match it at times. McMurray has climbed up to 19th in points, but his hopes to make the Chase are fading fast.

Going into Michigan, McMurray has not finished in the top 10 since 2008.

17. Marcos Ambrose

We are seeing a more aggressive Marcos Ambrose in the last two weeks.

He is making more moves and getting closer to the front of the pack. After a top 10 in Dover, Ambrose ran in the top 10 at Pocono but settled for 13th.

With Ambrose moving up to 17th in points, he needs to get some top 10s to catch up to the next group of drivers in the points. With the road courses coming up this summer, Ambrose has to get wins and the best finishes he possibly can to make the Chase.

If Ambrose can get a top 10 finish this weekend (his first at Michigan), it would be a huge gain for his Chase hopes.

16. Ryan Newman

Who knew that winning could be bad luck for Ryan Newman?

Since his win at Martinsville, Newman has not finished in the top 10. That's eight races now, as he finished 12th at Pocono.

Even with a win, Newman is in danger of losing his wild-card slot. He's tied with Joey Logano for the last Chase slot, and Kasey Kahne is closing in on him with a win also.

Michigan could be the place where he gets that needed top 10. Newman finished in the top 10 in both races at Michigan last season.

15. Kyle Busch

After four-straight top-five finishes, including a win, Kyle Busch can't finish a race lately.

Busch suffered his second blown motor in a row at Pocono. His 30th-place finish in the Pocono 400 has dropped Busch from ninth to 12th in points.

Busch started off the season rough, and such DNFs are going to take him right out of the Chase. Good thing for Busch that Michigan is this weekend.

Last year in Michigan, Busch finished third in the summer race and then won the fall race.

14. Kasey Kahne

Kasey Kahne's hot streak of top-10 finishes came to a crashing halt at Pocono.

Kahne crashed after the halfway point in the Pocono 400 and ended up 29th. This crash was a blow to Kahne's comeback and his Chase hopes.  

He dropped two spots to 16th in points. Kahne is 18 points behind Ryan Newman, Joey Logano and the battle for the last wild-card slot.

Going into Michigan, Kahne has had his ups and downs. He does have a win, but he did finish 28th in last year's race (driving for Red Bull Racing).

13. Joey Logano

Joey Logano did exactly what he needed to do to make the case to save his job. Win.

Logano's win in the Pocono 400 was his first win since 2009, and it was a legit win. Unlike his rain-shortened first win at New Hampshire, Logano had a fast car and drove his way to victory.

Logano has struggled in his first few seasons in the Sprint Cup Series and questions have come up about his job security.  

I'll be the first to say that I've been very critical about Logano, but a win and top 10s in three of the last four races have started to answer questions about his ability.

There is a long way to go to this season, and going into Michigan, Logano sits tied for 14th in points.

While Logano has three top 10s at Michigan, he finished outside the top 15 in both races last season.

12. Paul Menard

I'm amazed I have Paul Menard this high in my power rankings 14 races into this season.

He has stayed out of trouble for the most part and it has him still battling to make the Chase. Menard earned his fourth top-10 finish of the year with his ninth-place finish at Pocono.

Menard has been consistent, and that's what kept him in the top 15 in points, as he has finished in the top 20 in eight straight races. That puts him 13th in points. Considering how the guys around the top 10 have struggled with consistency, Menard might be able to catch them. 

Menard is hoping to have the same great run he had in last year's race at Michigan. He finished fourth, but that is only top-10 finish ever at Michigan.

11. Brad Keselowski

With two wins, Brad Keselowski sits only 10th in points.  

Keselowski's season has been a little all over the place. He'll have dominating runs, then have runs where he fades away. He faded a bit at Pocono and settled for a 18th-place finish.

If Keselowski wants to be a championship contender, he has to get the job done every week and not just every two weeks.

Michigan will be another race that tests this young driver. In five career races at Michigan, Keselowski has finished in the top 20 only once.

10. Carl Edwards

Another driver who can't stay consistent lately is Carl Edwards.  

The runner-up for the championship last season is not having the season he envisioned. He has not won in over a year and bad luck has held up to 11th in points.  

While Edwards started second in the Pocono 400, he couldn't hold on and finished 11th.  

Edwards needs a rebound, and Michigan could be the place where he gets a needed strong finish. He has two wins and 12 top-10 finishes in 15 career races at Michigan.

9. Clint Bowyer

Clint Bowyer is sneaking up the points standings, and I wonder how many people are noticing.

Bowyer's fifth-place finish at Dover and his recent sixth-place finish at Pocono have moved him from 12th to ninth in points. We're past the halfway point in the "regular season" and Bowyer is starting to put some distance in the battle for 10th in points.

Bowyer will be looking to keep his momentum going this weekend at Michigan. He finished eighth in both races last season.

8. Martin Truex Jr.

Martin Truex Jr.'s fast start to 2012 has slowed down a bit in recent weeks.

Since just missing victory lane at Kansas, Truex has struggled and is falling in points. His most recent struggle was his 20th-place finish at Pocono and has dropped from second to seventh in points. It appears Truex has lost his momentum and possibly his confidence.

Truex needs to shake off his loss at Kansas, and fast, before he falls into the battle for 10th in points. He has the equipment to do it, we'll see if he can put his car up front again.

It might not happen in Michigan, because he has only three top-10 finishes in 12 career races. 

7. Tony Stewart

Sitting eighth in points, Tony Stewart has got to wonder what is going on since his two wins.

Stewart has had a tough time trying to stay consistent, finishing third three times in the last six races (including Pocono), and then outside the top 20 in the other three races.  

Stewart knows he's pretty safe to make the Chase, but he needs to figure out why he struggles with consistency before the Chase comes up.  

Michigan could help build some consistency. He has finished outside the top 10 only twice in the last 11 races.

6. Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick's day at Pocono was not what he wanted. Harvick's car was not strong enough to rebound from a pit-road speeding penalty and had to settle for a 14th-place finish. 

Harvick is another driver who can't see to get consistent top-10 finishes, finishing on the outside in four of the last six races. Sitting sixth in points, Harvick is fortunate that other drivers around him in points have not been consistent lately either.

While Harvick won at Michigan back in 2010, he has only two top-10 finishes in the last nine races there.

5. Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin earned his seventh top five of the season at Pocono.

Hamlin has looked strong and will be a major player for the championship. He is up to fourth in points but is 19 points behind points leader Matt Kenseth.

Hamlin is one of the few drivers who is, for the most part, consistent and strong. He has five top-five finishes in the last seven races, and will be looking for his third win of the season this weekend at Michigan.

He won this race last year and he has won two of the last four Michigan races.

4. Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson was in championship form at Pocono. While did not get the win, he rebounded from multiple speeding penalties to finish fourth.

Johnson has held steady in fifth in the points standings and looks poised to make a run in the Chase and reclaim the championship. While I don't think he will win the title, he'll certainly make it interesting.

Going into Michigan, Johnson will be looking for his first win at the track. He finished 27th in last year's race.

3. Greg Biffle

After leading the points for 13 races, Greg Biffle fell back to third after his 24th-place finish in the Pocono 400, struggling to keep up with motor issues.  

It was only a matter of time before Biffle lost the points lead. He has looked great for most of this season, but everyone is going to have bad luck at some point.

Biffle is basically a lock to make the Chase at this point.  

Going into Michigan, Biffle has two wins at the track, but he finished outside the top 10 in both races in 2011.

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the definition of consistency.  

Junior led for 36 laps and looked like he could finally get a win. Then, crew chief Steve Letarte called Junior to the pit instead of stretching fuel mileage. That cost him track position and relegated him to an eighth-place finish.  

Earnhardt sits second in points, just 10 points behind points leader Matt Kenseth. While he does not have a win, Earnhardt is having one of his best seasons. He has finished in the top 10 in nine of the last 10 races.

Going into Michigan, Earnhardt will be looking to get a win this weekend at the site of his last win (back in 2008). He has not finished in the top 10 in the last three Michigan races.

1. Matt Kenseth

Matt Kenseth should be all smiles leaving Pocono. 

After a good seventh-place finish, Kenseth leaves with the points lead. Just like Earnhardt Jr., Kenseth has been very consistent this season, with eight top-10 finishes in the last nine races.

While Kenseth has not won since the Daytona 500, he has looked strong all season long. The question will be if he can hold onto the points lead, or slip back like teammate Greg Biffle.

Kenseth should do well this weekend at Michigan. He has two wins at the track and has finished in the top 10 in last three races there.