NASCAR Power Rankings: After Bristol, Whose Stock Is Up or Down?

The past few weekends have provided quite a shake-up in the 2010 Sprint Cup points standings.

There have been quite a few movers, and not just near the bubble. The entire Chase has been transformed over recent weeks, with many people beginning to get nervous.

While Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon have remained steady at the top, the driver standings below them have looked like a furious game of musical chairs.

There have also been teams, such as the case with Jamie McMurray, Juan Montoya, and Kasey Kahne, that are on the outside looking in but have had really nice finishes the past few weeks.

Looking at the top 20 drivers in the points system as they sit right now, we will go through and determine if they are rising, falling, or just staying steady.

With just two weeks before the Chase begins, each team will be on pins and needles going into Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 5th.

Martin Truex Jr.: Steady

Martin has stayed pretty even as of late. Right around 20th place is about where many people would suspect him to be. After that rough crash at Pocono, I’m sure he’s just happy with being alive.

Juan Montoya: Rising

Juan has been having the best month or so of his Sprint Cup career in many people’s opinion. He has finished seventh the past two races after winning the event at Watkins Glen a few weeks ago.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Falling

While Junior fans may have been optimistic in late June and early July, the last month hasn’t been good for the 88 team. Dale hasn’t recorded a top-10 finish since Daytona. Looks like another year without the 88 in the Chase.

David Reutimann: Steady

After a gutsy runner-up finish at Bristol this past weekend, many people would have David on the rise. Despite this solid run, he only has one top-10 finish since May, which was his win at Chicagoland.

Kasey Kahne: Steady

Kasey did have a great night at Bristol, but other than that, he has been 14th, 17th, 19th, and 13th in his previous four races. Kasey has his sights set on the future, which does in fact look bright.

Ryan Newman: Steady

Newman had a strong night at Bristol with a top-five finish. Other than that, he hasn’t really had any bright spots, having only one other top-10 finish since May. Ryan isn’t really headed up or down.

Mark Martin: Falling

Three weeks ago Mark looked like he had a great shot at getting in. Since then, he has finished 23rd, 28th, and 19th. It looks like his last chance at a title will come in his final season of racing next year.

Jamie McMurray: Rising

Since Chicagoland, Jamie has had some very good runs, including the Brickyard win and a third-place finish at Bristol. He doesn’t really care about the championship this season; he has already gotten the two signature wins that everyone wants in NASCAR.

Clint Bowyer: Rising

Clint has had a good month and right now finds himself in the Chase in the final spot. Since leaving Daytona in July, Clint has managed to finish in fourth place on three separate occasions.

Greg Biffle: Rising

Greg has been on a hot streak as of late. Four of his last five races have all resulted in eighth-place or better finishes, including his win at Pocono. Greg will have a shot at the title when the Chase points are reset.

Kurt Busch: Falling

About a month ago Kurt was sitting in the top five in points with a great look at a title. Although he has had a couple top-10 finishes in the last three events, outside of that things have been ugly. A 40th-place finish at Michigan and a 33rd-place at Pocono have really hurt him as he continues to slide down the standings.

Jimmie Johnson: Falling

Who saw this coming? Ever since he won at Infineon and New Hampshire in late June, JJ has struggled. The last seven races, his average finishing position is 23.3 despite starting first or second in five of those seven races. Jimmie has dropped all the way to ninth in the standings but figures to be back on top when things are reset.

Matt Kenseth: Steady

Matt has quietly been holding steady in the middle of the Chase in typical Kenseth fashion. A top-five at Michigan and a top-10 at Bristol have this team feeling good.

Jeff Burton: Falling

Jeff was in the top three in points most of the year, but he has been sliding the last couple of races. After having five straight races with a top-10 finish, he has slipped the last two weeks with a 24th-place finish at Michigan and a 16th at Bristol. Without a win, it will be tough for him to contend in the long run.

Tony Stewart: Rising

Consider this: In the 13 races prior to Bristol, Tony had finished in the top 10 eleven of those times. Add that to the fact that he had a car capable of winning or getting at least a top-five at Bristol. Tony will be there in the end and finds himself in a great position as things wind down.

Denny Hamlin: Steady

Despite a 37th-place finish at Watkins Glen and a 34th at Bristol, Denny has scored enough top-fives and top-tens to spare him.

Add that to his Series-leading (tied with Johnson) five race wins this year, and he will start the Chase in first or second position when things are reseeded in a couple of weeks. The man picked by many at the start of the season is looking good as we get near the start of the Chase.

Carl Edwards: Rising

Perhaps the hottest driver in the Series at the moment. After struggling outside of the top 12 virtually all season, he has come on late and finds himself in fourth place in the points. He has finished in the top 12 in all of the last seven races. His average finish over those past seven races is 5.4.

Kyle Busch: Rising

Kyle is peaking at the perfect time. Of course his sweep at Bristol was one thing, but his results have been strong, and he has three wins on the season, so he will still be near the top of the standings when things are reshuffled. Kyle thought the sweep was nice, but he has a realistic shot at the Championship this year too.

Jeff Gordon: Steady

Jeff still sits in second place, amazingly, still without a single win this year. His last three races have been mediocre, with 10th, 11th, and 27th-place finishes.

Jeff has two more chances to get a win before the seeds are reset for the Chase, which will likely take him from second to the bottom half of the standings. If he wants to win his fifth Championship this year, he is going to have to get a win at some point.

Kevin Harvick: Steady

Kevin is having the best season of his career, and he is going to have to get even better if he wants to win the Championship. He has been on top virtually all season, but when the seeds are reset, he won’t be in the top two spots, so he will have to make up some ground on JJ and Hamlin.

Since the June race at Pocono, he has recorded seven top-five finishes. That plus the three wins he has this year put him as a favorite when the Chase gets going in a few weeks.