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Bristol victory vaults Joey Logano to the top in the NASCAR power rankings.
As if it wasn't already apparent, Team Penske and Hendrick are clearly the two best teams this season. Hendrick's superiority has already been firmly established, while Penske reinforced its case with an impressive 1-2 finish at Bristol Motor Speedway -- only the second time ever that the organization has swept the top two positions (2008 Daytona 500).
And it's no coincidence that the five drivers tied for most wins drive for either Hendrick (Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson) or Penske (Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski). Just as it's no surprise that Penske and Hendrick dominate this week's power rankings.
1. Joey Logano (Last week: 4)
Perception is that Logano doesn't deserve to be ranked this high, but reality says otherwise. He is tied for the lead in wins and top-fives, fourth in laps led -- ahead of Gordon and Earnhardt -- and has five consecutive finishes of sixth or better. So, yeah, Logano is a deserving No. 1 for this week.
2. Jeff Gordon (LW: 1)
Early on Bristol looked to be a continuation of the form Gordon flashed in recent weeks winning at Indianapolis and Michigan. But contact with Kurt Busch created some handling problems on the 24 car and Gordon slid to 16th. But call Bristol a blip, as the current points leader should be among the favorites at Atlanta where he's finished first, second and sixth in the past three races.
3. Brad Keselowski (LW: 5)
Made a go of it off Turn 4, but as Keselowski explained, that was more for show than anything as he never had a real shot to pass Logano for the win on the final lap. Nonetheless, Bristol was easily Keselowski's best performance since winning at New Hampshire and he should be equally as strong at Atlanta, a style of track the Penske cars have had success on this year.
4. Kevin Harvick (LW: 3)
Had Harvick not sped on pit road, he most certainly would have been in contention for the victory. But once again self-inflicted, avoidable mistakes continue to prove costly, with Bristol joining Kansas, Charlotte and Sonoma as races Harvick could have potentially won, yet didn't.
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 2)
Things happen and they happen quickly at Bristol, a lesson Earnhardt knows all too well. When Denny Hamlin got spun into the inside wall and then shot up the track, there was nowhere for Earnhardt, running fifth, to escape. What ensued was heavy damage to both, with the left-side of the No. 88 car almost completely sheared off.
6. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 6)
An early pit road speeding penalty made it a challenge, but Johnson fought back and the end result saw him post back-to-back top 10 finishes for the first time since June. Now, can the defending champ get another win before the regular season concludes and enter the Chase as the clear-cut favorite, or does someone else deserve that status?
7. Matt Kenseth (LW: 7)
Another race and another near victory for Kenseth, who, a year removed from winning seven times, unexplainably remains winless this season. And considering the horsepower disadvantage facing the Toyota-powered teams, Kenseth's first victory of 2014 in all likelihood will not occur at Atlanta.
8. Kurt Busch (LW: 8)
There haven't been too many times this season where Busch and company have experienced a nice, relatively uneventful race. They did just that at Bristol and it netted Busch a fifth-place. Perhaps serving as a template to future success in the Chase?
9. Greg Biffle (LW: 11)
A month ago Biffle seemed like a surefire bet to miss the Chase. He since has run off four finishes of 10th or better, and barring the wheels literally falling off or a surprise winner at Atlanta or Richmond, Biffle is likely to grab a playoff spot.
10. Denny Hamlin (LW: 9)
After getting tapped by Harvick and subsequently wrecking, Hamlin said he had never been angrier. A curious statement considering last season Hamlin was involved in an incident with Joey Logano that left him with a broken back. Still, the sentiment is understandable considering the frustration Hamlin's experienced where wins have been hard to come by.
11. Ryan Newman (LW: 10)
Ever steady, Newman is a sure bet to make the Chase, as a 13th Saturday puts him 42 points (nearly a full race) clear of the cutoff. Except once the playoffs begin, being consistent doesn't carry the same importance in a format where winning is most important.
12. Kyle Larson (LW: 14)
If Larson misses the Chase, which seems likely considering he's 26 points behind Biffle for the final position, the rookie will look back at Bristol as a lost opportunity. After showing speed in practice -- he was fastest in the first session -- Larson wrecked in qualifying and had to go to a backup car for the race. Although he clawed back to finish 12th, it was a finish that could -- and should -- have been better.
13. Clint Bowyer (LW: 13)
Bristol seemed like an opportunity to break a winless streak that spans nearly two years, but Bowyer got a piece of an early crash and it was struggle just to finish 17th. As it is, he should be in the playoffs for a third straight season, though how much of factor he'll be is up to debate.
14. Carl Edwards (Unranked)
Although mile-and-a-half ovals continue to vex the 99 team, the Bristol short track has been good to Edwards, who followed his spring victory with a seventh on Saturday. The bad news is there are no more stops at Bristol on the schedule.
15. Kyle Busch (LW: 12)
As the poor finishes mounted, it seemed inevitable a Busch meltdown would ensue. Few, however, thought it entail crew chief Dave Rogers telling him to take his "whiny little ass" to the garage. Where the team goes from here is a mystery, though it seems a foregone conclusion Busch will have a new pit boss next year.