NASCAR Power Index – Pocono
1. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 3) – Johnson only led 23 laps, but he was money on the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish, cruising his way to victory No. 10 at Dover. And although Kevin Harvick still holds a significant advantage in the points, Johnson’s four victories pace the field.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW: 1) – Harvick spent 100% of Sunday’s laps inside the top 15 and led 91 laps, but came home second once again. Despite leading a ton of laps, the driver they call “The Closer” has not won since March.
3. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 2) – Unfortunately, the narrative continues for Martin Truex Jr. For the third straight race he led the most laps (131) but failed to win, finishing sixth. At this rate, Truex will easily make the Chase on points. But a victory (or victories) will go a long way in boosting his confidence.
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4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 4) – It just wasn’t Junior’s day, and a mid-race pit road violation did not help matters. He ended up 14th, and has posted a 20.5 average finish in his last four races at 1-mile intermediate tracks.
5. Joey Logano (LW: 5) – Clean air was king on Sunday, possibly explaining why Logano’s car was tough to handle in traffic. He crossed the finish line 11th. After finishing the first seven races of the season in the top 10, he’s taken home double-digit finishes in four of the last six.
6. Jeff Gordon (LW: 8) – Gordon’s tenth-place finish was aided by a caution flag on Lap 376, which allowed him to get back on the lead lap. He hasn’t been overly impressive in his banner season, but he’s keeping himself in position to at least make a Championship run come September.
7. Matt Kenseth (LW: 6) – Kenseth ran inside the top 5 for most of the day until suspension issues plagued the car about 300 laps in. It was not long after before the car was parked in the garage for good (39th).
8. Brad Keselowski (LW: 7) – Even though he finished second in both Dover races last season, Sunday was nothing special for Keselowski. He led some laps thanks to a longer-than-expected fuel run during a later segment in the race, but finished 12th, the first car a lap down.
9. Kurt Busch (LW: 9) – Kurt finally ended up with a poor finish after being collected in the wreck on Lap 386, and blowing a tire after pitting for repairs. Despite their 31st-place result, the #41 team still finds itself inside the top 15 in points.
10. Kasey Kahne (LW: 13) – Kasey had to claw his way through the field yet again after qualifying 25th, making it all the way up to fourth when the checkered flag waved. He leads teammate Jeff Gordon by five points for the third Chase spot among non-winners.
11. Ryan Newman (LW: 10) – Newman could not get anything going at Dover, spending just under 25% of the race inside the top 15. His 18th-place finish is his worst since Martinsville.
12. Denny Hamlin (LW: 11) – Getting to the finish continues to present an issue for Denny Hamlin. He led most of the race’s initial 140 laps and rebounded from handling issues after falling outside the top 20. But when Clint Bowyer got into the back of him on Lap 386, it derailed any type of chance for another push to the front. Denny finished 21st.
13. Jamie McMurray (LW: 15) – McMurray made his move when it counted, jumping from 21st with 60 laps remaining to a 7th-place finish. His current average finish of 14.2 tops notables such as Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth.
14. Kyle Busch (LW: 12) – Busch was running strong once again until he was squeezed by Brian Scott, ending both drivers’ days prematurely. A 36th-place finish is the last thing Kyle needs if he wants to get into the Chase, although he seems to have the speed to get a victory in the next 13 races.
15. Carl Edwards (LW: 14) – Carl lurked just inside the top 10 for the first third of the race. However, a couple pit road issues later on (including a speeding penalty under green) made it difficult to stay in contention. He ended up 19th, three laps down. His victory at Charlotte looms large, as he’s just 16th in points (not counting victories).
