Sporting the Superman logo on the hood of his car, Jimmie Johnson made a superhero-like late charge at Sunday’s Auto Club 400, taking the checkered flag at California and notching his second victory of the young Sprint Cup season. But in the first NASCAR Power Rankings of the 2016 season, it’s Kevin Harvick that leads the way, and not Jimmie Johnson.
Kevin Harvick – who led a race-high 142 laps – finished as the runner-up, while Denny Hamlin was third, Joey Logano finished fourth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. landed in fifth.
Harvick has finished each of the opening five races in the top ten, posting one victory and a runner-up. His overall average running position also trumps that of Johnson and aids in his top ranking.
Johnson – who trails Harvick by more than fifty ratings points – lands in second place this week, followed by Kyle Busch in third, Joey Logano in fourth and Carl Edwards in fifth.
Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. opens the rankings in seventh position.
The 2016 NASCAR season continues in two weeks at Martinsville.
Next Up: STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday April 3rd at 1:00pm ET
2016 NASCAR Power Rankings: Week 5
The Wife Hates Sports | Write-up by Kevin Paul | Rankings by Bill Schneider
Bill Schneider has pieced together a unique ratings system that differs from all the mainstream rankings. Along with the data he uses, Bill includes and incorporates recent finishes. He also ties in the big picture for the entire NASCAR season.
