By Richard Tix
Last time NASCAR Behind the Wall took a review look at the Power Rankings was All-Star week after 11 races into the 2014 season (See the review here). So now after 23 races NASCAR heads into a heated 3 race Chase to the Chase. Guys will be scrambling at Bristol, Atlanta, and Richmond to notch a win or amount as many points as they can to lock in a Chase spot.
So, with a few races left in the regular season NASCAR Behind the Wall is going to take a deeper look into this week's Power Rankings and review the season in power rankings as a whole.
1. Jeff Gordon
#24 Jeff Gordon
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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7
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5
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4
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2
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3
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5
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1
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1
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1
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3
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1
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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2
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3
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3
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3
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3
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4
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1
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4
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2
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2
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4
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1
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Last time NASCAR Behind the Wall worked up a Power Rankings review Jeff Gordon also held the top spot (After 11 races). Since then Gordon hasn't dropped below the 4th spot in the rankings. Week to week Gordon has been a front runner with a chance to win. JG hasn't won a Championship since 2001 but the way his season has been going he could very well make a run at number 5.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr
#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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1
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1
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1
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3
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4
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1
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7
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4
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5
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4
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6
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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7
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6
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2
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2
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1
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1
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2
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2
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4
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1
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1
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2
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In the first 11 races Dale Jr held the #1 spot on 4 different occasions. Now, 12 more races have passed and Jr has held the #1 spot an additional 4 times (8 total in 2014). Jr hasn't finished outside the top 15 since the 12th race of the season (Charlotte, 19th) and only two finishes in his last 11 have been outside the top 10 (11th and 14th). The longer the season goes on with Jr staying strong and running up front the more the talk becomes "is this the year?"
3. Kevin Harvick
#4 Kevin Harvick
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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8
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4
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11
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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8
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7
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2
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2
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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1
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4
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7
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5
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4
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5
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9
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NR
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NR
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4
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2
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3
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So far in the review a common theme is being displayed; top drives after 11 races seem to be the same guys on top after 23 races and I don't think it is a coincidence. I think most of these top guys will prove to be the biggest threat to winning a Championship this season. Harvick only has 2 wins this season but he has been the runner up finisher in 5 different races (including Michigan both times). So will he have enough to win his first Championship or will he end up the runner up?
4. Joey Logano
#22 Joey Logano
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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9
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8
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5
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NR
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NR
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9
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4
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9
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3
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7
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6
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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8
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9
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11
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9
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NR
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8
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7
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NR
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NR
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NR
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8
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4
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Well, Logano's stretch of first 11 races seemed to be better then his last stretch of 12 races. I think a lot of it stems from not being as consistent as he was to start the year. The good thing for JoLo is he might be getting back on his hot streak at the right time. He has four straight top 10 finishes (two of them being 3rd place finishes) heading into Bristol.
5. Denny Hamlin
#11 Denny Hamlin
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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3
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9
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10
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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12
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NR
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NR
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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NR
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12
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6
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12
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NR
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NR
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NR
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9
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6
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3
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6
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5
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Denny Hamlin is the first guy on this review that was not on the last review after 11 races. Most of that is due to his most recent stretch of good finishes. In his last 6 races he has 5 top 10's which is half the amount he has for the whole 2014 season (10).
6. Greg Biffle
#16 Greg Biffle
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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11
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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11
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11
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5
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8
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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9
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6
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After the week 11 power rankings review Greg Biffle went into a long drought on NASCAR Behind the Wall where he didn't make the rankings from week 12-21. But, the Biff is back and making a push at the Chase at just the last second. Biffle is currently in the 16th spot for the Chase and 9 points up on Kasey Kahne.
7. Kasey Kahne
#5 Kasey Kahne
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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10
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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10
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NR
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NR
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NR
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11
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6
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10
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11
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8
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7
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5
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7
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Through the first 11 races Kahne made the Behind the Wall rankings one time (week 11). In the next 12 races he managed to make it on 9 times. Just like Biffle, Kahne has needed this hot stretch to pull within a few points of a Chase spot. But, if the Chase were starting this week at Bristol (think about how fun that would be) Kahne would miss the cut by 9 points (currently 17th in the Chase standings).
8. Brad Keselowski
#2 Brad Keselowski
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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6
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3
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2
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1
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6
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11
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10
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12
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8
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NR
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NR
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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12
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8
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4
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4
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7
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3
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3
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1
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3
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5
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10
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8
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When you think about the season BK has had you wouldn't think that he missed the last review week 11, but it came at the wrong time when BK was hitting a rough patch. Since then he has gone on a hot streak, hit another rough patch, and possibly started to find it again after finishing 8th with a beat up car at Michigan. He has had a few finishes (like the one in Michigan) that were the type Championship teams fight through. If they get back on a roll at the right time he could contend for his second Championship.
9. Matt Kenseth
#20 Matt Kenseth
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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2
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6
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7
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5
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2
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3
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2
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2
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2
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4
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3
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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3
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1
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5
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6
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12
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9
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12
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6
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5
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9
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3
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9
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His first 11 races were way more consistent in the rankings then his past 12, but Kenseth is still holding onto a Chase spots via points. He is actually 5th in points without a win, which is saying something about his quality finishes. The #20 team has had some issues as of late, but when they have a clean car they seem to finish strong. Also one thing to note, Kenseth hasn't slipped out of the power rankings all season (coming close twice, 16 and 18).
10. Clint Bowyer
#15 Clint Bowyer
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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NR
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NR
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NR
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11
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5
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10
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4
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3
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10
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8
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NR
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10
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Clint Bowyer didn't make the power rankings once during the first 11 races, not once! I knew he had a slow start to the 2014 season but not until I collected this data did I realize it wasn't a single time. Luckily for Bowyer, he has been on the rankings 8 of the last 12 races and is also in position to get a Chase spot on points. He holds the 15th spot in the Chase standings and is 12 points up on 16th, and 21 points up on 17th.
11. Ryan Newman
#31 Ryan Newman
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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|
8
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10
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12
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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9
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NR
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NR
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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NR
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11
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NR
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7
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7
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6
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12
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11
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Newman has been one of the consistently just consistent drivers all season. His high's haven't been too high but his lows haven't been too low. He doesn't look like a championship contender but it does look like he will be the only RCR car to make the Chase (Dillon and Menard still have small chances).
12. Jimmie Johnson
#48 Jimmie Johnson
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Week 1
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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|
4
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2
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3
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6
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5
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2
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9
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6
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10
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NR
|
12
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Week 15
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Week 16
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Week 17
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Week 18
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Week 19
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Week 20
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Week 21
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Week 22
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Week 23
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6
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2
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1
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1
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2
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2
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5
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8
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9
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12
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NR
|
12
|
JJ has been really good this year (His streak where he went from zero wins to three) and then really bad (His recent bad luck streak that ended at MIS). One thing everyone knows, he and the #48 team will still most likely be ready to bring it when it comes Chase time. All that they're focused on now is the last 10 races and getting everyone ready for the stretch run.
Thanks for checking out NASCAR Behind the Wall. I don't do review style Power Rankings every week but I do provide normal Power Rankings in every Pit Road Race Review article, so keep checking back in.
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