2016 NASCAR Power Rankings Review at the All Star Race

NASCAR Power Rankings

By Richard Tix

It's time for the 2016 All Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It also means it is time for Behind the Wall to take a look at this season's Pit Road Power Rankings in review. We have had twelve week's of power rankings (for this review I am leaving out preseason rankings) which means we have plenty of numbers to look at during the season.

It's a fun way to see how well your driver has done on Behind the Wall but it can also show how consistent they might be so far in 2016. Sure, I give drivers a break for a bad race here or there or a wreck, but consistency shows up on my power rankings pretty well and the top drivers in 2016 tend to be towards the top here as well. 

So, check out the review graph below and then we will look at each driver individually. **Note: Averages is only going to include when they made the top 12**

2016 Power Rankings Review at the All Star Race
Driver	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	*Avg
Jamie McMurray	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	12	NR	NR	12.00
Brad Keselowski	11	7	4	9	7	5	8	10	10	7	5	5	7.33
Austin Dillon	NR	NR	10	8	11	7	10	NR	NR	NR	10	NR	9.33
Kevin Harvick	3	1	3	1	2	4	6	4	3	3	2	1	2.75
Trevor Bayne	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	11	NR	NR	11.00
Denny Hamlin	1	9	11	10	6	10	11	11	9	NR	NR	NR	8.67
Ricky Stenhouse Jr	NR	NR	12	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	12.00
Kyle Busch	2	2	1	2	3	1	1	1	2	1	1	2	1.58
Carl Edwards	6	5	9	5	4	3	4	2	1	2	3	6	4.17
Matt Kenseth	9	10	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	12	NR	NR	9	10.00
Ryan Blaney	NR	NR	NR	12	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	12	8	10.67
Joey Logano	4	8	6	11	8	8	5	5	6	8	11	12	7.67
Chase Elliott	NR	12	NR	NR	12	NR	12	8	11	6	6	4	8.88
Ryan Newman	10	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	10.00
Kurt Busch	7	6	5	6	9	9	7	7	7	4	4	3	6.17
Kyle Larson	12	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	12.00
AJ Allmendinger	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	11	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	11.00
Jimmie Johnson	8	3	2	3	1	2	2	6	4	5	7	10	4.42
Martin Truex Jr	5	4	7	7	10	12	9	9	8	10	8	7	8.00
Dale Earnhardt Jr	NR	11	8	4	5	6	3	3	5	9	9	11	6.73

#1 Jamie McMurray

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 1
• High: 12
• Low: NR

It hasn't exactly been a great season for JMac so far after 12 races. He only has one top 5 and two top 10's so far. He made the top 12 on Behind the Wall only after a stretch of mediocrity (13th, 13th, 16th, and 4th). The fourth place finish was Talladega and it really has been his only highlight so far this season.

#2 Brad Keselowski

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 12
• High: 4
• Low: 11

BK is one of eight drivers who have been ranked all 12 weeks so far in 2016. However, only teammate Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr have lower average rankings so far through those 12. That's mainly because BK has been good in 2016 but not great. His two wins have spiked his ranking twice and he currently has three top 10's pushing him to 5th overall in the latest power rankings.

#3 Austin Dillon

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 6
• High: 7
• Low: NR

Austin has been one of the biggest surprises of 2016 at the Cup level. It shows in the power rankings as he has maybe been apart of them a handful of times so far in his career. This season he has been the best RCR car on the track and in the power rankings (Newman is the only other to have been ranked in 2016). He isn't a mainstay on Behind the Wall but his five straight weeks from 3-7 are already impressive enough.

#4 Kevin Harvick

• Weeks No. 1: 3
• Weeks Ranked: 12
• High: 1
• Low: 6

Harvick has the second best average power ranking position in 2016 at 2.75 (only behind Kyle Busch at 1.58). He has done it by being the most consistent driver so far this season. He has helped himself by only having one non top 15 (17th) and nine top 10's in those twelve races. If it wasn't for JGR's early season dominance he would have held the No. 1 spot a lot more.

#6 Trevor Bayne

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 1
• High: 11
• Low: NR

2016 has been hands down Trevor Baynes best season as a full time driver in his career (just his second year). He already has more top 5's and top 10's then he did in 2015 and his average finish is up to 18.2. It also marks the first time since Behind the Wall has done Power Rankings (2013) that he has made the top 12.

#11 Denny Hamlin

• Weeks No. 1: 1
• Weeks Ranked: 9
• High: 1
• Low: NR

Denny Hamlin was given the honor of the No. 1 spot after winning the 2016 Daytona 500, but it has been all down hill since. His season has been spared with inconsistency and speeding penalties...For the first nine weeks he struggled at the bottom of the rankings, but has since fallen out and hasn't made it back in for three straight weeks.

#17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 1
• High: 12
• Low: NR

It was a short but glorious time for Stenhouse fans when he made the top 12. After a disappointing 22nd finish at Daytona, he started the season with a 10th and 11th place finish at AMS and LVMS that got him to break through to the top 12 for the first time ever on Behind the Wall. Ricky is actually a guy who has just been on the outside looking in many weeks while finishing a ton of races near the top 15.

#18 Kyle Busch

• Weeks No. 1: 6
• Weeks Ranked: 12
• High: 1
• Low: 3

Rowdy has been hands down the highest ranked driver all season long on Behind the Wall. Only one time did he find himself not first or second (third after week 5). Not too much has to be explained about his ranking as he has also been the most dominate driver on the track as well. This week at Dover he got a break as many drivers did because of the big wreck, but will need to follow it up with a good showing at Charlotte in two weeks or he could drop from the top 3 depending on how things shake out.

#19 Carl Edwards

• Weeks No. 1: 1
• Weeks Ranked: 12
• High: 1
• Low: 9

Carl has been part of the JGR dominance early in 2016 which carried over from the end of 2015. Behind Kyle, Carl has been the next best JGR and Toyota car in 2016. He has hit a few rough patches but overall he has done very well and it also shows on the Power Rankings. His 4.17 average Behind the Wall rankings puts him third best after 12 races.

#20 Matt Kenseth

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 4
• High: 9
• Low: NR

It's been a season of up's and down's for Matt Kenseth so far. Luckily for him he is on a current high right now after winning Dover before the All Star Race. His 9th place ranking also ties his season high on Behind the Wall. I expect weeks ranked and his highest ranking on the season to both go in the right direction following the ASR.

#21 Ryan Blaney

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 3
• High: 8
• Low: NR

Currently rookie Ryan Blaney is sitting at his 2016 season high for Behind the Wall power rankings at 8th. That spot comes after three straight top 10 finishes. He is currently 15th in overall points which puts him just in the Chase at the ASR.

#22 Joey Logano

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 12
• High: 4
• Low: 12

JoLo has been one of the least impressive drivers to be ranked all 12 weeks on Behind the Wall (eight total drivers have done this feat). Actually both Team Penske drivers have been ranked all 12 weeks, but have been less then stellar to start 2016. Joey has been fast many times in 2016, but always finds himself in a bad spot mid to late race and has to make up ground. He is still winless in 2016 and it shows in his power rankings.

#24 Chase Elliott

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 8
• High: 4
• Low: NR

Both rookies who have made the rankings in 2016 are going into the ASR in their highest spot in the Behind the Wall rankings (see Ryan Blaney above). Chase made his top 5 debut after his impressive run at Dover where he had a legit shot to win if Larson would have slowed down Kenseth enough. It's been an impressive rookie campaign so far.

#31 Ryan Newman

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 1
• High: 10
• Low: NR

Newman only gets his name here after being ranked one week to start 2016. Unlike 2014 and even 2015, 2016 has not been kind to Ryan. He has only three top 10's so far and worse yet only six top 15's. It's hard to see Newman making a huge impact in the power rankings the way he is running right now.

#41 Kurt Busch

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 12
• High: 3
• Low: 9

Kurt Busch has been very consistent in 2016. He has been so consistent that I think he has been overlooked a bunch by most fans and media. He has been in the Behind the Wall top 5 four times in 2016 and 7th or better ten times in twelve races and goes into the ASR a season high 3rd.

#42 Kyle Larson

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 1
• High: 12
• Low: NR

Kyle Larson is just like Newman in the sense that they both only appeared once so far in the power rankings and it was after the Daytona 500. He has been close to being back in the rankings a few times, but he hasn't run well enough consistently enough to get back in. Dover International Speedway was a good start on his road back into Behind the Wall's top 12.

#47 A.J. Almendinger

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 1
• High: 11
• Low: NR

Allmendinger isn't a guy you expect to be in many people's top 12 power rankings throughout the season, so its a nice prize to have shown up at least once in 12 races. His time to shine came after a 2nd place finish at Martinsville where just about everyone was pulling for him to win. That top 5 was just one week after a top 10 at Auto Club.

#48 Jimmie Johnson

• Weeks No. 1: 1
• Weeks Ranked: 12
• High: 1
• Low: 10

JJ goes into the ASR at his lowest point during the 2016 season on Behind the Wall. However, JJ had a stretch of being in the top 3 from weeks 2-6 where he was running like the JJ of old (consistently good finishes). He has been in the Behind the Wall top 5 for nine of the twelve races so far (weeks 2-10).

#78 Martin Truex Jr.

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 12
• High: 4
• Low: 12

A season long struggle to finish well has not helped Truex on Behind the Wall. I give credit to great runs even if a driver finishes poorly, but when it happens over, and over, and over again it reflects in his spot. Too many other drivers have found luck on their side to not see a slide. Still, Truex is a guy who could climb the list later in the season.

#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.

• Weeks No. 1: 0
• Weeks Ranked: 11
• High: 3
• Low: NR

Dale Jr has has his high's and low's so far in 2016 after his rough start for he and "Amelia" at Daytona. He goes into the ASR in a rut, but he has had moments in 2016 where he has put it together for stretches including being in the top 5 for five of six races from week 4-9.