It's been 4 months since I've been able to do the power rankings, and I'm glad I can start doing them again after returning home to the states.  Before I commence the insanity, I'd like to thank Mike and Debi (kantwistaye and JrCanuckFan) for filling the void while I was away.  Since it's been a while since the rankings were last done, I'm going to make this easy.  We'll start this week's rankings with the top 20 in points, and go from there next week.

Before we do the rundown, one driver noticeably absent this week is Kevin Harvick, who has struggled mightily, and as a result sits 23rd in the current points standings.  Now let's get down to business...

20. Marcos Ambrose:  The Tazmanian Devil has shown some good things in his first full season, and for a road course specialist to have 3 top 10s (1 of those a top 5) all on ovals to this point, is pretty darn impressive.  Watch for Marcos to be a threat this weekend.

19. Jamie McMurray: Jamie Mac just got back into the top 20 this week, jumping 3 spots after Michigan.  Last year he had a chance to win this thing at Infineon until Harvick got a little too aggressive.

18. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: It's been a struggle for NASCAR's most popular driver.  We'll see how the crew chief change works out in the long run, but I wouldn't expect great things this weekend.  It's no secret that Junior is a pretty lousy road racer.

17. Brian Vickers: Vickers finds himself right around where he finished last year.  He got the pole at Michigan, and then fell like a rock and was never talked about in a good way for the rest of the race.

16. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer started off exceptionally well with a brand new team.  The last month or so has been a nightmare.  Maybe they should put Wheaties on the hood of the car instead of Cheerios.

15. Kasey Kahne: Kahne hasn't quite had a great season so far, and hasn't really had a chance to win any race to this point.  Hopefully he shuts off that GPS this weekend, because he'll need to turn right as well as left.

14. Juan Pablo Montoya: This weekend marks 2 years since Montoya won his first race.  It also marks the last time he won a race.  He's been improving on ovals, but he's still a one-hit wonder.

13. David Reutimann: Reutimann played the rain game in the Coke 600 and hit the jackpot.  He's having his best season in the Cup Series so far, and in his 3rd season, sits just 3 points out of the Chase for the Cup.  That Aaron's Dream Machine is working pretty well this year.

12. Jeff Burton: If this were Richmond in September, Burton wouldn't be able to finish even ONE position behind Reutimann, or he'd miss the Chase.  That's how close it is right now, and Burton needs to start having some better finishes if he wants to keep RCR in the hunt, because his other 2 teammates who made the Chase with him last year have fallen off the face of the earth...of course this isn't counting Casey Mears because he's supposed to be lousy.

11. Matt Kenseth: He won the Daytona 500 and the next race at California.  Since then he's had a roller coaster of a season.  This past week he lost 3 spots in the standings at a track known for being a "House of Roush."  The Killer Bees have some work to do with #17.

Check page 2 for this week's top 10.