5 races remain in the Race to the Chase, and this weekend the Cup Series makes one last series of RIGHT turns with a visit to Watkins Glen.  This will be the final road course race of 2008.  After a wild weekend in Pocono, who's hot and who's not?  Some drivers made some huge gains, and some took the plunge.  Check out this week's Power Rankings!

NEW THIS WEEK: Mark Martin & Travis Kvapil
DROPPED OUT: Elliott Sadler & Kurt Busch
HONORABLE MENTION: Martin Truex Jr.

20. Travis Kvapil (previously NR): Kvapil got a sponsor and ended up with a top-20 finish.  He's doing much better than he ever did with Roger Penske during his first stint in the Cup Series, and a full-time sponsor is a MUST HAVE for this team!

19. Brian Vickers (-4): Red Bull gives you wings, but it doesn't give you extra gas.  Vickers had to make a late race pit stop and wound up just barely hanging on for a top-30 finish.

18. Mark Martin (previously NR): Mark is running a limited schedule, but he led the most laps at Pocono.  He would've won the damn thing if his front tire changer wasn't hungover.

17. Jamie McMurray (+2): In the words of the late BP, "McMurrrreh ran well."  Too bad he's still the odd man out when Jack Roush has to play "cutback."

16. A.J. Allmendinger: It was no top-10, but at least Allmendinger can now be counted on to A) qualify every week, and B) get a decent finish.

15. David Ragan (+2): David earned a top-5 on fuel mileage.  The guy is less than 50 points out of the Chase, and he could be a sleeper.

14. Ryan Newman: The Rocketman finished 14th, and was one of the few, the proud, the drivers who crossed the line before running out of fuel!

13. Denny Hamlin (-5): Denny has never finished worse than 6th at Pocono, until he had to calculate fuel mileage...ruh-roh!

12. Matt Kenseth (-3): Matt finished 11th, but the bottom still fell out...as in Matt is now out of the Chase in 13th.

11. Greg Biffle (-4): The Biff finished 13th, but when 2/3 of the Chase drivers finish ahead of you, you're on the way down the rankings list!

10. Kevin Harvick (+3): Happy was unhappy for the second week in a row, this time because of Joe Nemechek's incompetence.  However, Happy ended the day happy-go-lucky with a 4th place finish.  Harvick wins this week's comeback award!

9. Clint Bowyer (+2): Another good finish by Clint has him back in the Chase.  A few more shots of Jack under the radar should do the trick to clinch a spot in the Chase.

8. Kyle Busch (-4): Shrub had a great day going...until the car went putt-putt-putt down pit road.  He did finish better this time than he did back in June, although it's physically impossible to finish worse than 43rd, but 36th isn't much of an improvement.

7. Tony Stewart (+5): Smoke said he was playing the same strategy as everyone else.  He was happy to finish 2nd with a car he thought was mediocre...good thing he never found out he disappeared from the scoring monitors for a lap or he'd be screaming at the NASCAR tech people next!

6. Kasey Kahne (+4): Kasey almost got the Pocono sweep, but the Allstate girls told him after the race "we're super sorry about your rain dance."

5. Jeff Burton: Burton still had a decent finish, but he can't move up when he lost another spot in the standings.  Consistency used to win championships...not anymore!

4. Jeff Gordon (+2): You know when you're on the highway going up a big hill and there's 2 dump trucks going 10 in front of you?  Yeah well that's what it was like watching Gordon and Dale Jr. trying to get to the checkered flag...I think I can, I think I can, I know I can, I know I can!

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Jr. still holds on to 2nd in the standings, but I see a trend developing here with HMS and fuel.  Kyle Busch still has a sour taste in his mouth over losing his ride in the #5, let's blame him!

2. Jimmie Johnson (-1): One is a random occurrence, 2 is suspicious, 3 is an alarm!  He hit the gas, but couldn't make the pass, and Jimmie got Lowe's, Lowe's, Lowe's, Lowe's, Lowe's, Lowe's, Lowe's...on fuel that is!

1. Carl Edwards (+1): Carl can do it all!  He's an ambidexterous backflipping squeegeeman!  File the video of Carl up in Montreal under "will never forget."  This week he'll have to do it again, well turn right that is.  Hopefully the squeegee won't be needed, but if it is, we know who will have the cleanest windshield!

Catch the 2008 road course finale on ESPN this Sunday, and check back next week for more power rankings on the Q!