ONMC POWER 10: Elimination Station

By Ron Lemasters Jr.

Talladega was a watershed in more than one way. Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both bowed out of Chase contention, Kyle Busch was crashed out of it, and Kasey Kahne was the victim when Brad Keselowski ended up winning the race.

So that leaves us with eight contenders left to vie for the title in a month's time at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

But this is the Power 10, so we'll pick two deserving drivers from Talladega to fill out the mix.

How it works is simple: we tell you who the 10 best drivers are after each race this season, and you can agree, disagree or improve on them by commenting on the article itself. Remember, this is a family ranking, so keep that in mind.

Sound good?

Let's go to the rankings.

1. Brad Keselowski: Talk about clutch performances. Having to win to get in, that's just what he did...with some unlikely help along the way. Last week: 8

2. Matt Kenseth: He pushed Keselowski to the front on the final restart and finished second...a week after taking issue with BK's post-race shenanigans. Strange bedfellows indeed. Last week: not ranked

3. Ryan Newman: Captain Top-Five did it again at Talladega, finishing fifth and making sure he stuck around for the next three races. It's a good plan. Last week: 5

4. Jeff Gordon: Not a good weekend for SuperG, muffing qualifying and finishing well down in the order. But, it's Talladega. That will happen to you. Last week: 2

5. Joey Logano: Already in the Eliminator round, Logano got a little taste of wrecking at Talladega and was in the mix at the end. Last week: 4

6. Kevin Harvick: The Charlotte winner was good early and fast, but already being in the race meant he could afford to gamble. Last week: 1

7. Denny Hamlin: One of two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers to move on, Hamlin was up and down all day. Then again, this is Talladega. Last week: 6

8. Carl Edwards: Good enough on points to advance, he played it safe all day and wound up heading to Martinsville in the thick of it. Last week: 7

9. Clint Bowyer: We didn't get him anything to mark the birth of his son, Cash. A ninth-place ranking in the Power 10 is it, though it's not as good as the flamethrower someone else sent along. He was third at 'Dega. Last week: not ranked

10. Landon Cassill: Yep, you read it right. Talladega seems to bring out the best in him, and he finished fourth. That's a big statement from a little team. Last week: not ranked

Dropped out: Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray

Close But No Cigar: 

Johnson and Earnhardt, who needed to win to move on; Kyle Busch, who needed to protect and got caught up anyway; Danica Patrick, who led the race and was fast all day.