ONMC POWER 10: It's Getting Tight, Folks

After a week off, we pick up our ONMC Power 10 following the titanic stuggle at Watkins Glen, which featured some of the hardest racing of the season and a first-time winner.

AJ Allmendinger was like the kid who found out he was the Prom king just after winning the big game with a last-second touchdown. Marcos Ambrose was the kid who found out that his girlfriend had left him for the prom king. But the two waged such a close battle over the final laps that there really wasn't a loser here.

Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson suffered miserable days, as did Brad Keselowski and Ryan Newman. All of that leads us to a major shakeup in this week's rankings.

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, shall we?

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Winner at Pocono, 11th at the Glen, he's also the new point leader. Don't count Junior out in the Chase. Last week: 2

2. Kevin Harvick: Pretty good on road courses, Harvick was seventh at the Glen. He was faster than that, and finally got over the me-grims that seem to have plagued him recently. Last week: 5

3. Jeff Gordon: Not the point leader anymore, Gordon was running away with the 90-lapper at the Glen when a mechanical issue cost him three laps. He's still got a lot of momentum, though. Last week: 1

4. AJ Allmendinger: Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Dinger drove as hard as I've ever seen anyone drive over the last three laps, and he beat one of the best in the business on even ground. Last week: not ranked

5. Marcos Ambrose: That would be this guy, who seemed to have it in the bag until Dinger got hot. He was oh-so-close to getting the Chase berth that will go to Allmendinger. Last week: not ranked

6. Joey Logano: Not super-fast at the Glen, but no slouch either, JoLo stayed strong and was the top Penske car on Sunday. Last week: 4

7. Matt Kenseth: Still doesn't have a victory, but he might not need one. Finished ninth at the Glen, where he's been average at best over his career. Last week: 8

8. Carl Edwards: Who knew Cuz was such a good road-racer? He won at Sonoma and came fifth at the Glen. Last week: not ranked

9. Kyle Larson: Every time you think you have his number, the kid surprises you. Fourth at the Glen? Wow. Last week: not ranked

10. Jimmie Johnson: Thanks to the 90-degree Turn 1 and the domino nature of racing through it three-wide, Six-Time got the golden fender from Danica and the coup de grace from Regan Smith to finish 28th. Last week: 9

Dropped out: Kyle Busch, Keselowski, Newman, Kasey Kahne

Close But No Cigar:

Newman, who had another close call off the Carousel; Greg Biffle, who lost a sponsor but finished eighth at the Glen; Brian Vickers, who earned a top-10 at WGI; and Kurt Busch, who ran third behind the 47-9 show.