Power Rankings: Edwards' sparkling run vaults him up

Time for our first week of power rankings. Each week throughout the season, we'll size up who's rising and who's falling, based on current standings, behind-the-scenes changes, and general gut feelings. And we begin with a newcomer to the top spot:

1. Carl Edwards. In the last three points-counting Sprint Cup races, Edwards has totaled finishes of 1, 1 and 2. That's not bad. And while he spent most of Sunday lurking midpack, he still put on a late charge and nearly won the Daytona 500. Sure, he got beat by a 20-year-old, but he can take heart in the fact that he's currently  leading the Sprint Cup standings. Last week's ranking: 4.

2. Kurt Busch. He was just four spots away from an unprecedented sweep of the Daytona Speedweeks, having taken both the Bud Shootout and his own Duel. He finished fifth at Daytona, and appeared to have mastered the 2x2 driving far better than anyone else on the track. Big question, though: how does that translate to the rest of the year? Last week's ranking: 7.

3. Jimmie Johnson. He's still cruising on the "you've got to beat the man to be the man" juice, and at the moment, only Edwards is looking reliably worthy of that title. He was taken out during the Waltrip debacle, much to the delight of the crowd, so no word yet on how well the whole crew-switching project worked. Still not a good idea to bet against him. Last week's ranking: 1.

4. Denny Hamlin. It was a rugged week for Hamlin, and for much of the Daytona 500, he didn't show up on anyone's radar. But then, with about 40 laps left, he started making a charge to the front with Ryan Newman, and all of a sudden everybody remembered how close this guy was to winning a championship. He got taken out, of course, but that doesn't tarnish just how solid a run he had while being written off. Last week's ranking: 2.

5. Tony Stewart. It doesn't count in our rankings, but Stewart's dominating win in the Nationwide Series race was some impressive wheelmanship. And he may well have won Daytona too, or pushed Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the win, were it not for a late flat tire that took Junior out of the equation and left Stewart without a race partner. Regardless, an unexpectedly strong week from Smoke. Last week's ranking: 9.

6. Kevin Harvick. It's tough to tell how well Harvick would have done since his motor cut out barely 20 laps into the race. The big problem for him is that he now only has two more Cup points than you do. And while the RCR engine problems aren't expected to crop up at other tracks, the fact that both Harvick and Jeff Burton had problems in the biggest race of the year is troubling, to say the least. Last week's ranking: 3.

7. Juan Pablo Montoya. It's probably too much to hope that this is a kinder, gentler JPM, and indeed nobody really wants to see that. Still, when he got tagged by Jamie McMurray, he didn't lose focus. Indeed, he brushed it off as no big deal, a stunning turnaround from his previous years' demeanor. His reward for his patience? A sixth-place finish. Not bad. Last week's ranking: NR.

8. Kyle Busch. This was one of those quiet races for Busch; the biggest news he made was in being Michael Waltrip's first spin victim. But like Montoya, he didn't lose sight of the larger picture, and piloted his car to an 8th-place finish. That bodes well for Busch's prospects, as in previous years he would have given up on the race entirely.  Last week's ranking: 5.

9. Jeff Gordon. As with Johnson, it's impossible to get a handle on how well the crew changes have worked with Gordon given the fact that he got collected early. He was one of the sharper critics of the 2x2 racing, particularly the overly aggressive drivers, so a retreat to Phoenix will come as welcome news for him. Last week's ranking: 6.

10. Mark Martin. If Martin is a lame duck, nobody told him, and you probably shouldn't start now. The most distinctive car on the track (that GoDaddy green is visible from orbit) managed to avoid all the major wrecks and ended up in 10th place. It wasn't a spectacular finish, but in a war of attrition, it didn't have to be. Last week's ranking: NR.

11. Greg Biffle. Collected in the Waltrip wreck, Biffle is also an unknown quantity this year. But we'll give him the benefit of the doubt considering his two-win performance last year. But he's in a precarious position, and needs a good run at Phoenix to stay in these power rankings. Last week's ranking: 10.

12. Jamie McMurray. Last year's Daytona 500 winner didn't come anywhere close this year. He and Montoya formed a fairly solid tandem, but couldn't ever seem to get going well. He's a restrictor-plate beast, which doesn't bode well for him being able to stay on these rankings for next week, but Phoenix will tell the tale. Last week's ranking: 8.

Dropping out of the rankings: Clint Bowyer (11), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (12).

Tune in next week to see what effect Phoenix will have on our top 12. Send comments to us Twitter at @jaybusbee, email by clicking here, and via Facebook at The Marbles page.

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