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Power Rankings: Dover
May 26, 2003
11:05 PM EDT (2305 GMT)

Ah, the smell of Dover in the morning. Classic coffee shops. Motels that haven't been updated in years. Beach less than an hour away.

It sounds like Daytona, but it's not. It's Dover. And it's a whole new ballgame for the Winston Cup Series.

It starts a swing known as the northern swing -- Dover, Pocono, Michigan. And any one of them can make or break you -- because if you find trouble here, you find a bottom-30 finish.

Actually, that statement is true at just about any track.

On to business.

Biggest Gain this week: Ryan Newman, up seven spots

Biggest Drop this week: Mark Martin, down six spots

Dropped out: Jeff Green (23)

New this week: Jimmy Spencer (22)

Week 13 of 36, MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 at Dover International Speedway
Rank Prev Number Driver Comments
 1  1 Bobby Labonte Bobby Labonte Last winter, in a top-secret ritual held behind closed doors at Joe Gibbs Racing, his bad luck was traded for Tony Stewart’s good luck.
 2  3 Matt Kenseth Matt Kenseth Dude, we know you’re mad about the fact NASCAR called the race at 9:30. But let’s face it. It was almost your bedtime.
 3  2 Kurt Busch Kurt Busch He signed a long-term extension with Rubbermaid/Sharpie last week. One of the sticking points in the deal was his sponsor’s insistence to put their logo on the backside of his firesuit. You know, in case he has another run-in with Jimmy Spencer at Indy.
 4  5 Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Johnson He also signed a contract extension. It was a big week for contract extensions. Charlotte week always is. What? You thought sponsors enjoy announcing extensions before a pair of media members at Martinsville?
 5  6 Jeff Gordon Jeff Gordon The Army and MIT are working together to create “super soldiers.” Jeff Gordon should have been a consultant on this whole project. You’d have soldiers climbing out of the tank and saying, “Woooooooo! You know, what an Army. That tank was awesome today.”
 6  4 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt Jr. He got into a confrontation with a crewman from Kevin Harvick’s team. After the race, Dale Jr. fired himself and was replaced by Steve Park.
 7  9 Sterling Marlin Sterling Marlin He said after the race that he was going to go drink some Coors Light. Good old Sterling. He’s like the cool uncle you never had. It will definitely be a sad day when this man –- and Jimmy Spencer -- retires.
 8  7 Kevin Harvick Kevin Harvick From the Goodwrench commercial: “I am holding the clipboard here, Harvick.” If Goodwrench really wants a cool commercial, they’d show Harvick breaking the clipboard over that guy’s head. That would make people go out and buy some parts.
 9 10 Rusty Wallace Rusty Wallace Not sure what made him more angry: The rain that cost him a top-10, or the media member that jumped in his face and said, “So Rusty! Another winless week! Does it get frustrating?”
10 17 Ryan Newman Ryan Newman Students rioted and looted at Purdue University following news that he’d actually finished the Coca-Cola 600.
11 11 Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip CBS is canceling Touched by an Angel. They are replacing it with a show starring Michael Waltrip called Touched by a Sponsor.
12 12 Jeff Burton Jeff Burton He’s slowly -- no pun intended -- approaching the top 10 in the standings.
13 13 Terry Labonte Terry Labonte He’s scored two straight finishes of 21st or better. In a groundbreaking study, scientists at Harvard University are using Terry’s 2003 stats to see if you’re a positive thinker or a negative thinker. If you’re a positive thinker, well, that’s two straight finishes in the top 25. If you’re a negative thinker, well, that’s two straight finishes out of the top 20.
14  8 Mark Martin Mark Martin When questioned by the Harvard scientists, he replied, “Why, that’s two straight finishes out of the top 20.”
15 19 Joe Nemechek Joe Nemechek Did you see his mom’s new jacket bragging about her son’s third Winston Cup win? Good thing Kurt Busch’s mom doesn’t do that. She’d go broke.
16 16 Tony Stewart Tony Stewart He needs a good old-fashioned full-blown controversy with the media to get his season back on track.
17 14 Elliott Sadler Elliott Sadler He wrecked his favorite race car again. Pretty soon Robert Yates is going to say, “Now Elliott, if you can’t play with your favorite toy properly, we’ll just take it away.”
18 15 Ricky Craven Ricky Craven Harvard scientists are also currently studying Elliott Sadler Disease, or fear of the number 38. Ricky Craven is a current victim. His last two races: Qualified 38th, finished 38th. And he turned 37 last week, which means he’s in his 38th year now.
19 20 Greg Biffle Greg Biffle His return to the Busch Series was short-lived. Kind of like Casey Atwood’s.
20 21 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon He probably won’t be going back to the Indy 500. He got tired of all the Indy Car drivers asking him what they have to do to get rides in NASCAR.
21 24 Ward Burton Ward Burton He’s only five points behind Stewart for 20th place in the standings. Don’t expect Stewart to give up the spot without a fight.
22 NR Jimmy Spencer Jimmy Spencer An earthquake rocked the area around Sonoma last week. That wasn’t an earthquake. That was Spencer testing for next month’s race.
23 25 Dale Jarrett Dale Jarrett He got his first top 10 since February. If history is to be believed, look for his third top 10 of the year to come around Labor Day.
24 19 Bill Elliott Bill Elliott He was 26th in the Coca-Cola 600 and really finished the month on the wrong foot.
25 22 Ricky Rudd Ricky Rudd Ricky Mudd!
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ARCHIVES
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• Week 1 at Daytona International Speedway
• Week 2 at North Carolina Speedway
• Week 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• Week 4 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Week 5 at Darlington Raceway
• Week 6 at Bristol Motor Speedway
• Week 7 at Texas Motor Speedway
• Week 8 at Talladega Superspeedway
• Week 9 at Martinsville Speedway
• Week 10 at California Speedway
• Week 11 at Richmond International Raceway
• Week 12 at Lowe's Motor Speedway
• Week 13 at Dover International Speedway
• Week 14 at Pocono Raceway
• Week 15 at Michigan International Speedway
• Week 16 at Infineon Raceway
• Week 17 at Daytona International Speedway
• Week 18 at Chicagoland Speedway
• Week 19 at New Hampshire International Speedway
• Week 20 at Pocono Raceway
• Week 21 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Week 22 at Watkins Glen International
• Week 23 at Michigan International Speedway
• Week 24 at Bristol Motor Speedway
• Week 25 at Darlington Raceway
• Week 26 at Richmond International Raceway
• Week 27 at New Hampshire International Speedway
• Week 28 at Dover International Speedway
• Week 29 at Talladega Superspeedway
• Week 30 at Kansas Speedway
• Week 31 at Lowe's Motor Speedway
• Week 32 at Martinsville Speedway
• Week 33 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
• Week 34 at Phoenix International Raceway
• Week 35 at North Carolina Speedway
• Week 36 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
• Week 37 at Daytona International Speedway
The opinions listed here are solely those of the writer.
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