Nascar and Racing Nascar Power Rankings

It's definitely been a while since we've rolled out the power rankings at the 'House because of the revolving door at No. 1 between Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.

Let's face it, down the stretch, that's all we could do!

Anyways, seeing as today is Thanksgiving and all, it's only right to tell the world what the NASCAR FanHouse is thankful for. Agree? Disagree? Leave us some love on what your take is on what we should be thankful for in the NASCAR world, and don't forget to pass the turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

1) Fighting Without a Fine - Kevin Harvick and Juan Pablo Montoya got into a bit of a skirmish at Watkins Glen in August that involved some pushing and shoving. Harvick said he wanted to kick Montoya's ass, and Montoya didn't think he was to blame. Regardless, NASCAR actually enjoyed the fracas, with Cup Series director John Darby being quoted later as saying he thought the whole incident was "cool as hell".

Baby steps, right?

2) FOX Sports - If you've ever set foot in the FanHouse before, you know that we aren't the biggest fans of ESPN on ABC. With that, we are extremely thankful for the entire NASCAR cast of FOX Sports including Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds, Steve Byrnes, Dick Berggren, and Matt Yocum.

Complain about DW all you want, but you know deep inside that he his infinitely better than Rusty Wallace. Thank you for being rockin' awesome with NASCAR, FOX!

1--and only. Four-time Cup champion; current points leader; Subway 500 pole-sitter Jeff Gordon.

This is Gordon on Martinsville Speedway: most poles of any active driver (5); most wins of any active driver (7), most top 5s of any active driver (17); 23 top 10s in 29 starts; most lead lap finishes of any active driver (22); all-time record-holding driver with the fewest DNFs (0). Twice he's won from the pole. Any questions?

Why do I get the feeling that just finishing on the lead lap in this weekend's Nextel Cup race at Talladega will be considered a major feat?
1. Jeff Gordon - I'd bore you with stats, but that would be incredibly boring. Almost as boring as having Gordon at the top of the power rankings every week.
2. Jimmie Johnson - Ditto. The only thing keeping these two out of victory lane is "The Big One." Or any number of little ones.
3. Tony Stewart - Please let him finish in the top 3. Please let the media ask him stupid questions. Pleeeeaaase.

Everything after that is a crap shoot. Nobody has an advantage when it comes to staying out of trouble at Talladega in the COT.

Purposefully unranked for good luck. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - One of the few active drivers who knows how to find victory lane here, but Fanhouse power rankings have a way of lessening a driver's chances to win. Junior has predicted his own victory tomorrow. We don't want to get in the way of that.

1. Leave Jeff Gordon alone. He's the daddy of a precious little girl now. It's time for the gay rumors to cease. The flaming torch has officially been passed to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. Leave Jimmie Johnson alone. He just lost his pants.

3. Leave Mark Martin alone. He does not deserve beer cans thrown at him when he steps behind the wheel of the #8 car, especially if it's in Budweiser paint before the end of the year.
4. Leave Martin Truex Jr. alone. He's concentrating on sweeping.

The race to the chase is down to the wire and only two tickets to paradise remain for three eligible drivers. Saturday night's alright for fighting--get a little action in.

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations a happenin' with him.
2. Denny Hamlin - Goodness gracious great balls of fire.
3. Jeff Gordon - Rock steady.

4. Kyle Busch - Don't know what you got 'til it's gone.
5. Tony Stewart - If you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with.
6. Matt Kenseth - Takin' care of business.

7. Kurt Busch - Gonna let it ride.

8. Carl Edwards - Ain't lookin' for nothin' but a good time.

9. Kevin Harvick - Say live and let die.

10. Jimmie Johnson - Doo, doo, doo lookin' out his back door.

11. Jeff Burton - Keep on rockin'--but no wireless talkin'--me baby.

12. Martin Truex Jr. - Knockin' on heaven's door.

Long Shot: Clint Bowyer - One of these nights, one of these crazy old nights ...

Racing under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway is always exciting, but having missed the last two races, I'm especially looking forward to Saturday night. A new track surface promises side-by-side racing and unpredictability in this high-stakes race on the road to the Chase.
1. Denny Hamlin - Pressure's off, desire to drive the wheels off still on.

2. Kurt Busch - Junior Nation really needs Busch to hit a points wall over the next three races to help our driver out. That's probably not going to happen in Thunder Valley, where Busch is tied with Jeff Gordon for most wins by a current driver (5).
3. Matt Kenseth - He ranks first at Bristol Motor Speedway in Driver Rating, Average Running Position, Fastest Laps Run, Green Flag Speed and Laps in the Top 15. Twice in the last four races here, he's been the first to cross the finish line.

The Nextel Cup regulars will welcome themselves back to the 2-mile D-shape that is Michigan International Speedway this weekend for the 3M Performance 400. Last year's winner, Matt Kenseth, looks to pick up only his second win of the 2007 campaign at a track that teammate Carl Edwards took the victory at in June.

1. Matt Kenseth - He's due, and Roush Racing just never has an off day at Michigan or California


2. Carl Edwards - Cousin Carl will be good, but he's already in next year's All-Star race -- so he's happy.

3. Tony Stewart - Three-in-a-row is tough to do, but it is summertime and weirder things have happened.

Nextel Cup returns to Pocono Raceway on the way to the Chase. Only a dozen or so current drivers have managed to bring home a win at the tri-oval and only a handful of them have done it recently.
1. Denny Hamlin. He ruined his perfect record at Pocono when he finished 6th in June despite leading the most laps. But Hamlin's had three wins in his young Nextel Cup career and two of them came at Pocono. The only driver to keep him out of victory lane this weekend might be his teammate.
2. Tony Stewart. The second half of the season has begun and apparently Smoke wants to win races now--and he'll move whoever he needs to out of the way to get there whether it's his teammate ... or his Busch boss ... or ...
3. Kurt Busch. It hasn't all fit together for Busch this season, but he's only one spot away from Chase contention. They've put together a few solid runs of late and this weekend should be no exception.

NASCAR returns to Indianapolis this weekend with the 14th edition of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. ESPN takes the television coverage reigns at 1:00pm/ET on Sunday.

1. Jeff Gordon - He's got four wins at his kinda-hometown track. Five would be a oval track record at the speedway.

2. Tony Stewart - Got the win in Chicago, Indy could be a good chance for the hometown boy to make up ground in the Chase seeding.

3. Jimmie Johnson - Started in top-5 last year, fell back to 39th, and then won. Can't count him out.

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. What can I say? I just have a feeling he can Dew it. (That's gonna get old quick, huh?)
2. Kevin Harvick. Hearing that Kyle Busch might be joining RCR just might be the boost Harvick needs to get past him in the standings. He does not want to be third man when Shrub arrives.
3. Tony Stewart. Just remember, if he gets the win, it will be somebody else's fault. Or is that only when he doesn't win?
4. Matt Kenseth. Chicagoland Speedway owes him.