1. Jimmie Johnson  Five top 5s in the last five races — three of those wins — prove Johnson and Chad Knaus are still the guys to beat for the title.

2. Carl Edwards  You can never claim Carl is just riding around for a good points day, although he’s had good points days in each of the last 10 races. That last lap move at Kansas was what Cup racing used to be all about.

3. Greg Biffle  First, first and third the last three weeks. In any other sport, he’d be leading the playoff standings. This, of course, isn’t any other sport is it, Brian? Honestly, you could throw a blanket over the top 3 this week.

4. Kevin Harvick  Make it nine top 10s in a row for Happy. An extra tick of horsepower would go a long way for this team (and their championship hopes).

5. Jeff Burton  Harvick’s teammate has four straight top 10s of his own. The horsepower observation applies to these guys, as well.

6. Matt Kenseth  Works through traffic better than anyone on the circuit. From the front to the back and back to the front again, Kenseth somehow finishes top 5 at Kansas.

7. Denny Hamlin  Hamlin isn’t as far off as some would have you believe. He has runs of 11th or better in seven of the last 11. Problem is, he hasn’t sniffed Victory Lane since the Chase started (ninth, 38th, 11th).

8. Clint Bowyer  The same applies for Bowyer, who has top-12 finishes in the last five races. This team has found consistency, but it’s consistency in the 8th – 12th-place range. That ain’t gonna win you a title.

9. Jeff Gordon  Sick as a dog and finishing top 5. Not a bad day’s work for the four-timer. Maybe hanging at Ella’s day care will keep him in a little kid’s bacteria-infected petree dish for the rest of the year. Hey, whatever it takes, right?

10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  Tweaked their way out of contention. Again.

11. Kyle Busch  ‘Frustrated’ not the right word to use for this reeling team. ‘Bewildered’ may be more accurate.

12. Mark Martin  Takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’. Seriously, you don’t see guys just sit down in the middle of the track on their way to the ambulance too often anymore (as Rusty Wallace changes his mind, vowing to remain retired).

13. Tony Stewart  This is starting to get painful to watch. If he doesn’t break the skid at Talladega, I don’t think he’s going to break it at all.

14. David Reutimann  Five consecutive top-20 runs and up five spots in the standings in that time. Good vibes here … and a couple good drafting teammates this weekend in Kenny Wallace and Mikey.

15. David Ragan  Really steps it up on the 1.5-milers. Runs well on the plate tracks, too, with one on tap. I realized this week that I haven’t sent out any love to Jimmy Fennig in this column in a while, so consider it officially sent.
   
Just off the lead pack: Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte, Casey Mears, Ryan Newman, Martin Truex, Jr.