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Power Rankings: No, we're not bleeding air from them

Our Power Rankings are far from a scientific formula. In fact, it's the perfect blend of analytics and bias against your favorite driver. And you think we dislike your favorite driver, so it makes sense, right? Direct all your complaints to us at happyhourmailbag@yahoo.com.

1. Kevin Harvick (LW: 1): Goodbye, top-two finish streak. You served Harvick well. He had to settle for a paltry eighth-place finish despite leading 154 laps. Because he led the most laps, he actually got more points (38) for finishing eighth than Danica Patrick did for finishing seventh (37). If you're looking for fun coincidences, we've got one for you. Where was the last track Harvick didn't finish in the top two at before Sunday? Yep, you've got it. Martinsville.

2. Joey Logano (LW: 2): Striking observation from the Martinsville grandstands on Sunday. When Logano got spun by Michael Annett in turns one and two, you would have thought Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead based off the roar of the crowd. Seriously, there were a bunch of cheers. Where the heck did that come from? How did Logano become a villain? If he continues to get boos when he's successful and cheers when he's not, it's going to be one of the more fascinating heel turns in NASCAR history. It's not like Logano has done anything to tick a bunch of people off lately. Oh, he finished third after that spin. It was a hell of a comeback.

3. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 4): Here's another guy just racking up the top 10s. And this time, Truex had to overcome a lot of obstacles to do so. Smoke was emanating from his car early in the race and he was forced to pit multiple times under caution. The issue was a power steering leak and after the team fixed the problem, Truex worked his way back up through the field to finish six. And hey, he actually gained points on Harvick this week.

4. Kurt Busch (LW: 3): Let's stay on the power steering problems agenda, shall we? Busch had them too, though his came later in the race. He also got a penalty for changing lanes before the restart that was later rescinded. Without power steering, Busch wrestled the car to a 14th-place finish. He's now 24th in the points standings despite missing those first three races of the season.

5. Brad Keselowski (LW: 5): If Keselowski doesn't have the Auto Club Speedway win in his pocket, does he race Denny Hamlin any differently? It's a fair question, given that Keselowski's refusal to bump Kyle Busch at Watkins Glen in 2013 meant he didn't have a win to get the Wild Card for the Chase. Of course, Keselowski could have opted for the same tactic against Hamlin if he was winless, but since he had the win, there was no need to act crazily in search of three bonus points in the Chase. There are 20 more opportunities for wins.

6. Denny Hamlin (LW: 12): The win at Martinsville was Hamlin's fifth. He now has the third-most wins of any active driver at the track. The fact may make you scratch your head a little bit because of the recency bias. It's Hamlin's first win at Martinsville since 2010. But he won three-straight races in 2009 and 2010 and had a streak of four wins in six races. He also has 15 top-10 finishes in 19 career starts. It's not too far off Jimmie Johnson's 22 in 27.

7. Matt Kenseth (LW: 9): Flatline is becoming a Martinsville master. Or at least a driver who is pretty good at the track. He's got 12 top-10 finishes and in 31 starts at the half-mile track. In five races with Joe Gibbs Racing, he has four of those. The other race was a 14th-place finish. Kenseth has found a secret and he apparently shared it with Hamlin and David Ragan on Sunday. Ragan finished fifth.

8. Kasey Kahne (LW: 11): Quick, name the top Hendrick Motorsports driver in the points standings! OK, OK, we just gave you a giant hint so it's really not much of a pop quiz. Yes, it's Kahne, who has 21 points over Dale Earnhardt Jr. and 25 points over Jimmie Johnson. Could this be the year where all four Hendrick cars are running really strongly at the same time?

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 7): Junior had a fast car even after he was caught up in the accident on lap 229 that left him with a bunch of damage on the front of his car. After his team fixed it all up, Junior was still pretty damn fast. He just had a car that looked like a modified car. And he was lots of laps down. No word on if Junior had any Martinsville hot dogs while his team was fixing the car.

10. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 8): Yeah, Johnson had a pit road penalty and sustained damage during the race, but his car was just not fast at all throughout the race. And when was the last time we said that about the No. 48 at Martinsville? Given the team's history, it's likely an outlier and he'll be fast in October. When it really counts. Or counts more, anyway given that Johnson is likely in the Chase.

11. Ryan Newman (LW: 6): So, how long has Newman's team been drilling holes in tires? Were the tires manipulated at all at Martinsville? Newman flat didn't have any speed at all in the race after qualifying second. He ran up front for the first stint and then was on a train to the back of the pack. We'd have Newman here before the penalty was announced and we're now intrigued to see how fast the No. 31 is over the next few races.

12. Jeff Gordon (LW: NR): Sunday was Gordon's race to lose. It was a fantastically called and driven race by the No. 24 bunch as Gordon was simply not that good in the first 200 laps. However, the team made the right adjustments and Gordon was patient until he got sight of the lead. Then, with a good car, he went after it and easily had the best car of the final 100 laps. But then there was that stinking speeding penalty.

Lucky Dog: Danica Patrick, who was the highest-finishing Stewart-Haas driver.

The DNF: Austin Dillon. It was his first DNF since he started running full-time in the Sprint Cup Series.

Dropped Out: Paul Menard

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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!