It’s more volatile than the real stock market concerning the fortunes of NASCAR driver performance. The Kobalt Tools 500 shook up the picture for this week in my “Power Poll.”

#1- Kyle Busch- This guy COULD become NASCAR’s first “Triple Crown” winner with titles in the Cup, CTS, and Nationwide Series. Love him or hate him, Toyota’s first visitor to victory lane in a Cup car is the real deal. He won’t be THIS good forever- no one is- but man, is he on a run.

#2- Dale Earnhardt Jr.- You have to figure this guy will pick up a win soon. Aside from an accident-shortened California race, NASCAR’s favorite son has run like a man possessed. The wins will come for what is now Hendrick’s most successful driver in 2008.

#3- Carl Edwards- Don’t forget Carl’s DNF at Atlanta was the car, not him. I reject the idea he drove the car into failure. Edwards had a rough week last week, but he’ll bounce back.

#4- Tony Stewart- Big Orange fought his way to #2 at Atlanta on a day he felt awful concerning his car and those Goodyear Tires he says he hates so much. The Joe Gibbs Racing team and Toyota are on a roll, and Stewart is a big part of it. Let’s just hope that NASCAR doesn’t pull tony from the track over his anti-Goodyear diatribe.

#5- Kevin Harvick- Happy has been a consistent front-runner. You know me well enough to know that I’m not convinced of the prowess of the Richard Childress Chevy’s. This make Harvick’s placement here all the more impressive.

#6- Greg Biffle- After a couple of down years, Biffle seems to have his mojo back. He’s been giving anyone near him a run for their money. I’ve gotta wonder though how his remarks over Carl Edwards are going over in the Roush garage. If I were Carl, I might have popped Biff on the snout by now. And I like this guy.

#7- Ryan Newman- Flyin’ Ryan’s been a little too quiet for my liking since Daytona. At the same time, he’s not encountering the same lousy luck that plagued him last year. A good run in the bull ring at Bristol would do wonders for his standing this week. I’ve got the feeling Newman has a good race ahead of him.

#8- Kasey Kahne- Kahne’s stock took a tumble after a 26th place finish at AMS, but considering his spin out early in the race, Kahne’s finish was pretty remarkable. Like Newman, Kahne needs a “bounce back” and Bristol gives the #9 Bud a chance to win on something other than a cookie cutter track.

#9- Matt Kenseth- Like Roush teammates Biffle and Edwards, Kenseth always manages to get himself some camera time every week. Though this is a Cup ranking, his win in the Nationwide has to account for something, if not his skill as a driver.

#10- Brian Vickers- Who??? Can you believe he is #9 in the Cup standings? It seems to this observer that he’s running a lot smarter race these days. Props to go Vickers, his crew chief, his crew and Team Red Bull for the improvement.

Falling out- Jeff Burton, Elliott Sadler. Burton’s still good, he’s just not headline grabbing good……yet. Sadler’s season took a real hit (excuse the pun) with his Atlanta performance.

Knocking on the door- Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are still hanging around and I wouldn’t go writing them off just yet.  

Dark Horse- Bobby Labonte. The driver of the King’s 43 is behaving like he still has miles in the tank.

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