Do Power Rankings Mean Anything To You?

Every week, we see "power rankings" (or power rating) of drivers, as they compete, week in and week out, on the various tracks in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

This week, Fox Sports' power ranking list looks like this:

Brad Keselowski,
Dale Earnhardt Jr.,
Jeff Gordon,
Carl Edwards,
Joey Logano,
Jimmie Johnson,
Denny Hamlin,
Kevin Harvick,
Matt Kenseth,
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

But then you look at the points standings, which are now more of a milestone marker than a critical list of contention for The Chase, and it looks like this:

1     Brad Keselowski
2     Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3     Carl Edwards
4     Jeff Gordon
5     Jimmie Johnson
6     Joey Logano
7     Denny Hamlin
8     Matt Kenseth
9     Ryan Newman
10     Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

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But how are power rankings different from the general consensus of the points standings?

True, a power ranking is one more yard stick used to measure the driver/team's performances.  But to what end?

Normally "power rankings" in other sports are used to compare players/teams in the same division or league within the larger canopy of a sport.  This keeps it real when divisional opponents face off with each other.  But in NASCAR, Sprint Cup is Sprint Cup, and all the drivers are in the same league or category.  They're already segregated out from the other national series of NASCAR.

Sure, it's a catchy new term that captures the imagination of fans, but for me, the only way a power ranking could merit any value, is if it were to take combined stats from the overall season, combined with a driver's personal record at the specific track, and the specific track type.

Combined with how they practice and qualify in the days leading up to the race, to me, is the best way to handicap a driver for the big event on Sunday or whenever it happens.  (And has worked phenomenally with picking fantasy drivers for the weekend.)

Yet there are times, I swear, the "power ranking" charts that come out, just don't seem focused on the correct criteria at times.

So what do you think? Do power rankings help you?

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