6. Chad Reed (Last Week: 4 / -2)

Reed didn’t push the envelope too much in Phoenix and once again logged 20 steady laps to finish fourth for the second straight week. You get the sense that he’s starting to hit his stride a bit and if the conditions are right in Anaheim, Reed could take that next step towards becoming a contender for the win each weekend. In the meantime, expect more top-five efforts for the original Mr. Consistency.

7. Jake Weimer (Last Week: 7 / No Change)

Weimer rode well in Phoenix, continuing his solid start to the season. He wasn’t entirely happy with his effort in the desert, which can only mean he’s putting in some hard laps on the test track and some extra time in the gym this week to step things up for Anaheim.

8. James Stewart (Last Week: 8 / No Change)

Late news on Thursday confirmed the injury to Stewart’s knee that he suffered in practice at the season opener in Anaheim. It’s been clear that the former champ is riding conservatively in the main events, which is an odd sight, but we now know it’s the result of a torn ACL. At the pre-race press conference leading into Anaheim two weeks ago, Villopoto suggested that ACLs are no longer as significant as they once were. That’s hard to comprehend, but now knowing that Stewart has still managed to be the fastest man in practice for two weeks and even win his heat race in Phoenix on a bum knee lends some evidence to Villopoto’s claim. Regardless, riding through the pain that comes with such a significant injury demonstrates how tough all of these riders are and you have to give Stewart credit for sticking in there and giving it all he has. He’s not going to give up, and that’s even more admirable when you see his solid top-10 results. Stay tuned on how this shakes down in the weeks ahead.

9. Andrew Short (Last Week: 9 / No Change)

'Shorty' rode to another top-10 finish last week in ninth. It probably wasn’t what he was hoping for, but he’s building a nice foundation to build off of moving forward. There are rumblings of some trying times under the Chaparral Honda tent, but clearly Short isn’t letting it hold him back from giving it his all out on the track.

10. Josh Grant (Last Week: Unranked)

'JG' is the newest inclusion in the Power Rankings after his first top-10 of the season in Phoenix. While he currently sits tied with veteran Kevin Windham for 10th in the standings, I’m giving Grant the slight edge based purely off his most recent performance.