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If you had to bet on who would essentially quit mid-task – the 70-year-old dad or the 40-year-old son, the smart money would be on the senior citizen. Well, last week, you would have lost some money, thanks to Mike convincing pops Mel to join him in taking a breather during the Detour. Well, last week is so last week, so let’s turn our attention to the racers that remain.

There has been some shuffling in my power rankings, due to one team proving me very wrong so far.

1) Best friends Zev & Justin (Season 15) – Two first place finishes in a row is officially a streak and I couldn’t be happier. Like last time, I think that they are the only ones that can beat themselves. So, keep racing smart, fellas.

2) Father/daughter Gary & Mallory (Season 17) – Here is the pair that I underestimated majorly because they didn’t stand out more last season amongst some very strong teams. If I lavish praise on Zev & Justin for two strong weeks of racing, then I have to justly give credit to this father/daughter team for their second place last week. They appear to be more competitive than I thought.

3) Sisters Kisha & Jen (Season 14) – Not succumbing to a weak bladder yet, these sisters are hanging with the front of the pack and are now my pick for the sole all-female team in the finals.

(tie) 4) Cowboys Jet & Cord (Season 16) and Globetrotters Flight Time & Big Easy (Season 15) – Now for a tie for fourth between two teams that have yet to fully rekindle their race mojo that made me a fan in the first place. They aren’t racing badly but neither appears to be racing wisely or as passionately as last time. If they bring that back, then the top three teams are in danger.

(tie) 6) Mother/son Margie & Luke (Season 14) and NFL cheerleaders Jaime & Cara (Season 14) – The last leg was as forgettable and unspectacular for the mom/son team as it was spectacularly horrendous for the cheerleaders. The girls are only here because Mike couldn’t hang with his dad’s endurance. That said, both teams have kept the team dynamic in check and haven’t shown the explosive potential of…

(tie) 8) Goth couple Kent & Vyxsin (Season 12) and Father/Daughter Ron & Christina (Season 12) – Despite Ron & Christina whining their way into third place and the Goths squarely in the middle, both teams are one Scanners-esque head explosion away from knocking themselves out of the race. Ron and Kent are constantly on the edge of sabotaging their own team with a childish or irrational fit, so I can’t in good consciousness think either will last until the end.

In the pole position, Zev & Justin rip into their clue and the four-hour lead they had on the last place team evaporates. The teams are now heading to Lijang, China on the same prearranged flight because there are limited departures. But their plane will actually land in Kunming, China and then they have to find their own way to Lijang. So there is at least some drama.

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