By Adam Carabine
Even as the Cup Series rolls along, and drivers get eliminated, the StatChat Power Rankings will continue to rank all 16 Playoff Drivers. Rankings are determined using a large number of statistical inputs, with most emphasis on the last 5 races
Harrison Burton – This week: 16th – Last week: 16th
It wasn’t looking like a terrible day for Burton at Talladega until the Biggest Big One of all Big Ones Ever happened. Burton got collected in it and finished with a DNF.
Tyler Reddick – This week: 15th – Last week: 15th
Lucky for Reddick, his playoff point cushion over the others due to being the Regular Season Champ looks like it’s put him in a decent spot entering the Charlotte Roval this weekend. +14 to the cutline isn’t anywhere near safe, but he does well at road courses, so he should be okay to make it to the next round.
Daniel Suarez – This week: 14th – Last week: 12th
It’s not been a great second round for Suarez. And to be fair, not all of it has really been his fault. I suppose a P13 at Kansas was respectable enough, but not when you come in quite a bit below the cutline. An early incident at Talladega pretty much ruined his day. He’s 20 points below the cutline ahead of a tough road course. He’ll need a stellar day to move on to the next round.
Chase Briscoe – This week: 13th – Last week: 14th
Briscoe is in the worst position of any remaining playoff driver when it comes to the cutline. He’s -32 with one race remaining, which puts him pretty much in must-win territory. He’s come up clutch already once this season, and he’s pretty good at road courses – it’s possible but I’m not seeing it.
Ryan Blaney – This week: 12th – Last week: 8th
Another rough day for Ryan Blaney, as he gets wrecked out halfway through the race at Talladega. He was pretty choked at Alex Bowman after his hard push sent him into Ross Chastain and into the wall. He’s still +25 to the line, so he’s likely okay into the next round, but the defending champ will need to stay safe throughout the race.
Ty Gibbs – This week: 11th – Last week: 9th
Gibbs sits in the not-so-enviable 13th position in the season standings, showing that he’s the “best of the rest.” He’s still searching for that first career Cup win, but he has certainly shown he belongs. He’s got more points than veterans Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski.
Joey Logano – This week: 10th – Last week: 7th
Also caught up in the greatest Big One of all time (or worst, if you ask Joey), Logano finds himself in a bit of a hole coming into the Charlotte Roval next weekend. -13 to the cut line, he’ll need to perform well in order to race his way in. Luckily he’s got a solid record at the Roval – 4th overall of all Cup drivers.
Brad Keselowski – This week: 9th – Last week: 13th
It was another example of a Chevrolet just edging out an RFK Ford in a photo finish at a Super Speedway this past weekend. This time it was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. doing it to owner/driver Brad Keselowski. While he’s also out of the playoffs now, his veteran experience showed why he’s so dangerous at these drafting tracks.
Austin Cindric – This week: 8th – Last week: 10th
For much of the race at Talladega, Cindric looked like the car to beat. Unfortunately he got taken out by a poorly timed push from Brad Keselowski, leading to the biggest of all Big Ones. He’s -28 to the cutline, but for some reason I feel like he could still earn his way into the next round – he’s been showing some resolve lately.
Martin Truex Jr. – This week: 7th – Last week: 11th
One of the benefactors of being behind the main pack as the gigantic Big One happened, Martin Truex Jr. managed to eke out a P11 at Talladega despite spinning out entering pit road earlier in the race. MTJ is still hopeful he can get the final win of his career in the remaining 5 races – does it happen?
William Byron – This week: 6th – Last week: 6th
Byron is the lone playoff driver locked into the next round on points, and frankly he’s earned it. A P2 and P3 in the second round so far – he’s somehow taken the pressure off himself and his team in the most wildcard of playoff rounds on the NASCAR schedule. He’ll breeze his way through the Roval and focus on the next round.
Denny Hamlin – This week: 5th – Last week: 4th
Similar to Martin Truex Jr., Hamlin was lucky to finish where he did at Talladega. There’s a lot of talk over whether this might be a cornerstone moment for Denny en route to his first ever championship. I’m not ready to buy in just yet, but at +30 he looks like a safe enough bet to make the next round at least.
Alex Bowman – This week: 4th – Last week: 5th
Another playoff race, another Top 20 for Bowman. Maybe Mr. Hendrick will have to start only giving Bowman 1-year deals from now on, just to keep him on the hot seat. +26 at the Roval, he’s not entirely safe, but with the momentum this team has, I’d be shocked if he didn’t make it to the Round of 8.
Chase Elliott – This week: 3rd – Last week: 3rd
Elliott also got caught up in that giant wreckfest, though who didn’t? He’s been pretty solid at the Charlotte Roval – he is the winningest driver there after all – but he’ll need to have a nice consistent day to make it to Round 3, as he’s +13 with one race to go.
Christopher Bell – This week: 2nd – Last week: 2nd
Through 5 playoff races, Bell still has only had one finish outside of the Top 10. That is crazy. He’s +57 to the cutline (basically a shoo-in at this point), and his team looks ready to propel him to his third straight Championship 4 in a row.
Kyle Larson – This week: 1st – Last week: 1st
It was a little touch and go there, but Larson managed a P4 at Talladega, his best ever Super Speedway finish. Larson’s also basically guaranteed a spot in the next round since he’s +52 to the cut line. However, if anyone could fall 52 points in a single race, it might be Larson, as he does have a tendency to shoot himself in the foot.
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