Chase is on the board.
The DuraMAX Drydene 400 at Dover Motor Speedway finished up on Monday after a rain delay cut the race short Sunday afternoon, and finally, Chase Elliott was able to snap his 26-race winless streak.
Ross Chastain took second place after winning the week before, proving once again that he’s set to be a contender this year, meanwhile Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano both struggled on back to back races.
So without further ado, here’s your Week 12 NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings before we head to Darlington Raceway:
On The Bubble:
Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, Chase Briscoe
10. Christopher Bell (Out)
After a 4th place finish at Dover this past week, Christopher Bell breaks into the Top 10 of our Power Rankings. We’ll see if he can maintain his place at Darlington.
9. Joey Logano (8)
Logano is coming off back to back rough outings at Talladega and Dover, but you have to imagine he rebounds soon. A few Top 5 finishes, a handful of Top 10 finishes, aside from the little rough patch, Joey has raced pretty damn well this year.
8. Martin Truex Jr. (9)
A Top 5 finish at Talladega, and nearly finishing third before contact with Ross Chastain on the final lap, Martin Truex Jr. has strung together a nice run here lately.
Climbing up to 7th in the points standings, we haven’t see Truex really dominate this year, but he’s continued to race well and figures to be in the conversation come playoff time.
7. Alex Bowman (7)
Still sitting 5th in the points standings, Bowman doesn’t give you a lot of flash, but he gives you consistency. He has one win, three Top 5 finishes, and hasn’t even led 20 laps this season
6. William Byron (3)
After rough starts at Daytona and California, William Byron flipped the switch and took home two victories. However, after three straight races outside the Top 15, Byron needs to find a way to get back on track (no pun intended).
But still, a whopping 520 laps led, not to mention four Top 5s and four Top 10s, Byron’s not going anywhere.
5. Kyle Larson (6)
Kyle Larson just keeps finishing near the top. With one win under his belt this year, he has finished 6th or better in the past three races. When he’s on, he just might be the most dangerous driver in NASCAR… and he’s heating up.
4. Ryan Blaney (1)
After choosing to forgo fresh tires, Ryan Blaney was able to hold off the rest of the field to win Stage 2 at Dover, but the strategy backfired for the rest of the race. A couple of unlucky pits found him a few laps behind, but that being said, he still sits second in the points standings, second in laps led, and 4th in average finish position… that first win this season is bound to happen soon.
3. Kyle Busch (4)
Rowdy may have “backed into a win” at Bristol and sneaked into a 3rd place finish on the last lap at Talladega, but he also finished 7th at Dover making for five straight Top 10 finishes.
2. Ross Chastain (5)
Ross Chastain is a force to be reckoned with people. With two wins this season, a third place finish at Dover gives him three Top 5 finishes in the last four races. The way he’s racing now, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where he isn’t in the Top 4 at the end of the year.
1. Chase Elliott (2)
Winner winner chicken dinner. Leading in points, Chase Elliott finally nabbed that elusive win. He may have gone twenty six straight races without a win, but Chase’s season was never in doubt. He’s raced as well as anybody this season and Dover only pushes his lead further.
Next week, we’re on to Darlington where we’ll see if Chase can keep his hot streak alive.
