After a couple of weeks of chaos, a bit of calm has returned to the power rankings. This past Monday at Dover, there was no caution during green flag pit stops to invert the field. There was no calamity or running around the back like you saw at Talladega. Instead, Monday provided an entertaining race where the strong cars remained up front all race (mostly) and the weaker cars ran in the back. Does that mean the power rankings were easy to decide on this week? Of course not. While the top twelve drivers has remained consistent on the year, their individual performances each week vary. In addition to that, this week is the first where the race winner has yet to be mentioned in these power rankings. Will Martin Truex Jr make his way into the power rankings? How did the top ten change from last week?
#10 – Chris Buescher
Previous Ranking: Honorable Mention
Returning to the power rankings this week is Chris Buescher. Buescher was the consistent driver from the RFK Racing team on Monday. For the entire race, Buescher kept his car running inside the Top-10. While he never strayed too high in the running order, he never fell down the leaderboard (except for green flag pit stops). Dover marks two straight strong runs for Buescher.
#9 – Kyle Busch
Previous Ranking: 7
After leading the first 25 laps of the race, Kyle Busch’s race had a case of the Mondays. A speeding penalty put him at the back of the pack early in the race. Later, a decision to pit during a caution caused Busch to find himself getting nose damage to his car after an incident in front of him. Then, his teammate cost him a lap coming to the end of a stage. This is the story of Busch’s 2023: inconsistency, whether it is his/the team’s fault or bad luck.
#8 – Ryan Blaney
Previous Ranking: 10
One driver broke his winless streak on Monday. That driver was not Ryan Blaney. Despite that, Blaney had a great run at Dover. Consistently running in the Top-5, Blaney had a chance to win the race on the last restart. However, Martin Truex Jr drove away from him and Ross Chastain passed him for second. With how his Penske teammates ran though, Blaney cannot complain about his Top-5.
#7 – Brad Keselowski
Previous Ranking: 8
Restarts and pit road cost Brad Keselowski a better finish at Dover. For whatever reason, Keselowski did not have the restart gear in his car. If not for that, Keselowski would have likely finished in the Top-5. In addition to his poor restarts, Keselowski suffered a penalty on pit road that put him in the back of the pack. Despite this, Keselowski never lost a lap (even during green flag pit stops) and was able to drive his way to a Top-10 finish.
#6 – Denny Hamlin
Previous Ranking: 9
Leapfrogging Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin had a solid Dover run. He only led four laps, but he consistently ran inside the Top-10 all race. Most importantly (especially when compared to Keselowski), Hamlin and his team were able to keep it clean on pit road throughout the race. Another Top-5 on the season for Hamlin has him rising in the power rankings.
#5 – Kevin Harvick
Previous Ranking: 5
Prior to the end of Stage 2, Kevin Harvick looked well on his way to a Top-10 finish. While a competing for the win seemed out of question, Harvick looked to have a strong enough car to remain within the Top-10. However, a tire issue in the closing laps of Stage 2 put Harvick and a lap down. The 4 team was unable to rebound from that issue. Harvick remains at five though based on the strength of his season.
#4 – Ross Chastain
Previous Ranking: 6
This week’s edition of Can You Blame Ross? was a two-for-one special. Late in Stage 1, Ross Chastain was chasing down Kyle Larson for position while in lapped traffic. Entering turn one, Chastain pumped Brennan Poole, who proceeded to spin out and collect Kyle Larson in a wreck. One move but two drivers’ days were ruined.
Outside of that incident, Chastain brought speed to Dover. He led 98 laps and won Stage 2. Before the final caution, Chastain was able to catch Truex, but was unable to complete the pass. Plus, Kyle Larson did some blocking as retaliation for the earlier incident.
#3 – Kyle Larson
Previous Ranking: 1
Down from the top spot this week is Kyle Larson. Before the incident with Poole and Chastain, Larson looked to have one of the best cars on track. Unfortunately, Larson was unable to capitalize off that speed due to the damage. In three of the past four races, Larson has been a part of an incident. While this one did not knock him out of the race, it essentially qualifies as an unofficial DNF on the season.
#2 – William Byron
Previous Ranking: 4
William Byron had another 2023 William Byron race. Byron led the most laps (193) out of any driver on Monday. However, once Chastain passed him for the lead, Byron’s race winning speed went away. Byron remained in the Top-10 for the remainder of the race and was able to collect a Top-5 due to the late race restart. Still, Byron’s 2023 history of losing speed in the later portions of the race is frustrating to watch. If this keeps up, it could cost Byron during the playoffs.
#1 – Christopher Bell
Previous Ranking: 2
While Christopher Bell did not have a bad race at Dover, he did nothing truly special to merit the top spot in the power rankings. However, Larson’s recent string of bad luck and Byron’s late-race performance dips sees Bell become the first non-Hendrick driver to be number one on the power rankings. A third of the way through the season, Bell has racked up eight Top-10 finishes. With how well Toyota ran at Kansas last year, Bell has a good shot of keeping his top spot.
Honorable Mention
Tyler Reddick – If not for Kyle Busch’s win last week, Tyler Reddick would have been in the power rankings. Reddick missed out barely due a slightly worse overall day compared to Chris Buescher. More than likely, Reddick will return to the power rankings next week.
Martin Truex Jr – Martin Truex Jr found speed during Stage 2 of the race. That speed led to Truex rising up the leaderboard and stealing the race away from Chastain. With that said, one strong race does not automatically have a driver slingshot to the top ten.
Ty Gibbs – Rounding out the honorable mentions is Ty Gibbs. While he did not secure a Top-10, he was the first driver a lap down and flirted with the Top-10 all race long.
