A rain shortened Atlanta race graced the NASCAR faithful this weekend. Despite the early ending, the Quaker State 400 was an enthralling affair. The approaching rain increased the the intensity early. Bold pit strategies played out and drivers were pushing their way forward for the entirety of Stage 2. Ultimately, William Byron claimed his fourth win of the season after a Bubba Wallace/Ryan Preece caution allowed the rain to wash out the race. As for the power rankings, superspeedways are always a bit tricky. Usually, there are some drivers who hang around in the back to avoid wrecks until the end. Wrecks and other havoc can upset the balance as well. However, riding in the back was eliminated due to the rain and there was only one big wreck. With a calmer (but shorter) Atlanta race, how did this switch up the Week 16 Power Rankings?
#10 – Brad Keselowski
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked
From not ranked to number 10, Brad Keselowski finds himself back in the power rankings this week. Keselowski won Stage 2, but could not stay on track despite the imminent rain due to the need for fuel. Despite giving up the prime track position, Keselowski was able to navigate his way up to sixth before the last caution of the race. If Michael McDowell’s damaged car did not hold up Keselowski for a few laps, Keselowski might have been able to forge his way to the lead.
#9 – Ryan Blaney
Previous Ranking: 9
Ryan Blaney had a great race on Sunday night. He led 20 laps and finished with a Top-10. Much like Keselowski (and others), Blaney had to pit after Stage 2 to refuel. Although he was unable to press forward as far as Keselowski, Blaney showed off his drafting might. Unfortunately for him, so did most of the drivers in the power rankings.
#8 – Chris Buescher
Previous Ranking: 8
Almost a copy and paste from above for Chris Buescher. After riding around outside the Top-20 during Stage 1, Buescher took two tires during the stage break and never left the Top-5 during Stage 2. Buescher led 39 laps, second most of the race. Unlike his teammate/boss, Buescher was not able to push his way forward after pitting for gas. Initially, Buescher was scored as twelfth but later pushed back to fifteenth.
#7 – Ross Chastain
Previous Ranking: 6
That Nashville win is starting to look more of a one-off rather than returning to form. Chastain DNFed at Atlanta after trying to use Ty Gibbs’s car as a ramp. Chastain ran around mid-pack for most of the race. Unlike other drivers, he was unable to draft his way forward. Since Kansas, Chastain only has two Top-10s.
#6 – Denny Hamlin
Previous Ranking: 7
Now that his rivalry with Ross Chastain is over, Denny Hamlin has rekindled one with Alex Bowman. After wrecking Bowman last week, Hamlin was on the receiving end of a Bowman slide up the track. Hamlin spun, but managed to avoid much damage. Hamlin was one of the few drivers who was able to go from the back to the front with ease. Unfortunately, his spin with Bowman left him outside the Top-10.
#5 – Christopher Bell
Previous Ranking: 5
Another Toyota driver who was able to drive his way forward was Christopher Bell. After starting at the rear of the field, Bell was battling in the Top-10 by the end of Stage 1. Anytime he got stuck back in traffic, Bell managed to fight forward. He was one of four drivers who received stage points for both stages.
#4 – Kyle Larson
Previous Ranking: 1
Falling down three spots from number one is Kyle Larson. The top four in these power rankings are tightly contested. When one of the drivers has a major hiccup in a race, the others are able to surge past, hence Larson falling to four. At this point, Larson should really take superspeedways off. His luck here is terrible. After spinning out during Stage 2, his right front tire exploded and knocked his car out of the race. He did finish second in Stage 1 though.
#3 – Martin Truex Jr
Previous Ranking: 2
In a statistic that you have heard every superspeedway race, Martin Truex Jr still does not have a superspeedway win. Shocking, right? After finishing third in Stage 1, Truex had a quiet race. Getting caught up in the last wreck brought Truex a lap down for his outside Top-20 finish.
#2 – William Byron
Previous Ranking: 4
Sunday night’s race winner falls shy of recapturing the top spot this week. Byron had an adventure on Sunday. He finished fifth in Stage 1. During the pit stop on the stage break, Byron was penalized due to a safety violation. While working his way through the field, Byron spun. By the end of the race, Byron found himself out front, fighting off challenges from AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Suarez, and Michael McDowell. Due to the rain, Byron is the first driver to four wins this season.
#1 – Kyle Busch
Previous Ranking: 3
And new number one spot in the Pit Pass Network Cup Series Power Rankins is Kyle Busch. For the first time this season, the number one spot will be helmed by a non-JGR/Hendrick driver. Is there anybody more consistent right now in the Cup Series than Kyle Busch? Since his DNF at Kansas, Busch has not finished outside the Top-10. Ninth is his worst finish during that seven race stretch. In four of those races, Busch finished inside the Top-5 including at Atlanta on Sunday.
Honorable Mention
Chase Elliott –Â While doing nothing bad on Sunday, Chase Elliott falls out of the top ten due to Brad Keselowski’s impressive performance. Plus, Elliott ran mid-pack most of the race (which surely was not by design).
Joey Logano – Joey Logano looked to have a great race lined up. he drafted well with his teammates during the early portions of the event. However, the rain might have hurt him the most out of any driver.
Kevin Harvick – Bad luck Harvick strikes again. Though Kevin Harvick was not having a great run, he got caught up in the last caution and finished four laps down.
