Martinsville Speedway hosted the second to last race of the season. The elimination race of the Round of 8 saw Ryan Blaney pick up the win and William Byron point his way into the Championship Four. Long green flag runs were par for the course, allowing some tire falloff to mix things up. Other than that, track position reigned supreme. While there were a variety of strategies, ultimately the two fastest cars found their way to the front late. As the NextGen battles to put on compelling short track racing, Sunday’s race was a potential step in the right direction. With Martinsville in the rearview, the last thing to do is update the Pit Pass Network Power Rankings for Week 32. Heading into the final race weekend of the season, how did Martinsville switch up the rankings before the championship finale?
#10 – Joey Logano
Previous Ranking: Honorable Mention
For the first time since Week 4, Joey Logano is in the power rankings. After wrecking Ty Gibbs early in the race, Logano was able to maintain his track position and collect his eleventh Top-5 of the season. Unlike most of the year, Logano’s Top-5 finish was not a fluke via a late race/well-timed caution. Logano ran inside the Top-15 for over 96% of the race while his average running position was ninth.
#9 – Tyler Reddick
Previous Ranking: 8
What a bad time to have a horrible race. Tyler Reddick entered Martinsville only 10 points behind the cutline. However, Reddick quickly saw his Championship Four hopes fade after qualifying nineteenth and fading early in the race. Reddick went a lap down during Stage 2 and never recovered. After strong runs to start the Round of 8, Reddick’s playoffs ended on a whimper.
#8 – Martin Truex Jr
Previous Ranking: 9
While Martin Truex Jr is up a spot in the power rankings, it was another rough race for the 19 team. After qualifying on the pole and leading the first 47 laps, Truex settled in as the third best car on track. However, a speeding penalty during a pit stop on lap 219 saw Truex head to the tail end of the field. Truex missed out on stage points in Stage 2 and could not manage to get back into the Top-10.
#7 – Chris Buescher
Previous Ranking: 7
A valiant effort from Chris Buescher and the 17 team sees his elimination from the Round of 8. Needing a win to advance, Buescher was behind the eight ball early after qualifying eighteenth. Some tire strategy saw Buescher run Top-10 for the bulk of Stage 3. Although he picked up his first Top-10 at Martinsville, he fell shy of winning his way into the Championship Four.
#6 – Brad Keselowski
Previous Ranking: 5
Back to back weeks for Brad Keselowski where he has a Top-5 ruined by others. Keselowski finished fifth in both stages and looked primed for a strong finish. However, the Logano-Gibbs incident saw Keselowski plow into Daniel Suarez. Keselowski managed to limp around track to beat the DVP before parking his car for a majority of the remainder of the race. With another tough luck race, Keselowski falls a spot.
#5 – Ryan Blaney
Previous Ranking: 6
The hottest driver in NASCAR right now is Ryan Blaney. His Martinsville win secured his first trip to the Championship Four. Based on his recent performances at Phoenix, Blaney could be the favorite to claim the 2023 Cup Series Championship. Since Talladega, Blaney’s worst finish is twelfth. This recent run has seen Blaney enter the Top-5 in these power rankings for the first time since Week 12.
#4 – Christopher Bell
Previous Ranking: 3
After securing his spot in the Championship Four last week, there was no pressure on Christopher Bell at Martinsville. Bell finished inside the Top-10 after running there most of the race. While the focus at Joe Gibbs Racing this week was surely with Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr, Bell held his own this past weekend.
#3 – Denny Hamlin
Previous Ranking: 4
Denny Hamlin had the second best car on Sunday. Unfortunately for him, second best was not good enough to let him advance in the playoffs. Hamlin led a race high 156 laps and won Stage 1. Once Blaney took the lead, Hamlin was unable to overcome his playoff competitor. Another year, another elimination at Martinsville for Hamlin.
#2 – William Byron
Previous Ranking: 1
It was a rough race for William Byron. Despite a cushy points gap to the cutline, Byron had to fight to keep his spot in the Championship Four. After collecting no stage points on the day, Byron battled to remain ahead of Denny Hamlin in points. While a thirteenth place finish is nothing remarkable, it was a great improvement compared to where Byron was running in Stage 2. Although he did fall from number one, Byron made the Championship Four.
#1 – Kyle Larson
Previous Ranking: 2
After not hitting sand barrels this week, Kyle Larson returns to the top spot in the power rankings. Larson’s ascension to the top spot is more so due to Byron’s rough race rather than Larson performing greatly. Hendrick Motorsports as a whole did not seem to compare to their Ford and Toyota counterparts. Larson did finish in the Top-10, but he never looked to be a dominate car.
Honorable Mention
Ross Chastain – After a brief return to the power rankings, Ross Chastain finds himself back in the honorable mentions after a mediocre day at Martinsville.
Kevin Harvick – While his SHR teammates finished second and fourth, Kevin Harvick settles for a sixteenth in his last visit to Martinsville.
Chase Elliott – Based on pit strategy, Chase Elliott led late in the race with a chance to get the 9 car into the owners Championship Four. Instead, Elliott was passed by Aric Almirola and had to pit for fuel before the end of the race.
