Sunday saw the second elimination race of the 2023 Cup Series playoffs. At the Charlotte ROVAL, playoff drivers fought to stay above the cutline. By the end of the race, the cutline intrigue relied on whether Kyle Busch could forge ahead to the lead. Although they made a valiant effort, Busch, Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, and Ross Chastain were eliminated from the playoffs. As for the ROVAL race itself, the NextGen car continued to demonstrate why it is a slog to watch on road courses. The most interesting pieces of the race were the ROVAL style chaos, Ricky Stenhouse Jr attempting to become a Tostino pizza roll, and AJ Allmendinger’s postrace emotions. With the ROVAL in the rearview mirror, how do the Pit Pass Network Power Rankings for Week 29 compare to last week’s?
#10 – Martin Truex Jr
Previously Ranked: 10
Barely holding onto his power ranking spot, Martin Truex Jr stays in this week. Truex managed to collect 10 stage points, which became handy during the final run to the checkered flag. Truex faded badly during that final segment, but still managed to finish 12 points above the cutline. Sunday marks the seventh straight race of Truex finishing outside the Top-15.
#9 – Kevin Harvick
Previously Ranked: 9
Continuing a stagnant back end of the power rankings, Kevin Harvick remains at number nine. Harvick ran mid-pack (at best) throughout the race. He did manage to finish inside the Top-20 during the late race chaos. Another forgettable road course performance for Harvick during his final season.
#8 – Ryan Blaney
Previously Ranked: 8
With his Round of 8 spot locked in, Ryan Blaney had no pressure at the ROVAL. He attempted a strategy play by pitting early in Stages 1 and 2. During the final stage, the caution on Lap 76 caught Blaney in the lead while everyone behind him had pitted already. This sent Blaney deep in the pack after pitting under caution. Despite this bad luck, Blaney fought back for a twelfth place finish.
#7 – Brad Keselowski
Previously Ranked: 5
A couple of bad weeks sees Brad Keselowski dropping a bit in the power rankings. Sunday was not a fun day for Keselowski. A pass through penalty during the first stage forced Keselowski to wait until the break to pit. Later, Keselowski lost control heading through the front stretch chicane, forcing Ross Chastain to make an evasive maneuver. Living up to his struggles on road courses, Keselowski was unable to overcome. A strong start to playoffs ends with back to back rough results.
#6 – Christopher Bell
Previously Ranked: 6
Christopher Bell looked poised to have a great day after the first stage. Bell managed to score 5 stage points and pit on the winning strategy. However, the caution to end Stage 2 occurred prior to Bell pitting. For the final stage, Bell was caught up in traffic and unable to move forward.
#5 – Tyler Reddick
Previously Ranked: 7
If NASCAR had not decided to implement stage breaks for the ROVAL, Tyler Reddick would have likely dominated Sunday from start to finish. Reddick won the first stage and was set to win the second one before Josh Bilicki brought out a caution. Despite this, Reddick was able to drive through the field with relative ease until he hit the top seven drivers. Unfortunately for Reddick, he was unable to continue his rise back into the Top-5.
#4 – Chris Buescher
Previously Ranked: 4
Chris Buescher kept his momentum going on the road courses. Despite a mediocre qualifying effort, Buescher continued his Top-11 streak on the lefts and rights tracks. Knowing a Top-10 would keep Buescher safe from elimination, crew chief Scott Graves passed on stage points en route to a seventh place finish.
#3 – Denny Hamlin
Previously Ranked: 2
Finishing last on Sunday, Denny Hamlin still accomplished the main goal: lock himself into the Round of 8. Hamlin scored stage points in Stage 2 to clinch his spot. Shortly after, Hamlin spun out in the front stretch chicane and Mike Rockenfeller broke his rear toe link.
#2 – Kyle Larson
Previously Ranked: 1
Despite not finishing in the Top-10 the entire Round of 12, Kyle Larson managed to secure his spot in the Round of 8. After starting last, Larson quickly weaved through the field to get inside the Top-15 prior to his first pit stop. Larson ran between eleventh and fifteenth for the remainder of the race. After surviving his worst round, Larson will look forward to his best round (on paper).
#1 – William Byron
Previously Ranked: 3
Back on top of the power rankings this week is William Byron. Once again, Byron had one of those races where he was quiet throughout the day to then be battling for the lead late. Byron is catching fire at the right time, as his second at the ROVAL was his third straight Top-2 finish. While this writer questioned his championship contender status, it is hard to argue that Byron should not be a favorite to hoist the trophy in Phoenix.
Honorable Mention
Kyle Busch – With his back against the wall, Kyle Busch did as much as he could. His car simply did not have the speed that AJ Allmendinger’s did at the end, which left him finishing third.
Ross Chastain – Ross Chastain ran through the field during the final green flag stint to get his second Top-10 of the Round of 12. Unfortunately, it was not enough to keep him in the playoffs.
Chase Elliott – While Chase Elliott won Stage 2, it was not by design. Though Elliott made a good move to avoid a penalty, he still suffered due to losing his track position. Still, he managed to bounce back for a Top-10.
