Finally, NASCAR provides quality short track racing in the NextGen era. While the Food City 500 was on the verge of turning into a tire nightmare, the drivers were able to navigate the race without a debacle unfolding. NASCAR and Goodyear might not know how it happened, but nonetheless the racing was fantastic. There were comers and goers, driver skill on display, and strategy to be had throughout. For the power rankings, this race is interesting to attempt to quantify. Rather than pondering who had the fastest car, a driver’s skill in how they managed their equipment led to the best outcomes. Week 4 followed a dullard race at Phoenix. How will Week 5 in the FitStop Power Rankings look after an exciting Bristol race?
#10 – Kyle Busch
Previous Ranking: 6
It is starting to be a steep drop-off for Kyle Busch in the power rankings. After sitting atop the rankings in Week 2, Busch now is barley holding onto the final spot. Essentially, the strength of Busch’s first three races this season is what has him clinging to his tenth place spot. Plus, a lot of the drivers who rank behind him have struggled to find consistency as well.
#9 – Ross Chastain
Previous Ranking: 8
After losing momentum in his qualifying effort, Ross Chastain started the Food City 500 dead last. It was going to be an uphill climb, even before the tire issues started to play out. Despite the undesired starting position, Chastain managed to finish in the Top-15. A quiet day for the Melon Man, but he still remains in the power rankings.
#8 – Ty Gibbs
Previous Ranking: 10
In the follow up to securing his career best finish last week, Ty Gibbs arguably had the best car on track Sunday. Gibbs collected his first two stage wins of his Cup career. Despite hitting the wall in practice on Saturday, Gibbs’ car ran well throughout the Food City 500. However, Gibbs was taken to school by the veteran drivers at Joe Gibbs Racing. Gibbs might have had the best car, but he overused his equipment and missed out on a Top-5 (or a win).
#7 – Chris Buescher
Previous Ranking: 9
Only Kaz Grala passed more cars under green flag conditions than Chris Buescher. After nearly wrecking during his qualifying run, Buescher had to come through the field early. He managed to find his way to the front to pick up valuable points in Stage 1. However, Buescher seemingly kept finding his way to the back of the field. A two-tire stop in Stage 2 led to poor track position that caught the 17 behind a struggling Carson Hocevar. However, Buescher rebounded and drove the RFK entry to a Top-10.
#6 – Ryan Blaney
Previous Ranking: 7
The pole sitter for Sunday’s race had a mixed bag of an event. Based on practice, qualifying, and the early runs, Blaney had a fast car. Could he have contended with the Toyotas? Maybe, but the tire play did not pan out well for Blaney. During the final stage, Blaney lost all track position as his tires fell off. Before he could pit, Blaney had already dropped down the leaderboard. He recovered for a Top-20, but the day definitely showed more promise than that.
#5 – Christopher Bell
Previous Ranking: 4
Although he dropped a spot, Christopher Bell had a solid day at Bristol. Coming off his win at Phoenix, Bell followed it up with a Top-10 run and 29 laps led. During a normal week, Bell would have either stayed stagnant or moved up. However, he was clearly the fourth best out of his own team. Some tough luck coming out of Bristol for Bell in the power rankings.
#4 – William Byron
Previous Ranking: 2
After smacking the wall early in the race, William Byron had to soldier on with a broken toe link. Byron essentially remained out of contention throughout the Food City 500. A rough day on Sunday led Byron to dropping two spots. On the bright side, Byron managed to qualify eighth on Saturday.
#3 – Denny Hamlin
Previous Ranking: 5
Denny Hamlin’s short track racing roots came up clutch this weekend. During the last 121 lap green flag run, Hamlin managed his tires and lapped traffic better than his competitors. Leading the most laps, Hamlin remained in control of the race for almost the entire final stage. After a bit of a rough start (in terms of results), Hamlin is starting to build momentum for the season. Back to back Bristol wins has clinched his spot in the playoffs and boosted him to third in the rankings.
#2 – Martin Truex Jr
Previous Ranking: 3
Despite finishing second in the race, Martin Truex Jr remains ahead of his race-winning teammate. Consistency has been key for Truex, who currently sits tied for the points lead through five races. Along with Hamlin and Brad Keselowski, Truex put on a masterclass in equipment management. Especially during the final stage, Truex was able to maintain Top-2 speed while stretching the tires longer than most. Had he managed the lapped traffic better, Martin Truex Jr could have been the winner Sunday.
#1 – Kyle Larson
Previous Ranking: 1
Remaining at the top of the power rankings this week is Kyle Larson. A resilient battle to pick up his second Top-5 of the season was the result from Bristol. During the final caution of the day, Larson was penalized for equipment interference during the pit stops. Larson was able to drive through the field in the final stretch and finish as the last car on the lead lap. With how well the Toyotas have been running, how long can Larson remain on top of the power rankings?
Honorable Mention
Brad Keselowski – Back to back strong runs sees Brad Keselowski knocking on the door of the power rankings. He scored the most points in the Food City 500.
Chase Elliott – Here is a name that has long been absent from these power ranking articles. Chase Elliott picked up his first Top-10 of the season on Sunday.
Noah Gragson – A poor day at Bristol prevented Noah Gragson from capitalizing on a potential spot in the power rankings.
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