Air blocking was the key to taming the Monster Mile this past weekend. With some savvy defense maneuvers, Denny Hamlin managed to hang on to the race win over a hard-charging Kyle Larson. However, the race was not dominated by a single driver. A handful of drivers took their turn at the front for different chunks of the race. The race off of pit road played its part as well, helping drivers stay out of the mid-pack. A couple of final stage cautions saw some notable drivers exit the race early and allowed a couple of surprise names to feature inside the Top-10. After Talladega shuffled the bottom half of the power rankings up for Week 10, did Miles the Monster turn this week’s rankings for a loop? Read below for the FitStop Performance Week 11 Power Rankings.
#10 – Ross Chastain
Previous Ranking: Honorable Mention
It was a tough call for the tenth spot in this week’s rankings. There were several contenders for the spot, but ultimately Ross Chastain ends up with the spot. Despite getting the last spot in the rankings, it was a disappointing weekend for the Melon Man. The past two trips to Dover have been a bright spot for the 1 team. However, this past weekend was mediocre at best. Still, a 12th place finish is good enough to squeak him back in.
#9 – Alex Bowman
Previous Ranking: Honorable Mention
A little bit of an easier choice was to stick Alex Bowman back in the power rankings. Dover has been one of Bowman’s best tracks, which shined through at moments Sunday. While never grabbing the lead, Bowman looked strong as the race went on. Stage 2 is where Bowman had his best run, finishing second to collect valuable points. The stage break pit cycle saw Bowman shuffle down the order a bit, where he was unable to recover back to the Top-5.
#8 – Chris Buescher
Previous Ranking: 7
Back to back mediocre results sees Chris Buescher slip down the rankings a bit. Fortunately for the RFK driver, the drivers immediately behind did not have great days either. Buescher maintained in the Top-20 all race long, but never was able to reach the Top-10. After Kansas, the schedule starts to look better for the driver from Prosper, Texas.
#7 – Tyler Reddick
Previous Ranking: 8
Moving up a spot in the rankings is Tyler Reddick. It was a solid, yet unremarkable day for Reddick at the Monster Mile. He did not lead a lap, but picked up points in both stages and spent the entire race inside the Top-15. While he barely missed out on the Top-10, the 12 stage points help soften that minor disappointment. After picking up a win at Talladega, the consistency is serving the 45 team well.
#6 – Chase Elliott
Previous Ranking: 5
It might seem wrong to drop a driver down a spot after a Top-5, but the margins are thin from fifth through seventh in the power rankings. Plus, results are not the only deciding factor in where a driver ranks on a week per week basis. Chase Elliott did have a good day at Dover. He ran inside the Top-10 all race. However, it was another example of where Elliott could not match the speed flashed by his teammate(s). The consistency from the 9 team though will help push Elliott closer to the Top-4 in the power rankings.
#5 – Ryan Blaney
Previous Ranking: 6
Early on, it looked as if Ryan Blaney could drag Ford to their first win of the season. Taking the lead from Kyle Busch on lap 34, Blaney led for a total of 47 laps. Ultimately, it was not Blaney’s race to win. However, he did manage to maintain a Top-5 spot for the bulk of the day. The final stage cautions saw him fall a bit down the leaderboard. However, it was still a solid day for the 12 team.
#4 – Martin Truex Jr
Previous Ranking: 3
The Top-4 of the power rankings were shuffled around numerous times before the final decision was made. Once again, it is tough to ding a driver after a strong day at the track. Early in the race, Martin Truex Jr looked to be the car to beat. He won Stage 1 and finished inside the Top-4 in Stage 2. However, some damage to the nose of the car hurt his ability to contend for the win. Still, Truex ended up leading the second most laps and finishing third.
#3 – Denny Hamlin
Previous Ranking: 4
Once his pit crew got him the lead for the start of the final stage, the Wurth 400 turned into the Denny Hamlin show. Hamlin led all but 11 laps of the final stage, with the only passes for the lead due to the green flag pit cycle. Despite Kyle Larson having the lead for the second to last restart, Hamlin was able to get out in front and pull away on the following restart. On the season, it has been a bit boom or bust for Hamlin in terms of results. His only Top-5s have been his wins, with only one additional Top-10 in 11 races. However, the speed the 11 team is flashing will again put Hamlin firmly in the championship conversation.
#2 – William Byron
Previous Ranking: 1
After staying on top for three weeks, William Byron has lost the top spot in the power rankings. At the beginning of the race, it was shaping up to be a classic Byron race. Run within the Top-5, stay competitive throughout, and somehow find himself in victory lane by the time the checkered flag waves. However, a bad pit stop shuffled Byron into the mid-pack. He could never recover, which led to Byron getting caught up in the Lap 330 accident with Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell. Interesting thing to notice: despite his 3 wins, Byron has yet to win a stage this season.
#1 – Kyle Larson
Previous Ranking: 2
Back to the top of the power rankings is Kyle Larson. Arguably, Larson had the best car at the end of the race. If not for air blocking, Larson would have passed Hamlin and cruised to the win. Still, a second place finish with a Stage 2 win is nothing to be sad about. For Larson and the 5 team, the self-inflected wounds have been kept to a minimum. Along with the power rankings, Larson also sits atop the points standings. With the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers nipping at their heels, can the Hendrick Motorsports duo keep their strangle hold on the top spot next week?
Honorable Mention
Chase Briscoe – As mentioned earlier, the choice for tenth was a difficult one. Chase Briscoe barely slides out of the power rankings after a so-so day at Dover.
Christopher Bell – The bad luck streak continues for Christopher Bell. Sunday’s DNF marks his third finish outside the Top-30 in the last four weeks.
Ty Gibbs – Ty Gibbs has taken a step back after a strong start. A solid Top-10 on Sunday should help build momentum for Kansas this coming week.
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