Rain put a damper on Sunday’s race day festivities. Not only in Concord, but also in Indianapolis. Mother Nature ruined Kyle Larson’s attempt at the double, where he did not get to step foot inside his Cup Series car. Aside from the Larson bit of the weather, the Coca-Cola 600 turned into the Coca-Cola 373.5 instead. After a 2 hour delay, NASCAR determined that the track would not dry in a reasonable amount of time to resume the race. Unfortunately for NASCAR fans, they were deprived of a significant chunk of the race. As for the FitStop Performance Week 14Â Power Rankings, there was enough of race to determine what should change from Week 13. How much did a rain shortened 600 shake up the rankings?
#10 – Alex Bowman
Previous Ranking: Honorable Mention
Back in the power rankings this week is Alex Bowman. After qualifying in the Top-10, Bowman kept his 48 Hendrick Motorsports car there for the length of the race. He scored stages points in the first two stages before ending up in ninth for the race and Stage 3 result. Bowman is finding his early 2023 form, which will bode well for him on the power rankings.
#9 – Ty Gibbs
Previous Ranking: 10
Sitting on the pole for the Coca-Cola 600, Ty Gibbs demonstrated that the speed was not simply for one lap. Gibbs led the bulk of Stage 1, only losing the lead to William Byron due to slower traffic ahead. That seems to be a bit of an issue for Gibbs, as he has lost numerous leads when he attempts to lap cars. While the NextGen car is notorious for being difficult to lap slower cars, Gibbs’ struggles seem to be due to a young driver struggles rather than the car.
#8 – Chris Buescher
Previous Ranking: 6
There is no driver in the Cup Series running with a streak of bad luck to the same degree as Chris Buescher. In the past 3 points paying races, Buescher has been left disappointed with a result through minimal fault of his own. During practice, Buescher’s left rear tire went flat causing him to wreck and go to a backup. That practice crash led to a Top-10 slipping away. Due to missing qualifying, Buescher was the last to pick a pit box for Sunday’s race. Despite Buescher consistently driving through the field, every caution pit stop saw the 17 team lose 10+ positions because the 42 blocked Buescher’s exit. Maybe WWT Raceway will finally see a change of fortunes for Buescher and the 17 team.
#7 – Brad Keselowski
Previous Ranking: 9
There is no driver in the Cup Series with more momentum than Brad Keselowski. In the past 6 races, Keselowksi has 4 Top-2 finishes. Along with those good results, Kansas looked like at least a Top-3 if a late caution did not fly. Keselowski and his team have found the consistent speed that will make them a championship threat. Had the rain/lightning held out for another 10-15 laps, Keselowski likely would have found himself with back-to-back wins Sunday.
#6 – Tyler Reddick
Previous Ranking: 7
What if Tyler Reddick did not suffer an inspection penalty? If he did not have to serve a pass through penalty on the first lap, Tyler Reddick could have been a race winning threat. Reddick’s car handled well in clean air, evident by keeping Ty Gibbs behind him for the entire first half of Stage 1. While the team managed to pull out a Top-5, the early penalty likely cost them a chance at the win with the weather shortening the event.
#5 – Martin Truex Jr
Previous Ranking: 4
Despite having a solid race, Martin Truex Jr falls a spot in the power rankings. He only scored points in Stage 1. During Stage 2, he fell down the leaderboard into the latter bit of the Top-15. While nothing to be concerned about, the usual Toyota intermediate speed was not there for the 19 team.
#4 – Chase Elliott
Previous Ranking: 5
Chase Elliott went two and a half stages in the Coca-Cola 600 without right hooking anyone. An accomplishment worth applauding. Elliott ran most of the race on the fringes of the Top-5. Unlike his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Elliott never looked to be a top car in the field. However, Sunday did continue Elliott’s consistency run that sees him with the best average finish in the Cup Series.
#3 – Kyle Larson
Previous Ranking: 1
Well, that weekend stunk for Kyle Larson. Not only did weather mean he did not get to pull the double, his Indy 500 was spoiled by a late pit road speeding penalty. If not for the penalty, Larson likely finishes in the Top-5 at Indy. Due to missing the race, Larson drops down a few spots in the power rankings. However, not Kyle Larson (Justin Allgaier) did a commendable job filling in for Larson as he pursued his Indy dreams. Now, what about that waiver?
#2 – William Byron
Previous Ranking: 3
Finishing off the trio of Hendrick Motorsports drivers in consecutive order, William Byron barely misses out on the top spot. Although he had a better race than the driver at number one, Byron’s recent performances before Sunday is why he does not find himself at the top. However, Byron had a great day at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He won Stage 1 along with leading 49 laps. Plus, he had the Rich MARvelous Move of the Race.
#1 – Denny Hamlin
Previous Ranking: 2
For the first time this season, Denny Hamlin has hit the pinnacle of the FitStop Performance Power Rankings. Sure, it might be by default since Kyle Larson did not compete this week. Also, this was the first race since last fall’s Las Vegas where Hamlin did not lead a single lap. Still, he claims the top spot this week. Hamlin’s race was a bit lackluster (considering the 11’s expectations). Pit strategy after a penalty during the Stage 1 caution helped recover what could have been a bad day. With another Top-5 for the stat sheet, Hamlin enters this weekend as the top driver in these rankings.
Honorable Mentions
Ross Chastain – Right on the edge of the rankings, Ross Chastain’s Top-10 at the Coca-Cola 600 keeps him in the running to reenter the top ten.
Ryan Blaney – Falling out of the power rankings this week is Ryan Blaney. An early wreck during Stage 2 continues a bit of a bad stretch for the 12 team.
Christopher Bell – Winning his first crown jewel event, Christopher Bell led the most laps and picked up two stages wins. Hopefully this will lead to a return to form after a recent struggle stretch.
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