Despite where the expectations were after Friday’s practice, the Iowa Corn 350 turned out to be a great race. In a rarity for the NextGen car, a short track produced a race where there multiple lanes and passing occurred. Iowa Speedway’s partial repave did not force all the cars to the bottom lone. There were three distinct lanes that the drivers could utilize, which allowed for comers and goers. If there is any question of whether the Cup Series should return to Iowa in 2025, that should be answered easily with a resounding “yes”. While the racing was good, the leaderboard remained in constant flux due to strategies and an oddly timed caution. After Sonoma put Kyle Larson back at number one in Week 16, what will Iowa do to the FitStop Performance Week 17Â Power Rankings?
#10 – Chris Buescher
Previous Ranking: 8
Another race where bad luck hurts Chris Buescher’s result. After a poor start where Buescher fell down to 30th on the leaderboard, strategy play allowed the 17 team to be on the right side of the Daniel Hemric caution. This allowed Buescher to pick up stage points and gain the lead during the Stage 2 break. However, Buescher brought out the last caution of the day with a flat tire. He rebounded to finish inside the Top-20, which (along with the laps led) barely keeps him in the power rankings this week.
#9 – Ross Chastain
Previous Ranking: Honorable Mention
After weeks of stagnation in the honorable mentions, Ross Chastain finds himself back in the power rankings. It was a weekend of bouncing back for Chastain. In practice, Chastain blew a tire, which led to his car receiving some training wheels. During the race, Chastain was a Top-10 car. However, he blew a tire during the long green flag run during Stage 2. Despite getting trapped a lap down, Chastain managed to find himself back in the Top-10 during most of the final stage. A finish of 11th must feel like quite the accomplishment.
#8 – Christopher Bell
Previous Ranking: 9
It was another race where Christopher Bell found the speed at the end. Unfortunately for him, it was too late to mount a charge for the win. After wrecking in practice Friday, Bell and his team managed to get the backup car rolling well in the race. Another driver who was caught a lap down during Stage 2, Bell navigated the 20 through the field during the final stage. Had the race been 400 laps, Bell might have been able to run down the leader for the win.
#7 – Ryan Blaney
Previous Ranking: 10
Outside of Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney was the best car on track Sunday night. During the early portion of the race, Blaney did not think he would have much for any of Hendrick cars. However, it turned out that remaining 3 Hendrick drivers did not have much fight to bring to him. During the last caution, Blaney took 2-tires to get the lead. From there, he led the final 88 laps to the win. His first win since fall Martinsville, Blaney now jumps up 3 spots in the power rankings.
#6 – Tyler Reddick
Previous Ranking: 6
Despite topping the practice charts on Friday, Tyler Reddick’s Iowa Corn 350 was very pedestrian. Failing to nab any stage points, the 45 team were stuck in the mid-pack all race long. The Hamburglar could not help steal a win or quality finish from the rest of the field. Luckily for Reddick, the drivers behind him were shuffled down the power rankings to maintain his sixth spot.
#5 – Denny Hamlin
Previous Ranking: 3
A bit of bad luck is hitting Denny Hamlin as the summer months are picking up. To be fair, it seems to be a Joe Gibbs Racing bug (minus Christopher Bell) rather than Hamlin specifically. After last week’s blown engine, Hamlin and the 11 car were simply slow. Hamlin anchored down the leaderboard and lost a lap in the first 40 laps. Even after lucking into track position with the Hemric caution, Hamlin’s bad luck struck again when he was caught up in Kyle Larson’s accident. An anomaly of a race sees Hamlin fall to the lowest he has been since Week 6.
#4 – Brad Keselowski
Previous Ranking: 5
Brad Keselowski now holds the best ranking for any Ford driver this year. Although his hot streak of Top-5s ended at Sonoma, his past 2 races still have been quality efforts. A Top-10 at Iowa was a grind for the 6 team. Strategy and track position were key for Keselowski, who managed to successfully overcome bad restarts throughout the race. If this is how well the 6 team runs during an off week, that is a great sign for the rest of the season.
#3 – William Byron
Previous Ranking: 4
William Byron has been a bit spotty in recent months. One week, Byron will be a Top-3 driver who contends for the win. Then he will follow it up with a lackluster affair where he never truly competes for more than a Top-10. At the start of the season, it seemed like a lock that Byron would be a Championship Four driver. Now, he might still be a favorite but it is not as confident. Iowa was a net positive for Byron, who finished second behind Ryan Blaney. Can he string a couple of quality races together like Iowa? Or will New Hampshire be another dud?
#2 – Kyle Larson
Previous Ranking: 1
The 5 car was easily the fastest car on track Sunday. Kyle Larson easily knifed through the field after restarting in 32nd during Stage 2. However, Larson got clipped by Daniel Suarez, leading to a wreck that effectively ended their day. Larson led the second most laps (80) and won Stage 2, yet it was not enough to keep him at the top of the power rankings.
#1 – Chase Elliott
Previous Ranking: 2
Not only did Chase Elliott claim the points lead after Iowa, he also becomes the sixth different driver to sit atop the FitStop Performance power rankings. Consistency has been the key for Elliott’s climb to the top of the rankings. He is the only driver to have a Top-20 finish in every race this season. His average finish of 9.1 is 3.4 positions better than the second best driver (Byron, 12.5). Although he is not racking up wins, Elliott is a consistent presence in the Top-5.
Honorable Mention
Martin Truex Jr – It has been a rough stretch for Martin Truex Jr recently. Iowa was a continuation of that, as he slips out of the power rankings despite his retirement announcement.
Alex Bowman – Another Top-10 for Alex Bowman puts him back in the honorable mentions. He is tied with Byron and Bell for the most Top-10s on the season.
Joey Logano – Team Penske is turning the corner, as seen by the wins by Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric. Joey Logano is also experiencing that improvement in speed, as he collected his second Top-10 in 3 races.
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