After weeks of chaos, some normalcy returned this week at Pocono Raceway. A race of fuel strategy did not alter the running order too bizarrely. That said, grabbing the lead off a restart proved to be the unbeatable move. There were no passes for the lead under green flag conditions. Maybe that would have been different if the fuel strategy was allowed to play out. A handful of drivers flipped the Stage 2 caution to get ahead. Unfortunately for the fans, a caution spurred more cautions that made the question of fuel null. Despite that, the fast cars found their way up the leaderboard. Week 20 saw some movement. Will this week’s FitStop Performance Week 21Â Power Rankings have more?
#10 – Alex Bowman
Previous Ranking: 10
Coming off the back of his Chicago win, Alex Bowman followed it up with a Top-5 finish at Pocono. Although he mostly ran in the back half of the Top-10, Bowman managed to maintain his Top-3 position after the final restart. Ryan Blaney should give the assist to Bowman for his win. Bowman’s ability to keep Denny Hamlin at bay for as long as he did led to the 11 running out of time to pass the 12.
#9 – William Byron
Previous Ranking: 8
Despite the Top-5 finish, William Byron falls down a spot in the power rankings. When the rankings are as close as they are, a driver winning almost ensures a leapfrog in spite of a quality finish. Still, this is back to back Top-10s for Byron for the first time since May. However, Pocono marks the first race since Iowa where the 24 consistently ran inside the Top-10.
#8 – Chris Buescher
Previous Ranking: 7
Chris Buescher also fell victim to Ryan Blaney’s win in the power rankings. However, Pocono was a highly successful day for the 17 team. Buescher led 19 laps and ran inside the Top-5 during a significant chunk of Stage 2. However, the most significant result from Sunday was moving ahead of Ross Chastain in the points. Buescher heads to Indianapolis with a 17 point buffer from the last spot above the cutline.
#7 – Ryan Blaney
Previous Ranking: 9
Fuel strategy and some luck played a factor into Ryan Blaney’s win. Blaney was one of the few who flipped Stage 2 to get track position. After the caution on lap 116, Blaney was able to do a quick two-tire stop due to the amount of fuel needed. Initially, Blaney rolled off third on pit road. However, speeding penalties to other allowed Blaney to restart from the lead. After a few more restarts, Blaney managed to pull away and ultimately keep Denny Hamlin at bay.
#6 – Christopher Bell
Previous Ranking: 4
While not a bad race, Pocono was a mediocre endeavor for Christopher Bell. For the first time in weeks, Bell did not have top car speed. Bell remained in the Top-15 for over 90% of the race, but rarely climbed higher than the back half of the Top-10. It is nothing to be concerned about. However, the so-so showing along with bad recent results sees Bell fall down the rankings.
#5 – Brad Keselowski
Previous Ranking: 6
Brad Keselowski has been one of the most consistent drivers throughout the season. No matter the type of track, Keselowski and the 6 team find Top-10 speed. Pocono was no exception. In fact, there were moments in the race where Keselowski looked to be one of the fastest cars. Multiple times Keselowski was able to navigate through the running order. Unfortunately, that was not at the end of the race when it mattered most.
#4 – Denny Hamlin
Previous Ranking: 5
Denny Hamlin needed a “pick me up” race after his recent struggles. Pocono was the exact right track to appear on the schedule for that. Hamlin simply was fast all race long. Along with leading 31 laps, Hamlin picked up the Stage 2 win and scored the most points on the day. This allows Hamlin to remain in the fight for the regular season championship. Currently, Hamlin trails Chase Elliott by 20 points.
#3 – Kyle Larson
Previous Ranking: 1
Down goes Kyle Larson. After a couple of weeks of coasting by at number one, Larson is knocked off and sent down to the third ranking. This is the lowest Larson has been since Week 14 (after missing the Coca-Cola 600). Pocono could have been a vastly different result though. On the final set of caution flag pit stops, Larson was the first car off of pit road. However, Larson sped through section 7 and was sent to the tail of the field. Without the penalty, maybe Larson would have pulled away from the pack like Blaney did.
#2 – Chase Elliott
Previous Ranking: 3
Assuming the points lead after Pocono, Chase Elliott also moves up a spot in the power rankings. There is an argument whether Elliott or Hamlin had the best car on Sunday. Unlike Hamlin, Elliott proved his merits by driving through the pack on multiple occasions. In traffic, there was no one better than Elliott. Unfortunately, Elliott got nipped by the same speeding penalty that spoiled Larson’s race. Unlike Larson, the 9 car was able to get back into the Top-10.
#1 – Tyler Reddick
Previous Ranking: 2
A new driver sits atop the FitStop Performance Power Rankings this season. Tyler Reddick is the hottest driver in the Cup Series right now. 7 of his last 8 races has seen Reddick finish inside the Top-10. Heading into Pocono, Reddick was coming off back-to-back races where he looked to be on the verge of winning on the final lap. Pocono did not see that type of performance from the 45 car, but Reddick did pilot it to a Top-10. Based on his recent stretch, it was enough to overtake Kyle Larson for the top spot this week.
Honorable Mention
Joey Logano – Joey Logano used the track position strategy to net himself a Top-5 at Pocono, keeping him in the honorable mentions.
Martin Truex Jr – Heading into the race, many were expected Martin Truex Jr to be more of a factor for the race win. Ultimately, Truex settled for a Top-10.
Bubba Wallace –Â Despite unloading with limited speed, Bubba Wallace managed to pick up a tenth place finish to cut the deficit from the playoffs to 27 points.
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