After a five-overtime thriller in Nashville Superspeedway in it Ally 400NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola has updated his power ratings for the 2024 Cup Series campaign.
Joey Logano He’s had some tough luck this season, but it all came crashing down in Nashville. The two-time Cup Series champion earned his first win of the season in Music City, earning him a playoff spot and a chance at a third title.
Elsewhere, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin added another chapter to their rivalry, and Kyle Busch We had to deal with a little more bad luck. Here is the latest update to NASCAR’s power ratings, courtesy of DeCola.
1) Kyle Larson (—)
February 19, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) walks to driver introductions before the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-KeynoteUSA Sports
No one had a more eventful afternoon in Nashville than Kyle Larson. After appearing poised to win the race several times, Larson crashed, ran out of fuel and somehow managed to come back to finish eighth, all in the Ally 400 overtime.
With all the wins Larson has under his belt, a win in Chicago would mean a lot to the Hendrick superstar. He came home fourth in 2024, so there is some merit to Larson getting to victory lane at the Grant Park 165 on Sunday.
2) Denny Hamlin (+2)
April 28, 2024; Dover, Delaware, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin stands on pit road before the Wurth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-KeynoteUSA Sports
Denny Hamlin wasn’t too happy with Kyle Larson, or any of his teammates, after the Ally 400. If not for a slew of incidents, the No. 11 would have cruised to victory and won its fourth race of the 2024 campaign.
Looking ahead, Hamlin hopes to score his fourth win of the season at Chicago, a race he finished 11th last season. Still, he’s one of the favorites to win week in and week out, no matter what type of track is presented in NASCAR.
3) Christopher Bell (-1)
November 4, 2022; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell during qualifying for the NASCAR championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-KeynoteUSA Sports
A crash ended Christopher Bell’s afternoon early in Nashville and ruined his bid for a fourth win of 2024. The No. 20 driver came home 36th, a disappointing result after his sweep last weekend at New Hampshire.
While Bell is a threat to win at any track, he didn’t have the best race at Chicago last season. The No. 20 finished 18th, so he’ll have to do better if he wants to get back on track this weekend at the Grant Park 165 after a disappointing afternoon at Nashville.
4) Chase Elliott (-1)
August 14, 2022; Richmond, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (9) during the Federated Auto Part 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-KeynoteUSA Sports
Chase Elliott has had great success in Nashville in the past, but it wasn’t meant to be on Sunday afternoon. The No. 9 finished 18th in the afternoon, not exactly where the Hendrick Motorsports star wanted to finish in the Music City.
During last season’s trip to Chicago, Elliott was one of the only Cup Series drivers who had something to offer Shane van Gisbergen, but it wasn’t meant to be. The No. 9 came home in third place, so he’ll be looking to cruise to victory this time around.
5) Tyler Reddick (+1)
May 11, 2024; Darlington, South Carolina, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick (45) during qualifying for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-KeynoteUSA Sports
Tyler Reddick nearly came out of nowhere to win in Nashville. He couldn’t get past Joey Logano after taking the top spot in the fifth overtime, but the 23XI Racing driver can be satisfied with his third-place podium finish.
While Reddick started on the front row at Chicago in 2023, he finished 28th in the afternoon. The exciting driver hopes to perform much better upon NASCAR’s return to the track in 2024.
NASCAR Power Rankings: 6-20:
6) Ryan Blaney (+2)
7) Martin Truex Jr. (-2)
8) William Byron (-1)
9) Brad Keselowski (+1)
10) Chris Buescher (+1)
11) Ross Chastain (-2)
12) Joey Logano (+2)
13) Ty Gibbs (-1)
14) Alex Bowman (+1)
15) Bubba Wallace (+1)
16) Chase Briscoe (-3)
17) Austin Cindric (+2)
18) Daniel Suarez (-1)
19) Josh Berry (-1)
20) Kyle Busch (—)
As you can see, Joey Logano’s surprising win shook up the NASCAR Power Rankings, but Kyle Larson remains atop the list, thanks to another impressive performance in Nashville. He still has just three wins in 2024, but it could be a lot more. We’ll see if he gets a couple over the summer.
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