NASCAR Power Rankings: Denny Hamlin At No. 1 Is Concrete After Dover Win
That type of consistency is hard to beat. And that has put him back atop these power rankings.
The race at Dover featured many of these drivers jockeying for spots in the final laps and in overtime, making this list probably even more debatable than normal.
As the Cup drivers head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, these are the 10 drivers that seem to have momentum:
Dropped out: 9. Ryan Preece (Last Week: 9)
On the verge: Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Preece
10. Ty Gibbs (Last Week: Not Ranked)
A fifth for Gibbs at Dover was his third consecutive top-10 finish, with two of those being top-five runs. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is also in the championship for the in-season tournament against Ty Dillon.
9. Tyler Reddick (Last Week: 6)
Reddick ran in the top 10 for much of the race at Dover but finished 12th after the two overtimes. That snapped a streak of three top-10 finishes for the 23XI Racing driver.
8. Ryan Blaney (Last Week: 7)
Blaney placed eighth at Dover after starting 31st, thanks to the metric when qualifying was canceled. It was a solid day for the Penske driver at a track where it was hard to pass.
7. Alex Bowman (Last Week: 10)
Bowman placed fifth in the first stage, second in the second stage and finished third. That's a great day for a driver who doesn't have a win and is fighting for a playoff spot on points. The Hendrick driver has three top-fives in his last six starts.
6. Christopher Bell (Last Week: 5)
A couple of spins ruined Bell's day. Actually just the one when battling Hamlin for the lead with less than 10 laps to go. The JGR driver finished 18th.
5. William Byron (Last Week: 3)
Byron was a victim of a crash after the late red flag for rain. The 31st-place finish wasn't indicative of the Hendrick driver's day, as he was fourth in the first stage and sixth in the second stage.
4. Kyle Larson (Last Week: 4)
Larson finished top 10 in both stages and ended up fourth after having a shot to battle Hamlin for the win in overtime. It was the Hendrick driver's first top five since Michigan, as he may have stopped a slump where he had just one top 10 in the previous four races.
3. Chase Briscoe (Last Week: 8)
Briscoe had a shot to win as he battled Hamlin in the second overtime and had fresher tires. But battling a teammate sometimes requires a little more give and a little less take, and Briscoe gave his JGR teammate Hamlin the room he needed and settled for second.
2. Chase Elliott (Last Week: 1)
Elliott gave up track position when he pitted for tires after a caution for rain, a decision that ended up not working out as he finished sixth. It was a frustrating end to a race where the Hendrick driver led 238 of the 407 laps.
1. Denny Hamlin (Last Week: 2)
Hamlin did a masterful job defending his lead over the final 67 laps, as he earned his fourth win of the season. The JGR driver made it the second consecutive year at Dover where he outdueled drivers in the waning laps.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
recommended
Item 1 of 2 Get more from the NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Fox News
NASCAR Ponders Unique Elements Of New Course On Naval Base
CORONADO, Calif. — As Ben Kennedy described the roughly three-mile course where NASCAR Cup Series cars will weave through Naval Base Coronado next year, he mentioned elements that don't sound typical of a NASCAR course. There will be a turn by the aircraft carrier. Maybe some by helicopters and F-18s. Another turn onto the tarmac of the naval base, a tarmac area that could include a chicane or some esses (quick, multiple turns). Kennedy, NASCAR's chief venue officer, doesn't have the course finalized yet. He's having drivers work through a variety of elements on iRacing, the racing game simulator that has helped NASCAR work on designs for street courses and other track reconfigurations. The June 19-21 race weekend next year will be NASCAR's first on a military base and will coincide with the 250th anniversary celebration of the U.S. Navy. "You have the tarmac, which is as wide as you want to make it," Kennedy said while standing near the top of the base's control tower. "And then a lot of the roads and streets that we drove in this morning, they're five or six lanes wide. So this is going to create for some really good passing zones." Kennedy says there will probably be 10 to 15 turns on what will be a relatively flat course, with a slight decline on the frontstretch and a slight incline when they get to the road by the bay. "I don't know all the challenges they're going to face with the location," said seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who will possibly compete in the event, as he grew up in the San Diego area. "I'm highly confident we're going to have an incredible venue, incredible backdrop and great racing." Drivers who visited the base on Wednesday didn't seem too concerned about the design of the track. "I have heard a rumor that on one of the straightaways, we will be going by a couple aircraft carriers, so that's going to be hard not to pay attention to going by those on the sea," said 2023 Cup champion Ryan Blaney. "I don't have any expectations. I know it's going to be a great layout and a great course and just a special place to be able to go run here at such a famous base. "I'm honestly really honored that they are having us and letting us do what we're going to do. And I think it's going to be a heck of a time. I'm incredibly excited about it." All three NASCAR national series will compete on the track, with the course finalized sometime this fall. "I have no clue," said 2021 Cup champion Kyle Larson. "I haven't seen any drawing or anything of anything yet. But I don't really care what the course is. I'm just happy that we're doing this. "It's going to be a fun event no matter what. It's a beautiful part of the country. You're racing on a Navy base. This is pretty surreal." Larson indicated that they won't know how the track will race until they race. "A lot of times, the weirder and crazier the tracks are, the better racing we have," Larson said. "When we think things aren't going to be right, it creates chaos and whatnot. ... We could build an oval right here. We can build a road course. I don't care. "I'm just glad that we're here racing on this base, and it should be fun." One thing that probably won't be possible (and won't be a goal) is to design a course that could limit the dominance of Shane van Gisbergen, who has won the last three road courses this year. The three-time Supercars champion has won at Mexico (where he battled stomach issues), the Chicago street course and Sonoma in the last couple of months. "Food poisoning still won't get the job done so we've just all got to get better," Blaney quipped. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Indianapolis Brickyard 400 weekend schedule, TV, weather info for NASCAR Cup and Xfinity
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval will welcome NASCAR back for the second consecutive year. After a three-season run on the track's road course, Kyle Larson won in the return of the Brickyard 400 to the 2.5-mile oval last year. Riley Herbst, who has moved into the Cup Series this year, won the Xfinity race at Indy in 2024. The Brickyard 400 will mark the final race of the In Season Challenge. With a $1 million awarded to the highest-finishing team, 32nd-seeded Ty Dillon will face sixth-seeded Ty Gibbs. Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup drivers ahead of Indianapolis weekend Chase Briscoe has finished second in each of the past two races this season. Dustin Long, Indianapolis weekend schedule (All Times Eastern) Friday, July 25 Garage open 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. — Xfinity Series 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. — Cup Series Track activity 12:05 - 12:55 p.m. — Xfinity practice (CW App) 1:05 - 1:55 p.m. — Cup practice (truTV) Saturday, July 26 Garage open 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. — Xfinity Series 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. — Cup Series Track activity 1 - 1:55 p.m. — Xfinity qualifying (CW App) 2:35 - 3:30 p.m. — Cup qualifying (truTV, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) 4:30 p.m. — Xfinity race (100 laps, 250 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 30, Stage 2 at Lap 60; CW, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) Sunday, July 27 Garage open 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. — Cup Series Track activity 2 p.m. — Cup race (160 laps, 400 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 50, Stage 2 at Lap 100; TNT, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) Weekend weather Friday: Scattered afternoon thunderstorms with possible gusty winds and small hail. High of 91 degrees with winds from the west to southwest at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 40% in the afternoon. Saturday: Partly cloudy skies with a stray afternoon thunderstorm or shower possible. High of 92 degrees and winds from the south to southwest at 10 to 15 mph. It's expected to be 90 degrees with a 22% chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity race. Sunday: Partly cloudy with a high of 89 degrees and winds from the west to southwest at 5 to 10 mph and a 30% chance of rain. It's expected to be 87 degrees with an 24% chance of rain at the start of the Cup race.
Fox Sports
9 hours ago
- Fox Sports
NASCAR Ponders Unique Elements Of New Course On Naval Base
CORONADO, Calif. — As Ben Kennedy described the roughly three-mile course where NASCAR Cup Series cars will weave through Naval Base Coronado next year, he mentioned elements that don't sound typical of a NASCAR course. There will be a turn by the aircraft carrier. Maybe some by helicopters and F-18s. Another turn onto the tarmac of the naval base, a tarmac area that could include a chicane or some esses (quick, multiple turns). Kennedy, NASCAR's chief venue officer, doesn't have the course finalized yet. He's having drivers work through a variety of elements on iRacing, the racing game simulator that has helped NASCAR work on designs for street courses and other track reconfigurations. The June 19-21 race weekend next year will be NASCAR's first on a military base and will coincide with the 250th anniversary celebration of the U.S. Navy. "You have the tarmac, which is as wide as you want to make it," Kennedy said while standing near the top of the base's control tower. "And then a lot of the roads and streets that we drove in this morning, they're five or six lanes wide. So this is going to create for some really good passing zones." Kennedy says there will probably be 10 to 15 turns on what will be a relatively flat course, with a slight decline on the frontstretch and a slight incline when they get to the road by the bay. "I don't know all the challenges they're going to face with the location," said seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who will possibly compete in the event, as he grew up in the San Diego area. "I'm highly confident we're going to have an incredible venue, incredible backdrop and great racing." Drivers who visited the base on Wednesday didn't seem too concerned about the design of the track. "I have heard a rumor that on one of the straightaways, we will be going by a couple aircraft carriers, so that's going to be hard not to pay attention to going by those on the sea," said 2023 Cup champion Ryan Blaney. "I don't have any expectations. I know it's going to be a great layout and a great course and just a special place to be able to go run here at such a famous base. "I'm honestly really honored that they are having us and letting us do what we're going to do. And I think it's going to be a heck of a time. I'm incredibly excited about it." All three NASCAR national series will compete on the track, with the course finalized sometime this fall. "I have no clue," said 2021 Cup champion Kyle Larson. "I haven't seen any drawing or anything of anything yet. But I don't really care what the course is. I'm just happy that we're doing this. "It's going to be a fun event no matter what. It's a beautiful part of the country. You're racing on a Navy base. This is pretty surreal." Larson indicated that they won't know how the track will race until they race. "A lot of times, the weirder and crazier the tracks are, the better racing we have," Larson said. "When we think things aren't going to be right, it creates chaos and whatnot. ... We could build an oval right here. We can build a road course. I don't care. "I'm just glad that we're here racing on this base, and it should be fun." One thing that probably won't be possible (and won't be a goal) is to design a course that could limit the dominance of Shane van Gisbergen, who has won the last three road courses this year. The three-time Supercars champion has won at Mexico (where he battled stomach issues), the Chicago street course and Sonoma in the last couple of months. "Food poisoning still won't get the job done so we've just all got to get better," Blaney quipped. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Item 1 of 2 Get more from the NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
