The technique and experience required in Sunday’s race was amazing to watch. We saw the Cup Series guys drive until they couldn’t anymore due to the tires. Either way though, who survived Bristol the best and benefitted in this edition of the 2024 NASCAR Power Rankings?
The Bottom Five
- 15. Joey Logano
Another weekend where he qualified great, but didn’t have the finish to match. Honestly, unless something changes drastically at COTA he could be joining Kyle Busch on the outside of these 2024 NASCAR Power Rankings next week.
- 14. Chris Buescher
The man who kicked Kyle Busch off the list for the first time this year. Chris had a hiccup in Las Vegas a few weeks ago but seems to have righted the ship. Heading into COTA this weekend, things should continue to go up for Chris considering he’s a “quietly” good road racer.
- 13. Alex Bowman
Long hard day at @itsbristolbaby but this guy earned the fourth-place finish today! pic.twitter.com/RTGrm8JXv3
— Ally Racing (@allyracing) March 17, 2024
So, I decided to pick against the man in the weekly picks piece before Bristol. What’s he do after oh ya know just goes and grabs a top-five finish. Heading into COTA where he finished third last season. Alex can climb again next week with a good performance.
- 12. Bubba Wallace
The downward slide is continuing again this week for Bubba. Bristol had potential early for him but like everyone else minus a few drivers, Bubba’s day went to crap quickly. Bubba isn’t a good road racer either so I don’t know if this slide down is going to stop.
- 11. Brad Keselowski
The Wiley veteran, or one of the Wiley veterans used their experience to the fullest Sunday. Brad wheeled his car to a third-place finish when tire consumption was at the highest it had been in years. Will his rise in the power rankings continue?
2024 NASCAR Power Rankings: Mid Pack
- 10. Ty Gibbs
Ty has cracked the top ten. If you’re surprised then I’m sorry. Ty led the second most laps in Bristol only behind the eventual winner. I like Ty at COTA, he’s going to win a race this season and a road course race could very well be the one.
- 9. William Byron
Trouble early for the No. 24!@WilliamByron gets in the wall, bringing out the yellow for debris. pic.twitter.com/OxIMpMXpCH
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 17, 2024
Early damage was just too much to overcome for William. He’s sliding down the rankings but finished fifth at COTA last year after grabbing the pole to start the weekend. So, I am willing to bet he’s going to rebound as long as lady luck looks the other way.
- 8. Chase Elliott
- 7. Martin Truex Jr.
Being the old guy isn’t always the bad thing. I think Martin and everyone else would agree after Bristol. Martin led laps and contended for the win a few times. He’s trending upwards heading to COTA.
- 6. Ross Chastain
He may not be winning a ton of races so far this season. However, he’s been quietly solid. He makes adjustments with his team throughout the race and somehow grabs a decent finish. Ross and his team finished fourth last year at COTA, could we see him steal a win this season?
The Top Five This Week
- 5. Tyler Reddick
… It's Bristol, baby … đź‘€ https://t.co/DTwUKHkgcu pic.twitter.com/ro34bjBNAA
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 17, 2024
A very early questionable no-pit decision effectively killed his day. When he was spun after contact with Josh Berry early and then hit by Zane Smith it killed the car. Tyler won at COTA last year and is no doubt looking for a rebound weekend after Bristol.
- 4. Christopher Bell
I was very high on Bell heading into the weekend. I think if he would’ve been able to manage his tire wear a little bit better, he’s easily contending for the win with Denny. He didn’t have a good race last year at COTA so I’ll be looking to see how he does this weekend.
- 3. Ryan Blaney
That was a wild race, for sure. We never backed down and will be ready for COTA. Thank you to all of our partners and the 12-Team for their continued support. pic.twitter.com/3C0H3u6VNM
— Ryan Blaney (@Blaney) March 18, 2024
Qualified well, and finished well in stage one. Then sped on pit road, and got stranded in the back of the field for a while. Wore his tires out trying to get back to the front, and finished sixteenth. He finished seventh last year at COTA so the team will be looking to better that I’m sure.
- 2. Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson on his fifth-place finish and if he could have finished any higher if he didn’t have the equipment interference penalty on a pit stop in the final stage. pic.twitter.com/iHH3nknEov
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 18, 2024
The dirt racing king as some would call him led the field to green for stage two after conserving his tires the best in stage one. It was a quiet day for Larson and his team and the way pit strategy fell late allowed him to grab a solid finish. Kyle is a good road racer so I think we’ll see him up front or at the very least in the top ten.
- 1. Denny Hamlin
Denny being one of the oldest drivers in the field paid off. He was able to manage his tires better than others and stayed competitive even after getting stuck back in the field for a while. Denny and his team look solid early this year, but can it keep up heading into COTA?
This Week’s Final Lap
If you love late-model stock car racing then you loved Sunday’s race at Bristol. Heck, you probably loved it anyway, because it took driver skill and strategy to win that race. Well, you’re in luck then if so because COTA is our first road course race of the season and strategy will be a huge key this weekend once again.
Do I have any predictions for COTA? Not really no, because even if I did somehow manage to predict that a driver would have a solid day all it takes is one late restart to ruin that driver’s day and a completely new driver to be in victory lane. Will I make some educated guesses with my fellow NASCAR coverage guy Kaleb? Absolutely so stay tuned right here for those picks!
Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
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