Driver Ratings | Standings | Stage Points
MRN’s Pete Pistone unveils this week’s Power Rankings following the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway.
1. Kyle Busch – He did the opposite strategy of what cost him the June Pocono race a year ago and came in for fresh tires late rather than stay out for track position. But that didn’t work this time around for Busch who did lead 13 laps but faded behind Truex Jr. and Larson for a third-place finish.
Driver Rating: 115.1
Point Standings: 1st
Previous Ranking: 1st
2. Kevin Harvick – He added a stage win and playoff point to his total thanks to leading 89 laps during Sunday’s race. But Harvick in his words “lost control of the race” when he wasn’t able to keep the top spot after a round of pit stops and despite the typically strong outing was forced to accept a fourth-place finish.
Driver Rating: 113.1
Point Standings: 2nd
Previous Ranking: 2nd
3. Martin Truex Jr. – Back in Victory Lane for the second time this season on the strength of a strong outing Sunday where Truex Jr. led 31 laps and battled his way through two late restarts to win. He is firmly in the picture again as one of the top drivers in the Cup Series.
Driver Rating: 100.1
Point Standings: 4th
Previous Ranking: 3rd
4. Kyle Larson – He made it tough on eventual race winner Martin Truex Jr. down the stretch and battled hard on the day’s final restart. But Larson came up one position short of win number one of the season and failed to lead a lap on Sunday.
Driver Rating: 95.1
Point Standings: 9th
Previous Ranking: 7th
5. Ryan Blaney – He started from the pole and was in pursuit of a second straight June Pocono race win to follow-up his popular victory of a year ago. Blaney wasn’t able to pull off the repeat but did lead 11 laps on his way to a sixth-place performance.
Driver Rating: 96.0
Point Standings: 10th
Previous Ranking: 10th
6. Joey Logano – All sorts of problems for Logano on Sunday who somehow still came home with a top-10 finish. A fueling mishap on an early pit stop put Logano in catch-up mode but he worked his way back to a ninth-place finish on a day that could have been much worse.
Driver Rating: 100.5
Point Standings: 3rd
Previous Ranking: 6th
7. Brad Keselowski – A decent day for Keselowski who did lead 10 laps and came from the 17th starting position to score a top-five Pocono finish. Wasn’t in the same league as the top three or four cars on Sunday but still a solid outing for the team Penske driver.
Driver Rating: 97.8
Point Standings: 5th
Previous Ranking: 9th
8. Denny Hamlin – Not a happy camper after a late race turn of events when Hamlin and Alex Bowman made contact casting the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to spin. He was eliminated on lap 146 after that incident.
Driver Rating: 96.6
Point Standings: 8th
Previous Ranking: 4th
9. Clint Bowyer – Surprisingly uncompetitive and very apologetic after the race. Bowyer felt he had a car capable of challenging for his second win of the season. That was not the case and he faded back big time as the checkered flag drew nearer and ended up in 20th place.
Driver Rating: 93.1
Point Standings: 6th
Previous Ranking: 8th
10. Kurt Busch – Rough day for the three-time Pocono winner who started the race sixth only to experience all sorts of challenges to end up 19th on Sunday. It was a rare off day for Busch who has been very consistent so far in the 2018 season.
Driver Rating: 94.3
Point Standings: 7th
Previous Ranking: 5th
Dropped Out: None
