Driver Ratings | Standings | Stage Points
MRN’s Pete Pistone unveils this week’s Power Rankings following the Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono Raceway.
1. Kyle Busch – He led 52 laps and came from the 28th starting spot to win for the sixth time in 2018 and after his Truck Series victory on Saturday came out of Pocono with an impressive sweep.
Driver Rating: 112.1
Point Standings: 1st
Previous Ranking: 2nd
2. Kevin Harvick – After starting 29th, Harvick roared back into contention for a seventh win. But contact and damage turned out to be the downfall for Harvick’s charge and he ended up with a disappointing fourth-place finish after leading 30 laps and winning Stage 2.
Driver Rating: 115.9
Point Standings: 2nd
Previous Ranking: 1st
3. Martin Truex Jr. – A rare off day for Truex Jr. and the Furniture Row Racing team, who did finish 15th – after battling brake issues and a loose-handling car – but wasn’t near the competitive force as he was in June at Pocono when he won the race.
Driver Rating: 103.8
Point Standings: 3rd
Previous Ranking: 3rd
4. Clint Bowyer – He did gain 20 spots after starting 31st and finishing 11th on Sunday but overall Bowyer did not have the best day in Pocono and did not lead a lap.
Driver Rating: 95.2
Point Standings: 5th
Previous Ranking: 4th
5. Erik Jones – A very impressive day for Jones, who started the afternoon in third and ended up with a fifth-place Pocono finish. Jones also led 11 laps on Sunday.
Driver Rating: 77.8
Point Standings: 14th
Previous Ranking: 5th
6. Kurt Busch – Had his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford at the front of the field for 11 laps and battled back from going a lap down when he cut a left-front tire on Lap 112. He finished ninth for his 12th top 10 of the season.
Driver Rating: 95.1
Point Standings: 6th
Previous Ranking: 7th
7. Ryan Blaney – The best finish of the Team Penske trio in Pocono belonged to Blaney, who came from the 33rd starting position to take the checkered flag in 12th place.
Driver Rating: 93.8
Point Standings: 10th
Previous Ranking: 8th
8. Kyle Larson – An uncompetitive day for Larson, who was involved in some contact and he averaged a 13.9 running position before ending up 23rd in Pocono.
Driver Rating: 93.0
Point Standings: 8th
Previous Ranking: 6th
9. Denny Hamlin – A top-10 finish (his 11th of the season) a better result then recent weeks in Hamlin’s second Pocono outing of the year, but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver remains winless in 2019.
Driver Rating: 91.7
Point Standings: 9th
Previous Ranking: NR
10. Joey Logano – Barely hanging on to his spot in the “Power Rankings” after another frustrating outing in Pocono where Logano started 30th and finished only four spots better. Logano suffered minor damage to the nose of his Ford on the initial start and later made contact with the No. 42 of Kyle Larson in the Tunnel Turn that ended up cutting the right-rear tire.
Driver Rating: 94.9
Point Standings: 4th
Previous Ranking: 10th
Dropped Out: Brad Keselowski
