Driver Ratings | Playoff Standings | Stage Points
MRN’s Pete Pistone unveils this week’s Power Rankings following the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
1. Kevin Harvick – Harvick’s first pit road speeding penalty of the season could not have come at a more inopportune time. Despite leading a race-high 76 laps, the penalty on lap 214 ended his hopes of win number eight and Harvick left Kansas with another case of what might have been.
Driver Rating: 115.1
Point Standings: 2nd
Previous Ranking: 1st
2. Kyle Busch – A nondescript day for Busch, which is a testament to his talent since ehe did finish second. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver did his best to try and run down Elliott for the win in the closing laps before eventually running out of time and ending up with a runner-up performance.
Driver Rating: 108.0
Point Standings: 1st
Previous Ranking: 2nd
3. Chase Elliott – The best time to get hot is when it matters most and Elliott is on fire right now. He’s won three of the last 11 races and did so again Sunday taking advantage of an opportunity late when Kevin Harvick was caught speeding on pit road. Elliott has the look of a legitimate championship contender.
Driver Rating: 93.9
Point Standings: 4th
Previous Ranking: 6th
4. Martin Truex Jr. – The box score shows Truex Jr. with a fifth-place Kansas finish but even the defending series champion was again puzzled as to why he wasn’t more competitive. He was below the curling at one juncture on Sunday but was able to survive and advance to continue defense of his crown.
Driver Rating: 101.3
Point Standings: 3rd
Previous Ranking: 4th
5. Joey Logano – His weekend started with a pole-winning run in qualifying and for the most part Logano had a decent outing in Sunday’s race. At one point he looked like the guy to beat but faded back in the second half to put an eighth place finish on the board.
Driver Rating: 95.4
Point Standings: 6th
Previous Ranking: 8th
6. Kurt Busch – Like most o the Stewart-Haas Racing bunch Busch had a day in Kansas plagued by mistakes. It added up to an 18th place performance and one Busch has put immediately behind as he heads into the next round of the Playoffs.
Driver Rating: 97.8
Point Standings: 7th
Previous Ranking: 5th
7. Aric Almirola – Not a bad follow-up effort for Almirola after his stirring Talladega win a week ago. He qualified third and came out of Kansas with a 10th place finish and already locked into the Round of 8.
Driver Rating: 87.3
Point Standings: 8th
Previous Ranking: 7th
8. Clint Bowyer – A win at the Kansas native’s home track is still very high on Bowyer’s wish list. It did not come in the Hollywood Casino and Bowyer’s was forced to settle for a disappointing 13th place finish but his Playoff hopes do march on.
Driver Rating: 95.5
Point Standings: 5th
Previous Ranking: 9th
9. Brad Keselowski – Keselowski and crew chief Paul Wolfe tried another chapter of playing out some different strategy in hopes of finding a way to win and move on the Playoffs. But a two-tire stop did not work out and Keselowski finished sixth not enough to stay alive in the Playoff picture.
Driver Rating: 96.8
Point Standings: 10th
Previous Ranking: 3rd
10. Ryan Blaney – Missed an opportunity to advance to the Round of 8 in the Playoffs and an encounter with the wall didn’t help Blaney’s cause Sunday in Kansas. Despite a win in the opening round at the Roval, Blaney will be forced to play spoiler in the last four races of the season.
Driver Rating: 96.2
Point Standings: 9th
Previous Ranking: NR
Dropped Out: Kyle Larson
