Driver Ratings | Standings | Stage Points
Pete Pistone’s updated NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings after the Drydene Doubleheader weekend at Dover International Speedway.
1. Kevin Harvick – Some track bar issues on Saturday plagued Harvick but those were alleviated and then some on Sunday with his seventh win of the season. Harvick wrapped up the regular season championship as well and has positioned himself as the top seed in the Playoffs when things kick off in two weeks.
Driver Rating: 111.8
Point Standings: 1st
Previous Ranking: 2nd
2. Denny Hamlin – He opened the weekend in the best possible way with a trip to Victory Lane Saturday in Dover. Things didn’t go quite so well on Sunday as Hamlin ended up finishing 19th but he remains one of the two best drivers in the series.
Driver Rating: 103.1
Point Standings: 2nd
Previous Ranking: 1st
3. Martin Truex Jr. – By far the most consistent driver in the series, Truex Jr. came into Dover riding a string of five straight third-place finishes. He added a pair of runner-up finishes to that stretch at Dover on both Saturday and Sunday.
Driver Rating: 98.4
Point Standings: 4th
Previous Ranking: 3rd
4. Chase Elliott – A decent finish and disaster sums up the Dover weekend for Elliott. His fifth on Saturday was followed up by an early Sunday race accident and a finish of 39th, something Elliott would like to put behind him in a hurry.
Driver Rating: 98.8
Point Standings: 7th
Previous Ranking: 4th
5. Brad Keselowski – A ninth and an eighth for Keselowski in Dover to put two more top-10 finishes on the board. He’s another driver hoping to continue trending in an upward direction once the post-season rolls around at Darlington on Labor Day weekend.
Driver Rating: 100.8
Point Standings: 3rd
Previous Ranking: 5th
6. Joey Logano – A couple of top-10 finishes on the board for Logano in Dover to keep his consistent streak going. The No. 22 Team Penske squad continues to look for that next gear to up the competitiveness and get the Playoffs off to a strong start.
Driver Rating: 98.2
Point Standings: 5th
Previous Ranking: 6th
7. Aric Almirola – Nothing spectacular for Almirola in Dover who continued his summer doldrums. The Stewart-Haas Racing No. 10 team continues to search for that consistency that was so much on display in the earlier part of the season.
Driver Rating: 90.4
Point Standings: 8th
Previous Ranking: 7th
8. Alex Bowman – Not the best day in Saturday’s opener for Bowman who did rebound nicely for a top-five finish in Sunday’s second race of the Dover weekend. An encouraging sign for a team that is still looking to round into shape as the Playoffs loom.
Driver Rating: 87.8
Point Standings: 12th
Previous Ranking: 8th
9. Kyle Busch – A very solid outing on Saturday kicked off Busch’s weekend as he was part of the Joe Gibbs Racing team’s domination at the front of the field. He slipped back some in Sunday’s weekend finale after damage in an early race incident but given how things have gone of late, Busch will take the results.
Driver Rating: 90.7
Point Standings: 9th
Previous Ranking: NR
10. Ryan Blaney – A couple of so-so outings for Blaney and company at Dover. Came out of the doubleheader weekend relatively unscathed in the Playoffs picture but certainly the No. 12 team was looking for much more.
Driver Rating: 96.4
Point Standings: 6th
Previous Ranking: 10th
Dropped Out: Kurt Busch
