Tyler Reddick dominated one other NASCAR race this week, driving his method to the fourth win of the season and we’re simply six factors races into the yr. Reddick is clearly one of the best NASCAR driver proper now, so actually the query is who’s chasing behind him this season?
Let’s dive into our NASCAR energy rankings proper now, evaluating the ten greatest drivers after Darlington.
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1. Tyler Reddick (Beforehand: 1)
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The No. 45 automobile was clearly the quickest all through the weekend at Darlington Raceway. What stood out from ‘s efficiency within the Goodyear 400 was his potential to beat electrical points that required a brand new battery and dropped him to the rear of the sector, just for him to race again by the pack to achieve victory lane for the fourth time this season. It ought to come as no shock that Reddick leads the Cup Collection in common beginning place (7.33) and common ending place (4.17), whereas boasting the second-most high quality passes (664) within the sequence. With a 95-point lead over second, successful the regular-season championship feels inevitable, which might be Reddick’s second in three years.
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2. Ryan Blaney (Beforehand: 7)
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Frustration must be mounting within the No. 22 automobile. For the second time in three weeks, Ryan Blaney needed to drop to the rear of the lead-lap area as a result of his tire changer didn’t get a left wheel on securely, forcing him to pit in a teammate’s stall. As FOX famous, Blaney’s pit crew ranked thirty third among the many 36 full-time groups coming into Sunday’s Goodyear 400, and their efficiency at Darlington will presumably solely drop them additional. It’s a testomony to Blaney that he retains overcoming this, most not too long ago on Sunday with a third-place end and 42 factors. Blaney boasts a mean ending place of 5.6 within the final 5 races and has accrued 194 factors throughout that span. He’s tied for the second-most prime 10s (4) and is one among solely three drivers to document stage factors in all six races this season.
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3. Bubba Wallace (Beforehand: 4)
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It definitely will appear absurd to some for to be moved up a spot coming off a season-worst end (thirty fourth) at Darlington. Nevertheless, take a better take a look at what occurred this previous weekend. Wallace certified second within the No. 23 automobile after which completed fourth in Stage 1, positioning himself for one more top-five factors day. Sadly, through the pit cease below warning after Stage 1, the 23 group’s pit crew tousled the left-front tire change. Wallace needed to reverse again into his stall, midway by his exit, for the tire to be secured. It dropped him exterior the highest 15, and simply as he began to climb again up—showcasing the automobile’s velocity—Denny Hamlin obtained into Erik Jones after which got here up into the No. 23 automobile and it slammed into the wall. There was no actual management of the automobile after that, however Wallace nonetheless completed with the race’s quickest lap, he leads the Cup Collection in stage factors (60), and he’s tied for the second-most prime 10s.
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4. William Byron (Beforehand: 8)
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It hasn’t precisely been a banner begin to the season for Hendrick Motorsports. Nevertheless, and the No. 24 group are at the least doing their greatest to get issues again on observe. Whereas the automobile setup was clearly by no means going to be adequate to win the Goodyear 400, Byron nonetheless got here out of Darlington with a 3rd consecutive top-10 end, and he’s accrued 115 factors throughout that span. Let’s additionally remember that he was the one HMS driver to complete inside the highest 10. By means of six races, Byron ranks prime 5 in each common ending place (11.83) and common mid-race place (10.5) whereas rating seventh in stage factors (40).
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5. Denny Hamlin (Beforehand: 3)
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After three consecutive top-10 finishes, together with the win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the No. 11 automobile needed to accept an Eleventh-place end at Darlington with none stage factors. obtained fortunate that when he obtained into the again of Erik Jones, the No. 11 sustained the least quantity of injury. Nevertheless, he later reported a rattling sound coming from the automobile, and that required an prolonged pit cease to test it out. An Eleventh-place end is sufficient, and it definitely received’t harm Hamlin an excessive amount of on a day when Kyle Larson fell again. Nonetheless, Hamlin might wish to contemplate himself lucky for popping out of this with 26 factors.
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6. Ty Gibbs (Beforehand: 9)
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The recent streak continues for , and this must be an unimaginable feeling for Joe Gibbs Racing and the No. 54 group. After a tough displaying in qualifying, Gibbs overcame his Twenty eighth-place beginning place to work his approach as much as sixteenth in Stage 1 after which ninth in Stage 2. He saved climbing from there, utilizing the closing quarter of the Goodyear 400 to snag a sixth-place end, simply narrowly lacking out on making it 4 consecutive races inside the highest 5. Whereas that streak ended, JGR will fortunately take 156 factors and a 4.75 common ending place within the final 4 races after they accrued 15 mixed factors and completed twenty third or worse within the first two races.
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7. Christopher Bell (Beforehand: 2)
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No matter plan was put collectively for the No. 20 automobile at Darlington failed miserably and the in-race changes didn’t assist. It won’t have been to Joey Logano ranges, but it surely definitely felt like that contemplating how significantly better the opposite Joe Gibbs Racing automobiles fared this weekend. certified twenty second, proper forward of teammate Chase Briscoe. In Stage 1, Briscoe completed 14th and Bell was 18th. In Stage 2, Briscoe positioned fourth and Bell was 14th. Lastly, Briscoe ended the day in twelfth, whereas Bell was nineteenth. It was a large disappointment coming off three consecutive races the place the No. 20 completed fourth or higher.
8. Chase Elliott (Beforehand: 5)
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For the second time in three races, the No. 9 group discovered a method to stop from snagging a top-10 end. Elliott certified third at Darlington and he picked up 4 factors in Stage 1, however no matter calls crew chief Alan Gustafson made with the No. 9 didn’t work. Elliott needed to combat simply to complete fifteenth on Sunday, losing an impressive beginning spot. We will’t actually fault Elliott right here, but it surely additionally seems like each few weeks there’s one thing with the group that prices him.
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9. Kyle Larson (Beforehand: 6)
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appeared sturdy early at Darlington, ending fifth in Stage 1 and third in Stage 2 to safe himself the third-most stage factors (14) heading into the ultimate 50 laps of the Goodyear 400. Sadly for the No. 5 group, one thing went unsuitable once more. Sitting in Eleventh place, Larson suffered a right-rear flat within the remaining stage, and he needed to nurse it across the observe earlier than he may lastly get down into the pits. By the point the checkered flag waved, a possible top-12 end became thirty second. The problem snapped a three-race stretch of top-10 finishes and robbed him of 20-plus factors. Between the tire situation and the wreck he induced just a few weeks in the past, Larson has value himself sufficient factors that he at the moment sits tenth within the standings.
10. Brad Keselowski (Beforehand: Unranked)
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didn’t have the quickest automobile on Sunday at Darlington Raceway, however the veteran definitely made probably the most of his journey to the long-lasting observe. The No. 6 picked up its first two stage wins of the season, with each nice technique and a few lucky timing serving to him do this. He’s now positioned prime 10 in every of the final two races, and he’s obtained a pair of top-five finishes on the yr. Now headed to one among his greatest tracks, one other prime 5 might be coming for Keselowski.
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