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Power Rankings: Michigan to Sonoma
By Pat DeCola | Published: June 18, 2018 21
Cindy Gonzalez | NASCAR Digital Media
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Cindy Gonzalez | NASCAR Digital Media
Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers after the race at Michigan International Speedway and before the race at Sonoma Raceway.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: William Byron
Rank: 20
Change: NR
Comment: As a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series-only trip, Sonoma is a track Byron has never raced at in NASCAR national series competition. His most recent road-course starts (three in Xfinity Series in 2017) resulted in two top-10 finishes.
Rank: 20
Change: NR
Comment: As a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series-only trip, Sonoma is a track Byron has never raced at in NASCAR national series competition. His most recent road-course starts (three in Xfinity Series in 2017) resulted in two top-10 finishes.
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Sarah Crabill | Getty Images
Driver: Jamie McMurray
Rank: 19
Change: --
Comment: After notching a runner-up finish in his second start at Sonoma in 2004, it appeared McMurray could be set to break out as a road ringer. Not quite, as he has finished in the top 10 at the California track just twice since.
Rank: 19
Change: --
Comment: After notching a runner-up finish in his second start at Sonoma in 2004, it appeared McMurray could be set to break out as a road ringer. Not quite, as he has finished in the top 10 at the California track just twice since.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Rank: 18
Change: -2
Comment: With a best career finish of 20th at Sonoma (2015), it's unlikely Stenhouse gets back on track and picks up a good finish this weekend (he has just three top-10s on the season).
Rank: 18
Change: -2
Comment: With a best career finish of 20th at Sonoma (2015), it's unlikely Stenhouse gets back on track and picks up a good finish this weekend (he has just three top-10s on the season).
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Jerry Markland | Getty Images
Driver: Austin Dillon
Rank: 17
Change: -3
Comment: While he does have three finishes inside the top 20 (17th, 17th, 18th), much of what you just read about Stenhouse Jr. also applies to Dillon at Sonoma. He's struggled this season, and it's unlikely things get turned around at a tough track for him.
Rank: 17
Change: -3
Comment: While he does have three finishes inside the top 20 (17th, 17th, 18th), much of what you just read about Stenhouse Jr. also applies to Dillon at Sonoma. He's struggled this season, and it's unlikely things get turned around at a tough track for him.
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Jeff Zelevansky | Getty Images
Driver: Alex Bowman
Rank: 16
Change: +2
Comment: In four career road-course starts, Bowman has just an average finish of 31.2. These came in sub-optimal equipment, however, and he averaged a start of 38.5 across those races. If he was able to move up then, he could be a threat in Hendrick equipment.
Rank: 16
Change: +2
Comment: In four career road-course starts, Bowman has just an average finish of 31.2. These came in sub-optimal equipment, however, and he averaged a start of 38.5 across those races. If he was able to move up then, he could be a threat in Hendrick equipment.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: Erik Jones
Rank: 15
Change: +2
Comment: In his first two road races at the Cup level, Jones fared much better at Watkins Glen (10th) than Sonoma (25th). Especially with the extra seat time in this weekend's K&N race, it'll be interesting to see how he fares in his second Sonoma stint.
Rank: 15
Change: +2
Comment: In his first two road races at the Cup level, Jones fared much better at Watkins Glen (10th) than Sonoma (25th). Especially with the extra seat time in this weekend's K&N race, it'll be interesting to see how he fares in his second Sonoma stint.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: Paul Menard
Rank: 14
Change: +1
Comment: Menard has put together an average finish of 9.0 over his last four races, but it could be hard to keep it rolling this weekend. The veteran has just one top-10 finish in 10 Sonoma starts, though it was a top five.
Rank: 14
Change: +1
Comment: Menard has put together an average finish of 9.0 over his last four races, but it could be hard to keep it rolling this weekend. The veteran has just one top-10 finish in 10 Sonoma starts, though it was a top five.
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Jerry Markland | Getty Images
Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Rank: 13
Change: -1
Comment: While much has been made of his 2018 'slump,' Johnson is actually on pace for more top fives and top 10s and currently has a better average finish than he had a year ago. It's entirely possible the 2010 Sonoma winner lands in Victory Lane on Sunday and quiets the haters down for the millionth time in his career.
Rank: 13
Change: -1
Comment: While much has been made of his 2018 'slump,' Johnson is actually on pace for more top fives and top 10s and currently has a better average finish than he had a year ago. It's entirely possible the 2010 Sonoma winner lands in Victory Lane on Sunday and quiets the haters down for the millionth time in his career.
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Driver: Chase Elliott
Rank: 12
Change: +1
Comment: Johnson's Hendrick teammate Elliott, however, is significantly off his 2017 pace of 12 top fives and 21 top 10s (he has three and seven, respectively, in 2018.) It's a bit deceiving, though, as Elliott has four finishes of 11th or 12th and has averaged a finish of 8.43 over his last seven races.
Rank: 12
Change: +1
Comment: Johnson's Hendrick teammate Elliott, however, is significantly off his 2017 pace of 12 top fives and 21 top 10s (he has three and seven, respectively, in 2018.) It's a bit deceiving, though, as Elliott has four finishes of 11th or 12th and has averaged a finish of 8.43 over his last seven races.
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Jerry Markland | Getty Images
Driver: Aric Almirola
Rank: 11
Change: --
Comment: Almirola hasn't fared well in past road-course races, with no career top-10 finishes. He's performed tremendously better as a whole in 2018, however, and could very well be among those who surprise us at Sonoma.
Rank: 11
Change: --
Comment: Almirola hasn't fared well in past road-course races, with no career top-10 finishes. He's performed tremendously better as a whole in 2018, however, and could very well be among those who surprise us at Sonoma.
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Jeff Zelevansky | Getty Images
Driver: Denny Hamlin
Rank: 10
Change: -1
Comment: Though his history as a whole at Sonoma is ... less than favorable, Hamlin was set to win the race in 2016 before being bumped by Tony Stewart in the final turn and followed that up with a fourth-place result last year.
Rank: 10
Change: -1
Comment: Though his history as a whole at Sonoma is ... less than favorable, Hamlin was set to win the race in 2016 before being bumped by Tony Stewart in the final turn and followed that up with a fourth-place result last year.
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Jeff Zelevansky | Getty Images
Driver: Ryan Blaney
Rank: 9
Change: -2
Comment: After a pair of rough showings at Kansas and Charlotte (37th, 36th, respectively), Blaney has rebounded nicely with a pole and pair of top eights in two races since, and could show some speed on Sunday.
Rank: 9
Change: -2
Comment: After a pair of rough showings at Kansas and Charlotte (37th, 36th, respectively), Blaney has rebounded nicely with a pole and pair of top eights in two races since, and could show some speed on Sunday.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Larson
Rank: 8
Change: -4
Comment: Despite coming in as the race favorite, Larson's 28th at Michigan broke a four-race top-10 streak. If he's going to start a new one, it might come after Sonoma, where he's never finished better than 12th.
Rank: 8
Change: -4
Comment: Despite coming in as the race favorite, Larson's 28th at Michigan broke a four-race top-10 streak. If he's going to start a new one, it might come after Sonoma, where he's never finished better than 12th.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: Kurt Busch
Rank: 7
Change: +3
Comment: Busch has just one win at road courses, but he's finished in the top 10 in literally half of his 34 starts at them -- about as consistent as a driver can get at these wild-card races. He's got seven straight inside the top 12 at Sonoma.
Rank: 7
Change: +3
Comment: Busch has just one win at road courses, but he's finished in the top 10 in literally half of his 34 starts at them -- about as consistent as a driver can get at these wild-card races. He's got seven straight inside the top 12 at Sonoma.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Rank: 6
Change: --
Comment: Keselowski, riding a streak of four top-six finishes in five races, can be counted among the favorites this weekend at Sonoma. He finished third in this race last year.
Rank: 6
Change: --
Comment: Keselowski, riding a streak of four top-six finishes in five races, can be counted among the favorites this weekend at Sonoma. He finished third in this race last year.
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Jeff Zelevansky | Getty Images
Driver: Clint Bowyer
Rank: 5
Change: +3
Comment: Bowyer's win came as a bit of a surprise, as the Stewart-Haas Racing driver was mired in a stretch where he finished 12th or worse in four of five races. The former Sonoma winner should be a strong contender this weekend, however.
Rank: 5
Change: +3
Comment: Bowyer's win came as a bit of a surprise, as the Stewart-Haas Racing driver was mired in a stretch where he finished 12th or worse in four of five races. The former Sonoma winner should be a strong contender this weekend, however.
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Jeff Zelevansky | Getty Images
Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
Rank: 4
Change: -1
Comment: The defending champ has that epic win at Sonoma in 2013, but his overall stats there have been pretty crummy -- he averages a finish of 21.0. Still, do you really expect him to not be competitive?
Rank: 4
Change: -1
Comment: The defending champ has that epic win at Sonoma in 2013, but his overall stats there have been pretty crummy -- he averages a finish of 21.0. Still, do you really expect him to not be competitive?
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Joey Logano
Rank: 3
Change: +2
Comment: Among the sport's superstars, Logano may be the most underrated road racer. He's found success at both Cup-level tracks, and will be strong again on Sunday.
Rank: 3
Change: +2
Comment: Among the sport's superstars, Logano may be the most underrated road racer. He's found success at both Cup-level tracks, and will be strong again on Sunday.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Busch
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: After his first Sonoma win in 2008, Busch went on a six-race stint where he averaged a finish of 24.83. He won there again in 2015, but something tells me another subpar streak post-win ain't happening, as he's arguably the best driver in the series now and has two top-seven finishes since.
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: After his first Sonoma win in 2008, Busch went on a six-race stint where he averaged a finish of 24.83. He won there again in 2015, but something tells me another subpar streak post-win ain't happening, as he's arguably the best driver in the series now and has two top-seven finishes since.
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
Driver: Kevin Harvick
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: A sixth win of the season for Harvick very well might come this weekend. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver is the defending winner of the race, has a pair of top-six finishes in the two Sonoma races before that, and spanks the pants off his competition more often than not these days.
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: A sixth win of the season for Harvick very well might come this weekend. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver is the defending winner of the race, has a pair of top-six finishes in the two Sonoma races before that, and spanks the pants off his competition more often than not these days.