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Power Rankings: All-Star Race to Coca-Cola 600
By Pat DeCola | Published: May 21, 2019 21
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NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers after the All-Star Race and before the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
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Sarah Crabill | Getty Images
Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Rank: 20
Change: --
Comment: Stenhouse has just one top 10 at Charlotte, but he has increased his finishing position over the past four races from 20th, to 15th, to 13th to 10th in last year's running of the Coca-Cola 600.
Rank: 20
Change: --
Comment: Stenhouse has just one top 10 at Charlotte, but he has increased his finishing position over the past four races from 20th, to 15th, to 13th to 10th in last year's running of the Coca-Cola 600.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Driver: William Byron
Rank: 19
Change: --
Comment: Byron has just one Cup start on Charlotte's traditional layout, finishing 39th after a crash in last year's 600. Nowhere to go but up at a track where Hendrick typically excels.
Rank: 19
Change: --
Comment: Byron has just one Cup start on Charlotte's traditional layout, finishing 39th after a crash in last year's 600. Nowhere to go but up at a track where Hendrick typically excels.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Driver: Ryan Newman
Rank: 18
Change: --
Comment: Though he owns 15 top 10s (fifth-most) and a series-best nine poles, Newman has been hit-or-miss at Charlotte. He's 0-for-35 and owns an 18.2 average finish.
Rank: 18
Change: --
Comment: Though he owns 15 top 10s (fifth-most) and a series-best nine poles, Newman has been hit-or-miss at Charlotte. He's 0-for-35 and owns an 18.2 average finish.
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Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Rank: 17
Change: -1
Comment: The only driver with 20 or more top 10s at Charlotte -- and the series leader with eight wins -- piled up most of his numbers back in the championship days. Still, Johnson has put together a 6.6 average finish over his last five races there.
Rank: 17
Change: -1
Comment: The only driver with 20 or more top 10s at Charlotte -- and the series leader with eight wins -- piled up most of his numbers back in the championship days. Still, Johnson has put together a 6.6 average finish over his last five races there.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Driver: Austin Dillon
Rank: 16
Change: +1
Comment: Though you can never count out a former 600 winner, Dillon's victory was more the exception than the norm at Charlotte for him. He led just two laps in that race (Martin Truex Jr. led 233) and it's one of just two top 10s in nine starts.
Rank: 16
Change: +1
Comment: Though you can never count out a former 600 winner, Dillon's victory was more the exception than the norm at Charlotte for him. He led just two laps in that race (Martin Truex Jr. led 233) and it's one of just two top 10s in nine starts.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Erik Jones
Rank: 15
Change: -2
Comment: Jones started fifth and finished seventh in his first Charlotte start. He's earned results of 17th and 19th in two since, and Sunday might not be his best shot at gaining momentum.
Rank: 15
Change: -2
Comment: Jones started fifth and finished seventh in his first Charlotte start. He's earned results of 17th and 19th in two since, and Sunday might not be his best shot at gaining momentum.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Daniel Suarez
Rank: 14
Change: --
Comment: Though Suarez has no top 10s in the 600 yet, his 10.7 average finish through three Charlotte tri-oval starts is best in the series.
Rank: 14
Change: --
Comment: Though Suarez has no top 10s in the 600 yet, his 10.7 average finish through three Charlotte tri-oval starts is best in the series.
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Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
Driver: Ryan Blaney
Rank: 13
Change: -1
Comment: If only every race could be run on the Roval, Blaney would be a happy man. Though he's the most recent winner at the track, he hasn't had much luck on the traditional layout, with just one top 10 in seven starts and none in the 600.
Rank: 13
Change: -1
Comment: If only every race could be run on the Roval, Blaney would be a happy man. Though he's the most recent winner at the track, he hasn't had much luck on the traditional layout, with just one top 10 in seven starts and none in the 600.
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Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Larson
Rank: 12
Change: +3
Comment: Despite his first 600 top 10 coming last year, Larson probably wouldn't have been looked at as a possibility to win this weekend. That all changed after his thrilling All-Star Race victory.
Rank: 12
Change: +3
Comment: Despite his first 600 top 10 coming last year, Larson probably wouldn't have been looked at as a possibility to win this weekend. That all changed after his thrilling All-Star Race victory.
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Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
Driver: Alex Bowman
Rank: 11
Change: -1
Comment: After starting on the front row but finishing 39th after a crash in his first Charlotte race in the No. 88 in 2016 filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bowman redeemed himself in last year's 600 with his first top 10 in six starts.
Rank: 11
Change: -1
Comment: After starting on the front row but finishing 39th after a crash in his first Charlotte race in the No. 88 in 2016 filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bowman redeemed himself in last year's 600 with his first top 10 in six starts.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Driver: Aric Almirola
Rank: 10
Change: +1
Comment: Almirola earned the pole in his first-ever Charlotte race, the 2012 Coca-Cola 600. It's been mostly downhill from there, with just one top 10 (2015 fall race) in 12 starts.
Rank: 10
Change: +1
Comment: Almirola earned the pole in his first-ever Charlotte race, the 2012 Coca-Cola 600. It's been mostly downhill from there, with just one top 10 (2015 fall race) in 12 starts.
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Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
Driver: Clint Bowyer
Rank: 9
Change: --
Comment: Bowyer won at Charlotte in the thick of a title hunt in 2012. He followed that up with an eighth-place finish in the 2013 Coca-Cola 600 and hasn't seen the top 10 since.
Rank: 9
Change: --
Comment: Bowyer won at Charlotte in the thick of a title hunt in 2012. He followed that up with an eighth-place finish in the 2013 Coca-Cola 600 and hasn't seen the top 10 since.
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Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
Driver: Kurt Busch
Rank: 8
Change: --
Comment: Busch did win the 2010 version of this race, but it's his only trip to Victory Lane in 36 tries. He does have six top 10s in his last seven starts, however.
Rank: 8
Change: --
Comment: Busch did win the 2010 version of this race, but it's his only trip to Victory Lane in 36 tries. He does have six top 10s in his last seven starts, however.
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Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
Driver: Denny Hamlin
Rank: 7
Change: --
Comment: Look past Hamlin's lack of victories at Charlotte -- he's arguably been the most consistent driver there this decade. Fourteen of his last 16 races have resulted in a top 10, and one of the ones he didn't was due to an engine issue.
Rank: 7
Change: --
Comment: Look past Hamlin's lack of victories at Charlotte -- he's arguably been the most consistent driver there this decade. Fourteen of his last 16 races have resulted in a top 10, and one of the ones he didn't was due to an engine issue.
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Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
Rank: 6
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Comment: As consistent as Hamlin has been, Truex has been even more dominant of late there. We all know what he did in the 2016 running of this race, and he nearly won it in '17 before landing in Victory Lane that fall. He's the favorite.
Rank: 6
Change: --
Comment: As consistent as Hamlin has been, Truex has been even more dominant of late there. We all know what he did in the 2016 running of this race, and he nearly won it in '17 before landing in Victory Lane that fall. He's the favorite.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Chase Elliott
Rank: 5
Change: --
Comment: Though he does have a runner-up at Charlotte (fall 2017), his best race was actually one in which he crashed. Elliott led 103 laps after starting third in his rookie season but wrecked out. If he can keep it clean on Sunday, he could be a threat.
Rank: 5
Change: --
Comment: Though he does have a runner-up at Charlotte (fall 2017), his best race was actually one in which he crashed. Elliott led 103 laps after starting third in his rookie season but wrecked out. If he can keep it clean on Sunday, he could be a threat.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Rank: 4
Change: -1
Comment: Though Keselowski's only Charlotte win came in the fall race -- while he was out of the playoffs -- five of his eight top 10s came in the 600.
Rank: 4
Change: -1
Comment: Though Keselowski's only Charlotte win came in the fall race -- while he was out of the playoffs -- five of his eight top 10s came in the 600.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Driver: Kevin Harvick
Rank: 3
Change: +1
Comment: Harvick is among the favorites on Sunday, with two of his three Charlotte wins coming in the 600. He crashed out last year -- his first 600 finish outside the top 10 since an 11th place in 2010.
Rank: 3
Change: +1
Comment: Harvick is among the favorites on Sunday, with two of his three Charlotte wins coming in the 600. He crashed out last year -- his first 600 finish outside the top 10 since an 11th place in 2010.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Joey Logano
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: Logano has some very un-Logano-like recent history at Charlotte, with four straight finishes outside the top 20. He did start on the front row in this race last year, though.
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: Logano has some very un-Logano-like recent history at Charlotte, with four straight finishes outside the top 20. He did start on the front row in this race last year, though.
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Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Busch
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: The defending winner from the pole also has 12 top fives at Charlotte, second only to Jimmie Johnson. There's no reason to think Busch won't be battling for the win on Sunday.
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: The defending winner from the pole also has 12 top fives at Charlotte, second only to Jimmie Johnson. There's no reason to think Busch won't be battling for the win on Sunday.