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eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Power Rankings, Race 3: It’s Bristol, baby
By Steve Luvender, @nascarcasm and Pat DeCola | Published: April 1, 2020 23
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NASCAR.com's expert panel of analysts* breaks down what’s in store Sunday at the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway for the third race of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.
Rankings were calculated using our patent-pending algorithm** from Pat DeCola (the usual NASCAR.com Power Rankings maven), Steve Luvender (the esports guy) and @nascarcasm -- because why not?
*They insisted we call them expert analysts; there’s really only one expert.
**We pretty much just averaged all our individual ratings together to make one mega-rating.
Rankings were calculated using our patent-pending algorithm** from Pat DeCola (the usual NASCAR.com Power Rankings maven), Steve Luvender (the esports guy) and @nascarcasm -- because why not?
*They insisted we call them expert analysts; there’s really only one expert.
**We pretty much just averaged all our individual ratings together to make one mega-rating.
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So close
Kurt Busch and Daniel Suarez came close to cracking our top 20, but they’ll need a little more time to wow us first. Busch, you’re doing great. Keep it up. Suarez, keep the dog away from the computer and Ty Dillon, and you’ll get there in no time.
Kurt Busch and Daniel Suarez came close to cracking our top 20, but they’ll need a little more time to wow us first. Busch, you’re doing great. Keep it up. Suarez, keep the dog away from the computer and Ty Dillon, and you’ll get there in no time.
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Jimmie Johnson
Rank: 20 (tie)
Change: Previously not ranked
STEVE LUVENDER: Everybody knew 2020 would actually be Jimmie Johnson’s rookie season. Like any rookie, Johnson has been improving week by week. He didn’t make the highlight reel from causing a crash at virtual Texas Motor Speedway, which, at this stage, is basically a win for "Seven-Time."
Rank: 20 (tie)
Change: Previously not ranked
STEVE LUVENDER: Everybody knew 2020 would actually be Jimmie Johnson’s rookie season. Like any rookie, Johnson has been improving week by week. He didn’t make the highlight reel from causing a crash at virtual Texas Motor Speedway, which, at this stage, is basically a win for "Seven-Time."
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Kyle Busch
Rank: 20 (tie)
Change: Previously not ranked
PAT DeCOLA: Kyle Busch hasn't exactly set the world on fire thus far, two races into the Pro Invitational Series -- Sunday's 17th-place result was a marked improvement over a week ago at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway (29th). He has something going for him, however, that no other driver in the series can boast: He's Kyle (expletive) Busch, and that counts for something.
Rank: 20 (tie)
Change: Previously not ranked
PAT DeCOLA: Kyle Busch hasn't exactly set the world on fire thus far, two races into the Pro Invitational Series -- Sunday's 17th-place result was a marked improvement over a week ago at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway (29th). He has something going for him, however, that no other driver in the series can boast: He's Kyle (expletive) Busch, and that counts for something.
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Ty Dillon
Rank: 19
Change: Previously not ranked
@NASCARCASM: Ty Dillon will forever be the driver who helped prove the following theory: “Daniel Suarez is much better at exacting revenge outside of the car than in the car.” Take note, Michael McDowell. While real-life Bristol has not been that polite to Dillon, iBristol could be where he finally breaks into the top 10.
Rank: 19
Change: Previously not ranked
@NASCARCASM: Ty Dillon will forever be the driver who helped prove the following theory: “Daniel Suarez is much better at exacting revenge outside of the car than in the car.” Take note, Michael McDowell. While real-life Bristol has not been that polite to Dillon, iBristol could be where he finally breaks into the top 10.
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Kyle Larson
Rank: 18
Change: Previously not ranked
STEVE LUVENDER: Kyle Larson marched his way through the field in Texas to finish in the top 10 after starting 27th -- solid day. Larson was probably the only competitor who had a backup driver on standby, considering everybody’s favorite substitute Regan Smith was reporting from Larson’s shop Sunday.
Rank: 18
Change: Previously not ranked
STEVE LUVENDER: Kyle Larson marched his way through the field in Texas to finish in the top 10 after starting 27th -- solid day. Larson was probably the only competitor who had a backup driver on standby, considering everybody’s favorite substitute Regan Smith was reporting from Larson’s shop Sunday.
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Erik Jones
Rank: 17
Change: +2
PAT DeCOLA: Erik Jones couldn't back up his top-10 finish from a week ago, but he still hung around the top 20 and higher before settling for a 21st-place finish at Texas. Jones led 260 laps en route to a runner-up finish at Bristol in his rookie year -- he could make some noise this weekend.
Rank: 17
Change: +2
PAT DeCOLA: Erik Jones couldn't back up his top-10 finish from a week ago, but he still hung around the top 20 and higher before settling for a 21st-place finish at Texas. Jones led 260 laps en route to a runner-up finish at Bristol in his rookie year -- he could make some noise this weekend.
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Ross Chastain
Rank: 16
Change: -3
@NASCARCASM: Ross Chastain had a big equipment change this week, switching from the full rig he used in the previous race to a simpler, wheel-and-laptop-on-a-desk setup that can now be described with the brand-new adjective, “Majeski-esque.” Texas wasn’t as kind to him as Homestead, but could Bristol be where we finally see the virtual watermelon get smashed?
Rank: 16
Change: -3
@NASCARCASM: Ross Chastain had a big equipment change this week, switching from the full rig he used in the previous race to a simpler, wheel-and-laptop-on-a-desk setup that can now be described with the brand-new adjective, “Majeski-esque.” Texas wasn’t as kind to him as Homestead, but could Bristol be where we finally see the virtual watermelon get smashed?
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Rank: 15
Change: -8
STEVE LUVENDER: Bubba Wallace didn’t spin Chase Elliott this week, which bums us out since we could have had a fun story line. Luckily, we head to Bristol, where there are plenty of opportunities to use the bumper.
Change: -8
STEVE LUVENDER: Bubba Wallace didn’t spin Chase Elliott this week, which bums us out since we could have had a fun story line. Luckily, we head to Bristol, where there are plenty of opportunities to use the bumper.
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Bobby Labonte
Rank: 14
Change: Previously not ranked
PAT DeCOLA: We love everything Bobby Labonte is doing these days (getting elected to the Hall of Fame, iRacing, lip-syncing Rob Thomas while donning a cabana hat, etc.). We don't love, however, his history at real-world Bristol, where he was 0-for-42 with an average finish of 21.5 over his legendary career.
Rank: 14
Change: Previously not ranked
PAT DeCOLA: We love everything Bobby Labonte is doing these days (getting elected to the Hall of Fame, iRacing, lip-syncing Rob Thomas while donning a cabana hat, etc.). We don't love, however, his history at real-world Bristol, where he was 0-for-42 with an average finish of 21.5 over his legendary career.
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Christopher Bell
Rank: 13
Change: +2
@NASCARCASM: Christopher Bell has had a somewhat inauspicious start to the series, finishing 26th at Homestead and a dismal 34th at Texas. But being the true racer he is, he hopped back on iRacing to run a dirt race later that evening. We respect that. And respect leads to being included on this list, dang it.
Rank: 13
Change: +2
@NASCARCASM: Christopher Bell has had a somewhat inauspicious start to the series, finishing 26th at Homestead and a dismal 34th at Texas. But being the true racer he is, he hopped back on iRacing to run a dirt race later that evening. We respect that. And respect leads to being included on this list, dang it.
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John Hunter Nemechek
Rank: 12
Change: Previously not ranked
STEVE LUVENDER: What a breakout race Texas was for John Hunter Nemechek -- leading 10 laps, mixing it up with the top dogs and sliding into pit road like he was trying to score a stunt-point bonus. We clearly underestimated JHN.
Rank: 12
Change: Previously not ranked
STEVE LUVENDER: What a breakout race Texas was for John Hunter Nemechek -- leading 10 laps, mixing it up with the top dogs and sliding into pit road like he was trying to score a stunt-point bonus. We clearly underestimated JHN.
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Clint Bowyer
Rank: 11
Change: +5
PAT DeCOLA: A consistent presence in the top 15 and, more importantly, a consistent presence on the in-race microphone, Bowyer isn't content to just crack jokes when he's behind the wheel. Even going so far as to fire Jeff Gordon as his spotter mid-race, Bowyer is taking this seriously, and we expect him to be a regular among the top 10.
Rank: 11
Change: +5
PAT DeCOLA: A consistent presence in the top 15 and, more importantly, a consistent presence on the in-race microphone, Bowyer isn't content to just crack jokes when he's behind the wheel. Even going so far as to fire Jeff Gordon as his spotter mid-race, Bowyer is taking this seriously, and we expect him to be a regular among the top 10.
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Parker Kligerman
Rank: 10
Change: -2
@NASCARCASM: He hasn’t reached Victory Lane yet, but TV’s Parker Kligerman is a steady hand. He finished 12th at Texas and 13th the previous week at Homestead. He also has a charming, boy-next-door demeanor and made-for-TV looks. And yes, Parker sent me $20 on Venmo to write his entry like this.
Rank: 10
Change: -2
@NASCARCASM: He hasn’t reached Victory Lane yet, but TV’s Parker Kligerman is a steady hand. He finished 12th at Texas and 13th the previous week at Homestead. He also has a charming, boy-next-door demeanor and made-for-TV looks. And yes, Parker sent me $20 on Venmo to write his entry like this.
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Matt DiBenedetto
Rank: 9
Change: +1
STEVE LUVENDER: A 15th-place finish sounds pretty ordinary until you realize it’s actually an impressive feat: Guido scored the highest-recorded finish of any driver competing in a NASCAR-sanctioned race in his underwear. And you can quote me on that.
Rank: 9
Change: +1
STEVE LUVENDER: A 15th-place finish sounds pretty ordinary until you realize it’s actually an impressive feat: Guido scored the highest-recorded finish of any driver competing in a NASCAR-sanctioned race in his underwear. And you can quote me on that.
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Landon Cassill
Rank: 8
Change: +4
PAT DeCOLA: Landon Cassill had a heck of a run at Texas this week, landing the top four with some iRacing heavyweights. He has yet to score a top 10 at Bristol in real life but does seem to have a reasonable handle on the track. The last four times out, he averaged a start of 32.75 (driving the No. 00 Chevrolet) and an average finish of 24.0, bettering his position in each.
Rank: 8
Change: +4
PAT DeCOLA: Landon Cassill had a heck of a run at Texas this week, landing the top four with some iRacing heavyweights. He has yet to score a top 10 at Bristol in real life but does seem to have a reasonable handle on the track. The last four times out, he averaged a start of 32.75 (driving the No. 00 Chevrolet) and an average finish of 24.0, bettering his position in each.
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William Byron
Rank: 7
Change: +2
@NASCARCASM: If not for a bump-and-run by eventual winner Timmy Hill, William Byron would have won. He’d be wearing the cowboy hat and would sort of resemble that kid who got famous for yodeling in Walmart. But Byron is a threat in every iRacing event (it’s kind of his thing) and, that incident aside, had a much better race than the previous week at Homestead.
Rank: 7
Change: +2
@NASCARCASM: If not for a bump-and-run by eventual winner Timmy Hill, William Byron would have won. He’d be wearing the cowboy hat and would sort of resemble that kid who got famous for yodeling in Walmart. But Byron is a threat in every iRacing event (it’s kind of his thing) and, that incident aside, had a much better race than the previous week at Homestead.
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Alex Bowman
Rank: 6
Change: +8
STEVE LUVENDER: The driver who has clearly never heard of the dangers of texting and driving somehow continues to score solid finishes despite tweeting through the entirety of each Pro Invitational Series race — probably even through green-flag runs.
Rank: 6
Change: +8
STEVE LUVENDER: The driver who has clearly never heard of the dangers of texting and driving somehow continues to score solid finishes despite tweeting through the entirety of each Pro Invitational Series race — probably even through green-flag runs.
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Denny Hamlin
Rank: 5
Change: -4
PAT DeCOLA: It's going to be super interesting to see how Hamlin does Sunday. On one hand, he's arguably the best veteran Cup driver at iRacing, but on the other, the short-track ace has been hit or miss at Bristol in his 28 starts there. And on the other, he's the most recent Bristol winner, from the pole. Wait, how many hands do I have?
Rank: 5
Change: -4
PAT DeCOLA: It's going to be super interesting to see how Hamlin does Sunday. On one hand, he's arguably the best veteran Cup driver at iRacing, but on the other, the short-track ace has been hit or miss at Bristol in his 28 starts there. And on the other, he's the most recent Bristol winner, from the pole. Wait, how many hands do I have?
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Ryan Preece
Rank: 4
Change: +7
@NASCARCASM: Timmy Hill beat Ryan Preece to the line by less than a car length, but it was the image of him sailing through the infield grass at high speed and then managing to save the car as he flew into Turn 1 that had us all gobsmacked. Picture that scene in “Christmas Vacation” when Clark Griswold greases up his sled, but with a race car. It was like that.
Rank: 4
Change: +7
@NASCARCASM: Timmy Hill beat Ryan Preece to the line by less than a car length, but it was the image of him sailing through the infield grass at high speed and then managing to save the car as he flew into Turn 1 that had us all gobsmacked. Picture that scene in “Christmas Vacation” when Clark Griswold greases up his sled, but with a race car. It was like that.
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Garrett Smithley
Rank: 3
Change: +1
STEVE LUVENDER: It's well-documented 2020 is the year of the repdigit -- only cars with repeating numbers have won races (11, 22, 66 and 88) -- and while Garrett Smithley's No. 51, his first name includes two sets of repeating letters, so it'll still count toward the repeating-digits figure once he finally wins one of these things.
Rank: 3
Change: +1
STEVE LUVENDER: It's well-documented 2020 is the year of the repdigit -- only cars with repeating numbers have won races (11, 22, 66 and 88) -- and while Garrett Smithley's No. 51, his first name includes two sets of repeating letters, so it'll still count toward the repeating-digits figure once he finally wins one of these things.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Rank: 2
Change: +1
PAT DeCOLA: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has led double-digit laps in each of the first two races thus far, notching a pair of top-six finishes in the process. Earnhardt's last win at Bristol was in 2004, though he did net a runner-up finish in 2016. We fully expect him to be a contender at the track he gave its tagline to, though.
Rank: 2
Change: +1
PAT DeCOLA: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has led double-digit laps in each of the first two races thus far, notching a pair of top-six finishes in the process. Earnhardt's last win at Bristol was in 2004, though he did net a runner-up finish in 2016. We fully expect him to be a contender at the track he gave its tagline to, though.
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Timmy Hill
Rank: 1
Change: +1
@NASCARCASM: The InTimmydator (we’re using that nickname from here on out) continues to dominate in the Pro Invitational Series. This week’s big victory in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 125 is mere evidence of what we already knew – Timmy Hill ... er, the InTimmydator will likely be one of the cars to beat in any iRacing event, no matter how old the steering wheel.
Rank: 1
Change: +1
@NASCARCASM: The InTimmydator (we’re using that nickname from here on out) continues to dominate in the Pro Invitational Series. This week’s big victory in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 125 is mere evidence of what we already knew – Timmy Hill ... er, the InTimmydator will likely be one of the cars to beat in any iRacing event, no matter how old the steering wheel.