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Power Rankings: RCR back on the horse after Dillon, Reddick tame Texas rodeo
By Pat DeCola | Published: July 21, 2020 21
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20. Cole Custer (-2)
Comment: The rookie 2020 winner was unable to follow up his landmark victory at Kentucky and might have a rough go of it again this week. In four Xfinity Series starts at Kansas, Custer was held out of the top 10 in each.
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19. Bubba Wallace (NR)
Comment: Wallace has surprised us in many ways in 2020, much of which has been with his consistent finishes in the top 20. He may struggle to make that happen again this week at Kansas, where he finished 23rd in his first race and has placed subsequently worse in his four starts.
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18. William Byron (-4)
Comment: Kansas could mark a sneaky source of momentum for Byron at a much-needed time. He's led laps in the two races there he hasn't retired from and placed P5 last fall.
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17. Erik Jones (+2)
Comment: We still get the feeling Kansas, the site of Jones' first Cup start in 2015, will be a good source of production throughout his career. He has four straight top-seven finishes there, and sure could use another one this week.
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16. Jimmie Johnson (--)
Comment: Surely with this much bad luck accumulated in 2020, Johnson's tide will turn soon, right? Perhaps Kansas will be the place, where he last won in 2015 and owns the most top fives in the series with nine.
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15. Tyler Reddick (--)
Comment: How does Reddick follow up his Texas runner-up finish, you ask? Well, how about a win at Kansas? It could happen -- he's shown he's capable this year, and picked up a top 10 there last year in literally just his second career Cup start.
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14. Austin Dillon (+3)
Comment: Sunday's winner at Texas should have a solid chance to keep it rolling on Thursday. Though he has just three top 10s in 13 Kansas starts, he's been consistently decent with a 13.375 average finish over his last eight races there.
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13. Alex Bowman (-3)
Comment: Bowman needs a turnaround race in a hurry, with just two top 10s in his last seven races and just five overall in 2020. Last year's runner-up also led 63 laps in that race and could use this week as a stepping stone as he prepares for the playoffs.
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12. Clint Bowyer (+1)
Comment: Hey, did you know Bowyer is from Kansas and has never won there? You did? Okay, well, did you know he's finished in the top 10 there for two races in a row for the first time since 2012-13? Now you do, and this week could be the week.
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11. Matt DiBenedetto (+1)
Comment: It still seems like more likely than not that DiBenedetto could pick up his first Cup Series win this year, but he's running out of time and Kansas doesn't line up as the spot. He has no top 10s there and a 25.9 average finish.
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10. Kyle Busch (+1)
Comment: Busch's former Kansas woes firmly cemented in the past, the 2016 spring winner has finished in the top 10 there in nine of the last 10 contests.
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9. Kurt Busch (--)
Comment: Busch has the most winless starts at Kansas (28) but don't be so quick to write him off this weekend. He's been a consistent presence in the top 10 in 2020 and has four top-eight Kansas finishes in his last five races, including a 2017 runner-up.
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8. Aric Almirola (--)
Comment: Kansas might be the place where Almirola's hot streak finally sputters out for a bit. In 16 career starts there, he's yet to land a top five and was shut out of the top 10 completely last year.
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7. Martin Truex Jr. (-2)
Comment: Alright, so the Truex run I predicted starting last week at Texas didn't quite materialize due to a late wreck, but how about at Kansas? Truex put on a clinic there in the not-too-distant past when he swept both races in 2017 en route to a title.
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6. Chase Elliott (--)
Comment: It's been a frustrating summer for Elliott, who owns just one top 10 and an average finish of 18.83 over his last six races. Perhaps he can spark things again at Kansas, where he picked up a runner-up last fall and won in 2018.
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5. Joey Logano (+2)
Comment: Logano finally picked up his first top five since Martinsville Sunday at Texas, and there's a shot for him to keep it going on Thursday. The recent results have been hit or miss there, but the 2018 champ won at the midwest track in back to back years from 2014-15.
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4. Ryan Blaney (--)
Comment: Blaney continues to be snakebitten despite a seventh-placer at Texas and it might not be the week he turns things around. He'll likely have speed at Kansas, but has had similar bad luck there in recent years with three finishes outside the top 20 in the last four.
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3. Brad Keselowski (--)
Comment: Keselowski is on a top-10 tear, with just two finishes outside since a 13th-place result in NASCAR's first race back after the pause. He's the defending spring race winner at Kansas, so there's little reason to think he won't notch another one on Thursday.
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2. Denny Hamlin (--)
Comment: From Homestead to Pocono, Hamlin picked up two wins and averaged a finish of 2.0. In the three races since, he's averaged a finish of 20.0. Look for last fall's Kansas winner and one of the best in 2020 to buck that trend Thursday.
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1. Kevin Harvick (--)
Comment: In the midst of one of his classic Harvick runs of dominance, the current title favorite is looking like Thursday's race favorite as well. Tied for the most Kansas wins (three) among active drivers, the 2018 spring winner has a sterling 9.8 average finish in 28 races there.
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NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 NASCAR Cup Series drivers after the race at Texas and ahead of Thursday's race at Kansas.