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Power Rankings: Tyler Reddick might just be getting started
By Pat DeCola | Published: August 31, 2021 17
NASCAR Digital Media
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NASCAR Digital Media
NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the 2021 NASCAR Playoffs drivers after the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway and before the Round of 16 opener at Darlington Raceway.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
16. Michael McDowell (+4)
Season-high: 10th
Season-low: Out
Comment: All right, the 2021 NASCAR Playoffs are here and McDowell is officially a driver in the postseason for the first time in his career — now what? The first big story line of the season has certainly cooled over the summer, with no top 10s since COTA. He was locked out of the top 10 at each Round of 16 track earlier this season, as well, and it's going to take a Daytona 500-like miracle for him to advance. Never say never, however.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
15. Christopher Bell (-2)
Season-high: 8th
Season-low: 16th
Comment: Bell appeared to be heading into the playoffs with a head of steam mid-summer, with four straight top eights (two of which were runner-ups) from Road America to Watkins Glen. He has had a rough go of it since, with a 27.0 average finish the last three weeks. The sophomore has yet to land in the top 10 in four Darlington starts, with a 20.8 average finish.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
14. Aric Almirola (Not ranked last week)
Season-high: 8th
Season-low: 16th
Comment: Almirola has been back to his regular self since his New Hampshire win, hovering around the top 15 for the past month — good enough to get to the playoffs, but not good enough to advance. Darlington could be interesting for him; he only has a pair of top 10s there in 12 starts, but they came in the last three races.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
13. Brad Keselowski (+2)
Season-high: 2nd
Season-low: 15th
Comment: Despite the valley Keselowski seems to be in at the moment, the potential peak could be closer than it would appear, as he has led multiple laps in four of the past five races. The 2018 Southern 500 winner has shown his capability at the South Carolina track and a win to open the playoffs in a lame-duck season would certainly make a statement.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
12. Kevin Harvick (-4)
Season-high: 1st
Season-low: 12th
Comment: There might not be a more interesting driver to follow in this year's playoffs than Harvick, who hasn't seen the top 10 since Watkins Glen and starts the postseason with zero wins after nine last year. Two of those victories came at Darlington, and what sweet irony it would be if he was the first driver locked into the Round of 12 after the season he has had.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
11. Tyler Reddick (+3)
Season-high: 10th
Season-low: Out
Comment: Reddick did everything he needed to do in order to advance, and here he is with that pressure off and three races to make some more magic happen. He's obviously a driver tailor-made to succeed at Darlington — he landed a top 10 in his first attempt last year — and it's hard to see his momentum drying up this weekend.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
10. Joey Logano (+1)
Season-high: 2nd
Season-low: 11th
Comment: Logano is currently in his worst four-race stretch since mid-2020 and appears to be a ways away from being in title consideration. Luckily for him, Darlington has been an above-average track in his Penske days, with four top fives from 2015-on.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
9. Kurt Busch (--)
Season-high: 6th
Season-low: Out
Comment: 23XI Racing sure is getting a talent in its new 2022 driver, as Busch continues to ride among the elite in NASCAR and could make some serious noise in the playoffs. He has famously only finished as a runner-up at Darlington, but it has still been a strong track for him overall, particularly the past decade.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
8. William Byron (-2)
Season-high: 3rd
Season-low: 18th
Comment: After a week back inside the top 10 at Michigan (second), Byron wrecked out at Daytona and picked up his sixth non-top 10 in eight races. He has gotten better and better the past two years at Darlington, and it wouldn't be surprising for one of the season's most consistent drivers to start the playoffs off on the right foot.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
7. Alex Bowman (+5)
Season-high: 5th
Season-low: 17th
Comment: As the most recent Richmond winner Bowman is likely targeting next weekend as his can't-miss week, but don't think he can't be competitive this weekend, too. He has a pair of top-six finishes at Darlington in the past four races, including a runner-up in NASCAR's first race back after the pandemic break.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
6. Martin Truex Jr. (+1)
Season-high: 2nd
Season-low: 10th
Comment: Since his win at Darlington in the spring, Truex has had a ton of up-and-down stretches – almost as if the team was tinkering. Take it with a grain of salt, but after that race there, we have no more regular-season tracks remaining that would appear in the playoffs. Needless to say, expect the No. 19 to look strong this weekend and quite possibly the rest of the way.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
5. Kyle Busch (--)
Season-high: 2nd
Season-low: 14th
Comment: A couple of crashes have sunk his average finish over the past month, but "Rowdy" was on fire in the mid-portion of the summer. Definitely a Championship 4 hopeful, Busch has finished second, third or seventh in six of the past seven races at Darlington.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
4. Denny Hamlin (-2)
Season-high: 1st
Season-low: 6th
Comment: There's a significant chance Hamlin, who is already averaging a career-best 9.1 average finish, also tops his previous bests in top fives (19) and (24) despite having not won yet this year. Big things should be in store these playoffs for the three-time Darlington winner.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
3. Chase Elliott (--)
Season-high: 1st
Season-low: 10th
Comment: It feels extremely unlikely Elliott will finish the season with just two wins, so it's probable he'll take a trip or two (or three?) to Victory Lane over the next 10 weeks. A Southern 500 victory to open the postseason feels like something a championship-caliber driver would do, and he led 114 laps in this race last year.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
2. Ryan Blaney (+2)
Season-high: 4th
Season-low: 15th
Comment: Could we be looking at a "Young Ryan Blaney" vs. "Yung Money" race to the title? Quite possibly, as Blaney has looked every bit the part lately. Darlington offers a good heat check for him, as he has just one top 10 there in nine starts (though it did come this spring).
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
1. Kyle Larson (--)
Season-high: 1st
Season-low: 14th
Comment: Just 10 races stand between the season's best driver and his first NASCAR championship, and it's going to be difficult for his peers to prevent him from getting to the Championship 4. With a pair of runner-ups and a third-place result in his last three Darlington races, he's looking good to potentially start the playoffs with his series-leading sixth victory of 2021.