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Power Rankings: Next Gen era is here – who will flex first?
By Pat DeCola | Published: February 15, 2022 21
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NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 NASCAR Cup Series drivers after the preseason exhibition Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum and before the 2022 Daytona 500 (Sun., 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
20. Justin Haley (Not ranked)
Season-high: 20
Season-low: 20
Comment: There were several big story lines to come out of The Clash, and Haley was near the top of them. His stock is rising quickly and it's looking like Kaulig isn't going to be in the "just happy to be here" camp in Cup this season — it's here to compete, and Haley is its flagship driver.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
19. Erik Jones (+3)
Season-high: 19
Season-low: 19
Comment: It's early, but the Petty/GMS partnership appears to be one that will rejuvenate the historic No. 43 franchise (with another strong offering in Ty Dillon's No. 42). Jones, who finished fourth in The Clash, is still young but nearing veteran territory with his resume, and he could be the driver Petty/GMS builds itself around for the next decade-plus.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
18. Bubba Wallace ( +3)
Season-high: 18
Season-low: 18
Comment: The Clash itself didn't go particularly well for Wallace, but he was sporty enough to race his way in earlier in the day. With his first win under his belt, it'll be interesting to see if the next ones come more easily — and if they come in time to earn him a playoff nod. Wallace is certainly a driver on the rise we'll hear a lot from this year.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
17. Austin Cindric (-2)
Season-high: 17
Season-low: 17
Comment: Cindric's debut behind the wheel of the No. 2 machine probably could have gone better — he missed the cut for The Clash — but I'm sure he appreciated the chance to get his first race in that car out of the way to focus his attention fully on Daytona. After all, he won the Xfinity Series opener there last year and there'd be no better way to officially mark his tenure in his new ride than with a Daytona 500 win.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
16. Brad Keselowski (-2)
Season-high: 16
Season-low: 16
Comment: As for the former driver of the No. 2, the Clash was a bit concerning, with both Keselowski and teammate Chris Buescher missing the cut for the main event. Not exactly the start to the RFK Racing era the 2012 champ was looking for, but on the bright side there's plenty of time to figure things out.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
15. Kurt Busch (-3)
Season-high: 15
Season-low: 15
Comment: Busch had an early exit at the LA Coliseum after damage took him out of contention to make The Clash's main event. No concerns here, though, as 23XI is still primed for big things in 2022 and Busch has the talent — and perhaps a car — capable of making a title run.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
14. Chase Briscoe (+5)
Season-high: 14
Season-low: 14
Comment: While his teammate Cole Custer finished seventh in The Clash and should have his spots to shine in 2022, Briscoe is on my radar as a prime breakout candidate if SHR fixes its performance issues from a season ago. We've yet to see this all-around wheelman scratch the surface of his potential at the Cup level and it could come in a big way this season.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
13. Christopher Bell (--)
Season-high: 13
Season-low: 13
Comment: Bell enters his third season at the Cup level and all indications point to Round-of-8-or-deeper potential. A top 10 in LA could be a sign of things to come for a driver who we saw win early last year, too.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
12. Austin Dillon (+4)
Season-high: 12
Season-low: 12
Comment: It seems evident there will be a lot of movement and shakeup among those who hold the power in the Cup Series with the dawn of the Next Gen and Dillon feels like one of the most likely drivers to see a significant uptick this year. His third-place run at The Clash could be foreshadowing and the No. 3 might wind up being a powerhouse once again.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
11. Alex Bowman (-1)
Season-high: 11
Season-low: 11
Comment: Bowman was largely the same driver from 2020-21, actually leading fewer laps last season than he did the season before, but there was one main difference — he learned to close. If the four-time 2021 winner can learn to dominate races from the get-go in 2022, he could put up numbers to a certain other driver under his team's roof and perhaps make a Championship 4 run.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
10. William Byron (-1)
Season-high: 10
Season-low: 10
Comment: In a season full of potential breakouts, we would be remiss not to mention Byron. Given he's close to toppling 150 Cup starts and has been remarkably solid for three straight years, it's a surprise he has just two wins to his name. Seems likely he'll at least double that in 2022.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
9. Ryan Blaney (-3)
Season-high: 9
Season-low: 9
Comment: Blaney is insanely consistent -- really ... go look up his stats -- he has finished in the top 10 in points for five straight seasons. Still just 28, he's been on the cusp of full superstardom, performance-wise, for years now and this season might be his best shot to take command of the series. He'll almost definitely finish the season higher than where he in these preseason rankings.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
8. Tyler Reddick (+3)
Season-high: 8
Season-low: 8
Comment: It's only a matter of when, right? Reddick is destined to become a major player in the Cup Series and given how he looked at The Clash, his timeline appears imminent. A prime contender outside of the Gibbs/Hendrick/Penske/SHR quartet will add some spice to the mix, especially one as fun as Reddick.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
7. Kevin Harvick (-2)
Season-high: 7
Season-low: 7
Comment: Harvick is now officially closer to 50 than he is 40, but no matter — he's still likely to be a contender for wins and the Championship 4 this year, with perhaps the best crew chief in the garage calling the shots. SHR appears to be reinvigorated after a truly head-scratching 2021 season. With the 2014 champ in late-stage career mode and entering his third decade in the series, expect him to drive with plenty of aggression and little patience. We're here for it.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
6. Martin Truex Jr. (-2)
Season-high: 6
Season-low: 6
Comment: I'm still not sure enough people realize how close we were to "four-time Cup champ Martin Truex Jr," who now has three runner-up finishes and a title in the past five seasons alone. He's certainly a lock for the Hall of Fame one day and should have several years left to pad his resume if he wants it — two titles and 40-plus wins would seem fitting for the long-time Cup presence.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
5. Denny Hamlin (-2)
Season-high: 5
Season-low: 5
Comment: I would not be surprised if this is as low as we see Denny Hamlin all season. Unless things were to go catastrophically awry, 2022 should see Hamlin have a shot at five-plus wins, a Championship 4 appearance and perhaps a couple wins as an owner. Easier said than done, but he's settled in nicely as one of NASCAR's perennial elites.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
4. Kyle Busch (+4)
Season-high: 4
Season-low: 4
Comment: We haven't seen a long stretch of domination from Busch over the past few seasons like we're used to, but that might all be about to change. I've had a sneaking suspicion the two-time champ would be among those to get a handle on the Next Gen sooner rather than later, so we could see his wins come early and often in 2022. He looked super strong at The Clash and a third championship could be in play this year.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
3. Joey Logano (+4)
Season-high: 3
Season-low: 3
Comment: Most of what I mentioned about Busch can also be said about Logano, and it's no surprise we saw The Clash come down to a race between those two. A season of volleys between the former teammates and two of NASCAR's most polarizing, talented drivers would be must-watch TV. It would not shock me to see them both wind up in the Championship 4.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
2. Chase Elliott (--)
Season-high: 2
Season-low: 2
Comment: There's not much else to say about Elliott than this: he gets better year over year, he drives for a perennial powerhouse organization with the best resources and executives with a boatload of championships of their own and is the most popular driver in the sport. I'm not sure a competitor could ask for a better situation to enter a season in, and he'll definitely have an impact on the championship picture.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
1. Kyle Larson (--)
Season-high: 1
Season-low: 1
Comment: Then again, a driver would probably rather enter a season as the defending champ than the most popular one. Elliott's teammate Larson is still the top dog until further notice, and there is literally no indication whatsoever that he'll be topped in 2022 — but that's why we race 'em. With 36 points-paying races ahead, let's throw the green flag on 2022!