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Power Rankings: Talladega to Dover
By Pat DeCola | Published: April 28, 2018 21
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Cindy Gonzalez/NASCAR Creative Design
NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the top-20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers after the race at Talladega Superspeedway and ahead of the race at Dover International Speedway.
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Driver: Daniel Suarez
Rank: 20
Change: +1
Comment: Dover marks a tremendous opportunity for Suarez to pick up career win No. 1. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has started in the top five and finished in the top eight in both of his starts there. At the very least, expect him to keep his current streak of top-11 finishes (currently at three) rolling.
Rank: 20
Change: +1
Comment: Dover marks a tremendous opportunity for Suarez to pick up career win No. 1. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has started in the top five and finished in the top eight in both of his starts there. At the very least, expect him to keep his current streak of top-11 finishes (currently at three) rolling.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Driver: Erik Jones
Rank: 19
Change: -3
Comment: Despite being locked out of the top 10 the past three weeks, Jones is still hanging around the top 10 in points (13th). His car won this Dover race two years ago with Matt Kenseth and he saw decent success at Dover last year with finishes of 15th and 12th. A recovery weekend could be in order for the JGR driver.
Rank: 19
Change: -3
Comment: Despite being locked out of the top 10 the past three weeks, Jones is still hanging around the top 10 in points (13th). His car won this Dover race two years ago with Matt Kenseth and he saw decent success at Dover last year with finishes of 15th and 12th. A recovery weekend could be in order for the JGR driver.
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Driver: Paul Menard
Rank: 18
Change: --
Comment: Menard led laps and appeared poised for a solid run at Talladega on Sunday before being collected in one the 'Big One.' He could have a tough go of it at Dover, as well, with just three top-10 finishes in 21 starts.
Rank: 18
Change: --
Comment: Menard led laps and appeared poised for a solid run at Talladega on Sunday before being collected in one the 'Big One.' He could have a tough go of it at Dover, as well, with just three top-10 finishes in 21 starts.
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Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Rank: 17
Change: --
Comment: What else needs to be said about Jimmie Johnson at Dover? He's the track's master with 11 wins. With so much frustration building through the first 10 races of the season, it'd be classic Jimmie to dominate the 'Monster Mile' once again and quiet all the doubters.
Rank: 17
Change: --
Comment: What else needs to be said about Jimmie Johnson at Dover? He's the track's master with 11 wins. With so much frustration building through the first 10 races of the season, it'd be classic Jimmie to dominate the 'Monster Mile' once again and quiet all the doubters.
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Driver: Ryan Newman
Rank: 16
Change: +3
Comment: Newman has quietly put together top 10s in two of his last three races and now heads to Dover, where his three wins are tied for second-most in the series and his four poles are tops. That said -- none of those accolades has come since 2007.
Rank: 16
Change: +3
Comment: Newman has quietly put together top 10s in two of his last three races and now heads to Dover, where his three wins are tied for second-most in the series and his four poles are tops. That said -- none of those accolades has come since 2007.
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Driver: Austin Dillon
Rank: 15
Change: -1
Comment: For Dillon to get to where he wants to be, he has to deliver at the restrictor-plate tracks -- his bread and butter -- as he did at Daytona. Crashing out at Talladega wasn't his fault, but stings nonetheless ... especially when he has just one top-10 finish in nine tries at upcoming Dover.
Rank: 15
Change: -1
Comment: For Dillon to get to where he wants to be, he has to deliver at the restrictor-plate tracks -- his bread and butter -- as he did at Daytona. Crashing out at Talladega wasn't his fault, but stings nonetheless ... especially when he has just one top-10 finish in nine tries at upcoming Dover.
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Driver: Alex Bowman
Rank: 14
Change: +1
Comment: While Bowman was unable to deliver a win at Talladega to appease Junior Nation, an eighth-place run is nothing to shake a stick at. He's now put together three top 10s in his last five races, and the rumbles of Hendrick Motorsports lagging in 2018 are starting to dissipate.
Rank: 14
Change: +1
Comment: While Bowman was unable to deliver a win at Talladega to appease Junior Nation, an eighth-place run is nothing to shake a stick at. He's now put together three top 10s in his last five races, and the rumbles of Hendrick Motorsports lagging in 2018 are starting to dissipate.
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Driver: Kyle Larson
Rank: 13
Change: -2
Comment: Larson appeared set to break out after two great races at Bristol and Richmond, but got caught up in a wreck at 'Dega and finished dead last. Dover should offer some respite, where he's been among the top tier of drivers the past few years and led 241 laps in this race last year.
Rank: 13
Change: -2
Comment: Larson appeared set to break out after two great races at Bristol and Richmond, but got caught up in a wreck at 'Dega and finished dead last. Dover should offer some respite, where he's been among the top tier of drivers the past few years and led 241 laps in this race last year.
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Driver: Chase Elliott
Rank: 12
Change: +1
Comment: Pretty sure I smell a Chase Elliott hot streak cooking. With two top-three finishes in a row, it's looking good for a third straight, as the young driver hasn't finished outside the top five in four starts at Dover and led 138 laps last fall. Don't count out the possibility of Elliott celebrating his first win on Sunday, either.
Rank: 12
Change: +1
Comment: Pretty sure I smell a Chase Elliott hot streak cooking. With two top-three finishes in a row, it's looking good for a third straight, as the young driver hasn't finished outside the top five in four starts at Dover and led 138 laps last fall. Don't count out the possibility of Elliott celebrating his first win on Sunday, either.
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Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Rank: 11
Change: --
Comment: While it wasn't the defense of his win that he was hoping for, Sunday's top five for Stenhouse was a huge boost for his team. It'll help tremendously in the short run since he doesn't have a history of success at a series of upcoming tracks, and has just one top 10 in 11 starts at Dover.
Rank: 11
Change: --
Comment: While it wasn't the defense of his win that he was hoping for, Sunday's top five for Stenhouse was a huge boost for his team. It'll help tremendously in the short run since he doesn't have a history of success at a series of upcoming tracks, and has just one top 10 in 11 starts at Dover.
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Driver: Clint Bowyer
Rank: 10
Change: -2
Comment: It doesn't spring to mind initially when thinking of Bowyer's best tracks, but don't sleep on a productive run for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver at Dover. The veteran has finished in the top 10 in more than half of his 24 starts at the 'Monster Mile.'
Rank: 10
Change: -2
Comment: It doesn't spring to mind initially when thinking of Bowyer's best tracks, but don't sleep on a productive run for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver at Dover. The veteran has finished in the top 10 in more than half of his 24 starts at the 'Monster Mile.'
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Driver: Aric Almirola
Rank: 9
Change: +1
Comment: Apart from a crash at Texas, Almirola has landed inside the top 17 in every race thus far in 2018, including Sunday's seventh-place showing at Talladega. He's listed Dover among his favorite tracks in the past, and could really show out at the 'Monster Mile' in Stewart-Haas Racing equipment.
Rank: 9
Change: +1
Comment: Apart from a crash at Texas, Almirola has landed inside the top 17 in every race thus far in 2018, including Sunday's seventh-place showing at Talladega. He's listed Dover among his favorite tracks in the past, and could really show out at the 'Monster Mile' in Stewart-Haas Racing equipment.
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Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
Rank: 8
Change: -1
Comment: The only track that Truex has three poles at, Dover lines up as one of just four that Truex has multiple wins at, as well. There's a great chance the defending champ gets things rolling back in the right direction this weekend at (one of) his home track(s).
Rank: 8
Change: -1
Comment: The only track that Truex has three poles at, Dover lines up as one of just four that Truex has multiple wins at, as well. There's a great chance the defending champ gets things rolling back in the right direction this weekend at (one of) his home track(s).
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Driver: Denny Hamlin
Rank: 7
Change: -1
Comment: Speeding penalties -- again -- ruined an otherwise solid run for Hamlin at Talladega, but a recovery this weekend at Dover seems likely. He'd rolled off three straight top 10s at the Delaware track before an axle issue knocked him out of last fall's race.
Rank: 7
Change: -1
Comment: Speeding penalties -- again -- ruined an otherwise solid run for Hamlin at Talladega, but a recovery this weekend at Dover seems likely. He'd rolled off three straight top 10s at the Delaware track before an axle issue knocked him out of last fall's race.
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Driver: Ryan Blaney
Rank: 6
Change: -1
Comment: After popping off four top 10s in five races (three of which were top fives), Blaney has stumbled a bit over the past three events. It's certainly possible he gets back on track at Dover, but his recent history there (three straight finishes 23rd or worse) suggests otherwise.
Rank: 6
Change: -1
Comment: After popping off four top 10s in five races (three of which were top fives), Blaney has stumbled a bit over the past three events. It's certainly possible he gets back on track at Dover, but his recent history there (three straight finishes 23rd or worse) suggests otherwise.
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Driver: Kurt Busch
Rank: 5
Change: +4
Comment: Busch, now fifth in points, picked up what was shockingly his first top five of the season at Talladega with Sunday's runner-up. He won at Dover in 2011, but that was three teams ago and he has just one top 10 since (spring 2016).
Rank: 5
Change: +4
Comment: Busch, now fifth in points, picked up what was shockingly his first top five of the season at Talladega with Sunday's runner-up. He won at Dover in 2011, but that was three teams ago and he has just one top 10 since (spring 2016).
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Rank: 4
Change: -1
Comment: Apart from an eighth-place run at Richmond, Keselowski is in a mini-slump after wrecking at Texas and Talladega, resulting in 33rd-place finishes at both. If he can keep it clean at Dover -- he crashed out in this race last year -- his recent history at the track suggests a top-10 is in the cards.
Rank: 4
Change: -1
Comment: Apart from an eighth-place run at Richmond, Keselowski is in a mini-slump after wrecking at Texas and Talladega, resulting in 33rd-place finishes at both. If he can keep it clean at Dover -- he crashed out in this race last year -- his recent history at the track suggests a top-10 is in the cards.
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Driver: Joey Logano
Rank: 3
Change: +1
Comment: We knew this already, but Logano's Talladega win put the nail in the coffin of the 'Is Joey Back?' question. He's now earned a top 10 in ninety percent of this season's races and will likely keep that going this weekend at Dover, which ranked pretty high on his list in terms of average finish before last year's non-top-10s knocked it down to a still-respectable 14.2.
Rank: 3
Change: +1
Comment: We knew this already, but Logano's Talladega win put the nail in the coffin of the 'Is Joey Back?' question. He's now earned a top 10 in ninety percent of this season's races and will likely keep that going this weekend at Dover, which ranked pretty high on his list in terms of average finish before last year's non-top-10s knocked it down to a still-respectable 14.2.
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Driver: Kevin Harvick
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: When the race has been up to him (i.e. not getting caught up in somebody else's wreck) Harvick has been sensational in 2018, with finishes of seventh or higher in the eight races that don't include Daytona and Auto Club. He's got a mixed bag of results at Dover, but does have a 2015 win, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him add another on Sunday.
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: When the race has been up to him (i.e. not getting caught up in somebody else's wreck) Harvick has been sensational in 2018, with finishes of seventh or higher in the eight races that don't include Daytona and Auto Club. He's got a mixed bag of results at Dover, but does have a 2015 win, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him add another on Sunday.
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Josh Hedges | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Busch
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: While Busch wasn't able to keep his winning streak going at Talladega, he very well may kick off the first leg of a new one at Dover. The most recent winner at the track has three wins there, and his 1,188 laps led place him as the only driver besides Jimmie Johnson (3,105) with four digits in the statistic.
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: While Busch wasn't able to keep his winning streak going at Talladega, he very well may kick off the first leg of a new one at Dover. The most recent winner at the track has three wins there, and his 1,188 laps led place him as the only driver besides Jimmie Johnson (3,105) with four digits in the statistic.