Power Rankings: Chastain escapes Bristol without payback — is he set to take off?

By Pat DeCola | Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

1 of 13

View Fullscreen

NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the 12 remaining NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs drivers after the Round of 16 elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway and before Sunday's Round of 12 opener at Texas Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

2 of 13

View Fullscreen

12. Austin Cindric (--)

Season-high: 10

Season-low: 19

Comment: Cindric had some strong showings toward the end of the regular season but began the playoffs with three straight finishes outside the top 10. He did manage to squeak right through to the Round of 12, however, and he notably finished third in his first Cup action at Texas earlier this spring in the All-Star Race. He could make some noise in the Round of 12.

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

3 of 13

View Fullscreen

11. Alex Bowman (-5)

Season-high: 5

Season-low: 16

Comment: As good as the first two races of the Round of 16 went for him, Bowman's Bristol was equally as frustrating — though he did clinch on points before all was said and done. He'll likely circle the Roval as his Round of 12 track to strike at, but despite just two top 10s in 12 Texas starts, he could gain ground there as well. Those top 10s have come in the last four races there, and were both top fives.

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

4 of 13

View Fullscreen

10. Daniel Suárez (--)

Season-high: 10

Season-low: Out

Comment: Suárez had a decent enough Round of 16 but could've been on the chopping block if a pair of former champions hadn't stumbled out of the gate and found their way to an early postseason exit. He looked his strongest at the 1.5-mile Kansas circuit and, given he had a pair of top-three finishes at Texas in 2019 and a top 10 there last year, he could find that speed again this weekend.

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

5 of 13

View Fullscreen

9. Chase Briscoe (+6)

Season-high: 10

Season-low: 20

Comment: Briscoe's another one that managed to scoot through to the Round of 12 despite no top 10s in the Round of 16 — he can thank the 38 points (most since Charlotte) he picked up at Bristol for that. Still, he'll likely need top 10s — and then some — to make a Round of 8 play, but with a top 15 in his first Texas Cup start last fall, it's on the table.

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

6 of 13

View Fullscreen

8. Ryan Blaney (-3)

Season-high: 1

Season-low: 10

Comment: Blaney didn't have a "bad" Round of 16 race until Bristol, but that sunk his average finish in the round to 17.33. That might not be enough to get past the Round of 12 (and certainly not to make the Championship 4) but he's now in a round where he can capitalize. The No. 12 driver has been strong at all three tracks and is technically the most recent winner at Texas, claiming this year's All-Star Race in May. He might be about to go on a tear.

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

7 of 13

View Fullscreen

7. Joey Logano (-3)

Season-high: 1

Season-low: 11

Comment: Logano's finishes and points earned got drastically worse from race to race in the Round of 16, so his P4 with 40 points at Darlington probably should be viewed as his playoffs savior. With four wins combined at the next two tracks and an 8.0 average finish across the past 11 Texas races, he should get off to a good start in the Round of 12.

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

8 of 13

View Fullscreen

6. Ross Chastain (+2)

Season-high: 1

Season-low: Out

Comment: Chastain made it through Bristol without any noticeable attempts at retaliation from his competitors, so perhaps that story line can be retired for the time being — especially since he just earned his first two top 10s since New Hampshire and advanced to the Round of 12. The veteran talked this past weekend about his past results at tracks not being as relevant to his current season, and that's certainly the case at Texas — where he has four straight finishes of 28th or worse and a total average finish of 27.6.

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

9 of 13

View Fullscreen

5. Denny Hamlin (-4)

Season-high: 1

Season-low: 20

Comment: Hamlin had a really strong Round of 16 with two runner-ups and a P9 at Bristol, but got re-shuffled down to sixth after the points reset to begin this next set of races. He's tremendously hit or miss at Texas (three wins, eight finishes of 20th or worse from 2010-on) but given how he's running he should be able to climb back up in short order.

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

10 of 13

View Fullscreen

4. Kyle Larson (+3)

Season-high: 1

Season-low: 9

Comment: All season long it has felt that Larson has been rounding into form and not quite exactly where he needs to be, but just a hair off. Still feels like the Round of 8 is where he'll really shine, but he's improved his finish in every race since his Watkins Glen win was followed by a P37 at Daytona. As the defending winner of this Texas race — handily, I might add — perhaps it all finally clicks Sunday and we see Larson dominate once more.

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

11 of 13

View Fullscreen

3. William Byron (--)

Season-high: 1

Season-low: 16

Comment: Byron just keeps getting better and better at the moment, turning in his first top five of the playoffs after opening with a P8 and P6 at Darlington and Kansas, respectively. Hendrick had a handle on Texas last year, too, as not only did Larson win — Byron finished runner-up with 55 laps led.

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

12 of 13

View Fullscreen

2. Christopher Bell (--)

Season-high: 2

Season-low: Out

Comment: There was exactly one driver to land in the top five in all three playoff races, and you're looking at him. Bell is completely elevating his game at the moment and at the right time — and guess what? He's finished P3 in each of the past two Texas races, one of which was in the No. 95. Needless to say, he has a handle on that track and could be the first playoff driver to win a postseason race in 2022.

Saved to `My Liked Photos`

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

13 of 13

View Fullscreen

1. Chase Elliott (+8)

Season-high: 1

Season-low: 9

Comment: Elliott, back? Things cooled a bit for the No. 9 driver after a scorching summer, but that stretch run (and the playoff points he collected) plus a runner-up at Bristol have Elliott back on top of the standings after dipping to the back of the top 10. He's been quite good at Texas historically with a 7.166 average finish across his first six starts there, but has yet to land in Victory Lane. This could be the weekend.

Presented By: