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Power Rankings: Blaney’s bubble status to be tested in Daytona’s regular-season finale
By Zack Albert | Published: August 23, 2022 21
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NASCAR.com's Zack Albert fills in for Pat DeCola this week and ranks the top 20 trending NASCAR Cup Series drivers after the race at Watkins Glen International and before Sunday's regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
20. Kurt Busch (--)
Season-high: 12
Season-low: Out
Comment: It would seem untoward to drop the former series champion from this week's rankings after his fifth straight week on the sidelines. He remains an established winner with a playoff berth in hand, and those on the Power Rankings' fringes -- most notably Chris Buescher and Austin Dillon -- haven't made major advances in knocking the elder Busch aside. He'll miss this weekend's event at Daytona, and we'll all await his next steps for the 10-race playoffs.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
19. Bubba Wallace (-1)
Season-high: 16
Season-low: Out
Comment: Wallace's streak of four consecutive top 10s cooled for the second straight week, and an early exit at Watkins Glen marked his fourth DNF in the five road-course events this year. Tides are likely to turn at Daytona, where he's finished second the last two times out.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
18. Chase Briscoe (+1)
Season-high: 10
Season-low: 20
Comment: The No. 14 showed some spark Sunday with a stage win and seven laps in the lead, all before a final-stage spin set the team back. Briscoe was a stealthy third the last time at Daytona, marking his first top-five result in the Cup Series.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
17. Aric Almirola (-1)
Season-high: 11
Season-low: Out
Comment: Almirola answered the question of his return to Stewart-Haas Racing Friday at Daytona. Now, he can solely focus on winning Sunday to make the postseason. Superspeedway skill is an Almirola attribute, so the thought of a last-ditch playoff touchdown has some merit.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
16. Erik Jones (+1)
Season-high: 14
Season-low: Out
Comment: Jones gave the Petty GMS No. 43 a ride to 10th place Sunday at Watkins Glen, marking his third top-10 result in the last five races. His last time on a true superspeedway, Jones contended for the win, leading until a block gone bad with the checkered flag in sight.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
15. Alex Bowman (--)
Season-high: 5
Season-low: 15
Comment: Sunday's 14th place at Watkins Glen also chalked up Bowman's 14th consecutive race without a top five -- dating back to Dover in early May. Expect him to join his Hendrick Motorsports teammates as a top qualifier for Sunday's regular-season finale at Daytona.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
14. Austin Cindric (-1)
Season-high: 10
Season-low: 19
Comment: The rookie's 13th-place run at The Glen halted a streak of five consecutive road-course top 10s, dating back to last season. A return to Daytona will bring back fond memories as the reigning 500 champ.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
13. Daniel Suárez (+1)
Season-high: 10
Season-low: Out
Comment: Fifth place at Watkins Glen extended Suárez's run of positive road-course performances. The Florida high banks have historically not been kind to the Trackhouse driver, who will be seeking his first Daytona top-10 finish in his 11th try.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
12. William Byron (-1)
Season-high: 1
Season-low: 16
Comment: Byron's still sitting pretty as a two-time winner this year, but his recent dry spell has been a sticky wicket. His last Cup Series top five was his April victory at Martinsville, 17 races ago. He's a former winner of the Daytona 400-miler, closing out the regular season with a clutch breakthrough victory in 2020.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
11. Kyle Busch (-1)
Season-high: 1
Season-low: 11
Comment: Busch drove from the back of the pack to grab points at both stage breaks, but a late-race spin was his Watkins Glen undoing in a 32nd-place result. Both superspeedway races this season have been positives -- sixth in the Daytona 500 and a solid third at Talladega in April.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
10. Tyler Reddick (+2)
Season-high: 7
Season-low: 20
Comment: Reddick's two-race win streak on road-course circuits ended Sunday, but with a solid seventh place at Watkins Glen. He'll head to Daytona as a former winner there in Xfinity competition, but also with a milestone ahead as he makes his 100th Cup Series start.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
9. Christopher Bell (-1)
Season-high: 7
Season-low: Out
Comment: Bell carried the Camry banner as the lone Toyota driver among the top 10 at Watkins Glen; the next closest finisher for the manufacturer was Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin in 20th. Bell's performance has been among Toyota's most reliable in recent weeks, but Daytona's wild-card characteristics make his Sunday hopes a toss-up.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
8. Martin Truex Jr. (-1)
Season-high: 4
Season-low: 10
Comment: Truex dropped two spots to sixth in the Cup Series standings, and he failed to pick up ground in his bid for the final playoff spot. Clinching by points is still a possibility, but the other route is by winning at Daytona, where he's 0-for-34 in his Cup career.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
7. Denny Hamlin (-1)
Season-high: 4
Season-low: 20
Comment: The former Watkins Glen winner (2016) wound up just 20th on Sunday, producing a two-position dip in the Cup Series standings. Expect the No. 11 to move forward at Daytona, where Hamlin is a three-time winner in the crown-jewel 500.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
6. Kevin Harvick (-1)
Season-high: 5
Season-low: 14
Comment: Harvick's bid for a third straight Cup Series win ended in a 12th-place finish Sunday at The Glen. But Harvick's still well removed from the ranks of those on the playoff bubble at Daytona, quite the turnaround from just a few weeks back.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
5. Kyle Larson (+4)
Season-high: 1
Season-low: 9
Comment: Larson slots in as this week's biggest mover, riding his dominant Watkins Glen victory up four spots. It's some added noise to what's been a relatively quiet regular season, but also signaled that the No. 5 team's title defense has some oomph behind it.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
4. Ross Chastain (--)
Season-high: 1
Season-low: Out
Comment: The laurels for the Cup Series' most improved driver still reside with the driver of the Trackhouse No. 1. But a mounting tally of tangles have sapped some of the momentum, with Chastain now sitting on five consecutive finishes outside the top 15.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
3. Ryan Blaney (-1)
Season-high: 1
Season-low: 10
Comment: Blaney slipped one spot in the standings with a 24th-place run at The Glen, but he's held serve as the provisional last driver into the playoff field. Still in search of his first Cup Series win of the year, Blaney has a history with Daytona, where he is the defending race winner.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
2. Joey Logano (+1)
Season-high: 2
Season-low: 11
Comment: After a rocky road for much of July, Logano has stitched together four consecutive finishes of sixth or better -- capped by third place Sunday at Watkins Glen. His two wins this year were springtime celebrations, but the No. 22 team has found more recent momentum as the regular-season winds down.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
1. Chase Elliott (--)
Season-high: 1
Season-low: 4
Comment: A restart with ruffled features? Sure, but despite the Watkins Glen heartache, Elliott continues to pour it on performance-wise. He sealed a significant playoff payday by clinching the Regular Season Championship for the first time, positioning him for a deep run through the final 10-race bracket.