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Power Rankings: Bristol to Richmond
By Pat DeCola | Published: April 9, 2019 21
Cindy Gonzalez | NASCAR Digital Media
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Cindy Gonzalez | NASCAR Digital Media
NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers following the race at Bristol and ahead of the race at Richmond.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Driver: William Byron
Rank: 20
Change: -3
Comment: Byron started ninth and finished 12th in this race last year, and has qualified on the front row for three of this season's eight races. He'll be a sleeper heading into the weekend.
Rank: 20
Change: -3
Comment: Byron started ninth and finished 12th in this race last year, and has qualified on the front row for three of this season's eight races. He'll be a sleeper heading into the weekend.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Paul Menard
Rank: 19
Change: (Not ranked last week)
Comment: Menard makes his way back into the top 20 with a top 10 at Bristol, but it could once again be short-lived. He has just one such finish in 24 Richmond starts.
Rank: 19
Change: (Not ranked last week)
Comment: Menard makes his way back into the top 20 with a top 10 at Bristol, but it could once again be short-lived. He has just one such finish in 24 Richmond starts.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Erik Jones
Rank: 18
Change: -3
Comment: Despite just one top 10 in his last six starts, Richmond offers a good rebound opportunity for Jones. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished or started in the top 10 in three of his four Richmond starts.
Rank: 18
Change: -3
Comment: Despite just one top 10 in his last six starts, Richmond offers a good rebound opportunity for Jones. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished or started in the top 10 in three of his four Richmond starts.
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Donald Page | Getty Images
Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Rank: 17
Change: -5
Comment: Stenhouse wasn't able to capitalize at one of his best tracks and could find himself in a swoon soon. He has just two top 10s in 12 Richmond starts.
Rank: 17
Change: -5
Comment: Stenhouse wasn't able to capitalize at one of his best tracks and could find himself in a swoon soon. He has just two top 10s in 12 Richmond starts.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Austin Dillon
Rank: 16
Change: +2
Comment: Dillon has seen pretty lackluster results at Richmond throughout his career, but did break through for a sixth-place finish last fall.
Rank: 16
Change: +2
Comment: Dillon has seen pretty lackluster results at Richmond throughout his career, but did break through for a sixth-place finish last fall.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Ryan Newman
Rank: 15
Change: +4
Comment: Something clicked for Newman in 2017 at Richmond, when he earned finishes of seventh and third. They are his only top 10s at the track since 2014, however.
Rank: 15
Change: +4
Comment: Something clicked for Newman in 2017 at Richmond, when he earned finishes of seventh and third. They are his only top 10s at the track since 2014, however.
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Donald Page | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Larson
Rank: 14
Change: -1
Comment: Larson has always been above average at Richmond, but he's been among the elite over the last five races. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has notched a 6.2 average finish and a win in that span.
Rank: 14
Change: -1
Comment: Larson has always been above average at Richmond, but he's been among the elite over the last five races. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has notched a 6.2 average finish and a win in that span.
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Donald Page | Getty Images
Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Rank: 13
Change: +3
Comment: All three of Johnson's Richmond wins came in either 2007 or '08, but he's been no slouch since. "Seven-Time" has nine straight finishes inside the top 11, most of which came from starts outside the top 10.
Rank: 13
Change: +3
Comment: All three of Johnson's Richmond wins came in either 2007 or '08, but he's been no slouch since. "Seven-Time" has nine straight finishes inside the top 11, most of which came from starts outside the top 10.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images for NASCAR
Driver: Daniel Suarez
Rank: 12
Change: +2
Comment: Suarez can comfortably mark Richmond as one of his best tracks in his early career. The young driver owns an average finish of 11.5 with his worst finish coming in at 17th.
Rank: 12
Change: +2
Comment: Suarez can comfortably mark Richmond as one of his best tracks in his early career. The young driver owns an average finish of 11.5 with his worst finish coming in at 17th.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Clint Bowyer
Rank: 11
Change: --
Comment: At times, Richmond has been among Bowyer's best tracks. With two top 10s last year, we're currently in one of those periods of the SHR driver succeeding at the Virginia track.
Rank: 11
Change: --
Comment: At times, Richmond has been among Bowyer's best tracks. With two top 10s last year, we're currently in one of those periods of the SHR driver succeeding at the Virginia track.
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Donald Page | Getty Images
Driver: Aric Almirola
Rank: 10
Change: -4
Comment: Almirola has always been average to above average at Richmond, but a fifth-place finish last fall and a strong start to 2019 make him a driver to watch on Saturday night.
Rank: 10
Change: -4
Comment: Almirola has always been average to above average at Richmond, but a fifth-place finish last fall and a strong start to 2019 make him a driver to watch on Saturday night.
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Donald Page | Getty Images
Driver: Chase Elliott
Rank: 9
Change: -1
Comment: Elliott has improved greatly at Richmond the past two seasons, seeing finishes of 24th and 10th in 2017 turn into finishes of second and fourth last year.
Rank: 9
Change: -1
Comment: Elliott has improved greatly at Richmond the past two seasons, seeing finishes of 24th and 10th in 2017 turn into finishes of second and fourth last year.
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Donald Page | Getty Images
Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
Rank: 8
Change: -1
Comment: Truex's 2019 season has sputtered a bit to start, but Richmond might see him put things together. Though his 26 winless starts there are most in the series among full-timers, two of his three Richmond top fives have come in the last five, and it's a track where JGR thrives.
Rank: 8
Change: -1
Comment: Truex's 2019 season has sputtered a bit to start, but Richmond might see him put things together. Though his 26 winless starts there are most in the series among full-timers, two of his three Richmond top fives have come in the last five, and it's a track where JGR thrives.
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Donald Page | Getty Images
Driver: Kurt Busch
Rank: 7
Change: +3
Comment: Busch has exceeded expectations in 2019 and a win feels imminent. He should contend again this weekend after leading 98 laps in this race last season.
Rank: 7
Change: +3
Comment: Busch has exceeded expectations in 2019 and a win feels imminent. He should contend again this weekend after leading 98 laps in this race last season.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Ryan Blaney
Rank: 6
Change: +3
Comment: The Penske magic has yet to rub off on Blaney at Richmond, where his two teammates both have wins. He has no top 10s and an average finish of 27.0 there.
Rank: 6
Change: +3
Comment: The Penske magic has yet to rub off on Blaney at Richmond, where his two teammates both have wins. He has no top 10s and an average finish of 27.0 there.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Driver: Kevin Harvick
Rank: 5
Change: -2
Comment: Last fall's pole winner has enjoyed lots of success at Richmond. Harvick has seven top-five finishes in his last nine starts there.
Rank: 5
Change: -2
Comment: Last fall's pole winner has enjoyed lots of success at Richmond. Harvick has seven top-five finishes in his last nine starts there.
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Donald Page | Getty Images
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Rank: 4
Change: --
Comment: The 2012 champ has been a perennial contender at Richmond from 2014 on. Keselowski has a 7.5 average finish in that time span.
Rank: 4
Change: --
Comment: The 2012 champ has been a perennial contender at Richmond from 2014 on. Keselowski has a 7.5 average finish in that time span.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Driver: Joey Logano
Rank: 3
Change: +2
Comment: Logano won this race two years ago and has a top five in nearly half of his Richmond starts (8 for 20). He's finished worse than eighth just three times in his Penske tenure (2013-present).
Rank: 3
Change: +2
Comment: Logano won this race two years ago and has a top five in nearly half of his Richmond starts (8 for 20). He's finished worse than eighth just three times in his Penske tenure (2013-present).
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Driver: Denny Hamlin
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: Hamlin's three wins at Richmond are tied for second in the series with Harvick and Johnson. He's earned the trio of trips to Victory Lane in nine fewer races.
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: Hamlin's three wins at Richmond are tied for second in the series with Harvick and Johnson. He's earned the trio of trips to Victory Lane in nine fewer races.
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Donald Page | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Busch
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: Richmond's leader in wins also swept the races last year, and he didn't start in the top 10 or lead the most laps in either. In other words, as we saw at Bristol, Busch just knows how to win and finds ways to the front whether he has the fastest car or not.
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: Richmond's leader in wins also swept the races last year, and he didn't start in the top 10 or lead the most laps in either. In other words, as we saw at Bristol, Busch just knows how to win and finds ways to the front whether he has the fastest car or not.