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Power Rankings: Chicagoland to Daytona
By Zack Albert | Published: July 2, 2019 21
Harris Lue | NASCAR Digital Media
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Harris Lue | NASCAR Digital Media
NASCAR.com's Zack Albert pinch-hits for Pat DeCola this week, ranking the top 20 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers after the race at Chicagoland Speedway and before Daytona International Speedway.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Chris Buescher
Rank: 20
Change: --
Comment: No movement this week for the No. 37 driver, who continues to specialize in finishes in the teens. The quest now: Finding the top 10 on a more regular basis, which would continue to help Buescher box above his weight in the standings.
Rank: 20
Change: --
Comment: No movement this week for the No. 37 driver, who continues to specialize in finishes in the teens. The quest now: Finding the top 10 on a more regular basis, which would continue to help Buescher box above his weight in the standings.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Rank: 19
Change: Not ranked last week
Comment: Consistency has been a scarce commodity for Stenhouse this season. A 12th-place Chicagoland result was above his average, and he visits an above-average track this weekend at Daytona, where he prevailed two summers ago.
Rank: 19
Change: Not ranked last week
Comment: Consistency has been a scarce commodity for Stenhouse this season. A 12th-place Chicagoland result was above his average, and he visits an above-average track this weekend at Daytona, where he prevailed two summers ago.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Erik Jones
Rank: 18
Change: -1
Comment: A seventh-place run at Chicagoland gave That Jones Boy an incremental lift in his playoff hopes, but he remains an outsider in the postseason picture. He'll head to Daytona as the defending race winner, looking to end a year-long drought since his breakthrough victory.
Rank: 18
Change: -1
Comment: A seventh-place run at Chicagoland gave That Jones Boy an incremental lift in his playoff hopes, but he remains an outsider in the postseason picture. He'll head to Daytona as the defending race winner, looking to end a year-long drought since his breakthrough victory.
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Jonathan Daniel | Getty Images
Driver: Clint Bowyer
Rank: 17
Change: -5
Comment: A Chicagoland thud marked Bowyer's second DNF in the last three races, and he tumbled four spots in the Monster Energy Series standings. He enters Daytona's 400 with a precarious perch on the postseason bubble.
Rank: 17
Change: -5
Comment: A Chicagoland thud marked Bowyer's second DNF in the last three races, and he tumbled four spots in the Monster Energy Series standings. He enters Daytona's 400 with a precarious perch on the postseason bubble.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Driver: Ryan Newman
Rank: 16
Change: -1
Comment: Newman's streak of top-10 finishes ended at a modest two at Chicagoland, but his No. 6 group continues to stay away from unforced errors. Newman is one of seven drivers yet to tally a DNF this season.
Rank: 16
Change: -1
Comment: Newman's streak of top-10 finishes ended at a modest two at Chicagoland, but his No. 6 group continues to stay away from unforced errors. Newman is one of seven drivers yet to tally a DNF this season.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Rank: 15
Change: +3
Comment: Though Johnson led just 10 laps at Chicagoland, the event seemed to invigorate the seven-time series champ and his No. 48 team, which stayed competitive throughout Sunday's 400-miler. The positive Hendrick Motorsports momentum sets Johnson up to catch a summertime stride.
Rank: 15
Change: +3
Comment: Though Johnson led just 10 laps at Chicagoland, the event seemed to invigorate the seven-time series champ and his No. 48 team, which stayed competitive throughout Sunday's 400-miler. The positive Hendrick Motorsports momentum sets Johnson up to catch a summertime stride.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Daniel Suarez
Rank: 14
Change: --
Comment: A tire issue and contact with Denny Hamlin's No. 11 left Suarez battling to a 24th-place outcome, two laps down. The result marked his worst finish since Phoenix in March. He'll head to Daytona hoping to reverse a personal trend of four crash-related exits in five career starts there.
Rank: 14
Change: --
Comment: A tire issue and contact with Denny Hamlin's No. 11 left Suarez battling to a 24th-place outcome, two laps down. The result marked his worst finish since Phoenix in March. He'll head to Daytona hoping to reverse a personal trend of four crash-related exits in five career starts there.
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Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Larson
Rank: 13
Change: +3
Comment: Sure, Sunday's race -- the 200th of his Monster Energy Series career -- represented an unwanted second helping of Chicagoland heartbreak, but Larson & Co. continue to knock on victory's door. A season-best runner-up finish helps, but the No. 42 crowd needs a win to fully buoy the spirits.
Rank: 13
Change: +3
Comment: Sure, Sunday's race -- the 200th of his Monster Energy Series career -- represented an unwanted second helping of Chicagoland heartbreak, but Larson & Co. continue to knock on victory's door. A season-best runner-up finish helps, but the No. 42 crowd needs a win to fully buoy the spirits.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: William Byron
Rank: 12
Change: +1
Comment: Byron has yet to scratch the top-five column this season, but it's hard to ignore the upswing in speed from the No. 24 camp. The results chart shows it: After posting an uneven 17.1 average finish through the first 10 races, Byron has sharpened that stat to 13.0 in the most recent seven events.
Rank: 12
Change: +1
Comment: Byron has yet to scratch the top-five column this season, but it's hard to ignore the upswing in speed from the No. 24 camp. The results chart shows it: After posting an uneven 17.1 average finish through the first 10 races, Byron has sharpened that stat to 13.0 in the most recent seven events.
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Robert Reiners | Getty Images
Driver: Aric Almirola
Rank: 11
Change: -1
Comment: The driver of the SHR No 10 has just one top-five finish to show for the 2019 campaign so far. Chicagoland brought a mundane 16th-place result and a one-position drop -- both in the Monster Energy Series standings and this week's rankings.
Rank: 11
Change: -1
Comment: The driver of the SHR No 10 has just one top-five finish to show for the 2019 campaign so far. Chicagoland brought a mundane 16th-place result and a one-position drop -- both in the Monster Energy Series standings and this week's rankings.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Kurt Busch
Rank: 10
Change: -1
Comment: Busch settled for an unlucky 13th-place finish for the second straight week. Worse, he's led laps in just one of the last 14 races, a damning statistic that offsets his pair of runner-up finishes in that span.
Rank: 10
Change: -1
Comment: Busch settled for an unlucky 13th-place finish for the second straight week. Worse, he's led laps in just one of the last 14 races, a damning statistic that offsets his pair of runner-up finishes in that span.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Ryan Blaney
Rank: 9
Change: -1
Comment: Blaney rallied from an unscheduled pit stop before the end of Stage 1 to finish sixth, marking his third straight result in the top 10. That finish still ranked third among his Team Penske stablemates.
Rank: 9
Change: -1
Comment: Blaney rallied from an unscheduled pit stop before the end of Stage 1 to finish sixth, marking his third straight result in the top 10. That finish still ranked third among his Team Penske stablemates.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Alex Bowman
Rank: 8
Change: +3
Comment: The Showman finally shakes off those lingering questions about the long-lasting zero in his win column, breaking through at Chicagoland and leading a show of Hendrick Motorsports strength. With the first-win pressure removed, a freewheeling Bowman should challenge for more checkered flags as the season hits the second half.
Rank: 8
Change: +3
Comment: The Showman finally shakes off those lingering questions about the long-lasting zero in his win column, breaking through at Chicagoland and leading a show of Hendrick Motorsports strength. With the first-win pressure removed, a freewheeling Bowman should challenge for more checkered flags as the season hits the second half.
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Jonathan Daniel | Getty Images
Driver: Denny Hamlin
Rank: 7
Change: -1
Comment: Hamlin corralled a Chicagoland stage win, but multiple pit-road issues kept him from finishing any better than 15th. The potential saving grace: Daytona is around the corner as he returns to the site of his second 500 win earlier this season.
Rank: 7
Change: -1
Comment: Hamlin corralled a Chicagoland stage win, but multiple pit-road issues kept him from finishing any better than 15th. The potential saving grace: Daytona is around the corner as he returns to the site of his second 500 win earlier this season.
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Jonathan Daniel | Getty Images
Driver: Chase Elliott
Rank: 6
Change: +1
Comment: The No. 9 driver righted the ship in 11th place at Chicagoland after two straight finishes of 20th or worse. Strikingly, that was fourth among the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers, who are collectively on the rise. Elliott enters Daytona as the most recent superspeedway winner under the current rules package.
Rank: 6
Change: +1
Comment: The No. 9 driver righted the ship in 11th place at Chicagoland after two straight finishes of 20th or worse. Strikingly, that was fourth among the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers, who are collectively on the rise. Elliott enters Daytona as the most recent superspeedway winner under the current rules package.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Kevin Harvick
Rank: 5
Change: --
Comment: The Chicagoland send-off for the No. 4 team: Another day of leading laps by the bucket without a win to show for it. The speed for Harvick & Co. has to be an encouraging factor, but the team's 0-for-17 mark this year is still a tough one to grasp.
Rank: 5
Change: --
Comment: The Chicagoland send-off for the No. 4 team: Another day of leading laps by the bucket without a win to show for it. The speed for Harvick & Co. has to be an encouraging factor, but the team's 0-for-17 mark this year is still a tough one to grasp.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Rank: 4
Change: --
Comment: The No. 2 bunch recovered from a middling Sonoma outing to chalk up yet another top-five day at Chicagoland to hold steady in the Power Rankings. Up next: Daytona, where Keselowski traditionally figures into the conversation about pre-race superspeedway favorites.
Rank: 4
Change: --
Comment: The No. 2 bunch recovered from a middling Sonoma outing to chalk up yet another top-five day at Chicagoland to hold steady in the Power Rankings. Up next: Daytona, where Keselowski traditionally figures into the conversation about pre-race superspeedway favorites.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Joey Logano
Rank: 3
Change: --
Comment: The reigning Cup Series champ carried the banner for Team Penske at Chicagoland with a third-place run behind the Bowman-Larson fireworks. Top-10 efforts have been the name of the game recently for the No. 22 driver, who has top 10s in eight of his last 10 starts. Oddly though, Logano has led laps in just one of the last six events.
Rank: 3
Change: --
Comment: The reigning Cup Series champ carried the banner for Team Penske at Chicagoland with a third-place run behind the Bowman-Larson fireworks. Top-10 efforts have been the name of the game recently for the No. 22 driver, who has top 10s in eight of his last 10 starts. Oddly though, Logano has led laps in just one of the last six events.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: The No. 19 driver kept chugging with his third consecutive top-10 finish, coming home ninth at Chicagoland. Daytona is on the horizon as a challenge to Truex, who is 0-for-28 in his career on the Florida high banks.
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: The No. 19 driver kept chugging with his third consecutive top-10 finish, coming home ninth at Chicagoland. Daytona is on the horizon as a challenge to Truex, who is 0-for-28 in his career on the Florida high banks.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Busch
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: Busch finished outside the top 10 for only the second time this season, a commentary on the remarkable consistency from the No. 18 group. He keeps the top spot, largely based on his 2019 body of work, but also on the team's ability to bounce back when knocked down.
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: Busch finished outside the top 10 for only the second time this season, a commentary on the remarkable consistency from the No. 18 group. He keeps the top spot, largely based on his 2019 body of work, but also on the team's ability to bounce back when knocked down.