BACK TO GALLERIES
Power Rankings: Darlington to Indianapolis
By Pat DeCola | Published: 2 Sep, 2018 21
Cindy Gonzalez | NASCAR Digital Media
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Cindy Gonzalez | NASCAR Digital Media
NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the top Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers after the race at Darlington Raceway and ahead of the regular-season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Sarah Crabill | Getty Images
Driver: Daniel Suarez
Rank: 20
Change: -2
Comment: Indianapolis marks Suarez's last shot at making the playoffs in his sophomore campaign, and a win is not out of the realm of possibility. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished seventh in his first Cup start there last year -- plus it's a track his organization has led the way at over the past handful of years.
Rank: 20
Change: -2
Comment: Indianapolis marks Suarez's last shot at making the playoffs in his sophomore campaign, and a win is not out of the realm of possibility. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished seventh in his first Cup start there last year -- plus it's a track his organization has led the way at over the past handful of years.
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Driver: Paul Menard
Rank: 19
Change: +1
Comment: Menard is in search of a win to clinch his playoff berth as well, and, while it isn't likely, it's not crazy to think a Team Penske-backed Wood Brothers Racing car could pull off the upset at The Brickyard. The veteran's sole Cup win came at Indy in 2011.
Rank: 19
Change: +1
Comment: Menard is in search of a win to clinch his playoff berth as well, and, while it isn't likely, it's not crazy to think a Team Penske-backed Wood Brothers Racing car could pull off the upset at The Brickyard. The veteran's sole Cup win came at Indy in 2011.
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Driver: Ryan Newman
Rank: 18
Change: -2
Comment: Newman finds himself in the must-win category, and the Indiana native could pull off the upset. He's been running better lately and has a 2013 win at Indy on his resume.
Rank: 18
Change: -2
Comment: Newman finds himself in the must-win category, and the Indiana native could pull off the upset. He's been running better lately and has a 2013 win at Indy on his resume.
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Driver: Austin Dillon
Rank: 17
Change: --
Comment: Dillon locked himself into the playoffs with his Daytona 500 win, but a momentum-building victory this weekend would go a long way. The Richard Childress Racing driver has a pair of top 10s in his five career starts at Indy.
Rank: 17
Change: --
Comment: Dillon locked himself into the playoffs with his Daytona 500 win, but a momentum-building victory this weekend would go a long way. The Richard Childress Racing driver has a pair of top 10s in his five career starts at Indy.
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Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Rank: 16
Change: +3
Comment: Stenhouse likely didn't think he'd be in a position where he'd need to win the last regular-season race of the season to advance to the NASCAR Playoffs, but here he is. The Roush Fenway Racing product tends to do well on the sport's bigger tracks, but has yet to land in the top 10 in five Indy starts.
Rank: 16
Change: +3
Comment: Stenhouse likely didn't think he'd be in a position where he'd need to win the last regular-season race of the season to advance to the NASCAR Playoffs, but here he is. The Roush Fenway Racing product tends to do well on the sport's bigger tracks, but has yet to land in the top 10 in five Indy starts.
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Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Rank: 15
Change: --
Comment: Johnson -- and Hendrick Motorsports, in general -- dominated The Brickyard in his heyday, with four wins from 2006-12. If he's able to win this weekend (unlikely, given how he's run most of the season), 'Seven-Time' needs to hope a new winner outside the provisional 16-driver playoff field doesn't emerge, because he could still potentially miss the postseason in certain scenarios.
Rank: 15
Change: --
Comment: Johnson -- and Hendrick Motorsports, in general -- dominated The Brickyard in his heyday, with four wins from 2006-12. If he's able to win this weekend (unlikely, given how he's run most of the season), 'Seven-Time' needs to hope a new winner outside the provisional 16-driver playoff field doesn't emerge, because he could still potentially miss the postseason in certain scenarios.
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Driver: Alex Bowman
Rank: 14
Change: -1
Comment: Unless there is a new winner outside the current 16 playoff drivers, Bowman is in a safe spot, but he would certainly prefer to notch a top 10 or better just for the extra security. Bowman's two starts at Indy resulted in a pair of finishes 40th or worse, though they came in 2014 and '15 in lesser equipment.
Rank: 14
Change: -1
Comment: Unless there is a new winner outside the current 16 playoff drivers, Bowman is in a safe spot, but he would certainly prefer to notch a top 10 or better just for the extra security. Bowman's two starts at Indy resulted in a pair of finishes 40th or worse, though they came in 2014 and '15 in lesser equipment.
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Driver: Aric Almirola
Rank: 13
Change: +1
Comment: Almirola isn't in danger of missing the playoffs, but the freshest face at Stewart-Haas Racing would like to change the fact that he's never led a lap or finished in the top 10 at Indy in his career.
Rank: 13
Change: +1
Comment: Almirola isn't in danger of missing the playoffs, but the freshest face at Stewart-Haas Racing would like to change the fact that he's never led a lap or finished in the top 10 at Indy in his career.
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Driver: Erik Jones
Rank: 12
Change: --
Comment: Jones crashed out of his only Indianapolis start last year, but he started ninth in that race and has eight top 10s in his last 11 2018 starts with no finishes worse than 16th in that stretch. His team looks primed to make a respectable playoff run.
Rank: 12
Change: --
Comment: Jones crashed out of his only Indianapolis start last year, but he started ninth in that race and has eight top 10s in his last 11 2018 starts with no finishes worse than 16th in that stretch. His team looks primed to make a respectable playoff run.
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Driver: Denny Hamlin
Rank: 11
Change: --
Comment: Though Hamlin missed out on making it back-to-back Southern 500 crowns for him, he should have a good shot at being competitive this weekend. The JGR driver had three straight top-five finishes at Indy before finishing 17th last year.
Rank: 11
Change: --
Comment: Though Hamlin missed out on making it back-to-back Southern 500 crowns for him, he should have a good shot at being competitive this weekend. The JGR driver had three straight top-five finishes at Indy before finishing 17th last year.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Ryan Blaney
Rank: 10
Change: -2
Comment: Blaney could turn out to be a Brickyard stalwart in the long run, but he hasn't had much of a chance to show what he can do there yet, having crashed out of two of his three Indy starts.
Rank: 10
Change: -2
Comment: Blaney could turn out to be a Brickyard stalwart in the long run, but he hasn't had much of a chance to show what he can do there yet, having crashed out of two of his three Indy starts.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Clint Bowyer
Rank: 9
Change: -3
Comment: After notching a pair of top-five finishes in his first five Indy races, Bowyer has just one top 10 at the Indiana track in his last seven races. This might not be a particularly great rebound weekend for the affable driver.
Rank: 9
Change: -3
Comment: After notching a pair of top-five finishes in his first five Indy races, Bowyer has just one top 10 at the Indiana track in his last seven races. This might not be a particularly great rebound weekend for the affable driver.
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Sarah Crabill | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Larson
Rank: 8
Change: +2
Comment: Larson should be primed and ready to pounce on Indy to make up for letting Darlington slip from his grasp. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver had a trio of top 10s in his first three starts there and could've been set for a fourth if not for getting caught up in a crash last year.
Rank: 8
Change: +2
Comment: Larson should be primed and ready to pounce on Indy to make up for letting Darlington slip from his grasp. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver had a trio of top 10s in his first three starts there and could've been set for a fourth if not for getting caught up in a crash last year.
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Driver: Brad Keselowski
Rank: 7
Change: +2
Comment: Your Southern 500 winner -- and Darlington weekend-sweeper -- might be getting hot at the right time, and is a threat to win on back-to-back weeks. Last year's Indy runner-up has led double-digit laps in five of the last seven Brickyard races.
Rank: 7
Change: +2
Comment: Your Southern 500 winner -- and Darlington weekend-sweeper -- might be getting hot at the right time, and is a threat to win on back-to-back weeks. Last year's Indy runner-up has led double-digit laps in five of the last seven Brickyard races.
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Josh Hedges | Getty Images
Driver: Joey Logano
Rank: 6
Change: +1
Comment: Like Keselowski, Logano should be in contention to pick up his second win of the season this weekend and really get that Penske hot streak going. The perennial contender has five straight top eights at Indy.
Rank: 6
Change: +1
Comment: Like Keselowski, Logano should be in contention to pick up his second win of the season this weekend and really get that Penske hot streak going. The perennial contender has five straight top eights at Indy.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Chase Elliott
Rank: 5
Change: --
Comment: Elliott hasn't gotten to taste any of the old-school Hendrick Brickyard dominance yet through his three starts. He has a best finish of 15th and had an engine failure last year.
Rank: 5
Change: --
Comment: Elliott hasn't gotten to taste any of the old-school Hendrick Brickyard dominance yet through his three starts. He has a best finish of 15th and had an engine failure last year.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Driver: Kurt Busch
Rank: 4
Change: --
Comment: Busch has been consistently solid if not excellent this season. There's a great chance he's aware of the fact that his 17 Brickyard starts are the most among full-timers without a win -- but that could change this weekend.
Rank: 4
Change: --
Comment: Busch has been consistently solid if not excellent this season. There's a great chance he's aware of the fact that his 17 Brickyard starts are the most among full-timers without a win -- but that could change this weekend.
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Sarah Crabill | Getty Images
Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
Rank: 3
Change: --
Comment: Truex had a rough go of it at Indy early on in his career, but has put things together there of late. The Furniture Row Racing driver had two straight top eights before crashing out while battling for the lead last year.
Rank: 3
Change: --
Comment: Truex had a rough go of it at Indy early on in his career, but has put things together there of late. The Furniture Row Racing driver had two straight top eights before crashing out while battling for the lead last year.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Driver: Kyle Busch
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: Busch could be considered the clear-cut favorite this weekend based on his 2018 speed alone, but his Brickyard stats only fortify that status further. Last year's pole winner led 87 laps before crashing out ... if he hadn't, he appeared set to cruise to his third straight make-out session with the bricks.
Rank: 2
Change: --
Comment: Busch could be considered the clear-cut favorite this weekend based on his 2018 speed alone, but his Brickyard stats only fortify that status further. Last year's pole winner led 87 laps before crashing out ... if he hadn't, he appeared set to cruise to his third straight make-out session with the bricks.
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Sarah Crabill | Getty Images
Driver: Kevin Harvick
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: This guy may have something to say about Busch being the favorite, though. Harvick has just one Indy win (only two active drivers have multiple victories there, for what it's worth) and his five top fives are second only to Johnson's six among full-timers.
Rank: 1
Change: --
Comment: This guy may have something to say about Busch being the favorite, though. Harvick has just one Indy win (only two active drivers have multiple victories there, for what it's worth) and his five top fives are second only to Johnson's six among full-timers.