BACK TO GALLERIES
Power Rankings: Tyler Reddick riding the high line, rising quickly
By Pat DeCola | Published: June 16, 2020 21
1 of 21
NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 NASCAR Cup Series drivers after the races at Martinsville Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway and before the race at Talladega Superspeedway.
2 of 21
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
20. Chris Buescher (--)
Comment: Buescher's 21.9 average Talladega finish is only a bit worse than someone like Kyle Busch (20.3 average finish) but where Rowdy has a win and eight top 10s, the Roush Fenway Racing driver has been shut out of the top 10 in nine races.
3 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
19. Bubba Wallace (NR)
Comment: For a driver born in Alabama, Talladega hasn't been incredibly kind to Wallace just yet, with no top 10s and an average finish of 24.5. Perhaps the mojo he's acquired in 2020 will help propel him to a career-best finish.
4 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
18. Erik Jones (-3)
Comment: Jones does have a top 10 at Talladega, but more eye-popping are his four finishes of 33rd or worse in just six starts there. That's some bad luck.
5 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
17. William Byron (+1)
Comment: Byron has no top 10s and an average finish of 25.8 in his four Talladega starts. Interestingly, he's led five laps or more in three of the four. It's probably just a matter of time before he keeps a lead.
6 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
16. Austin Dillon (-4)
Comment: Dillon has had some real highs (becoming a dad, P7 at Homestead) and lows (37th at Martinsville, heat exhaustion) the past week but what's in store this weekend? Tough to say, but he's typically been better at Daytona than Talladega (three top 10s in 13 starts).
7 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
15. Tyler Reddick (+2)
Comment: Losing track of what lap he's on or not, Reddick ran a heck of a race at Miami. This feels like a good time, and he's the defending Xfinity Series Talladega winner, too.
8 of 21
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
14. Matt DiBenedetto (+2)
Comment: Despite being an equalizer track of sorts, Talladega has yet to land in Matt DiBenedetto's wheelhouse. It will be interesting to see if the now-Team Penske-affiliated driver is able to land his first top 10 and improve on a dismal 28.0 average finish.
9 of 21
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
13. Aric Almirola (--)
Comment: Almirola has a good shot to keep his momentum rolling this weekend. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver won there less than two years ago, and his 15.3 average finish is second among drivers on this list.
10 of 21
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
12. Clint Bowyer (+2)
Comment: Bowyer has just one top 10 in his last seven Talladega starts, but somewhere in there is the driver who once finished second or better in three straight 'Dega races with two wins.
11 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
11. Jimmie Johnson (--)
Comment: It's been nearly a decade since Johnson's last Talladega victory and he has just one top 10 in his last five starts. Still, Seven-Time's 472 laps led there are most among drivers on this list.
12 of 21
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
10. Kurt Busch (--)
Comment: Sure, Busch has no wins in 38 Talladega starts, but just think of all that experience. He was sixth in this race last year, and his 20 top 10s and eight top fives are both best in the series.
13 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
9. Alex Bowman (--)
Comment: Bowman has cooled off a bit it seems from his torrid start to 2020, but perhaps he'll get things rolling in a big way again this weekend. The No. 88 car always tends to be in the mix at 'Dega, as evidenced by his runner-up in this race last year.
14 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
8. Kyle Busch (--)
Comment: It's possible, of course, that Busch picks up his first win of 2020 this weekend at Talladega, but with one top 10 in his last five races and a 20.3 average finish there it's not likely. Hard to believe we're approaching July and Busch is winless, but here we are.
15 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
7. Martin Truex Jr. (--)
Comment: Truex is an incredible driver. A champion. Good at so many things behind the wheel of a race car. Mastery of Talladega, however, is not one of them. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has no wins in 30 starts and no finishes better than 20th since 2015.
16 of 21
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
6. Ryan Blaney (+2)
Comment: Blaney rolls into Talladega as the track's most recent winner, and one that has been bringing consistently fast race cars to the track all season. He should be considered among the favorites for Sunday.
17 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
5. Joey Logano (-4)
Comment: Logano was starting to be considered the best superspeedway driver in the sport for a spell there (a distinction that now likely belongs to Denny Hamlin), but all of a sudden he hasn't won such a race since 2018. He also hasn't won a race in general since March.
18 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
4. Brad Keselowski (-2)
Comment: Kind of similarly to his Penske teammate, Keselowski has found plenty of success at Talladega -- his five wins are most in the series -- but has now finished outside the top 10 there in four straight races.
19 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
3. Denny Hamlin (+2)
Comment: Hamlin put on one of the most dominant performances we've seen thus far in 2020 for his series-best third win at Miami. The 2014 Talladega winner is the most recent superspeedway winner in a little race called the Daytona 500.
20 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
2. Chase Elliott (+1)
Comment: The defending winner of this race, Elliott's 13.2 average finish at Talladega is the high mark among drivers on this list. There's no reason to think he won't be in the mix if he stays out of trouble.
21 of 21
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
1. Kevin Harvick (--)
Comment: Harvick and Co. had a rare off-week at Miami, and Talladega is not exactly the kind of place to count on a rebound -- especially with just one top 10 in his last six. Consider Harvick's hold atop these rankings as shaky.