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Power Rankings: Which Xfinity Series star started out the hottest?
By Pat DeCola | Tuesday, March 24, 2020
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With the 2020 NASCAR season on hold for the time being, NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola takes a look at the Xfinity Series and ranks the top 15 drivers off to the hottest starts.
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15. Josh Williams:
Comment: Not necessarily one of the higher-profile drivers in the Xfinity Series, Williams had certainly been making a name for himself behind the wheel of the No. 92 Chevrolet. He has averaged a finish of 13.0 in the three non-Daytona races -- all of which he started 20th or worse. If it weren't for getting caught up in a crash in the season opener, he'd be hovering around the top 10.
Comment: Not necessarily one of the higher-profile drivers in the Xfinity Series, Williams had certainly been making a name for himself behind the wheel of the No. 92 Chevrolet. He has averaged a finish of 13.0 in the three non-Daytona races -- all of which he started 20th or worse. If it weren't for getting caught up in a crash in the season opener, he'd be hovering around the top 10.
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14. Alex Labbe:
Comment: A top 10 at Daytona to open the season has pushed his average finish to a respectable 15.8. He's only finished on the lead lap in two of the four races so far but did lead 19 laps at the "World Center of Racing."
Comment: A top 10 at Daytona to open the season has pushed his average finish to a respectable 15.8. He's only finished on the lead lap in two of the four races so far but did lead 19 laps at the "World Center of Racing."
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13. Myatt Snider:
Comment: Another driver who got caught up in a wreck at Daytona, Snider has had decent speed thus far -- with back-to-back poles to open the season. Expect the Richard Childress Racing driver to even out his 18.5 average finish to align more closely with his 9.0 average start as the season progresses.
Comment: Another driver who got caught up in a wreck at Daytona, Snider has had decent speed thus far -- with back-to-back poles to open the season. Expect the Richard Childress Racing driver to even out his 18.5 average finish to align more closely with his 9.0 average start as the season progresses.
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12. Brandon Brown:
Comment: Only sunk by an engine issue at Auto Club, Brown would otherwise be a top-10 driver after an above-average start to the season. His other three results have netted a 10.0 average finish on three very different race tracks.
Comment: Only sunk by an engine issue at Auto Club, Brown would otherwise be a top-10 driver after an above-average start to the season. His other three results have netted a 10.0 average finish on three very different race tracks.
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11. Michael Annett:
Comment: Sometimes it's just about consistency, and that's what Annett brings to the table. The veteran has kept the car mostly clean and produced decent results. (He wrecked at Daytona but still finished 11th.) He'll need to find the front of the field more often, though (one lap led in 2020), if he wants to rise.
Comment: Sometimes it's just about consistency, and that's what Annett brings to the table. The veteran has kept the car mostly clean and produced decent results. (He wrecked at Daytona but still finished 11th.) He'll need to find the front of the field more often, though (one lap led in 2020), if he wants to rise.
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10. Riley Herbst:
Comment: This feels a little low, given the power under the hood of his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and the fact he has earned a top 10 in the three races he didn't crash out of, including a runner-up. That said, Herbst's best days are ahead of him, and I suspect he could be a top-five driver by season's end as his experience level grows.
Comment: This feels a little low, given the power under the hood of his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and the fact he has earned a top 10 in the three races he didn't crash out of, including a runner-up. That said, Herbst's best days are ahead of him, and I suspect he could be a top-five driver by season's end as his experience level grows.
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9. Justin Allgaier:
Comment: Consistently snake-bitten throughout his career, 2020 is shaping up to be no different for Allgaier. He's still an elite talent at the Xfinity level, though, having led laps in all four races and 23 or more in three of them. His 140 laps led lead the series.
Comment: Consistently snake-bitten throughout his career, 2020 is shaping up to be no different for Allgaier. He's still an elite talent at the Xfinity level, though, having led laps in all four races and 23 or more in three of them. His 140 laps led lead the series.
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8. Justin Haley:
Comment: Haley has an excellent shot to make some noise in 2020, having already produced three top-six finishes and a 12th place in the fourth. He has yet to find the front of the field for much time (three laps led), but he'll get there.
Comment: Haley has an excellent shot to make some noise in 2020, having already produced three top-six finishes and a 12th place in the fourth. He has yet to find the front of the field for much time (three laps led), but he'll get there.
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7. Ryan Sieg:
Comment: How about Sieg? A strong playoff story last year, the RSS Racing driver has come out firing once again, finishing in the top 11 in all four races and the top four in half of them. Wins might be hard to come by, but he's certainly putting his equipment to good use.
Comment: How about Sieg? A strong playoff story last year, the RSS Racing driver has come out firing once again, finishing in the top 11 in all four races and the top four in half of them. Wins might be hard to come by, but he's certainly putting his equipment to good use.
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6. Noah Gragson:
Comment: The season-opening winner at Daytona has been strong in two of the other three races as well. The JR Motorsports driver led laps and averaged a 5.5 finish at Vegas and Phoenix but stumbled at Auto Club (no laps led, P26).
Comment: The season-opening winner at Daytona has been strong in two of the other three races as well. The JR Motorsports driver led laps and averaged a 5.5 finish at Vegas and Phoenix but stumbled at Auto Club (no laps led, P26).
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5. Ross Chastain:
Comment: Chastain finished 22nd at Daytona -- in a different car, the No. 38 for RSS Racing -- but has been a top-10 contender the rest of the way, notching three straight since then with laps led in two of the three races.
Comment: Chastain finished 22nd at Daytona -- in a different car, the No. 38 for RSS Racing -- but has been a top-10 contender the rest of the way, notching three straight since then with laps led in two of the three races.
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4. Brandon Jones:
Comment: Jones has looked like a title contender in the early going, especially when you consider how dominant he was in a race he finished 30th in (Auto Club). In the other three races, he has a win and a pair of top sixes.
Comment: Jones has looked like a title contender in the early going, especially when you consider how dominant he was in a race he finished 30th in (Auto Club). In the other three races, he has a win and a pair of top sixes.
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3. Austin Cindric:
Comment: Cindric hasn't finished for the win yet, but he has been incredibly close (runner-up at Vegas, 39 laps led). A crash at Daytona left him with a 25th-place finish, but he still has averaged a finish of 9.5.
Comment: Cindric hasn't finished for the win yet, but he has been incredibly close (runner-up at Vegas, 39 laps led). A crash at Daytona left him with a 25th-place finish, but he still has averaged a finish of 9.5.
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2. Chase Briscoe:
Comment: One of just two drivers with more than 100 laps led in 2020, Briscoe picked most of those up during his Vegas win the second week of the season. A 19th-place finish at Auto Club also included a positive (16 laps led), and the uber-talented driver has been excellent otherwise.
Comment: One of just two drivers with more than 100 laps led in 2020, Briscoe picked most of those up during his Vegas win the second week of the season. A 19th-place finish at Auto Club also included a positive (16 laps led), and the uber-talented driver has been excellent otherwise.
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1. Harrison Burton:
Comment: The only driver to finish in the top 10 in all four races, Burton has actually been even better than that -- he has finished in the top five in each of them, too. Drill that down a little deeper and he has finished in the top two in three of the four, with a win at Auto Club. He's the title favorite at the moment.
Comment: The only driver to finish in the top 10 in all four races, Burton has actually been even better than that -- he has finished in the top five in each of them, too. Drill that down a little deeper and he has finished in the top two in three of the four, with a win at Auto Club. He's the title favorite at the moment.
