After several weeks of surprise winners, the NASCAR Cup Series went back to its regularly scheduled programming on Sunday.
William Byron won his series-best fifth race of the season, leading 66 of 90 laps at Watkins Glen International. No other driver has more than three wins.
There’s now just one race remaining in the regular season. Fifteen of the 16 playoff spots have been filled and 17 drivers are still alive to claim the final position. Bubba Wallace is currently in the position based on points, but a new winner would bump him out. At the superspeedway of Daytona, anything is possible.
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Who’s the driver to beat after the Go Bowling at The Glen? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings heading into the regular season finale (Saturday, Aug. 26, 7 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock):
1. Martin Truex Jr.
Last week: 1
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Truex didn’t have race-winning speed at Watkins Glen. He caught a timely caution and salvaged a sixth-place finish, which is something that championship teams tend to do around this time of the season. MTJ holds a 39-point lead over Denny Hamlin in the standings, so he’s in a great spot to clinch the regular season title and the all-important 15 playoff points that come with it.
2. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 3
The only reason Truex didn’t clinch the regular season crown on Sunday was because of Hamlin’s strong run. He finished second and scored 17 stage points, which was easily his best road course run of the year. Hamlin is a three-time Daytona 500 winner, but he’s never won the summer event at the “World Center of Racing.”
3. Kyle Larson
Last week: 2
If it weren’t for a speeding penalty, Larson likely would’ve finished in the top-five. Instead, he came home in 26th after being stuck in traffic and clashing with Austin Dillon on the final lap. Looking ahead, Daytona is one of Larson’s worst tracks – with nine DNFs and no top-five finishes in 18 starts.
4. William Byron
Last week: 5
Byron’s summer slump ended just in time for the playoff push. Since winning at Atlanta on July 9, Byron had finishes of 24th, 14th, 21st, 35th and 14th. Now, he’s back in victory lane – and he has more playoff points than any other driver. Daytona might be a challenge, though, as Byron has crashed out of four straight races there.
5. Chris Buescher
Last week: 4
Buescher quietly remains one of the best road-racers in NASCAR. He finished seventh at Watkins Glen – and now boasts an 8.0 average finish with five top-11 finishes in five race course starts in 2023. With two wins, Buescher currently holds the No. 6 seed in the playoffs entering the Daytona finale.
6. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 6
The last month was about weathering the storm – and that’s exactly what Blaney has done. Between a race at Richmond (his worst track) and two road courses (his worst track type this year), expectations were low. But Blaney posted finishes of 14th, ninth, 13th and ninth. Nothing special, but enough to maintain his spot in the standings as the upcoming tracks turn in his favor. It all starts at Daytona, where Blaney won in 2021.
7. Christopher Bell
Last week: 9
It seems ridiculous, but Bell’s third-place finish at Watkins Glen was his first top-five since he won at Bristol – on April 9! With stage points and decent finishes, Bell is still fourth in the points standings. That puts him in line to add a number of playoff points as he looks to make a second straight run to the Championship 4.
8. Kyle Busch
Last week: 7
We just went through some drivers on the rise – here’s one going in the other direction. Busch finished 14th at Watkins Glen, putting him outside the top-10 for the fifth time in six weeks. He was in line for a top-10 before the caution came at the wrong time in his pit cycle. This team needs to turn things around quickly, because the early-season magic seems to be lost.
9. Joey Logano
Last week: first four out
After the disaster that was Indianapolis, there was little hope that Logano would turn things around at Watkins Glen. But he was surprisingly solid, finishing 10th after starting 11th. The defending champion typically heats up as the weather cools down, so this could be the start of something positive for a team that’s been inconsistent all year.
10. Michael McDowell
Last week: 9
The start of Sunday’s race looked like a continuation of the week prior, when McDowell dominated at the Brickyard. He won Stage 1 at The Glen before having multiple pit road penalties and then ultimately a car failure that ended his day.
First four out: Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott
