The year of snapped winless streaks continues.
Alex Bowman was the latest driver to return to victory lane on Sunday in Chicago. The Hendrick Motorsports driver snapped an 80-race drought by holding off a hard-charging Tyler Reddick in a rainy street race through the Windy City.
Bowman is the sixth driver to break a winless streak of at least 40 races in 2024, joining Brad Keselowski (110 races), Austin Cindric (85), Daniel Suarez (57), Joey Logano (49) and Chase Elliott (42).
Next up is a trip to Pocono Raceway, NASCAR’s only triangle-shaped track, with The Great American Getaway 400 scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. How does the field stack up heading into Pennsylvania? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:
1. Christopher Bell
Last week: 3
The results haven’t shown it the past two weeks, but no other driver is consistently as good as Bell right now. He finished 37th in Chicago after running 36th in Nashville – but that’s not the full story, though. Bell led 14 laps on Sunday and was poised to chase down Bowman in the closing laps before getting collected in an accident outside of his control.
2. Kyle Larson
Last week: 1
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Larson started on the pole but lost the lead on the opening lap and never regained the top spot. He later crashed hard in Stage 2 when he overshot a corner, which forced him to retire with a 39th-place finish. Larson still maintains a narrow lead in the points standings, but his spot atop the power rankings has been relinquished.
3. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 2
For the fifth straight race, Hamlin finished outside the top-10, marking his longest streak in two years. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was 30th in Chicago after struggling in the rain. No one will be happier to arrive in Pocono than Hamlin, who has a record seven wins at the Tricky Triangle (including last year).
4. Tyler Reddick
Last week: 6
Reddick was oh-so-close to victory for the second consecutive week. This time, he was charging to the lead on faster tires before tapping the wall on the last lap and spoiling his hopes. The Air Jordan-sponsored driver still finished second in the city where his owner, Michael Jordan, made his name, but Reddick was again disappointed with himself after a driver error.
5. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 5
An up-and-down day ended on a high note with Blaney finishing 10th, marking his fourth top-10 in five races. Blaney has jumped to seventh in the points standings and is well within reach of fifth (14 points behind). The defending champion always looks forward to Pocono, where he scored his first Cup victory back in 2017.
6. Chase Elliott
Last week: 4
After 19 straight top-20s to start the season, Elliott suffered a season worst finish in Chicago of … 21st. A last-corner collision with Suarez cost him a top-15 result. Elliott has finished outside the top-15 in three straight races, which is his worst stretch of the year.
7. William Byron
Last week: 8
Byron’s eighth-place finish in Chicago was just his second top-10 in the last six races. Perhaps it will be a turning point for a team that has struggled after winning three of the first eight races this year. Pocono, where Byron led 60 laps last year, could be a track where his momentum continues to build.
8. Brad Keselowski
Last week: 7
Like Elliott, Keselowski lost a handful of positions due to a last-lap incident. He finished 18th after scoring eight stage points. Keselowski is always strong in Pocono, as evidenced by his 10.9 average finish in 26 career starts.
9. Alex Bowman
Last week: First four out
With his Hendrick teammates Larson, Elliott and Byron already locked into the playoffs with wins, Bowman had to be feeling the pressure. But it’s quietly been a strong season for the 31-year-old Arizona native. Bowman already has more top-fives and top-10s than he had all of last season, and he’s on pace for a career-best average finish (13.8).
10. Ty Gibbs
Last week: First four out
Gibbs’ third-place finish snapped a streak of five straight finishes outside the top-10. The 21-year-old is still searching for that first career win, but Pocono could be where it happens. He finished fifth there last season after a 16th-place run in his Cup debut in 2022.
First four out: Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher
