How about that for a statement win?
Ross Chastain, riding a 42-race winless streak, led a race-high 99 laps to score his third career victory on Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway. In true form, the eighth-generation watermelon farmer smashed and then devoured the fruit immediately after exiting his car.
After Chastain’s win in the Ally 400, the NASCAR Cup Series will head to an unknown challenge next weekend. The series will visit the Windy City for a race on the makeshift Chicago Street Course, the first street race in NASCAR history.
So, who is the driver to beat heading into Chicago? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:
1. Martin Truex Jr.
Last week: 1
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Still leading the points standings after finishing second? Check. Extended his top-five streak to four straight races? Check. Heading to a road course just weeks after winning at Sonoma? Check. Things are looking pretty, pretty good for Truex right now.
2. William Byron
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Last week: 2
It was a quiet sixth-place finish for Byron, as the No. 24 clearly wasn’t as quick as it has been at times this season. But the 25-year-old North Carolina native now has seven top-10s in his last eight starts. If it weren’t for Truex, we’d be talking about Byron as the clear-cut driver to beat.
3. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 4
Third at Nashville, and now up to third in the power rankings. Hamlin seems to be just a tick behind his teammate Truex. For much of the race on Sunday, though, it looked like a win was within reach. Hamlin led 81 laps and won Stage 2 before fading over the final green flag run.
4. Ross Chastain
Last week: 7
Two weeks ago, I wrote that Trackhouse Racing was losing speed and Chastain threw away his best chances at victories earlier in the season. Well, it turns out they’re both doing just fine. Chastain ruled the weekend – sitting on the pole, leading 99 laps, scoring 17 stage points and winning the race. He’s suddenly reasserted himself as a contender, just in time for the stretch run to the playoffs.
5. Kyle Larson
Last week: 3
If you didn’t watch the race and just looked at the results, you’d think Larson had a standard great run. He finished fifth, but that was far better than he looked for most of the race. The 2021 champion was sitting between eighth and 12th throughout the first 80% of the race. As they often do, the No. 5 team made the right adjustments and salvaged a strong finish.
6. Kyle Busch
Last week: 5
Busch was ninth at Nashville after an up-and-down day. He had an unscheduled pit stop in the early laps, putting him two laps down. Then there was a speeding penalty to start Stage 2. On a restart at lap 147, Busch was involved in an accident but was able to drive away. The two-time champion fought back for a respectable top-10 finish despite all of those issues.
7. Christopher Bell
Last week: 6
It’s not on purpose, but Bell is our third driver who finished in the same position as his power ranking slot. Seventh was a decent finish for Bell, especially after qualifying 22nd. Bell is definitely a level below his teammates Truex and Hamlin at this time, but there’s plenty of season left. Last year, Bell won three races after the Fourth of July.
8. Kevin Harvick
Last week: 9
Harvick was on his way to a top-five – and potentially better – before cutting a tire in the final stage. That left him with a 24th-place finish, leaving Nashville sixth in the points standings as the highest driver without a win. The 47-year-old veteran still looks likely to make the playoffs in his final season before retiring, but time is running out to get one last victory.
9. Joey Logano
Last week: 8
After consecutive third-place finishes, Logano struggled in Nashville. He qualified fourth before quickly dropping back and never really looking competitive. The No. 22 crossed the line in 19th as the rollercoaster season continued for the defending champion. Logano has five finishes of third or better and eight finishes of 18th or worse through 17 races.
10. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 10
It was good to see Blaney walk off under his own power after a hard, head-on crash. The No. 12 slid through the grass and Blaney had no control before slamming into an inside wall without a SAFER barrier, which provides extra padding and softens the impact. Health is the most important thing for Blaney at this point.
First four out: Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski
