NASCAR’s return from its two-week Olympic hiatus ended dramatically, with Austin Dillon incomes an extremely controversial win after wrecking Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the ultimate lap of the Cook dinner Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on Sunday.
Misplaced within the drama is that Dillon legitimately had the most effective runs of his profession and was going to win the race going away earlier than a late warning arrange the chaotic end. Even so, Dillon — thirty second in factors coming into the race — would not seem on this week’s energy rankings.
Sixteen different drivers do, although. This is the place they stand because the Cup Sequence heads to Michigan Worldwide Speedway for Sunday’s FireKeepers On line casino 400.
1. Tyler Reddick (Final week: 3)
For the primary time this season, Reddick leads the facility rankings after his third-place effort in Richmond. He has six consecutive finishes of sixth or higher and has surged to the runner-up spot within the standings, solely 5 factors again of Kyle Larson. Reddick is on hearth.
2. Denny Hamlin (Final week: 5)
Maybe Sunday’s end was the universe’s means of balancing issues out for Hamlin. He ought to have been penalized when he gained the spring race at Richmond for leaping the ultimate restart however — pending one thing unprecedented throughout the week — ended up dropping this time round after Dillon blatantly hooked him coming to the road. Nonetheless, Hamlin strikes to the No. 2 spot along with his runner-up end after profitable the pole and main essentially the most laps (124).
3. Ryan Blaney (Final week: 1)
Blaney drops from the highest spot with an unremarkable displaying, albeit an anticipated one at one among his worst tracks. Nonetheless, his Eleventh-place end is nothing to be ashamed of, and he’ll look to select it again up at Michigan, a monitor he gained at in 2021. Blaney is all set playoff-wise, and for him, it is all about constructing momentum as he seems to be to repeat as Cup Sequence champion.
4. Kyle Larson (Final week: 2)
Some drivers used their two weeks off to get pleasure from household trip time, however Larson used his time to dominate on his grime stomping grounds, notably profitable the Knoxville Nationals on Saturday evening. Maybe that is partly why he was uncharacteristically quiet in Richmond whereas the remainder of the sphere was recent. He nonetheless completed seventh.
5. Christopher Bell (Final week: 4)
Bell appeared like he had the automotive to beat Sunday, however an unforced error knocked him out of competition when he sped on pit highway throughout a late cease below inexperienced. He rebounded to complete sixth after main 122 laps and stays among the many quickest drivers every week. His execution, nevertheless, should be extra constant if he will be taken significantly as a title favourite.
6. Chase Elliott (Final week: 6)
Like Larson, Elliott escaped with a stable top-10 after not making a lot noise all through the night, ending ninth. That is the story of his 2024 season, and it is why he is nonetheless solely six factors out of the regular-season lead with three races to go. If he is to contend for a second title, nevertheless, he will need to have constant velocity.
7. Bubba Wallace (Final week: 9)
Wallace is on an absolute tear currently with back-to-back top-five finishes (albeit separated by three weeks) after his fourth-place effort in Richmond. He has climbed again into the playoff image, though with Dillon’s win throwing one other wrench into issues, he nonetheless has little room for error (three factors forward of each Chris Buescher and Ross Chastain). He could possibly be one to look at in Michigan, the place he gained the pole and completed second in 2022.
8. William Byron (Final week: 8)
Byron’s quiet summer season continued Sunday with a Thirteenth-place end, which is roughly consultant of the place he ran all through the race. It looks as if it could possibly be time to panic for the No. 24 bunch if they do not race effectively within the subsequent few weeks. Byron has gone from a title favourite to a relative afterthought.
9. Martin Truex Jr. (Final week: 7)
Truex can not purchase a break in his farewell season. Richmond was regarded as one among his finest remaining probabilities for him to win, however he wound up final as an alternative due to a blown motor. He ought to nonetheless be protected playoff-wise at 75 factors above the bubble, however this isn’t the excessive word he needs and deserves to exit on.
10. Joey Logano (Final week: 15)
Logano can declare that he was the rightful winner of each Richmond races in 2024. He completed second to Hamlin within the controversial spring race end and was punted by Dillon on the final lap Sunday when he had the race within the bag. Justifiably, Logano was furious after the race, however on the intense facet for him, his personal chaotic win on the Nashville Superspeedway on June 30 means he’ll nonetheless be a part of the playoffs.
11. Ross Chastain (Final week: 14)
Lastly, there are indicators of life from Chastain, who had a number of dismal weeks earlier than coming into the break. He had a top-10 automotive all race Sunday and completed fifth, however sadly for him, he is outdoors the playoffs due to Dillon’s win. Chastain, Wallace and Chris Buescher are locked in an absolute dogfight for the ultimate playoff spot, barring one other unexpected winner.
12. Ty Gibbs (Final week: 10)
Do not look now, however what appeared to be a playoff near-lock solely a couple of month in the past is instantly removed from a positive factor for Gibbs, who ran a quiet twenty second in Richmond. He is solely 18 factors to the nice, and with just one top-15 end prior to now eight races (!), he is trending downward. Yet one more dangerous run and he might discover himself on the skin wanting in.
13. Brad Keselowski (Final week: 11)
Keselowski ought to have contended at Richmond, one among his finest tracks, however he struggled mightily and completed sixteenth. He’ll head to his house monitor of Michigan, the place he was quick a yr in the past in a fourth-place end.
14. Chris Buescher (Final week: 16)
Talking of Michigan, it was Keselowski’s teammate Buescher who gained that race in 2023. He wants a win greater than ever after dropping beneath the reduce line due to the newest playoff plot twist. Buescher appeared to have velocity in Richmond however missed his pit stall throughout a green-flag cease sequence and by no means recovered, ending 18th.
15. Daniel Suarez (Final week: not ranked)
Let’s give a shoutout to Suarez, who led a career-high 93 laps Sunday in one among his finest performances within the Cup Sequence. Credit score his crew’s unconventional technique to make use of a set of alternate tires early within the race to realize him essential monitor place. Credit score Suarez for sustaining it en path to his Tenth-place effort.
16. Alex Bowman (Final week: 12)
Bowman was simply straight-up invisible in Richmond, ending a disappointing twenty eighth at a monitor he has had success at prior to now. It appears his miniature sizzling streak earlier than the break has ended, however fortunately for him, he took benefit of the momentum whereas he might along with his Chicago Road Course win.
Dropped out: Todd Gilliland