The first race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off Feb. 18. Here are the keys dates for the upcoming season.v
After a two-week break for the 2024 Olympics, NASCAR returned in dramatic fashion.
Austin Dillon, who entered Sunday’s race in Richmond way back in 32nd in the standings, pulled off a miraculous upset to lock himself into the playoffs.
The driver of the famed No. 3 was cruising to victory before a late caution. Then, on the overtime restart, he appeared to intentionally crash Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin out of the way to score his fifth career win.
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What has ensued is a debate across the NASCAR world, wondering whether or not Dillon should be penalized for his moves. Logano and Hamlin certainly think so, but NASCAR has taken no action as of Tuesday morning.
Next up is a trip to the Irish Hills for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. How does the field stack up after Richmond? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:
1. Christopher Bell
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Last week: 3
If it weren’t for a speeding penalty, Bell’s sixth-place finish likely would’ve been better. He led 122 laps and scored 19 stage points, most of all drivers. Bell has performed well at short flat tracks all season (wins at Phoenix and New Hampshire), and Sunday’s performance at Richmond was more evidence that he’ll be a threat at Phoenix if he’s in the Championship 4.
2. Kyle Larson
Last week: 1
Was this the quietest race of the season for Larson? He finished seventh, had no stage points and was just OK for the entire race. The 2021 champion has flashes almost weekly when he’s the fastest driver, and that just didn’t happen at Richmond. Michigan, where Larson has three wins, could be a different story.
3. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 4
Hamlin was poised to turn a third-place finish into a win when Dillon sent Logano spinning. Then, he was slammed into the wall and subjected to a second-place finish. The 43-year-old Hamlin, who said his shoulder was hurting from the hit, led a race-high 124 laps.
4. Tyler Reddick
Last week: 5
Reddick had a front-row seat behind Dillon’s rampage on the final lap, finishing third and giving his former teammate a bump after crossing the finish line. But looking past the Richmond drama, Reddick has had a career year. He leads all drivers with 10 top-fives and 16 top-10s (four more than the next-closest). The only thing lacking is winning, which he’s only done once.
5. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 2
At one of his worst tracks historically, Blaney salvaged an 11th-place finish that would’ve been even better if not for the late caution. Still, he’ll likely take that finish and happily move on to Michigan – where he won in 2021.
6. Chase Elliott
Last week: 6
Elliott was playing from behind all night with an odd strategy to long-pit on almost every green flag pit cycle. He recovered to finish ninth, a slight improvement from where he would’ve been without the late caution. That marks three straight top-10s and a series-best 10.4 average finish on the season.
7. William Byron
Last week: 7
The summer slump is hitting Byron yet again, a similar issue to what he had last year. He won two of the first eight races this season, but he has finished outside the top 10 in eight of the 15 races since then. Byron finished 13th at Richmond, which was exactly where he started.
8. Bubba Wallace
Last week: 10
Dillon’s win puts Wallace in a tricky spot to make the playoffs on points. He’s erased a 45-point deficit in three races to put himself three points above the cutline. But the only way to lock himself in for a second straight year is to win. Wallace finished fourth at Richmond and has recently been strong at Michigan (second in 2022).
9. Joey Logano
Last week: First four out
Logano has the strongest reason to be upset after Sunday. He nailed the final restart and pulled away from Dillon entering the final corner before the dive-bomb sent him spinning to finish 19th. Regardless, it was an encouraging run for a team that is slowly turning the corner as the playoffs inch closer.
10. Brad Keselowski
Last week: 8
The summer has not been kind to Keselowski. He was 16th at Richmond, giving him five finishes outside the top-15 in the last six races. The Michigan native would love to turn things around at his hometrack, where he has eight top-fives but has never won in 26 career starts.
First four out: Alex Bowman, Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher
