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Bob Pockrass
FOX Motorsports Insider
Denny Hamlin doesn’t just have two wins in his last six starts, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has five top-four finishes in his last seven starts.
That type of consistency is hard to beat. And that has put him back atop these power rankings.
Denny Hamlin after winning the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover
The race at Dover featured many of these drivers jockeying for spots in the final laps and in overtime, making this list probably even more debatable than normal.
As the Cup drivers head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, these are the 10 drivers that seem to have momentum:
Dropped out: 9. Ryan Preece (Last Week: 9)
On the verge: Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Preece
10. Ty Gibbs (Last Week: Not Ranked)
A fifth for Gibbs at Dover was his third consecutive top-10 finish, with two of those being top-five runs. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is also in the championship for the in-season tournament against Ty Dillon.
9. Tyler Reddick (Last Week: 6)
Reddick ran in the top 10 for much of the race at Dover but finished 12th after the two overtimes. That snapped a streak of three top-10 finishes for the 23XI Racing driver.
Tyler Reddick drives during the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover
8. Ryan Blaney (Last Week: 7)
Blaney placed eighth at Dover after starting 31st, thanks to the metric when qualifying was canceled. It was a solid day for the Penske driver at a track where it was hard to pass.
7. Alex Bowman (Last Week: 10)
Bowman placed fifth in the first stage, second in the second stage and finished third. That’s a great day for a driver who doesn’t have a win and is fighting for a playoff spot on points. The Hendrick driver has three top-fives in his last six starts.
Alex Bowman waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover
6. Christopher Bell (Last Week: 5)
A couple of spins ruined Bell’s day. Actually just the one when battling Hamlin for the lead with less than 10 laps to go. The JGR driver finished 18th.
5. William Byron (Last Week: 3)
Byron was a victim of a crash after the late red flag for rain. The 31st-place finish wasn’t indicative of the Hendrick driver’s day, as he was fourth in the first stage and sixth in the second stage.
William Byron pits during race at Dover
4. Kyle Larson (Last Week: 4)
Larson finished top 10 in both stages and ended up fourth after having a shot to battle Hamlin for the win in overtime. It was the Hendrick driver’s first top five since Michigan, as he may have stopped a slump where he had just one top 10 in the previous four races.
3. Chase Briscoe (Last Week: 8)
Briscoe had a shot to win as he battled Hamlin in the second overtime and had fresher tires. But battling a teammate sometimes requires a little more give and a little less take, and Briscoe gave his JGR teammate Hamlin the room he needed and settled for second.
2. Chase Elliott (Last Week: 1)
Elliott gave up track position when he pitted for tires after a caution for rain, a decision that ended up not working out as he finished sixth. It was a frustrating end to a race where the Hendrick driver led 238 of the 407 laps.
Chase Elliott waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to green flag at Dover
1. Denny Hamlin (Last Week: 2)
Hamlin did a masterful job defending his lead over the final 67 laps, as he earned his fourth win of the season. The JGR driver made it the second consecutive year at Dover where he outdueled drivers in the waning laps.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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