Both Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney had issues on pit road at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and both overcame them to get the job done.
Blaney won the race, while Hamlin clinched the regular-season title. So Blaney jumped up these rankings, while Hamlin is firmly in control of the top spot.
Here are my power rankings entering the regular-season finale Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
Dropped out: William Byron (Last Week: 7)
On the verge: Chris Buescher, William Byron, Austin Cindric, Chase Elliott, Ryan Preece, Zane Smith
Wallace has bounced in and out of these rankings throughout the year. A second-place finish at New Hampshire puts him on the list. Also, he’s all but secured a spot for himself in The Chase.
9.
Logano got involved in the Carson Hocevar-Connor Zilisch skirmish and rallied to finish 14th. It was not a great finish but still respectable. He also clinched a Chase spot.
8.
A spin on the opening lap could have ruined Reddick’s day but he came back to finish eighth. That’s not where he should finish after winning the pole. But he rebounded from the spin so it’s hard to complain about that.
7.
Larson finished fifth at Loudon and now has back-to-back top-six finishes. Maybe he’s finding his groove just in time with The Chase around the corner.
6.
Berry, still looking for a ride for 2027, was third at New Hampshire for his fourth consecutive finish of eighth or better. It’s been a great turnaround for Berry. Unfortunately, it’s a little too late.
5.
Gibbs finished sixth for his sixth top-10 finish in his last eight races. He is still carrying a little bit of momentum from the Iowa victory a couple of weeks ago.
4.
Briscoe had a disappointing 26th-place finish after he couldn’t capitalize on an attempt to gain track position with a two-tire stop.
3.
Blaney earned his third victory of the season at New Hampshire. Now, questions loom about if this team will be preoccupied with the state of its pit crew ahead of The Chase.
2.
Bell, typically strong at New Hampshire, finished fourth on Sunday. It was his sixth top-five finish in the last eight races. Bell and Larson are probably the two drivers without wins who could be considered championship threats.
1.
Hamlin was seventh at Loudon and now that he has clinched the regular-season title and the top Chase seed, he can go to Daytona without any worries.
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