While Kyle Larson celebrated in victory lane for the first time in more than two years, several playoff drivers had their races ruined by mechanical issues. How did the Drydene 400 affect the NASCAR Cup Series Driver Power Rankings?
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson secured the most important victory of his NASCAR Cup Series career to date in the opening race of the round of 12 of the 2019 playoffs at Dover International Speedway, the Drydene 400.
Larson is slated to advance to the round of 8 for the first time in his career. No Chip Ganassi Racing driver has ever advanced to the round of 8, and Larson changed this by ending a 75-race win drought that began more than two years ago in September of 2017 after he won the regular season finale at Richmond Raceway.
How did Larson’s victory in this 400-lap race around the four-turn, 1.0-mile (1.609-kilometer) high-banked Monster Mile oval in Dover, Delaware affect the NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings?
These NASCAR Cup Series Driver Power Rankings were calculated using a formula, which you can see here. But before they are revealed, take a look below at some of the highlights of this edition of these rankings.
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NASCAR Cup Series Driver Power Rankings Analysis
Six of the 12 round of 12 playoff drivers finished the Drydene 400 in the top six. Three of the other six finished between 10th and 13th place.
But the other three all finished in 34th place or worse as a result of mechanical issues, with two of these three drivers not even finishing the race.
Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney finished in 34th and 35th place, respectively, while Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott finished in 38th, marking just the second last place finish of his Cup Series career.
As a result of these mechanical issues, which has mired all three of these drivers below the round of 8 cut line with two races remaining in the round of 12, they dropped a combined 16 positions in these power rankings.
Can they rebound over the course of the next two weekends to advanced to the third of four rounds of the playoffs?