NASCAR Cup Series: Power rankings entering the 2021 season
By Asher Fair
2021 NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings: #22 and #21
#22. . No. 43. Richard Petty Motorsports, Chevrolet. ERIK JONES
Erik Jones lost his ride with Joe Gibbs Racing behind the wheel of the #20 Toyota to Christopher Bell following a three-year stint that saw him only win two races while his teammates during this year combined to make 35 trips to victory lane. Most disappointingly, he failed to qualify for the playoffs with a winless 2020 campaign. But landing with Richard Petty Motorsports may be the best thing that could have happened to him. They made clear improvements with Bubba Wallace behind the wheel of the #43 Chevrolet in the 2020 season, and whereas Joe Gibbs Racing are a four-car team, Richard Petty Motorsports are a one-car organization where the focus will be solely on making Jones as competitive as he can be.
#21. . No. 23. 23XI Racing, Toyota. BUBBA WALLACE
Bubba Wallace is set to move on after a three-year stint with Richard Petty Motorsports, despite the fact that his third year behind the wheel of the #43 Chevrolet was his best yet and saw some drastic improvements over the previous two. He is set to drive for 23XI Racing, the new team started by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan, and they are set to have a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing after Leavine Family Racing, which had a technical alliance with the four-car Toyota powerhouse in 2019 and 2020, shut down following the 2020 season. While it may take more than just their first season for 23XI Racing to become a regular contender, expect Wallace to have the best season of his career in 2021.