Sunday’s Introduction Well being 400 at Kansas Speedway made historical past because the closest end in NASCAR Cup Collection historical past, with Kyle Larson beating Chris Buescher by 0.001 seconds.
Larson already led final week’s energy rankings and naturally stays on prime — and by a a lot larger margin than his Kansas victory. Because the sequence heads to Darlington Raceway for Sunday’s Goodyear 400, who follows him?
1. Kyle Larson (Final week: 1)
Larson entered Sunday’s race because the Cup Collection factors chief and energy rankings front-runner. He left Kansas nonetheless in possession of these accolades. Larson is red-hot, and he’ll look to remain that method in Darlington, the place he gained final fall.
2. Martin Truex Jr. (Final week: 3)
Misplaced within the pleasure on the finish of the thrilling Kansas end was that Truex was chasing down Denny Hamlin in a rush earlier than a warning for Kyle Busch’s spin arrange that remaining restart. He nonetheless completed fourth after taking 4 tires whereas many of the remainder of the leaders took two, however finally this goes down as one other race in 2024 that Truex might have — and possibly ought to have — gained had a couple of breaks gone his method.
3. Chase Elliott (Final week: 2)
Elliott continues his hyper-consistent efficiency in latest weeks, incomes his sixth top-five end prior to now seven races (the superspeedway Talladega being the one exception) by coming house third. He might need gained had the race been 100 yards longer after Larson and Chris Buescher repeatedly bounced off of one another coming to the road. He continues to re-establish himself in NASCAR’s prime tier of weekly contenders.
4. Denny Hamlin (Final week: 4)
Hamlin led essentially the most laps (71) at Kansas and was in entrance on the ultimate restart however dropped to fifth as he was unable to attain back-to-back wins. He regarded to have light out of competition after working up entrance early on, earlier than a method name by crew chief Chris Gabehart paid off to place him again within the combine. Now he’ll head to considered one of his greatest tracks in Darlington, the place he dominated final fall earlier than a unfastened wheel spoiled his night.
5. William Byron (Final week: 5)
Byron did not have an eventful race at Kansas, ending twenty third, however he holds serve as a result of nobody beneath him did sufficient to leap into the highest 5. He was enjoying catch-up all race after his weekend obtained off to a tough begin by hitting the wall throughout qualifying, so he’ll look to place this one behind him and bounce again at Darlington, the place he gained the spring race a 12 months in the past.
6. Kyle Busch (Final week: 10)
Busch has come again to life these previous two weeks, following up his prime 5 at Dover with a efficiency by which he was quick all race. He spun late within the going to arrange the ultimate restart and but nonetheless got here again to complete eighth. He has a robust report at Darlington (899 laps led) however just one win (2008). This weekend might be a strong take a look at to see if the two-time Cup champion can sustain his momentum.
7. Ross Chastain (Final week: 12)
His Nineteenth-place end did not present it, however Chastain had considered one of his greatest races of 2024 at Kansas, beginning on the skin pole and main 43 laps as he dueled forwards and backwards with Kyle Larson for a lot of the early going. He remained inside the highest 10 all through the length of the race earlier than the shuffle on the ultimate restart dropped him again.
8. Alex Bowman (Final week: 7)
Bowman’s constant kind continues to see him climb within the factors standings — he now sits ninth after his seventh-place end at Kansas. But he is nonetheless solely led six laps this season, so it seems like one thing’s going to present sooner relatively than later. Can Darlington lastly be the week he competes for a win?
9. Chris Buescher (Final week: 15)
So shut and but to this point for Buescher, who owns the unlucky distinction as the motive force to lose the closest end in Cup Collection historical past. Buescher initially was deemed the winner by the Fox Sports activities broadcast sales space whereas his workforce celebrated atop the pit field, however finally he needed to accept second. On the plus facet, he gained 5 spots within the standings and is now eleventh.
10. Tyler Reddick (Final week: 6)
Reddick, who completed twentieth Sunday, did not have the run he in all probability needed after profitable at Kansas final fall and contending on each of the earlier 1.5-mile tracks (Las Vegas and Texas) in 2024. Darlington ought to present a strong alternative for him to bounce again, although, as he ran second to Larson on the monitor final fall after main 90 laps.
11. Ryan Blaney (Final week: 8)
It was not a fantastic race for Blaney and his No. 12 workforce at Kansas and but he was capable of salvage a ninth-place end. Nonetheless, his and Crew Penske’s struggles just lately are beginning to turn out to be a priority, as they’ve merely lacked pace ever for the reason that season’s opening month.
12. Ty Gibbs (Final week: 9)
Gibbs was up inside the highest 5 for many of the early phases at Kansas, however he slipped to thirty second after making an unscheduled pit cease in the course of the run simply earlier than the ultimate warning. Closing out races continues to be an issue with Gibbs’ No. 54 workforce, however that is to be anticipated with a younger driver. The 21-year-old remains to be comfortably contained in the playoffs, sitting eighth in factors.
13. Noah Gragson (Final week: 14)
Gragson continues to be arguably essentially the most shocking driver of 2024, as his ninth-place end result at Kansas marks his fifth top-10 end of the season in solely 12 races (and third in a row). He is nonetheless in must-win territory by way of having a shot to make the playoffs, however the truth that he is climbed to Nineteenth within the standings after an early-season 35-point penalty is spectacular.
14. Christopher Bell (Final week: not ranked)
Bell gained the pole at Kansas and completed sixth, lastly getting himself again on monitor after a depressing April. He is identified to place lengthy stretches of constant outcomes collectively when he is on his sport, so maybe Sunday may very well be the beginning of one other one.
15. Brad Keselowski (Final week: NR)
Keselowski simply missed out on a top-10 end at Kansas (eleventh), and very like Truex, he was damage by the timing of the ultimate warning as he was rocketing as much as the highest 5 simply earlier than it. He stays squarely on the playoff bubble, presently holding the ultimate spot by 4 markers over Bubba Wallace.
16. Joey Logano (Final week: 11)
Logano’s disappointing 2024 continued with a mediocre run at Kansas, lowlighted by a spin by which he fell a number of laps down after repairs. He has dropped again exterior the playoff grid, and if he does not make a lot noise subsequent week, he would possibly drop out of the facility rankings once more, too.
Dropped out: Chase Briscoe, Daniel Hemric
