A caution with two laps to go changed everything on Sunday.
Martin Truex Jr. was cruising to a victory at Richmond Raceway before a quick pit stop by the No. 11 crew and a subsequent overtime finish saw Denny Hamlin celebrating in victory lane at his home track for the fifth time in his career.
While Truex salvaged a fourth-place finish, he expressed his frustration after the race by bumping into Hamlin and colliding with Kyle Larson. And with another short track race coming up this weekend, tempers could continue to flare.
How does the field stack up heading into the upcoming race at Martinsville Speedway? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:
1. William Byron
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Last week: 1
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Crew chief Rudy Fugle said after Byron’s win last week that Richmond was a weakness for the No. 24 team. If you can finish seventh at your “bad” tracks, you’re in pretty good shape. Byron obviously expects to compete for wins, but his performance at Richmond showed much he and the team have grown.
2. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 5
There’s controversy over whether or not Hamlin jumped the final restart. It was close, but NASCAR ruled it to be legal. Restart aside, Hamlin can credit his crew chief and pit crew for great strategy and quick stops all night long. The No. 11 team is firing on all cylinders right now after winning two of the last three races.
3. Kyle Larson
Last week: 3
Larson led 64 of 70 laps in winning Stage 1. In Stage 2, his team opted for an alternate pit strategy that ended up costing him when a caution came out. Larson was then spun out by Bubba Wallace with two laps to go and still managed to finish third – which elevated him to second in the points standings.
4. Christopher Bell
Last week: 2
If it wasn’t for a pit road speeding penalty under green, Bell looked like he could’ve competed for the win. Instead, he was mired back in traffic and finished sixth. Still a strong run, but it’s the second straight week where Bell had a race-winning car and didn’t end up in victory lane.
5. Martin Truex Jr.
Last week: 8
Truex was mad at everyone after his dominant performance was wiped away. He door-slammed Larson, gave Hamlin a few bumps to the rear and then argued about the restart afterward. This marks the sixth time in Truex’s career that he’s led over 100 laps at Richmond and not won the race. As a consolation prize, Truex does still lead the points standings.
6. Ty Gibbs
Last week: 4
Three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers were contenders on Sunday. And then there was the organization’s youngest driver, who surprisingly struggled at Richmond. Gibbs finished 16th and had no stage points for the first time in four races. It also snapped his streak of five straight top-10 finishes.
7. Chris Buescher
Last week: 9
Eat, sleep, top-10, repeat. That’s been Buescher’s routine this season. Through seven races, he has five top-10s – including a ninth-place result at Richmond. At his current pace, Buescher is on pace to shatter his career-best of 17 top-10s, which he set last season.
8. Ross Chastain
Last week: 7
Chastain was eighth in Stage 1 before settling outside the top-10 for most of the race. He came home in 15th, which matched his second-worst finish of the season. While Chastain hasn’t necessarily been battling for wins just yet this season, he is limiting the damage on nights like Sunday when the car isn’t up to snuff.
9. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 6
After three straight top-fives, Blaney now has three straight finishes outside the top-10. He was 19th at Richmond, but it could’ve been much worse. Blaney ran worse than 20th for much of the race before marching forward in the final stage.
10. Chase Elliott
Last week: First four out
Is the 2020 champion finally turning things around? Elliott posted his first top-five of the season at Richmond after starting second. The No. 9 team has struggled since Elliott’s leg injury at the beginning of last season, but there have been signs of life in recent weeks.
First four out: Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman
