The first race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off Feb. 18. Here are the keys dates for the upcoming season.v
Talladega did as Talladega does.
NASCAR’s largest oval devoured over 20 cars in a last-lap crash coming to the finish line. But it was Tyler Reddick, sporting the Jumpman logo on his hood with team owner Michael Jordan in attendance, surviving the carnage to win the GEICO 500.
Reddick’s sixth career win was perhaps his most memorable, as it was Jordan’s first time in victory lane in person. It was also 23XI Racing’s sixth win since Jordan and Denny Hamlin founded the team in 2021 – three with Reddick, two with Bubba Wallace and one with Kurt Busch.
How does the field stack up heading into the upcoming race at Dover Motor Speedway? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:
1. William Byron
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Last week: 1
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A seventh-place finish gave Byron his fifth straight top-10, a stretch that includes two wins. He’s proven to be capable of winning at all track types, and Dover should be no different – he finished fourth and led 193 laps there last spring.
2. Kyle Larson
Last week: 3
Before the race even started on Sunday, Larson had lost several crew members and been given a pass-through penalty due to a pre-qualifying car inspection violation. He recovered to score eight points in Stage 2 but finished 21st after getting caught up in the last-lap crash.
3. Chase Elliott
Last week: 4
Elliott, along with Reddick and Austin Cindric, was one of only three drivers to score points in each of the first two stages. He came home in 15th place after slowing down to avoid the accident. Elliott is up to third in the points standings and has yet to finish outside the top-20 through 10 races.
4. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 2
Hamlin was one of the four drivers to crash out before the final lap. He was involved in the accident at lap 157, when a quartet of Toyota drivers collided. Despite having two wins this season, Hamlin has now posted consecutive finishes of 30th or worse.
5. Martin Truex Jr.
Last week: 5
The good news? Truex finished 11th, which continued his streak of 10 straight top-20s to open the season. The bad news? Truex hasn’t finished in the top 10 in the last three races. Since losing on the final restart at Richmond last month, the No. 19 hasn’t appeared to have the same speed. Dover, where Truex won last year, will be a test to see where this team is truly at.
6. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 6
When cars roll into Talladega, Blaney is expected to be leading the charge. The three-time winner was quiet on Sunday, though. He finished 20th and led just one lap – his worst finish at Talladega since 2020 and lowest lap-led total since 2021.
7. Tyler Reddick
Last week: 10
Reddick led 13 laps in Sunday’s win, including the last six, but it took a parting of the seas to cross the line first. After how he lost at Texas the week prior, Reddick can call himself even with the racing gods. The highlight of Sunday’s celebration was, undoubtedly, when Jordan joyously lifted Reddick’s 4-year-old son Beau.
8. Ross Chastain
Last week: 7
Chastain crashed across the finish line 13th, his fourth straight result outside the top-10. After a hot start to 2024, it’s been a tough stretch for the Trackhouse Racing driver. Dover has been kind to him since joining the team, though. Chastain was third in 2022 with 86 laps led and second in 2023 with 98 laps led. If the finishing trend continues, he could be in victory lane this week.
9. Ty Gibbs
Last week: 9
Like Chastain, Gibbs has cooled off after a sizzling start to the season. He was 22nd at Talladega, a fourth straight finish of 13th or worse after five straight top-10s. The reigning Rookie of the Year is still searching for his first career victory.
10. Brad Keselowski
Last week: First four out
Two straight second-place finishes shows that Keselowski is on the brink of winning. The problem is that he hasn’t won in 108 races dating back to 2021. Keselowski last won at Dover in 2012, the same year when he won his only Cup championship.
First four out: Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace
