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Watkins Glen race shakes up NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings

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Watkins Glen race shakes up NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings

A chaotic Watkins Glen race led to a significant reshuffling of the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings.

Tyler Reddick remains No. 1 but there are four new drivers in this week’s top 10, including Watkins Glen winner Chris Buescher.

The series heads to Bristol (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on USA Network) for the cutoff race in the first round. Four playoff drivers will be eliminated.

NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings

1. Tyler Reddick (Last week: No. 1) — He finished 27th at Watkins Glen, marking the second time in the last four races he’s placed 27th or worse. But go deeper and one sees that Reddick has eight finishes of sixth or better — including a win — in the last 11 races. That keeps the 23XI Racing driver atop the standings even during this recent hiccup.

2. Christopher Bell (2) — Finished 14th at Watkins Glen. He has five finishes of sixth or better in the last seven races.

3. Austin Cindric (NR) — A big leap for the Team Penske driver who has excelled in the playoffs. He has back-to-back 10th-place finishes. While he has only five top 10s all year, his performance in the playoffs carries extra weight. At the most pressured time of the season, Cindric has scored (79) points, tied with Alex Bowman for most among playoff drivers in the first two races in the opening round. Cindric is in good position to advance to the next round.

4. Kyle Larson (3) — He placed 12th at Watkins Glen, bouncing back from his 37th-place result at Atlanta to open the playoffs. That was third-best result among the 16 playoff drivers at Watkins Glen. He has four finishes of 12th or better in the last seven races.

5. Chris Buescher (NR) — Watkins Glen winner has four top 10s in the last five races.

Buescher, SVG duel for Watkins Glen win in OT

Watch the overtime finish from the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at the Glen.

6. Chase Briscoe (NR) — Placed sixth — best among playoff drivers — at Watkins Glen to go from below the cutline to a transfer spot heading into Bristol. He scored 43 points at Watkins Glen. No other playoff driver scored more than 33 points in that race. Briscoe has a win and two top 10s in the last three races.

7. Kyle Busch (5) — Never had a chance at Watkins Glen. His car was damaged in a Lap 1 incident when he was hit from behind and spun in front of the pack before being tagged by Denny Hamlin’s car. His 30th-place finish ended a streak of four top 10s in a row.

8. Alex Bowman (NR) — He is tied with Austin Cindric for most points scored (79) in the first two races of the playoffs. Bowman is the only driver to score points in each stage in the first two playoff races. Bowman placed 18th at Watkins Glen.

9. Daniel Suarez (9) — He finished 13th at Watkins Glen, which was fourth-best among the playoff drivers. He has four top 10s in the last seven races.

10. Joey Logano (10) — Finished 15th at Watkins Glen. Result came a week after his playoff victory at Atlanta. He has scored 77 points in the playoffs, which ranks third among playoff drivers.

Dropped out: Ryan Blaney (4), Chase Elliott (6), William Byron (7), Denny Hamlin (8)

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