NASCAR Energy Rankings: William Byron makes a leap after second straight defend shut

With the early half of the season via the West Waft swing, drivers and groups now private a theory of where they take a seat for superspeedways, intermediate tracks and a flat short notice.

They’ll be taught about motorway courses in a pair of weeks as they head to Circuit of the Americas after this week’s hasten at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on FOX), a 1.5-mile course but banked ample as fragment of a reconfiguration for 2022 that makes it hasten like a superspeedway.

There quiet hasn’t been a dominant driver as a long way as leading laps — and winning. A driver in actuality wants to enact both to in actuality be realizing to be dominant.

Right here’s a spy at how I’d bad NASCAR Cup Series drivers for the time being:

1. Kevin Harvick (Final week: 3) 

Harvick will private won at Phoenix if no longer for a unhurried caution. He has earned stage functions in six of the eight phases this one year. And in the closing three races, he has improved his enact from the foremost stage to the second stage. That reveals he’s bettering his automobile for the length of a hasten, which could well well be pivotal in upcoming races.

2. Ross Chastain (LW: 1) 

Chastain used to be operating fifth-to-10th for a long way of the Phoenix hasten sooner than tangling with Denny Hamlin in time beyond law, with Hamlin ending 23rd and Chastain 24th. That roughly day would now not place the driver in the No. 1 plight. Chastain and Hamlin had a protracted conversation after the hasten, but it absolutely did now not appear heated.

3. William Byron (LW: 8) 

Aid-to-abet victories private vaulted Byron up the rankings. Which you need to well well perhaps with out problems gain the argument he have to quiet motivate the tip plight due to winning five of the closing seven phases (when fascinated about the wonderful stage of every hasten, too). But he did want an time beyond law enact to defend shut both of the closing two races. The following two races (Atlanta and COTA) will seemingly be key to in actuality seeing whether Byron is poised for a breakout one year.

4. Kyle Larson (LW: 6) 

Larson presumably feels he’s going to private had two wins — or even three, fascinated about he used to be some of the quickest cars on the notice after the throttle advise at Fontana. He has led laps in three of the foremost four races, and but he’s fifth in the standings following Phoenix. 

5. Kyle Busch (LW: 2) 

What has happened since Fontana? Racing happened. It is no longer rare for groups to private excellent weekends and harmful weekends. But Busch does private a reason to truly be okay with an eighth-dispute enact at Phoenix — his teammate, Austin, Dillon, used to be lapped early in the hasten and needed to combat ethical to enact 16th. So Busch seemingly used to be making presumably the most out of his automobile at Phoenix.

6. Alex Bowman (LW: 5) 

Bowman performed ninth at Phoenix and moves up to the tip plight in the standings, but he drops in vitality rankings? Yes. He wasn’t in the tip 10 in both stage at Phoenix and used to be amongst these lucky there in time beyond law. 

7. Denny Hamlin (LW: 7) 

Hamlin had a solid high-10 enact soured after the Chastain tangle in time beyond law at Phoenix. Hamlin has perceived to be presumably the most constant of the Toyota drivers with stage functions in every stage of the closing three races. And but, just one high-10 enact.

8. Ryan Blaney (LW: NR) 

Blaney came up one plight short at Phoenix after operating in the tip 10 for loads of the hasten at Phoenix. It used to be his first high-five enact of the one year and his second high-10. He used to be clearly the one Penske automobile at Phoenix.

9. Christopher Bell (LW: 9) 

Bell’s crew had a slack pit end for the length of the second stage at Phoenix, and he used to be in a position to rally abet, operating amongst the tip five till the unhurried cautions and restarts. He has three finishes of sixth or better and ranks sixth in the standings. So why so low here? Merely one lap led in the closing three races. 

10. Joey Logano (LW: 4)

Logano had an uncharacteristically unpleasant day at Phoenix, ethical four months after winning the championship at the same notice. And despite an unpleasant day, he performed 11th. If his team can win the reason for their lack of constant tempo the closing two weeks, he’ll be harmful.

On the verge: Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Suárez, Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent decades overlaying motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Carrying News, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Prepare him on Twitter @bobpockrass, and signal in for the FOX Sports activities NASCAR E-newsletter with Bob Pockrass.

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