Pete Pistone‘s NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings after the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
1. Denny Hamlin — Last year‘s Homestead-Miami race winner was slated to start from the pole, but was forced to start in the back after unapproved adjustments. Hamlin battled his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. at the close of the second stage to finish in the runner-up spot, but was not much of a factor later on in the race. Hamlin crossed the finish line 11th.
Driver Rating: 108.5
Point Standings: 1st
Previous Ranking: 1st
2. Chase Elliott — He did lead four laps and was at the front of the field for much of the race, posting the fifth-best average running position, until it mattered most. Elliott slid back and was out of contention for the win in the latter stages on Sunday and settled for a 14th-place finish.
Driver Rating: 101.2
Point Standings: 5th
Previous Ranking: 2nd
3. Michael McDowell — There‘s no letting up for the Daytona 500 winner. McDowell has for the first time in his career finished top-10 in three consecutive races, which is also best career streak for Front Row Motorsports. McDowell posted a sixth-place performance on Sunday.
Driver Rating: 86.7
Point Standings: 4th
Previous Ranking: 4th
4. William Byron — Career win number two came in Byron‘s 11th start. The Hendrick Motorsports driver led four times for 102 laps, the most he‘s ever led in a race. Byron won in his third Cup start with crew chief Rudy Fugle after they won seven times together in the Camping World Truck Series.
Driver Rating: 88.7
Point Standings: 13th
Previous Ranking: NR
5. Christopher Bell — A letdown after scoring his first career Cup win the week before at the Daytona Road Course. Bell was only able to muster a 20th-place finish Sunday at Homestead-Miami, a track he had circled going into the 2021 season.
Driver Rating: 96.2
Point Standings: 7th
Previous Ranking: 3rd
6. Kevin Harvick — Not showing the dominance of a year ago but Harvick has been very much in a steady as he goes streak to start the year. He scored his 12th top five and 18th top-10 finish at Homestead-Miami, both most all-time. Harvick has finished in the top 10 in all three races this season.
Driver Rating: 103.8
Point Standings: 2nd
Previous Ranking: 6th
7. Martin Truex Jr. — The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished top three in four of the last five races at Homestead-Miami, including his third-place run on Sunday, which included a spirited battle with teammate Denny Hamlin to the finish of Stage 2.
Driver Rating: 94.5
Point Standings: 9th
Previous Ranking: NR
8. Kyle Larson — Steadily improving on a weekly basis and Larson was very good Sunday at Homestead-Miami, one of his best tracks on the schedule as he posted his fourth top-five finish in his last six starts at the track.
Driver Rating: 98.9
Point Standings: 8th
Previous Ranking: 10th
9. Kurt Busch — Made a stellar drive back to the front of the field after he was forced to pit for a vibration while running fourth on Lap 228. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver had one of the fastest cars on track in the closing laps to rally for an eighth-place finish.
Driver Rating: 90.3
Point Standings: 6th
Previous Ranking: 7th
10. Joey Logano — It was a struggle for Logano Sunday at Homestead-Miami particularly in the second half of the race when he faded back and could not do any better than a disappointing 25th-place finish after starting from the front row.
Driver Rating: 102.8
Point Standings: 3rd
Previous Ranking: 5th
Dropped Out: Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece
