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Who's No. 1?
The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season is coming down the final stretch. Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, and Clint Bowyer have each secured multiple wins, but which driver tops them all heading into Indianapolis Motor Speedway? See where your favorite driver landed in this week's Power Rankings.
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20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (replaces Paul Menard in top 20)
I guess it's time to move Stenhouse back into the top 20 considering he's set up to be the first driver out of the Round of 16. He outlasted most of the field and finished 12th at Darlington, which counts for something while Paul Menard finished 17th.
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19. Ryan Newman
Newman was having a strong outing at Darlington but ultimately a wreck spoiled his chances of a top-10 finish. Still, he's a top-20 driver in NASCAR. He will likely need a win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway if he wants to make the playoffs though.
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18. Daniel Suarez (-1)
What a rollercoaster ride it has been for Daniel Suarez over the past few months, from career-best finishes in July and August to worrying about where he'll be driving for next season. With rumors of Martin Truex Jr. taking over the No. 19, Suarez's future has never been more unclear as it concerns the Cup Series.
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17. William Byron (+1)
Byron got a DNF at Darlington, but his performance there didn't go unnoticed. Time and time again the rookie is showing up to tracks and showing skill in his first try. Byron ran inside the top 10 frequently before crashing out. We like his stock going into next year.
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16. Austin Dillon (+1)
It's all about the playoffs, right? Dillon is one of the few drivers in by winning, which is why he's 16th today. You'll notice, the next 15 would all be in the playoffs if the season ended today.
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15. Jimmie Johnson (+1)
Johnson hasn't driven like the driver he once was this season, but he still has an opportunity to make the playoffs on merit. Darlington felt like an all-time low, starting from the rear, working his way up and eventually suffering an engine issue. Scary times for the No. 48 team right now, but anything can happen in the playoffs.
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14. Alex Bowman (-2)
Bowman has fluctuated a lot in the teens this year, but comes in this week at 14th. He wasn't very impressive at Darlington, but still is in position to make the playoffs. Hendrick is still adjusting to the Camaro, but we're not sure they'll have it figured out in time for Bowman to make a championship run.
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13. Denny Hamlin (+1)
Hamlin sure disappointed, finishing only 10th after starting on the pole at Darlington. However, he did what he needed to do in clinching his spot in the playoffs on merit. That was enough to bump him up a spot this week.
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12. Aric Almirola (+1)
Another driver who clinched on merit and moves up a spot is Aric Almirola. Sure, he didn't have a great go of things in South Carolina, but he comes in at 12th in the regular season standings and we chose to mirror that in our Power Rankings.
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11. Ryan Blaney
No movement from Blaney as Darlington was never his track. We knew going into that race that he wasn't going to be a factor given his track record, so he was never going to move in our rankings this week.
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10. Clint Bowyer (-3)
Bowyer got into a nasty wreck toward the end of the Darlington race and hasn't been living up to the hype he set for himself early in the year. For a driver in Stewart-Haas Racing's organization, he should have forward momentum right now, not backwards. His comments about "lappers" post-race didn't help his fandom either.
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9. Kyle Larson (+1)
To be honest, Larson should be higher on this list but we really don't have a spot for him past this point. He dominated the race at Darlington, but couldn't get it done. That's kind of been the story of his season. Perhaps his momentum will change in the playoffs.
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8. Joey Logano
Logano finished second at Darlington, which -- in addition to his win -- is why he doesn't lose the spot to Larson this week. It's good news for Team Penske that their drivers are getting it together ahead of the playoffs. Logano has shown in the past that once into the playoffs, he can make it to the Championship 4.
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7. Brad Keselowski (+4)
Keselowski is our biggest mover this week after notching his first win of the season at Darlington. The No. 2 driver played his cards right and put himself in a position to win at the end. It's a great feeling for his team and perhaps could propel Keselowski to momentum in the playoffs.
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6. Erik Jones (+1)
Jones had a real fast car at Darlington but suffered too many setbacks to win the race. The sophomore driver has shown nothing but fight this season after pit road penalties, and is a dark horse championship contender. We like where Jones is at at this point.
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5. Chase Elliott
No movement for Elliott this week. He was in position to take the lead multiple times at Darlington, but ultimately settled for a top five. The playoff schedule is favorable for the No. 9 team, so we expect him to at least make the Round of 8 this year once again.
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4. Kurt Busch
Busch had a quiet, but good performance after taking his first checkered flag of the season at Bristol. The No. 41 driver still has to worry about where he'll drive next season, but is in good shape for the playoffs.
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3. Martin Truex Jr.
Off-the-track drama may be starting to bug the No. 78 team. On Tuesday, it was announced that Furniture Row Racing would be shutting down after this season. However, knowing Truex and Cole Pearn, that will only lead to more motivation to secure a second-consecutive title as they put their skills on display for other teams.
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2. Kyle Busch
Busch sits confidently in second on our Power Rankings list. He's in position to win the regular season title, but is second in NASCAR with six total wins. Likely a lock for the Championship 4 at this point.
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1. Kevin Harvick
It was another day at the office for Harvick at Darlington, as he brought in another top-five finish. He leads the series in playoff points and wins, making him the title favorite with one race remaining in the regular season.
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