The first race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off Feb. 18. Here are the keys dates for the upcoming season.v
Denny Hamlin just keeps winning.
The 43-year-old driver scored his 54th career victory – and third in 11 races this season – on Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway after leading a race-high 136 laps. Hamlin held off a hard-charging Kyle Larson in the closing laps to seal the win.
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Hamlin is now tied with Hall of Famer Lee Petty for 12th on NASCAR’s all-time win list, with his sights now set on Rusty Wallace’s 55 wins.
So, how does the field stack up heading into the upcoming race at Kansas Speedway? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:
1. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 4
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Hamlin’s finishes this season have been far from consistent, but he’s winning races at a high clip. All three of his top-five finishes in 2024 have been victories, while he also has four finishes of 19th or worse. Perhaps the most impressive part of his season is that he’s led laps in every race, a streak dating back 15 races to last fall.
2. Kyle Larson
Last week: 2
Dover was another one that got away for Larson. He leads the points standings after winning his series-best sixth stage of the season, but he couldn’t get around Hamlin during the final run. Larson miraculously has just one win this year despite leading 570 laps through 11 races. Kansas, where he has a win and five straight top-10s, should be another strong showing.
3. William Byron
Last week: 1
Byron’s five-race top-10 streak was snapped at Dover when he crashed out and finished 33rd. He led 36 laps in Stage 1, but a slow pit stop under green put him back in traffic and the No. 24 never recovered. Despite winning three times this season, Byron sits sixth in the standings due to a lack of stage points.
4. Chase Elliott
Last week: 3
Another week, another solid run for Elliott. He finished fifth at Dover, which was his 10th top-five in 14 career starts at the Monster Mile. Even though he never contended for the win, it was another positive step for a team that was behind for much of last season. Elliott, who is third in the standings, had two top-10s at Kansas last season.
5. Martin Truex Jr.
Last week: 5
Like Elliott, Truex has opened the season with 11 straight top-20 finishes. He was third at Dover after leading 69 laps and winning Stage 1. While it was another strong day for points, Truex has to be itching to win again. It’s been 27 races since his last victory, whereas his teammate Hamlin has five wins over that span.
6. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 6
Early in the race, it seemed like Blaney was a contender to win. He led 47 laps and scored 10 stage points before finishing seventh – his fifth top-10 of the year. Ford is still looking for its first win of the season with its new Mustang, and the defending champion is probably its best bet to stop the drought.
7. Tyler Reddick
Last week: 7
Reddick followed up his Talladega win with an 11th-place run at Dover. By adding 12 stage points, the No. 45 team stayed fifth in the standings despite finishing behind several close competitors. Now, Reddick heads to Kansas looking to defend his victory from last fall.
8. Ty Gibbs
Last week: 9
The reigning Rookie of the Year finally got back on track at Dover with a 10th-place finish. He had a five-race top-10 streak early in the season, only to go the last four races on the outside. Gibbs has crashed out twice in three career Kansas starts, but Toyota is typically strong at the track and he does have an Xfinity Series win there.
9. Ross Chastain
Last week: 8
The disappointing start to 2024 continued for Chastain at Dover, which is traditionally one of his better tracks. He finished 12th and was consistently outside the top-10 all day long. That marked his best finish in the last five races, where the No. 1 car has been a step slow.
10. Alex Bowman
Last week: First four out
An eighth-place finish at Dover gave Bowman his sixth top-10 of the season. While his three victorious teammates (Larson, Byron, Elliott) have stolen the show, Bowman is consistently finishing well. His current 13.6 average finish would be a career-best.
First four out: Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace
