Denny Hamlin is back on top in this week’s Power Rankings after his third-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
1. Denny Hamlin:
Hamlin started last after crashing in qualifying, and charged his way to a third-place finish at Indianapolis.
“I just signed a contract extension to remain with Joe Gibbs Racing,” Hamlin said. “I think NASCAR is happy that I signed the extension, if for no other reason than they can be sure I’ll be able to pay my legal bills.”
2. Chase Elliott:
Elliott finished 13th in the Brickyard 400.
“The In-Season Challenge champion was crowned,” Elliott said, “with Ty Gibbs finishing 21st to beat Ty Dillon. It would have been totally appropriate had the Challenge ended in a tie, because nobody cared who won.”
3. Chase Briscoe:
Briscoe started on the pole and won Stage 2 on his way to an 18th-place finish in the Brickyard 400.
“If you think as a fan it’s hard staying awake for the Indy race,” Briscoe said, “you should try staying awake for this race as a driver.”
4. Kyle Larson:
Larson couldn’t chase down Bubba Wallace during two overtime restarts and settled for second in the Brickyard 400.
“Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of my favorite tracks,” Larson said, “as long as I come here just once a year.”
5. Alex Bowman:
Bowman finished ninth in the Brickyard 400.
“Like most NASCAR races at Indy,” Bowman said, “the outcome comes down to fuel mileage. I’m not sure that’s the kind of race that appeals to NASCAR fans, because if you tell a NASCAR fan they’ll have to ‘do math’ to enjoy this race, they’ll certainly ask you to clarify.”
6. Ryan Blaney:
Blaney won Stage 2 at Indianapolis and surged late to finish seventh at Indianapolis.
“I was forced to pit while pit lane was closed at the end of Stage 2,” Blaney said. “I was forced to pit because had I not, I would have run out of gas. So it was a no-brainer. Also, a no-brainer: putting yourself in a position where you have to pit when pit lane is closed.”
7. William Byron:
Byron finished 16th in the Brickyard 400.
“I’m not sure what the television ratings were for the Indy race,” Byron said. “So I don’t know who was watching. As an affiliate of Liberty University, I’m only concerned about one person watching.”
8. Bubba Wallace:
Wallace held off Kyle Larson in overtime at Indianapolis to win the Brickyard 400 and snap a 100-race winless streak. Wallace also clinched a spot in the playoffs.
“I was lucky enough to be able to ‘kiss the bricks,'” Wallace said. “For a minute there, though, I thought I was going to have to kiss the bricks goodbye.”
9. Joey Logano:
Logano blew a right-rear tire with 26 laps to go while running as the de facto leader, ruining his chances for the win. He limped home to a 32nd-place finish.
“I heard a pop,” Logano said. “I guess that was my tire, or my bubble bursting, or both.”
10. Christopher Bell
Bell: Bell finished eighth at Indianapolis.
“Congratulations to Bubba Wallace and Ty Gibbs,” Bell said, “for winning the race and the In-Season Challenge, respectively, despite my best efforts to prevent them from doing so.”
Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
