Ryan Blaney tops the Power Rankings this week after his win at Daytona.
1. Ryan Blaney:
Blaney started on the pole and surged late to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.
“Alex Bowman really owes me for saving his playoff hopes,” Blaney said. “In this case, payback is not a bitch.”
2. Denny Hamlin:
Hamlin finished 25th at Daytona.
“The playoffs are going to be wild,” Bell said. “I have no idea who will be crowned champion in November. Just as I have no idea whose car Chumba Casino sponsorship will be on from week to week.”
3. Kyle Larson:
Larson finished sixth at Daytona
“There are four Hendrick Motorsports drivers in the playoffs,” Larson said. “So, HMS has a one in four chance of winning a championship. One in three if you count Alex Bowman.”
4. William Byron:
Byron finished 19th at Daytona and will start the playoffs tied with Kyle Larson atop the standings.
“I know a lot of naysayers think I can’t win the championship,” Byron said. “To them, I say, ‘Watch this.’ On a related note, ‘Watch this’ is something I never say to Jerry Falwell, Jr.”
5. Shane van Gisbergen:
Van Gisbergen finished 16th in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
“I see the Charlotte ROVAL is the first-round playoff elimination race,” van Gisbergen said. “So I’ll see you suckers in the second round.”
6. Chase Briscoe:
Briscoe finished 23rd at Daytona.
“I hope I can emulate my mentor, Tony Stewart,” Briscoe said, “and be considered a ‘heavyweight’ in this sport. Hopefully for winning a championship and not because of what I eat.”
7. Joey Logano:
Logano finished 27th, one lap down, at Daytona.
“How about Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota?” Logano said. “It featured the ‘McDonaldland’ sponsorship with the face of Ronald McDonald. I can verify that NASCAR has a lot of clowns in cars; it makes sense that they’d have one on a car.”
8. Christopher Bell:
Bell finished 13th in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
“I haven’t won a points race since March,” Bell said. “So, as far as congratulatory kisses from my wife go, I’ve received ‘zero sugar’ since March.”
9. Chase Elliott:
Elliott finished 10th at Daytona and will start the playoffs seeded seventh.
“I know I have the full support of the good people down at the Dawsonville Pool Room,” Elliott said. “By ‘full support,’ I mean they’re the only people that think I have any chance of winning the championship.”
10. Alex Bowman:
Bowman was knocked out of the race on Lap 27, putting his playoff hopes in jeopardy, but was saved when Ryan Blaney took the victory.
“I’ll never forget what Ryan did,” Bowman said, “until I need a win and he’s standing in my way. Then it will be eradicated completely from my memory.”
Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
