NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings

"I went winless in 2018," Hamlin said, "so naturally, I started to question myself. I also had other questions at Daytona, like 'When is this race going to start?' and 'When is this race going to end?'"

1. Joey Logano: Logano won the Ford EcoBoost 400 to claim his first Monster Energy Cup championship. - "I won the battle," Logano said, "and I won the war. But I'd still probably lose a fight to Martin Truex, Jr."

1. Kyle Busch: Busch started sixth at Phoenix and took the checkered flag in the Can-Am 500 to advance to Homestead with a chance to win his second Cup championship. - "Kevin Harvick got in when Denny Hamlin knocked out Kurt Busch and Chase Elliott," Busch said. "Either Kurt or Chase could have played the spoiler, and the last thing Harvick needed is another troublesome spoiler." - Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started third in the AAA Texas 500 and passed Ryan Blaney on an overtime restart to take the win and qualify for the finale at Homestead.

1. Joey Logano: Logano used a controversial bump-and-run maneuver on Martin Truex, Jr. on the final lap to win the First Data 500 at Martinsville. "I know this makes me an unpopular driver," Logano said. "Correction: I know this makes me a more unpopular driver."

1. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 2nd at Kansas and cruised into Round 3 of the NASCAR playoffs. "I basically just had to avoid disaster at Kansas," Busch said. "And that means I just had to keep my mouth shut." Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

Busch finished 26th at Talladega and is now third in the playoff points standings. "Stewart-Haas Racing totally dominated the race," Harvick said. "It was like they were leading the world's fastest funeral procession, because they 'buried' the field."

Kyle Busch: Busch started on the pole at Dover and led 21 laps on his way to an eighth-place finish. "I'm just glad to survive with a decent finish," Busch said. "The 'Monster Mile' claimed a few victims on Sunday. Talladega's 2.66 mile track could be even more monstrous. Then we get Kansas Speedway's 1.5 mile track. It doesn't scare anyone, except prospective ticket buyers."

1. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 18th at Charlotte. "Luckily," Busch said, "I was already on to Round 2 of the Playoffs. If there's such a thing as a 'leisurely' drive around a 'roval,' that was it."

Kyle Busch: Busch battled back from a start of 39th and took the win at Richmond, earning his 50th career Cup victory.