NASCAR headed west this weekend for a little viva Las Vegas. It’s no secret that any title fight worth the price of admission can be found in the neon glow of the Nevada desert. Martin Truex Jr. took on all challengers and delivered a knockout blow; he’s the first to win all three stages in a race under the sport’s new format. While the post-race scrum on pit road stole much of the fanfare, it did little to curb the enthusiasm of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team.
While Truex was cruising, former teammates Kyle Busch and Joey Logano were bruising each other; they found themselves in the middle of a melee after the race. Busch felt that he had been dumped by Logano on the final lap, costing him a likely top-five finish.
So once the dust settled, which drivers did our media members feel struck gold in Vegas and which ones rolled snake eyes? While chances are slim that any of our contributors had to be separated by NASCAR officials, they still gave us some rankings that pack a punch.
How The Rankings Are Calculated: Frontstretch does our power rankings similar to how the Associated Press does them for basketball or football. Our expert stable of NASCAR writers, both on staff and from other major publications will vote for the Top 10 on a 10-9-8-7… 3-2-1 basis, giving 10 points to their first-place driver, 9 for second, and so on. In the end, Frank Velat calculates the points, adds some funny one-liners, and… here you go!
Rank |
Change |
Name |
Total Votes |
1 |
+2 |
 Brad KeselowskiIf it wasn’t for a late-race mechanical problem last Sunday, Brad K’s win total for 2017 would match his car number. Rob Tiongson, The Podium Finish First Place Votes: 4 |
55 |
2 |
+3 |
 Kyle Larson12th, second, second. Could we finally be seeing the transition to weekly contender for Larson in Cup season four? Tom Bowles, Frontstretch |
52 |
3 |
 +5 |
 Martin Truex Jr.
|
47 |
4 |
+2 |
 Joey Logano
|
44 |
5 |
-3 |
 Chase Elliott
|
40 |
6 |
 -5 |
 With the way his luck has been in 2017, one can only hope Harvick had enough sense to stay away from the blackjack tables last week. Truex knows that feeling all too well. Frank Velat, Frontstretch |
24 |
7 |
 -3 |
 Kurt Busch
|
20 |
8 |
+1 |
 Ryan BlaneyBlaney is reaping the benefits of Ford’s dominance in the Cup Series this year as the little brother to the Penske boys. He came up just short of his second top-five finish of the year after having just three in all of 2016. Pete McCole, Auto Racing 1Â |
18 |
9 |
 -2 |
 Kasey Kahne
|
15 |
10 |
 |
 Jamie McMurray
|
6 |
Others Receiving Votes: Kyle Busch (5), Matt Kenseth (4), Trevor Bayne (2), Aric Almirola (1)
Who Voted:Â Phil Allaway, Frontstretch;Â Tom Bowles, Frontstretch; Michael Massie, Frontstretch; Pete McCole, Auto Racing 1; Rob Tiongson, The Podium Finish; Frank Velat, Frontstretch.
About the author
Frank Velat has been an avid follower of NASCAR and other motorsports for over 20 years. He brings a blend of passionate fan and objective author to his work. Frank offers unique perspectives that everyone can relate to, remembering the sport's past all the while embracing its future. Follow along with @FrankVelat on Twitter.
A daily email update (Monday through Friday) providing racing news, commentary, features, and information from Frontstretch.com
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.