Bob Pokras
Fox Motorsports Insider
Las Vegas ultimately became a strategic race, so drivers who had not made pit road mistakes thrived.
However, it also allowed others to rebound from early mistakes, as alternative strategies worked in a way that the warnings fell.
In the end, Josh Berry won. He was already listed as having been on the crisis to make a top ten, but victory arched him there.
This week’s list is:
dropout: Chris Boucher (Last week: 8), Kyle Bush (LW: 10)
Exactly: Chris Buscher, Kyle Bush, Joey Rogano, Michael McDowell, Ryan Place, Baba Wallace
10. Rothshastain (Not ranked)
Chastain finished fifth in Las Vegas, but he was actually fast and one of the fastest cars at the end of the race. If the team had no issues with him pitting when he wasn’t ready, the truckhouse driver might have won the race.
9. Josh Berry (LW:NR)
Berry won his first career cup victory in Vegas, and perhaps even more impressive is that he is 13th in the points ranking. So Sunday’s race was his first season at the Wood Brothers race and didn’t make anyone think that he’s going to be a wonder of one hit this year.
8. Tyler Reddick (LW: 7)
Reddick finished 24th. The finish probably looked incorrect after leading four times on 34 laps in the race. However, the 23XI driver did not have the speed expected for the second half of the race.
7. Chase Elliott (LW: 6)
Elliott was not a factor. However, he took the car, which finished 16th and 10th. It was after an early pit road speeding penalty. It wasn’t a great day, but Hendrick’s driver got a fair amount of Vegas hands he was treated to.
6. Denny Hamlin (LW: 4)
Hamlin consistently made the car better throughout the race, but then at the end, attention didn’t fall into his path. Joe Gibbs’ racing driver came in 25th place.
5. Ryan Branny (LW: 5)
Blaney spent the weekend and caused serious damage from actually blowing the tires away. His team Penske crew repaired the car, but then they encountered problems at an early pit stop. His day ended with another crash.
4. Alex Bowman (LW: 9)
Bowman finished in seventh place on the day he appears to challenge for the victory after finishing second in the opening stage. However, a bad vibration forced him to drill holes underneath the green, and then he later speeded up the pit road.
3. Kyle Larson (LW: 3)
Larson won the second stage in fifth place in the opening stage, but attention was not on par with his strategy, making Hendrick Driver 9th for Vegas. He will be his favourite this weekend at Homestead.
2. Christopher Bell (LW: 1)
Bell is rejected in four consecutive his quests, and he and his team need to look in the mirror. With the loose wheels of the pit stop, Bell eventually wrapped himself in another JGR team pit stall, tightening the wheels and sending him to the rear. That’s where he originally started racing after the team changed the throttle body. The best he could call in a fast car was 12th.
1. William Byron (LW: 2)
Byron settled in fourth, but extended his series points to lead to 29 on the Bell. The winner of the Daytona 500 simply clicks on a solid finish with three top fives in five races and four top tens.
Bob Pockras covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for Fox Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500, in stints in ESPN, Sports News, NASCAR Sheen Magazine, and (Daytona Beach) News Journal. Follow him on Twitter @Bob Pokkuras.
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