Las Vegas ended up being a strategy race, so drivers who executed and didn’t have pit-road miscues ended up thriving.
But it also allowed others to rebound from early mistakes, as alternate strategies worked with the way the cautions fell.
In the end, Josh Berry emerged victorious. He was already listed as being on the verge of making the top 10, then the win vaulted him there.
Here’s the list for this week, with Homestead-Miami Speedway up next:
Dropped out: Chris Buescher (Last week: 8), Kyle Busch (LW: 10)
On the verge: Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Ryan Preece, Bubba Wallace
10. Ross Chastain (Not Ranked)
Chastain finished fifth at Vegas, but he was also fast in practice and was one of the fastest cars at the end of the race. If not for an issue when he pitted when the team wasn’t ready, the Trackhouse driver might have won the race.
9. Josh Berry (LW: NR)
Berry earned his first career Cup victory at Vegas and maybe even more impressive is that he is 13th in the points standings. So it wasn’t as if Sunday’s race made anyone think he’ll be a one-hit wonder this year in his first season with Wood Brothers Racing.
8. Tyler Reddick (LW: 7)
Reddick finished 24th, a finish that probably didn’t seem right since he led four times, for 34 laps in the race. But the 23XI driver didn’t have the speed he anticipated over the second half of the race.
7. Chase Elliott (LW: 6)
Elliott wasn’t a factor. But he took a car that started 16th and finished 10th with it, and that was after an early pit-road speeding penalty. It wasn’t a great day but the Hendrick driver got a decent amount of the Vegas hand he was dealt.
6. Denny Hamlin (LW: 4)
Hamlin consistently got his car better throughout the race, but then the cautions didn’t fall his way at the end. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver wound up 25th.
5. Ryan Blaney (LW: 5)
Blaney had a frustrating weekend, starting with blowing a tire in practice that caused significant damage. His Team Penske crew fixed the car but then had an issue on an early pit stop. His day ended with another crash, as he got the worst of a four-wide situation.
4. Alex Bowman (LW: 9)
Bowman finished seventh on a day when it appeared he would challenge for the win after finishing second in the opening stage. But a bad vibration forced him to pit under green, and then he later sped on pit road.
3. Kyle Larson (LW: 3)
Larson was fifth in the opening stage and won the second stage, but the cautions didn’t line up with his strategy and the Hendrick driver placed ninth at Vegas. He’ll be a favorite this weekend at Homestead.
2. Christopher Bell (LW: 1)
Bell was denied in his quest for four in a row and he and his team will just have to look in the mirror. A loose wheel on a pit stop where Bell eventually ducked into another JGR team’s pit stall to have the wheel tightened sent him to the rear. That’s where he also originally started the race after the team replaced a throttle body. The best he could muster with a fast car was 12th.
1. William Byron (LW: 2)
Byron settled for fourth but extended his series points lead to 29 over Bell. The Daytona 500 winner is just clicking off solid finishes with three top fives and four top 10s in his five races.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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