The monkey is off Brad Keselowski’s back.
For the first time in over three years, the 2012 champion is back in victory lane. And, perhaps even more notably, he won a race for the first time as an owner-driver – the first person since Tony Stewart in 2016 to pull that off.
Keselowski’s win came at the expense of his teammate, Chris Buescher, who collided with Tyler Reddick in a late-race incident that forced both drivers to pit road.
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Up next is the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where no points are awarded and drivers race for $1 million and bragging rights. How does the field stack up with the regular season now at its halfway mark? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:
1. Kyle Larson
Last week: 1
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Through the first two stages, it looked like another typical race for Larson. He won Stage 1, he led 15 laps and he was in the hunt to win again. But Larson crashed out with just over 40 laps to go, subjecting him to a season-worst 34th-place finish.
2. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 2
For Hamlin, a fourth-place finish with just three stage points and one lap led is a disappointment. That’s how strong the No. 11 Toyota has been in 2024. Hamlin has led a lap in 17 straight races dating back to last season, which is tied for the eight-longest streak in history.
3. William Byron
Last week: 5
After two straight finishes outside the top-20, Byron responded with a sixth-place result at Darlington. He was never quite in the battle to win, but it was a step in the right direction for a team that had been scuffling lately.
4. Chase Elliott
Last week: 3
There’s an argument to be made that this weekend was Elliott’s worst of 2024. He started 31st and hardly ran any laps inside the top-20 for the first 250 laps. Then, Elliott caught a timely caution and salvaged a 12th-place finish – his 13th straight top-20 finish to start the year. The 2020 champion now leads all drivers with a 9.8 average finish on the season.
5. Martin Truex Jr.
Last week: 4
Truex finished fifth in Stage 1, then his luck turned. He was involved in an incident with Ryan Blaney and Buescher midway through Stage 2, which impacted his speed for the rest of the day. The No. 19 Toyota came home in a season-worst 25th-place.
6. Tyler Reddick
Last week: 8
This was Reddick’s race to lose … and he lost it. The 23XI Racing driver started on pole, won Stage 2 and led a career-best 174 laps. But when Buescher passed him and Keselowski in the closing laps, he overcompensated trying to take the lead back and ruined his day. When Buescher confronted him after the race, Reddick took full responsibility for the collision – but that doesn’t make either driver feel any better.
7. Alex Bowman
Last week: 7
The longest top-10 streak in the Cup Series right now? That belongs to Bowman, who scored his fourth straight with his eighth-place run at Darlington. It’s been a massive turnaround for the No. 48 team in 2024, with an average finish that’s nearly five spots better than last year (17.2 to 12.7).
8. Brad Keselowski
Last week: Not ranked
Not only did Keselowski snap his winless streak on Sunday – Ford did the same. The manufacturer was shut out for the first 12 races of 2024 before the RFK Racing driver finally took the checkered flag. Keselowski, still just 40 years old, could now return to his consistent winning ways after two seasons building up his new organization.
9. Chris Buescher
Last week: 10
Another one that got away. One week after losing in NASCAR’s closest finish ever, Buescher saw another victory slip away on Sunday. He passed Keselowski and Reddick in a bold three-wide move with 30 laps to go, but then it all fell apart on Reddick’s error. A win has to be on the horizon for Buescher, but these two losses will stick with him until it happens.
10. Ty Gibbs
Last week: First four out
Gibbs is on the brink of winning his first race. The reigning Rookie of the Year finished second on Sunday, a career-best result. He now has four top-fives in 13 races this season, which is the same amount he had in 36 races last season. It’s only a matter of time at this point.
First four out: Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano
