NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR: Pre-Season Top-25 Power Rankings

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:06 p.m. ET

Fansided, Christopher Olmstead/FanSided via Beyond the Flag

Jul 2, 2016; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2), driver Kyle Larson (42), driver Joey Logano (22), driver Kyle Busch (18), and driver Kyle Larson (42) cross the restart line with three laps to go during the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Is it ever really too early to have some NASCAR Power Rankings? With the Clash at Daytona right around the corner and the Daytona 500 after that, there is no time better than the present.

Each and every week Beyond The Flag will bring you our weekly NASCAR Power Rankings. The rankings will rank the top-25 drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on a week-by-week basis. The “Way Too Early NASCAR Power Rankings” will serve as a baseline for the 2017 season. When the season is over and the final rankings are out, you should compare them to the baseline to see our perspective on the type of season that your favorite driver had.

Each week the biggest factor in the weekly NASCAR Power Rankings will be their most recent performance. If a driver is No. 10 heading into a week and the finish 35th that weekend, it’s safe to assume they might lose a couple of spots. Conversely, if a driver is No. 10 and they win, it’s safe to assume they might gain a couple of spots.

The rankings will also be impacted on why a driver finished where they finished as well as the direction in which they are trending. If the 24th-ranked driver on the list has been trending upwards for a month and then lays an egg, we might not boot him off of the rankings right away. Then again, if said driver lays a couple of eggs, it will be time for them to go.

So, now it’s onto the rankings!

Nov 5, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger (47) during practice for the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

No. 25 to No. 21

Danica Patrick

No. 10, Stewart-Haas Racing

25What is 2017 going to hold for Patrick and the No. 10 team? Over her first four full-time seasons in NASCAR Patrick has gradually gotten better each season. Her average finish after her fourth season is about four spots better than it was after her first season and it has improved a little every season in between. That being said, her on-track performance is still average at best. Moving to Ford has bought her another year to prove that she is more than what she has done the last four seasons.

Matt DiBenedetto

No. 32, Go Fas Racing

24Matt DiBebedetto is coming off of a surprising 2016 campaign that nobody is really aware of. When it comes to a small team expectations are different than that of a large team. DiBenedetto finishes nine of the last ten races in 2016 inside of the top-30. Those are the right steps for his kind of team. In 2017 DiBenedetto will be with Go Fas Racing, taking over cars that were used with the No. 44 team in 2016. Though still not in top-tier equipment, he will be in better stuff than he was in 2016. In 2017 look for DiBenedetto to turn those top-30’s into top-25’s.

Chris Buescher

No. 48, Team Hendrick

23Chris Buescher finds himself at No. 23 because he won a race in 2016 and made the playoffs. I am not a big believer in that the way a driver wins a race matters. In NASCAR winning is king and if a driver finds a way to win, that’s good enough for me. At the same time, 2017 is a new season and asking Buescher to win again might be a tall task. For 2017 the task for Buescher and his team should be on consistency and if that happens he might get into the playoffs for the second season in a row.

Erik Jones

No. 77, Furniture Row Racing

22The sky is the limit for Erik Jones in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017. Over the last two season Jones has won rookie of the year honors in both the Truck and the XFINITY Series. In 2017 Jones will be looking to win such honors for the third season in a row when he makes his debut in the No. 77 machine. The good news for Jones is that he is surrounded by good people and good equipment. The only question is whether or not he will be able to put it all together.

AJ Allmendinger

No. 47, Team Hendrick

212017 is going to be about getting back to 2015 for AJ Allmendinger and the No. 47 team. 2016 was not the season that anyone could have wanted as the wins and the consistency simply were not there. Moreover, there were times in 2016 when Allmendinger just didn’t seem to be enjoying himself. Here is to hoping that 2017 brings with it better performance. Next: No. 20 to No. 16

Aug 1, 2016; Long Pond, PA, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (21) races during the Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

No. 20 to No. 16

Kasey Kahne

No. 5, Hendrick Motorsports

20Can Kasey Kahne finally make a comeback in 2017? Kahne hasn’t won a race since 2014, which also happens to be the last time that he made it to the playoffs. Even with Chase Elliott joining HMS in 2016 as a rookie, Kahne remained the worst driver on the team. The good news is that Kahne started to turn it around at the end of 2016 and if he can continue that in 2017, he could be back in the playoffs.

Clint Bowyer

No. 14, Stewart-Haas Racing

19Bowyer is No. 19 based on expectations and not what I think will be his reality. I am one of the few who don’t foresee Bowyer doing much in 2017 but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have all of the opportunity in the world sitting in front of him with the No. 14 machine at SHR. After a few races we shall see if Bowyer remains in the top-25.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

No. 17, Roush Fenway Racing

18Roush Fenway Racing is in need of a new face of the organization and that face could belong to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2017. However, it could also belong to his teammate Trevor Bayne, who did not make it into the pre-season rankings. Stenhouse showed a lot of improvement in 2016 while RFR as a whole improved. The key to 2017 will be continued consistency and avoiding bad days that result in finishes outside of the top-30. Be the face Ricky, be the face.

Daniel Suarez

No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing

17If Carl Edwards were driving this car in 2017 I might have penciled him in for 3-4 wins, a return to the playoffs and a spot in the final-four in Miami. With Daniel Suarez behind the wheel I am thinking more along the lines of one win, a trip to the playoffs and maybe a run as far as the top-12. If all of that comes to be it will result in a pretty great rookie season that should lock up Rookie of the Year.

Ryan Blaney

No. 21, Wood Brothers

16I really though that Ryan Blaney was going to win a race in 2016 and now I really, really think that he is going to win a race in 2017. If he doesn’t, I will really, really, really think that he will win in 2018, see the pattern? Blaney needs to find just a bit more consistency in 2017. The major difference between Blaney and Elliott is 2016 was a bad day for Blaney was 28th whereas a bad day for Elliot was 18th. Over 26 races those points make a difference and could decide who makes or misses the playoffs. Next: No. 15 to No. 11

Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

No. 15 to No. 11

Jamie McMurray

No. 1, Chip Ganassi Racing

15Jamie McMurray has gone to the playoffs two years in a row. I don’t see him going again in 2017 but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve this spot on the pre-season rankings. McMurray has learned how to get the job done without winning races over the last two seasons and that’s not an easy thing to do. Maybe winning will rub off of Kyle Larson and onto McMurray in 2017.

Ryan Newman

No. 31, Richard Childress Racing

14Where has the Rocket Man gone? Well, that is something that fans have been wondering since his last win in 2013. The good thing about Ryan Newman though is that he doesn’t need to win races. Between 2014 and 2015 he was one of the most consistent drivers in the series while racking up the least amount of top-five and top-10 finishes. Some might argue the strategy but he did almost win a title in 2014. In 2017 Newman needs to find that magic again.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

No. 88, Hendrick Motorsports

13Welcome back June Bug! Now that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back there are a few things that the driver of the No. 88 machine needs to do this season. First and foremost he needs to stay healthy otherwise HMS fans might be seeing a lot more of Alex Bowman on a permanent basis. Second, he needs to win, something he hasn’t done since 2015. Last, Earnhardt needs to avoid fading in the playoffs, something that he did in both 2014 and 2015.

Austin Dillon

No. 3, Richard Childress Racing

12Last season Austin Dillon finally found consistency and success. This season can Dillon hold serve and build on that foundation? The goal for Dillon in 2017 should be to win a race while remaining consistent. If the consistency from 2016 remains this season, he should be in contention to win a few times. After that Dillon needs to make sure that he finds his way back to the playoffs. Missing the playoffs in 2017 would without question be a failed season.

Kurt Busch

No. 41, Stewart-Haas Racing

11What will the move to Ford do for Kurt Busch? Well, if you ask him he might say help him win more races. Busch was one of the most consistent drivers in 2016 during the regular season and in 2017 he needs to make that consistency last through all 36 races. Busch has been above average with SHR and should that continue in 2017, he should win a couple of times and make it back into the playoffs. Next: No. 10 to No. 6

Nov 6, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (78) during the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

No. 10 to No. 6

Kyle Larson

No. 42, Chip Ganassi Racing

10It took longer than we all expected but Kyle Larson finally won a race in 2016. Now in 2017 Larson needs to win a couple of races and really make some noise when it comes time for the playoffs. Larson has all of the tools to be one of the best drivers in the series, now he needs to put all of it together. If Larson could ever get into the final-four, he might have a title wrapped up given his success at Homestead in his career.

Matt Kenseth

No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing

9It wasn’t that long ago that Kenseth moved to JGR and led the Cup Series in wins. I am not saying Kenseth is going to do that again in 2017, but I do have a feeling that he is primed for a big season. I also have a feeling that Kenseth might be one of the next drivers not named Greg Biffle to leave the sport, so what do I know?

Chase Elliott

No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports

8Nobody expected Chase Elliott to run the way that he did in 2016. Elliott finished 25 races inside of the top-15 and 17 of those finishes were inside of the top-10. The poise and skill that Elliott showed in his rookie season is something that he should have no problem turning into a successful Sophomore season that will include winning a race or two.

Denny Hamlin

No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing

7Can Denny Hamlin win back-to-back Daytona 500’s? That’s going to be the first question for Hamlin in 2017. After that the question will shift to how many races will the driver of the No. 11 machine win and will he finally be able to get over the championship hurdle. Hamlin has come close to a championship a few times in his career but 2017 might actually be the season he gets there.

Martin Truex Jr.

No. 78, Furniture Row Racing

6Truex won a bunch of races in 2016 and in some of them he was absolutely dominant. As a result it’s hard to imagine him not having a similar performance in 2017. Then you have to remember that he has a new teammate and sometime teams expanding end up hurting themselves more than they do helping. Will that be the case with Truex? Only time will tell. Next: The Top-Five

Nov 20, 2016; Homestead, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) celebrates with a burnout after winning the Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

No. 5 to No. 1

Kevin Harvick

No. 4, Stewart-Haas Racing

5Let’s be honest, if there are hiccups with the move to Ford and they don’t impact Kevin Harvick, nobody at SHR will care. Harvick is the best chance that SHR has of winning a championship in 2017. If Harvick is at or better than where he was in 2016, SHR will deal with any bumps the switch might bring. If Harvick struggles in 2017 and nobody else rises to the top, the move to Ford might be used as a scapegoat.

Joey Logano

No. 22, Team Penske

4Joey Logano is going to win in 2017, most likely three or four races. Joey Logano is going to get back into the playoffs and should make it back to the final-four where he has been two of the last three seasons (it would have been all three if not for Matt Kenseth). So in 2017 the only question for Logano is whether or not he can finally get the job done in Miami and win himself a championship.

Brad Keselowski

No. 2, Team Penske

3Brad Keselowski kind of has the opposite problem of his teammate Joey Logano. Keselowski dominates the regular season and then seems to fade when it comes time for the playoffs. Assuming Keselowski repeats his 2016 successes in 2017, he will need to figure out a way to make it into the final-four if he wants his season to be deemed a success. The final-four has eluded him and now it’s time for him to change that. Must Read: Jeff Gordon Willing To Drive For HMS In 2017

Kyle Busch

No. 18, Joe Gibbs Racing

2With Carl Edwards gone, Kyle Busch should easily lead JGR in wins in 2017. Those wins are going to earn him a bunch of playoff points which should put him in a good spot to make it back to the final-four for the third season in a row. Once there the focus will shift to winning his second championship. If you don’t have Busch a one of the top-five favorites to win the title in 2017, you’re doing something wrong.

Jimmie Johnson

No. 48, Hendrick Motorsports

1Who else did you think would be No. 1 aside from the seven-time NASCAR champion? NASCAR fans who don’t like Jimmie Johnson better hope that there is some sort of championship hangover this season because if there isn’t I am hard-pressed not to think we will see Johnson back in the final-four in November. We have all seen Johnson win multiple titles in a row and not that he has seven, he and his team will be even hungrier to win their eighth this season. I don’t know about you, but Johnson was my pick to win the title in 2016 and he is once again my pick in 2017.