Power Rankings: Kurt Busch trending up after top five on road course

By Pat DeCola | Tuesday, February 23, 2021

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NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 NASCAR Cup Series drivers after the Daytona Road Course and before Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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20. Chase Briscoe (-3)

Season-high: 15
Season-low: 20
Comment: With finishes of 19th and 32nd, things could be going better in Briscoe's rookie season. Perhaps fortunes turn this weekend at Miami, where he produced a win in his most recent Xfinity Series start at the track.

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19. Chris Buescher (Not ranked last week)

Season-high: 19
Season-low: Out
Comment: Buescher should have several opportunities to pick his spots to run well, and he capitalized on one of them at the Daytona Road Course with an 11th-place finish. It'll be tough to put together another strong result this weekend at Miami, where he's never finished in the top 10.

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18. William Byron (-5)

Season-high: 12
Season-low: 18
Comment: A really rough start to the season barely has Byron, a preseason sleeper pick, in the top 30 in points. It's early, though. His first two Miami starts weren't great, but he did notch a top 10 there last spring, offering hope this weekend.

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17. Bubba Wallace (-3)

Season-high: 13
Season-low: 17
Comment: Despite an average finish of 21.5 through two races, Wallace is still a respectable 13th in points. He has no previous top 10s at Miami, but was a decent 13th there last spring.

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16. Austin Dillon (-5)

Season-high: 11
Season-low: 16
Comment: Dillon has seen perhaps the biggest rollercoaster to start the season, third in the 500 but 34th on Sunday -- though he ran much better than that finish indicates.

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15. Ryan Preece (Not ranked last week)

Season-high: 15
Season-low: Out
Comment: Preece is one of just four drivers to open the season with a pair of top 10s and deserves a nod for that. It could be short-lived, however, as he's yet to finish better than 24th at Miami.

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14. Kyle Larson (-4)

Season-high: 10
Season-low: 14
Comment: Larson had a rough afternoon at the Daytona Road Course but might be among the favorites in his return to Miami, where he produced three straight top fives from 2015-17.

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13. Michael McDowell (+7)

Season-high: 13
Season-low: Out
Comment: McDowell has matched half his total of top 10s from a year ago, and it's not out of the question he keeps it rolling this weekend. He landed in the top 10 in 2016 at Miami and was 15th there last spring.

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12. Cole Custer (+4)

Season-high: 12
Season-low: 19
Comment: With finishes of 11th and 13th, Custer is one of just a handful of drivers to find consistency. He was crazy good at Miami in the Xfinity Series (three top twos and a win) and could be a factor this weekend.

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11. Kyle Busch (-5)

Season-high: 6
Season-low: 11
Comment: Two frustrating races for Busch thus far, and he has yet to find the front of the field in either. Miami should offer respite, with two wins and six straight top sixes to his credit there.

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10. Ryan Blaney (-1)

Season-high: 8
Season-low: 10
Comment: The season hasn't gotten off to the start that a preseason championship dark horse had hoped, but look for his raw speed to come to life at Miami. He notched a top three there last spring.

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9. Alex Bowman (-1)

Season-high: 8
Season-low: 10
Comment: Bowman rallied back to a top 10 at the Daytona Road Course, but was never much of a factor for the win. The No. 48 driver has just one top 10 at Miami (2019) and no laps led there.

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8. Christopher Bell (+7)

Season-high: 8
Season-low: 16
Comment: Now that Bell appears to have equipment under him that matches his talent behind the wheel, look out. He's already led more than twice as many laps this year as his rookie season and was P8 at Miami last year in a much less competitive ride.

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7. Kurt Busch (+5)

Season-high: 7
Season-low: 12
Comment: Busch's race was one of the most entertaining to watch on Sunday, and it's a true testament to his driver skill that he mustered a top four. He last won at Miami in 2002 and has just one top 10 in his last six races there, so it could be tough for him to keep it going, however.

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6. Martin Truex Jr. (+1)

Season-high: 6
Season-low: 7
Comment: Certainly not the start Truex was looking for, but a P12 with decent points on Sunday is a step in the right direction. He's been real strong at Miami, with a win and two runner-ups in his last four starts.

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5. Brad Keselowski (--)

Season-high: 5
Season-low: 5
Comment: Keselowski has produced two decent finishes to start the season, neither of which he wanted. He's also been strong at Miami historically, with six top 10s in his last eight races.

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4. Kevin Harvick (-1)

Season-high: 2
Season-low: 4
Comment: Harvick is gonna Harvick -- if he doesn't win, more than likely he's in the top five (5.0 average finish so far). He's been excellent at Miami, with an average finish of 7.4 in 20 starts, though his P26 last spring was his worst showing.

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3. Joey Logano (+1)

Season-high: 3
Season-low: 4
Comment: Logano very nearly started the season with two wins (after winning two of the first four last year) but instead, McDowell and Bell have shaken up the playoff picture. A P27 at Miami last year broke up a string of five straight top-six finishes there, including a win.

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2. Chase Elliott (-1)

Season-high: 1
Season-low: 2
Comment: It's no surprise Elliott dominated much of Sunday's race, but it was a shocker to see it come to such a frustrating end for him. He was the runner-up in last spring's Miami race, with an 8.0 average finish in five starts there. A rebound should be in order for the champ.

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1. Denny Hamlin (+1)

Season-high: 1
Season-low: 4
Comment: There's little question Hamlin will be a force in 2021, especially after what we've seen these first two races and what could be to come this weekend. He's got three Miami wins under his belt, has started on the pole in five of the last six races there and won last spring's contest.

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