NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Nashville

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won Stage 1 but couldn’t best Ryan Blaney for the win and settled for second at Nashville.

“That was my 700th career Cup start,” Hamlin said. “Most drivers will tell you that’s 699 more starts than you need to have a negative interaction with Carson Hocevar.”

2. William Byron: Byron started second and finished fifth in the Cracker Barrel 400.

“It looks like Carson Hocevar has established himself as a force to be reckoned with,” Byron said. “And I reckon Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. will use force to reckon with Hocevar for wrecking him.”

3. Ryan Blaney: Blaney won Stage 2 at Nashville and finally broke through, holding off Carson Hocevar for Blaney’s first win of the season.

“Considering the number of DNF’s I had this season,” Blaney said, “my goal was just to finish the race. So finishing first is just gravy.”

4. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 15th at Nashville.

“Ryan Blaney was awarded a Gibson guitar for winning the race,” Elliott said. “I think Ryan should get up with some people in the Penske Indy Car program and start a band, and maybe call themselves the ‘Modified Attenuators.'”

5. Christopher Bell: Bell survived a spin and finished 10th in the Cracker Barrel 400.

“I love going to Cracker Barrel,” Bell said. “When I visit Cracker Barrel, I feel like a kid again, because everyone there is at least 30 years older than me.”

6. Kyle Larson: Larson fought an ill-handling car for the duration of the Cracker Barrel 400, but surged late to post a solid eighth-place finish.

“After my experiences last week at Indy and Charlotte,” Larson said, “I think I’ll just stick with the ‘single’ next Memorial Day weekend. I learned that when you swing for the fences, sometimes you hit a ‘double.’ And sometimes, when you swing for the fences, you actually hit the fences.”

7. Joey Logano: Logano finished fourth at Nashville as Penske teammate Ryan Blaney snatched the win.

“That means all three Penske cars have qualified for the playoffs,” Logano said. “And I’m happy for just one of them.”

8. Tyler Reddick: Reddick finished ninth at Nashville.

“Me and my wife just welcomed a baby boy named ‘Rookie George Reddick,'” Reddick said. “That’s right, we named our baby ‘Rookie.’ He’s going to be the first kid forced to change his name on his second birthday.”

9. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished 11th at Nashville.

“I was looking for my second straight win,” Chastain said. “Watermelons were looking for a place to hide.”

10. Chase Briscoe: Briscoe started on the pole at Nashville and finished 17th.

“I had an early brake issue at Nashville,” Briscoe said. “My crew chief advised me to pump the brakes before I used them, and it all meant I had to pump the brakes on thoughts of winning the race.”