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23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick continued his impressive run of form, clinching his second NASCAR victory of the season in Michigan. Heading into the penultimate race weekend of the regular season, Reddick occupies the top spot in the drivers' standings.
The rain-affected FireKeepers Casino 400 was postponed to Monday after completing the first stage on Sunday. The 200-lap event produced plenty of action, with Kyle Busch enjoying a strong run while Corey LaJoie experienced a tumultuous final stage.
Championship contenders Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson were both involved in separate incidents. The NASCAR playoff bubble saw significant movement as Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, and Ross Chastain were caught up in wrecks, while Ty Gibbs benefited from a much-needed Top-5 finish.
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Heading into the penultimate regular season race at Daytona International Speedway, let us look at how the Michigan race influenced the top 5 positions in the power rankings.
Top 5 NASCAR drivers ahead of Coke Zero Sugar 400
#5 Chase Elliott
The 2020 NASCAR champion, Chase Elliott, was in the mix for the victory early in the race, leading 29 of the 206 laps. Despite showing strong pace, a last-lap contact with Ryan Blaney dropped him to 15th at the checkered flag.
Elliott climbed to second place in the regular season standings and heads to Daytona with an opportunity to secure his second win of the season
#4 Ryan Blaney
After winning the first stage on Sunday, Ryan Blaney wasn't much of a factor in the remainder of the race on Monday. The contact with Elliott dropped him to 18th at the checkered flag.
Reigning champion Blaney and his fellow Team Penske drivers will be the ones to watch out for at Daytona. The #12 Ford driver has one victory at four top-fives at the 2.5-mile oval.
#3 Denny Hamlin
The #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver started the race at Michigan in pole position but spun out and damaged his car in the first stage on Sunday. Despite the setback, he rallied to a ninth-place finish the following day and jumped one spot in the regular-season standings.
The three-time Daytona 500 winner is one of the favorites to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and that could help him close the gap to Reddick as far as the driver's standings is concerned.
#2 Kyle Larson
The 2021 NASCAR Cup champion, Kyle Larson, showcased top-5 speed but wrecked out of the race in Michigan. He started the race as the points leader but dropped to fourth, now trailing Reddick by 32 points.
Larson has struggled on drafting tracks and has recorded zero top-fives in 20 starts at Daytona International Speedway. The #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver needs a decent result at Daytona to remain in contention for the regular-season championship at Darlington.
#1 Tyler Reddick
The #45 23XI Racing driver, Tyler Reddick, capped off his incredible results with a victory at Michigan. Over the past seven race weekends, Reddick has maintained an outstanding average finishing position of 3.28.
Having won the race at Talladega and the Duel race at Daytona, the #45 Toyota driver is the current favorite to clinch the regular season championship as NASCAR heads to Daytona and Darlington before the playoffs start.
