Cabot, Kennon Continue to Soar up MNR Power Rankings
Two races down, one more to go in the first round of the Monday Night Racing Pro Series Playoffs. Anders Krohn battled for the top spot with Stefan Wilson most of the way but ultimately, it was Krohn scoring the win.
Here is your updated Power Rankings after MNR’s trip to Austria:
- David Schildhouse / –
Along with being the lone MNR Playoff driver locked-in to the next round of the Playoffs, Schildhouse resides atop the Power Rankings for the fifth week in a row. A pair of eighth-place finishes in the first round of the playoffs sets him apart from the competition. No matter what track the series travels to, he is a favorite to win each time out.
- Collin Fern / +1
After a string of subpar weeks, Collin Fern was able to capture a much-need top-five finish; his first since the middle of December. If Fern can return to his early season form, he will be a lock for the Championship Four. He is 38 points above the playoff cutline and barring any major setbacks, he will advance to the Round of Seven easily.
- Will Rodgers / +1
I said last week that Rodgers was my way-too-early pick to win — well, I was two spots off. The Spacestation Gaming driver finished third on Monday and ran inside the top-five the whole race while leading 7 circuits. With 31 points between him and Rajah Caruth on the cutline, consider Rodgers, like Fern, a lock to advance to the next round.
- Rajah Caruth / -2
The driver of the No. 44 drove a clean race on Monday, until he didn’t. Caruth was running within the top-five for the first half of the race, but a pit road penalty before the midway break put him in the back of the field. From there, he struggled for speed and was involved in multiple incidents. Caruth lies 22 points below the cutline with one race remaining in the Round of Ten.
- Adam Cabot / +2
Last week I mentioned how Cabot struggles on road courses — well he proved me wrong. He finished fourth at Spielberg and is making people reconsider himself as a championship threat. With an average finish of eighth over the last three points races, Cabot is on the rise.
- Max Kennon/ +2
A great race by Max Kennon would be a bit of a stretch, but a 12th-place finish, nonetheless, was the high point of Kennon’s race. The remaining four races are on pavement ovals; Kennon’s strong suit. The fourth and final Championship Four spot will be very close, and I think Kennon will be one of the drivers fighting for it.
- Ryan Vargas / -2
The JD Motor eSports driver needed a good run, and he got it with an eleventh-place finish. Vargas, just 12 points back from points leader Schildhouse, is all but locked into the next round. A top-30 finish is all it will take for Vargas to continue his championship hunt.
- Josh Bilicki / +2
Josh Bilicki came into the playoffs as an underdog. Now, he sits 22 points ahead of Caruth for the final spot in the Round of Seven. A top-20 is all Bilicki needs to ensure he will advance, barring a win from one of the three below the cutline.
- Preston Pardus / -3
Preston Pardus, after an impressive performance at Talladega, decided not to race in the Sim Seats Challenge. While he technically doesn’t have to win to advance, he needs Caruth and Bilicki to struggle big time at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- Kyle Busch / -1
After a poor performance for Busch in MNR’s trip to the virtual Talladega Superspeedway, a good showing was needed in Austria. But, Busch also did not enter Monday night’s event. “Rowdy” sits 51 points below the cutline and its win or go home if he wants to be crowned champion.