Schildhouse, Fern Stay Put as Cabot Inches up MNR Power Rankings
In the first two races of the Round of 10, a Monday Night Racing Pro Series playoff driver failed to score the win. Well, the final race of the round brought more of the same as Anthony Alfredo was able to find victory lane at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway.
After the cutoff, we went from ten drivers, to seven drivers. Here is how the Round of Seven drivers stack up in this week’s Power Rankings:
- David Schildhouse / –
It’s no surprise that Schildhouse is atop the Power Rankings for yet another week. In the Round of 10, Schildhouse averaged a sixth-place finish and was contending for the win at Homestead-Miami with Alfredo. He will open Round of Seven with a six point cushion between himself and the cutline. But, a lackluster performance on Monday could mean win or go home for the points leader.
- Collin Fern / –
During the middle of the season, Fern found himself in a slump. Recently, he has turned that around and shown he is a true title contender once again. A fourth-place finish for Fern on Monday put him solidly in the Round of Seven, but now that points gap has diminished. Consistency has come at a premium for Fern this season, but he is heating up at the right time.
- Adam Cabot / +2
Much like Fern, Cabot struggled just before the Playoffs, but a string of great finishes puts him in the next round of the postseason. I continue to preach how good Cabot is at asphalt ovals. Fortunately for Cabot, the final three races of the season are on asphalt ovals. If he can keep this momentum alive, there’s no doubt that Cabot will have a spot in the Championship Four.
- Will Rodgers/ -1
Rodgers has shown speed all year long, but a goose egg in the win column is concerning as we inch closer to the season finale. After starting on the pole, Rodgers scored a 13th-place finish, but that was not reminiscent of how his night went. He was able to lead laps and ran up front for a majority of the event.
- Rajah Caruth / -1
Caruth came into the final race of the Round of Ten below the cutline, but was able to work his way up from the rear to advance into the next round. I think Caruth has what it takes to battle for the championship at Auto Club Speedway, but he first has to make it there. With arguably the most competitive field MNR has ever had, Caruth will have his work cut out for him if he wants to move on.
- Max Kennon / –
An average finish of 11.7 in the Round of Seven was enough to put Kennon sixth in points before the points standings reset. Unfortunately for him, he needs to run slightly better if he plans on continuing his championship run. When the regular season concluded, Kennon was one point behind Cabot for fourth in points. If he can find his regular season mojo, we could see a surprise Championship Four appearance.
- Ryan Vargas / –
If it wasn’t for a win in the regular season at Knoxville, Vargas would have made the playoffs by just one point. Vargas, while he advanced to the Round of Seven, has failed to finish inside the top-ten in five consecutive races. After trouble early, he was able to rebound for a 15th-place result at Homestead. Moving forward, driver No. 6 needs to rally for some good finishes or it may be the end of his postseason run.