Fern Steals Top Spot in MNR Pro Series Power Rankings
It took four races in the Monday Night Racing Pro Series postseason to get a playoff winner as Collin Fern was able to score his second victory of the season. With a new name atop the Power Rankings, take a look at where the other six playoff drivers lie:
- Collin Fern / +1
Three consecutive top-five finishes puts Fern atop the Power Rankings for the first time since November 30th. Fern’s victory on Monday gives him the opportunity to race on stage in front of a live audience in the MNR Championship race at the Charlotte eSports Hub. As we inch closer to the season-finale, Fern is proving he came to play.
- David Schildhouse / -1
There haven’t been too many races this season where we haven’t seen David Schildhouse in the top-ten, but Monday night was one of those nights. He finished outside the top-ten for just the fourth time this season after his 15th-place effort at Iowa. While I can’t imagine Schildhouse won’t advance to the Championship Four, another race like Monday’s could put an end to Schilhouse’s amazing season.
- Will Rodgers/ +1
Will Rodgers is quietly putting together a championship run that could make him the first two-time MNR Pro Series champion. After an eighth-place finish on Monday, Rodgers finds himself tied with Schildhouse for second in the playoff grid; just ten points above the cutline with one race remaining in the round. Although he has run a phenomenal season, I don’t know if he has what it takes to steal the championship trophy from Fern or Schildhouse.
- Max Kennon/ +2
After rebounding from a restart violation early in the Sim Seats Challenge, Max Kennon was able to score a 16th-place finish as he is on the outside looking in with one race left in the Round of Seven. Kennon has an average finishing position of 13.2 on intermediate tracks this season. He will need to improve that average if he hopes to extend his playoff run.
- Rajah Caruth / –
Caruth was trapped a lap down for most of the event but somehow navigated his way through the field to score an eleventh-place finish. If you ask anyone, they’ll all tell you the same thing; Caruth is the most aggressive driver in MNR. But, his aggressive driving style could be what puts him in the Championship Four with a good run on Monday at Nashville.
- Adam Cabot/ -3
Coming off of a fifth-place finish a week ago at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Cabot came into Iowa with high hopes. Unfortunately, after a late race incident, Cabot was dealt a 31st-place finish. That finish puts him 16 points below the cutline with just one race left in the round. If Cabot can advance, I think he will give Fern a run for his money in Fontana for the championship.
- Ryan Vargas / –
The Round of Ten was kind to Vargas, but this round not so much. Vargas crossed the start-finish line on Monday in 28th after he ran mid-pack most of the race. Going into this week’s race at Nashville Superspeedway, Vargas is 16 points back from Caruth for the final playoff spot. It’s almost a win or go home situation for the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver.