As Season 8 is about to kick off it’s time to get your update on the new Power Rankings format as well as the Preseason Rankings!
With all the changes that have taken place for Season 8 we figured it was time to update our Power Rankings format to a more stat based rankings. This will be better for teams that don’t have full rosters to be able to still compete. The new format will take the average finishing position of the drivers in each series and add them together to get that weeks PR Number. The only series that won’t be taken into account is Modified’s since they don’t provide points towards the team championship. Along with that weeks results the new Format will also take the previous 2 weeks results and add them to the team totals, however the previous 2 weeks will be cut in half with each week that passes. This will still be done separately for both Oval and Road series and remember that the lower the number the better.
For Example let’s say Apex’s PR Number in the Oval series for each of the first 3 weeks is 100, then this is how the format will breakdown
Week 1 – 100
Week 2 – 50
Week 3 – 25
Oval Total PR # – 175
This format is the best way to equalize the difference in the number of drivers or for a team that loses a driver in the middle of the season, since you will still get a PR Number but there will be less room for error to get higher in the standings. Now if the team doesn’t have drivers in each series then they can’t be ranked since not having a series taken into account will give them a big advantage. We will also be trying to keep track of a new stat this season as well, a teamwide +/- which tracks how well teams can turn their starting spots into good finishes. This will be a total number that is tracked from the start of the season all the way to the end, the higher the number the better.
Now with the new system out of the way, let’s look at the preseason Power Rankings. This is a mix of how I am projecting teams to do this season while also keeping last season’s results in mind.
Oval Series
1 – Apex (S7 – 1st)
What more is there to say about Apex, they are constantly in the running for every Championship, they set scoring records, and they have one of the best line up of drivers if not the best from top to bottom. There’s a reason they scored over 300 points in a week for 4 straight weeks last season. Until someone beats them it’s hard to place them in any other position.
2 – Brew Crew (S7 – 2nd)
Brew Crew had their highest finish in team history taking 2nd overall in Season 7 in Week 11 from NLR. They are a team that consistently dominates the Nascar series as and if they can figure out the other series then they will have a great chance to get their first championship as a team.
3 – NLR (S7 – 3rd)
The 3 time Champs came out of the gate hot last season but they weren’t able to hold on and fell to 3rd by the end of the season. Will the changes to the series/cars this season hinder NLR or boost NLR back to the top?
4 – Low Fuel (S7 – 5th)
After winning their first Team Championship in Season 6 Low Fuel had a rough Season 7. With big name drivers on this roster it’s hard to believe that Low Fuel will struggle like that again in Season 8.
5 – Desperado (S7 – 4th)
Desperado has some stand out Drivers like Mike Melo and Jaedyn Swift, but has struggled to make an impact in the oval series consistently. Can they make that jump this season and get their name in the title hunt?
6 – Can-Am (S7 – N/A)
Can-Am returns to the league after a brief hiatus. As a team that tended to have splash performances from drivers on their smaller roster they look like a team that would benefit from the new system, it’ll be interesting to see the impact they can make in Season 8
7 – Delusions of Grandeur (S7 – N/A)
DoG is a new team that combines the rosters of Shooter and Lionheart Motorsports from Season 7 in an attempt to upset the balance of power in the Oval series.
Road Series
1 – NLR (S7 – 1st)
One of the only teams with a Driver lineup that can come close to Apex from top to bottom, having multiple runner ups and Thomas Noble who won 6 of the 11 races last season. As the reigning Champions they sit poised to try and defend their title and even the trophy count with Apex.
2 – Apex (S7 – 4th)
Even though Apex had a pretty down year in Season 7, they are also the only team with 3 Championships in the Road series. They also have a who’s who of Drivers that it’s hard to project them having another off year.
3 – Low Fuel (S7 – 2nd)
Low Fuel returns a very solid core of drivers that almost got them their first championship in the Road series. Separating the top 3 teams is nearly impossible.
4 – Brew Crew (S7 – 3rd)
Brew Crew only returns 2 of their 4 drivers that lead them to their best finish in the road series, which has them slide a spot and sit at 4th in the Preseason Rankings. However The Brew Crew has shown steady improvement in the Road series and it’ll be interesting to see them develop the new drivers!
5 – Desperado (S7 – 6th)
There isn’t much separation between the top 5 teams. Specially when you look at the lineup of Drivers Desperado Racing is bringing this season, Jaedyn Swift, Marco Swift, and Chris Weber were all top drivers from last season. Can they put it together as a team is the question?
6 – Delusions of Grandeur (S7 – N/A)
Tyler Commander headlines a relatively unproven lineup of Drivers in the Road series. Lots to prove here but looks promising with the Drivers they have.
7 – Can-Am (S7 – N/A)
Unfortunately they only have a couple Rookie drivers in MC B, so without anyone in MC A they have to stay in the 7th spot for now.
By Rhett Sawyer (NLR)
