Ridiculously early 2019 NASCAR power rankings: Who's the '19 favorite?

Ridiculously early 2019 NASCAR power rankings: Who’s the favorite for next season?

HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 18: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, races Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/5-hour ENERGY Toyota, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2018 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /

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HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 16: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 16, 2018 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

6. Chase Elliott

More than anyone else in these super early power rankings, Elliott is quite capable of making this list look very, very foolish. After earning his first three career Cup Series victories in 2018, the most popular driver in NASCAR could simply continue his rise and head straight to the Championship 4.

And yet …

There’s something still missing from the 9 team, or maybe from Hendrick Motorsports as a whole. Elliott really outperformed the rest of his stable for big chunks of the season that just ended, so he could probably use an overall performance boost, one that puts Hendrick on equal footing with the likes of Stewart-Haas Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, so he can take the next step forward.

Will that happen in 2019? It certainly could, particularly with a year of the Camaro under the belts of the car people at HMS. But that’s a big question mark for now.

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