Welcome back to Tanner and Jey’s NASCAR Cup Series driver Power Rankings!
A thrilling race at Homestead ended in disaster for one of our top-5 drivers while a driver on the outside looking in made a move for the top of the track, and our power rankings.
Unfortunately for some of last week’s selections, they’ll be falling off our list entirely, but not to worry: one great race could get you locked into the postseason and change the complexion of your season (and our list.)
Without any further ado, let’s dive back into our top-10!
1. Christopher Bell (Last Week: 1)
Tanner: While not a banner week for the No. 20 team, it would be irresponsible of us to move Bell off the top spot after winning half of the first six races at three vastly different circuits.
That said, the seat is getting warm.
Bell showed speed at times in Las Vegas but looked nowhere near capturing that elusive fourth straight victory, and that lack of pace followed them to another venue where they’re accustomed to competing.
In deference to Bell and crew chief Adam Stevens, their results could be part of a larger problem with the entire Joe Gibbs Racing program as each of the last two weeks have seen two of their drivers finishing outside the top-20 on pace.
Should Martinsville go as poorly as it did last fall, Bell might be on the way out of first on this list if some of the drivers to come make a concerted push in Virginia.
2. Tyler Reddick (Last Week: 3)
Jey: When the Cup Series last visited Homestead, Reddick advanced to the championship race in Phoenix in almost unfathomable fashion with his last-lap, last-corner send that somehow stuck, propelling him past Ryan Blaney to win the race.
Because of this, it came as a a surprise to many when he returned to south Florida this past weekend and never really sniffed contention for the win.
Despite a rough qualifying session that saw the No. 45 starting in the midfield, the team and driver made adjustments and fought their way into the back-half of the top-10 where they stayed for most of the race’s closing stages, winding up in a respectable eighth place.
This is the first week on a non-drafting track that this team unloaded with a Toyota Camry that was anything but rapid. Their ability to recover as well as they did shows their resilience, which should build confidence through the season.
3. Kyle Larson (Last Week: 6)
Tanner: In one of the best drives of his career, Kyle Larson displayed the skills that make him one of the top drivers in the sport.
Surviving Josh Berry’s contact on pit road and many visits with the outside wall was no easy task as Larson sunk back into the edge of the top-5 early in runs, but his superior pace on the long runs proved to be too much for the competition to handle.
The 2021 Cup champion drove his way through some of the best drivers in the series to claim his first win of the season and the 30th win of his already legendary career.
On top of his victory, Larson bagged top-5s at Phoenix and Atlanta while recovering for a top-10 in Vegas. Poor results at Daytona and COTA (where he was never competitive) leave him in third on our list.
4. William Byron (Last Week: 2)
Jey: William Byron was on track to show why he’s the points leader to this point in the season once again.
Qualifying fifth on Saturday, the No. 24 team ran among the leaders for a majority of the day, collecting 12 points between the two stages.
However, a speeding penalty on lap 213 threatened to unravel the teams day and shrink their points lead.
As he showed at Phoenix, Byron is not one to just lay down when the chips are stacked against him. The two-time Daytona 500 champion drove his Camaro to a respectable 12th-place finish in the last 54 laps, further cementing him and the No. 24 team’s ability to overcome.
5. Ryan Blaney (Last Week: 5)
Tanner: With results like Ryan Blaney has, many would rightfully ask why he is even on this list, let alone in our top-5.
Another blown engine put an abrupt end to what could have been a dominant day in Miami. Prior to the lap 207 failure, Blaney led the way for much of the day, throttling the field through the first two stages and earning a whopping 19 stage points and a Playoff point for a stage 1 win.
Despite spending most of the day up front, a slow stop to begin stage 3 sunk Blaney to outside the top-10 briefly before the 2023 Cup champion ripped around his competition to sit behind Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace until bowing out of the race.
Pit road performances and two engine failures continue to hold this team back from their true potential. If the equipment and the team performance match the driver’s speed, they’ll be in victory lane in no time.
6. Alex Bowman (Last Week: 8)
Jey: Despite winning the pole for this past sunday’s race, Alex Bowman was never one of the ones chosen to compete for the win.
Bowman, crew chief Blake Harris, and the whole No. 48 team had other plans, showing why they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with like their other Hendrick teammates after logging their best race of the year.
The Arizona native ran top-5 all day and managed to get past Bubba Wallace on the last restart and looked poised to win the race before teammate Kyle Larson would surge forward late.
This, combined with hitting the wall in the final laps trying to run the “Larson line”, would cost them a chance at victory. That said, the team has certainly put everyone on notice that they will be a team to compete for wins moving forward if this past weekend is any indication.
7. Josh Berry (Last Week: 4)
Tanner: After claiming his first career win last week in the Sin City, Berry made his presence felt on Saturday when he put his Wood Brothers Ford on the outside pole.
Berry’s promising first stint likely gave the team confidence, but a poor exit out of his stall on an early pit stop saw the No. 21 team servicing their car again, this time backwards in the stall, after contact with Kyle Larson and Joey Logano.
The contact put a damper on a day full of promise for Berry. Unable to earn stage points and plugging along to a 17th-place finish, the poor performance took some of the luster out of a season full of strong runs on Saturday and Sunday.
With that in mind, Berry and the no. 21 team sit a comfortable 12th in the drivers’ standings and already locked himself into the Playoffs, so the Wood Brothers are playing with house money for the rest of the regular season. Therefore, they get to have weekends like Miami.
8. Bubba Wallace (Last Week: 10)
Jey: Bubba Wallace, like Bowman, had his best, most complete race of the year this past weekend.
The 23XI racer qualified ninth and fought within the top-5 for most of the day, flashing elite place at a very challenging race track.
The new crew chief pairing with Charles Denike seems to be paying dividends early as the No. 23 team is showing pace earlier in the year than ever before.
Bubba fought for the lead most of the day and even lead late before being passed by Bowman in the last run. This team is gonna be a thrill to watch if they continue to improve as they have in years past.
Putting full races together is the first step, and they accomplished that this weekend.
9. Joey Logano (Last Week: 8)
Tanner: The defending series champion struggled mightily throughout the day in Miami.
Two separate pit road skirmishes with drivers out of his own shop (first with Austin Cindric then the aforementioned incident with Larson and Berry) took the No. 22 team out of contention early.
Perhaps out of spite, Logano and crew chief Paul Wolfe battled all day to get back into the mix, eventually rallying for a 14th-place effort.
Still 11th in the points standings, only three drivers in the field (Byron, Blaney, and Wallace) have accrued more stage points through the first six races, and the Shell Pennzoil Mustang looks stout at practically every race.
Once they start hammering out the details, this team will return back to their winning ways.
10. Denny Hamlin (Last Week: Not Ranked)
Jey: Denny Hamlin did not start the weekend fast.
Starting a measly 23rd in the field, Hamlin and the 11 team would use strategy and Denny’s prowess at saving his tires to evenly split the first two stages.
This strategy would allow Hamlin to make huge gains in the last 15-20 laps of the stage, surging ahead of a struggling Ryan Blaney to win the second stage over Kyle Larson.
Denny looked poised to do the same in the final stage before a caution for Blaney’s expiring engine would throw a wrench into any strategy they could utilize.
Despite this, the Progressive Camry would be able to bring home a respectable top-5 finish that helps propel Dennis and his team into the top-10 in this week’s power rankings.
Honorable Mentions: Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Preece, Chris Buescher
(Top Photo Credit: Joe Gibbs Racing)
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