2025 NASCAR Power Rankings, Week 20: Sonoma

After taking a week off after the insanity in Atlanta, Jey and I have returned for a special edition of the NASCAR Cup Series power rankings.

Every week. the two of us convene to hash out the list, and at times, we’ve had to state our case to have a driver make or miss the list.

In this entry, we’ll be sharing our individual top-10s that are based purely on our individual scouting and personal inclinations.

These rankings take place after one of the most zany summer stretches we’ve ever seen, leading to a major shake-up in the standings and the playoff grid.

Without any further ado, let’s see which driver(s) sit atop the Cup Series crop.

#1: Denny Hamlin

Jey: Denny Hamlin’s week at Chicago couldn’t have started any worse as an engine failure during practice put him in the rear, but even without key practice and qualifying time, He rebounded to finish fourth in the Windy City. Hamlin will look to carry this momentum into Sonoma where he has a pole in the NextGen era.

Tanner: The Joe Gibbs Racing 11 team often finds itself at the front, either commanding the race or looking over the leader’s shoulder. His three wins remain tied for the series’ lead with each coming at different track types. Even with all of his off-track adversity, Hamlin sits in prime position to score that long-awaited title.

#2 Kyle Larson

Jey: Kyle Larson joined Hamlin at the rear after suffering damage in qualifying. Outside of a mid-race run-in with Bubba Wallace, Larson coasted to a relatively quiet 13th. The 5 team needs get the edge back that they established before Charlotte; grinding out good days shows how well this team works in the face of adversity.

Tanner: While others heat up in the summer, Kyle Larson seems in the midst of a warm stretch with some clouds and turbulence. The 5 team came into May on a heater, but they ill-fated Double attempt left the team searching for answers.

#3: Christopher Bell

Jey: Qualifying outside the top-10 at Chicago, Bell only mustered a 24th-place finish, another pedestrian result in a recent skid that dates back to his podium result in Mexico. Of course part of that has to be attributed to Atlanta where he was involved in the big one. Bell looks to end his skid at Sonoma, and given his track record at traditional road courses this year, he should be an early favorite to compete for a win in wine country.

Tanner: Though Bell kicked off his season by winning a road course race, the Chicago streets were not as kind to him as COTA with the 20 losing a late-race skirmish to Kyle Larson. The Oklahoma native aims to get his season back on track as they series heads to Sonoma where he has back-to-back ninth-place results.

#4: Ryan Blaney

Jey: Ryan Blaney notched a stage win and a top-15 finish to pair with it in Chicago. After a last-place finish in Atlanta, it was a nice rebound for the entire Penske team. Blaney flashes really solid pace at road courses; as such, I expect him to compete for a top-10 at Sonoma and maybe even snatch a stage win with some strategy.

Tanner: Blaney’s last 30 laps at Chicago showed the championship mettle of the 12 team. After getting into the wall and breaking a toe link, Blaney got the free pass on the final restart and charged through the field to a 12th-place result. Heading to the Bay Area, the 2023 champion seems to be set up to grab more playoff points as well as a top-10 finish.

#5: Chase Elliott/Ross Chastain

Jey: Chase Elliott followed up his hometown Atlanta win with a solid 16th-place run in Chicago despite starting in the rear. Elliott was knocked out of the million dollar bracket challenge by one position when John Hunter Nemechek got by him late in the running. Chase will look to Sonoma to try to rekindle his road course success from the past on a more traditional style of track.

Tanner: Though Chastain plowed through Joey Logano and had to deal with his tirade after the race, the flagship Trackhouse driver left the Windy City with another top-10 in his pocket. In the NextGen era, the watermelon farmer hasn’t finished outside the top-10 in Sonoma, and I expect that streak to continue.

#6: Ross Chastain/Chase Elliott

Jey: Ross Chastain notched his first top-10 in almost a month and just his second overall since his Coke 600 win. This performance could prop them back up as they look to collect more playoff points prior to the playoffs. Ross will look to his teammate(s) again next week as we head to wine country where both his teammates have had success in the Cup and Xfinity Series.

Tanner: While Chase Elliott was once a lock on road courses, the latch appears to be rusty and worn off as some damage held the former right-turn king back from performing better. Unlike my co-ranker, I do not give as much credit to the 9 team for winning Atlanta, so in order for them to progress up these rankings, they’ll need to outperform Chastain and maybe even reclaim the road course crown.

#7: William Byron/Chris Buescher

Jey: William Byron may be facing down the barrel of the dreaded “summer skid” as we speak. The 24 team recorded just one top-10 in the last month, a ninth-place finish in Mexico. This weekend, a mock qualifying run in practice derailed their Chi-Town weekend despite the team showing great pace. Byron and his team will try to rebound at Sonoma, a track where Byron owns just one top-10 finish in six previous starts.

Tanner: An engine issue put Buescher behind the 8-ball last Sunday in Chicago, but the 17 crew survived the day to end up 18th. It was a great effort in a string of them for the tenacious Texan as the RFK Racing squad gears up for a summer run to the postseason. Heading to Sonoma should bring great results for this team as they haven’t finished any worse than fourth there since the NextGen era kicked off in 2022.

#8: Alex Bowman

Jey: Alex Bowman collected his third top-10 in four weeks, just what the doctor ordered after a rough patch. Bowman must win to lock himself into the playoffs, but he’s doing what he needs to do to extend his gap to the cutline. Bowman turns to Sonoma to change the tune and get his first top-10 in the NextGen era at the circuit. Given his road course pace, Sonoma should be right in the 48’s wheelhouse.

Tanner: This year’s Chicago race and last year’s shared some similarities for the No. 48 crew as bumper cars with Bubba Wallace became the story instead of a solid performance from “the fourth Hendrick driver”. While Bowman has been lauded for his road course prowess, Sonoma hasn’t been as kind to the Arizona native, so Bowman will hope that a trip back out west can provide even more relief than the return trip to Chicago.

#9: Chris Buescher/William Byron

Jey: Chris Buescher was on-track for another top-10 road course run before engine issues caused him to pit off-sequence. The forced alternate strategy did not pan out for them, bringing home an 18th-place result. Buescher may be the early favorite heading into Sonoma this week since his finishes in the NextGen era are second, fourth, and third, respectively.

Tanner: If it wasn’t for Denny Hamlin clipping Tyler Reddick in the final-lap melee at the Daytona 500, William Byron might be winless nearly 20 races into the season. The 24 team finds themselves in the midst of the familiar summer skid where they haven’t been particularly competitive outside of Michigan. Sonoma might continue their poor stretch as they’ve never finished better than ninth.

#10: Shane van Gisbergen

Jey: Shane Van Gisbergen took it to another level in Chicago, a track that remains his personal playground over the last three years. He was dominant last week, sweeping both races. Even when he wasn’t in control Sunday, it looked almost like he was playing with his food.

Shane claimed his third victory in the Cup Series in just his 33rd start. The only driver to do it faster? Oh, just Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time champ. Shane will look to back up his dominance in Sonoma this weekend, a race he won in Xfinity last year in exciting fashion

Tanner: Perhaps I’ve stirred some of the GRID Network viewers up with my comments last week about the decorated Kiwi, but it isn’t out of a lack of respect for van Gisbergen’s talent. The man absolutely throttled the best in the sport yet again in the Windy City, and now, the 27th driver in points owns two Cup Series trophies.

With another road course on the schedule for this week, I suspect that SVG goes out and wins again this weekend, locking him up with Hamlin, Larson, and Bell, but he’s still not finished better than 14th on an oval.

(Top Photo Credit: Daniel Bartel/Imagn Images)