The Coke Zero Sugar 400 gave us the final 16-driver field for the playoffs. So, we have a new NASCAR Power Rankings list this week. Who will end up on top of the rest of the field when it is all said and done at Phoenix this season?
The battle is heating up now. Darlington and the Southern 500 will kick things off for the Cup Series and the hunt for the Bill France Cup.
Since everything resets in the postseason, I decided to reset my NASCAR Power Rankings based on regular-season performance, expectations in the playoffs, and good, old-fashioned gut feelings.
1. Ryan Blaney – Team Penske
Fresh off his win at Daytona, Ryan Blaney has been one of the best drivers all season long. If it wasn’t for his seven DNFs, he likely would have contended for the regular season title.
The win at Daytona wasn’t a fluke. It was the culmination of weeks’ worth of buildup and preparation. The speed the 12 team showed leading up to Daytona showed that they could get the job done. Two-time champ Blaney?
2. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports
You can never count out Kyle Larson. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has not been performing at the top of his game. But that can change quickly in this sport.
The Round of 16 will tell us a lot. Larson has had mixed performances in the NASCAR Playoffs. For now, he’s second in the NASCAR Power Rankings.
3. William Byron – Hendrick Motorsports
The regular season champion is going to be fine in the first round. From there, anything can happen.
William Byron went through a summer slump of his own. The win at Iowa was a big boost, for sure. Does this team have the top-end speed to win a championship this season?
4. Christopher Bell – Joe Gibbs Racing
Three wins in the first four races, and none since then. Does Christopher Bell have it in him to make a run in the postseason?
The NASCAR Power Rankings have Bell in this position because of his playoff points. Still, just like Byron, once the second round starts, anything can happen.
5. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing
While Denny Hamlin has looked like he is at his best this season, there are questions going into the playoffs. Can Hamlin survive in the variety of races ahead? Does he have the endurance over the course of the season to have his best 10 races right now?
Hamlin has had great playoff performances and not-so-great ones. Let’s see if he can keep up the performances as the season ticks down.
6. Chase Elliott – Hendrick Motorsports
Mr. Consistent, but can he win when he needs to? Chase Elliott once again enters the NASCAR Playoffs with only one win. So much can go right and so much can go wrong with how Elliott races.
Let’s say Elliott does get in a position where he’s below the cutline in the Round of 12 or Round of 8. Does he have the speed to turn it one for one or two races and rally back? Hard to say, to be honest.
7. Bubba Wallace – 23XI Racing
I have Bubba Wallace here in the NASCAR Power Rankings because he has been performing at the top of his game lately. Fantastic races and speed on all types of race tracks.
Wallace looks like the best 23XI Racing driver right now. He has more top-10s than Reddick and only one less top-five. But get this, Wallace has seven DNFs to Reddick’s one. Let’s see what the 23 team can do in the playoffs this season.
8. Chase Briscoe – Joe Gibbs Racing
Perhaps the Dark Horse to win the championship, Chase Briscoe is dangerous. He won the Southern 500 last season, so we could very well see him win again and lock into the second round immediately.
Briscoe is getting comfortable and starting to find his groove at JGR. That could be trouble for the rest of the field.
9. Alex Bowman – Hendrick Motorsports
I am leaving Alex Bowman in the NASCAR Power Rankings because he’s shown resilience. And he’s in a Hendrick car. So, you kind of have to include him at least at the beginning.
Bowman had to sit and watch the Daytona race unfold to know his destiny. He can thank Blaney for the trip to the playoffs this season.
10. Austin Cindric – Team Penske
Rounding out the NASCAR Power Rankings is Austin Cindric. He isn’t a champion like his Team Penske teammates, but Cindric has a pretty favorable playoff map ahead of him.
Cindric has run well at Darlington before. He has won at Gateway, and Bristol is a place where he can do what he needs to do points-wise to stay afloat. The Round of 12 has the Roval, which is a good track for Cindric. Then the Round of 8 has Las Vegas and Talladega. Is Cindric capable of a deep run?
