By Noah Poser, Staff Writer
When the NASCAR Cup Series drivers last took to the track before the Easter break, Kyle Larson was out front essentially all race long at Bristol.
It was a dominant showing that earns him a bit of a jump in this week’s power rankings, but was not quite enough for him to jump ahead of Denny Hamlin, who finished second at Bristol after winning the two races prior.
This weekend, the series heads to Talladega. It’s a track Hamlin has won at twice and should he add a third checkered flag to his resume there, he’ll undoubtedly remain at the top of these rankings, in which the top four have separated themselves from the pack as the first quarter of the season has come to a close.
But here are the rankings as move to the next portion of the racing calendar:
1. Denny Hamlin (Previous: 1)
Season Stats: 2 Wins, 5 Top 5s, 6 Top 10s, 308 Laps Led, 2 Stage Wins
Hamlin was unable to secure a third victory in a row this past weekend at Bristol, as he was denied via Larson’s dominant performance, but a second-place finish is more than good enough to retain pole position in this week’s power rankings.
2. Kyle Larson (Previous: 4)
Season Stats: 2 Wins, 5 Top 5s, 6 Top 10s, 503 Laps Led, 4 Stage Wins
Larson won the first stage, won the second stage, and then went on to win the race at Bristol. Oh, and he led 411 of 500 laps. He’s now the third driver, after Hamlin and Christopher Bell, to win multiple races this season and he suddenly leads the series in stage wins and laps led. Not too shabby.
3. William Byron (Previous: 2)
Season Stats: 1 Win, 4 Top 5s, 6 Top 10s, 354 Laps Led, 3 Stage Wins
Byron remains the points leader, a title he’s held since the third race of the season at COTA. And yet, it seems like for some reason, he’s flying under the radar a little bit. He’s second to his teammate Larson in laps led and stage wins, and is among four drivers tied for the most top 10s this season, a total he added to with a sixth-place finish at Bristol.
4. Christopher Bell (Previous: 3)
Season Stats: 3 Wins, 5 Top 5s, 6 Top 10s, 139 Laps Led, 1 Stage Win
Bell had a steady day at Bristol, starting seventh and finishing eighth. He collected stage points in both stages and ultimately was one of four Joe Gibbs Racing cars to finish inside the top 10. It was a banner day for the organization, and it was one that saw Bell picked up his third consecutive finish of eighth or better.
5. Ryan Blaney (Previous: 5)
Season Stats: 3 Top 5s, 4 Top 10s, 197 Laps Led, 2 Stage Wins
To say Blaney has had the speed to contend with the top four drivers in these rankings this season wouldn’t be a stretch in the slightest, but the results just haven’t been there to match. Although it appears that is starting to change, as after a fifth-place finish at Bristol, Blaney has back-to-back top five finishes for the first time this season.
6. Tyler Reddick (Previous: 6)
Season Stats: 3 Top 5s, 4 Top 10s, 85 Laps Led
Reddick started 27th and finished 18th at Bristol in what was largely a day to forget for him and all of 23XI Racing for that matter. On the bright side, he did pick up a stage point in the second stage and remains sixth in the rankings due to the lack of results directly behind him.
7. Chase Elliott (Previous: 7)
Season Stats: 2 Top 5s, 5 Top 10s, 44 Laps Led
Elliott started 20th and finished 16th in both stages before bringing it home 15th at Bristol. All that being said, it was a pretty unremarkable showing. However, he remains fifth in the point standings thanks in large part to finishing 20th or better in all nine races this season. (*Knocks on wood*).
8. Bubba Wallace (Previous: 9)
Season Stats: 2 Top 5s, 3 Top 10s, 98 Laps Led, 1 Stage Win
Like the two drivers above him in the rankings, Wallace’s day at Bristol was quite pedestrian. He started 22nd, finished 19th and failed to score any stage points. He’ll likely quickly turn his attention towards Talladega, the site of not only the next race, but also of his first career Cup Series win back in 2021.
9. Ross Chastain (Previous: 11)
Season Stats: 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10s, 39 Laps Led
It was another top 10 finish for Chastain at Bristol, his third such finish in a row. In fact, with a seventh-place result, it was his third consecutive finish of seventh or better, all coming after starting 17th or worse. With both of his Trackhouse teammates sitting outside the top 25 in the standings, what Chastain is doing as of late is incredibly impressive.
10. Chase Briscoe (Previous: NR)
Season Stats: 3 Top 5s, 4 Top 10s, 9 Laps Led
For the first time this season, Briscoe finds himself in these rankings after collecting his third fourth-place finish this season. He slowly worked his way up from his 14th-place starting spot at Bristol, collecting stage points in the second stage along the way, before coming home in the top five for the the third time in four races. JRG appears to be on the upswing with improved results from Briscoe and Ty Gibbs in recent races, which should bode well for Briscoe’s chances of sticking around here for a little while.
11. Alex Bowman (Previous: 8)
Season Stats: 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10s, 107 Laps Led
Bowman was quick at Bristol. He started on pole, was fourth in the first stage and second in the second stage, but it just wasn’t meant to be. His engine let go on him shortly after the final stage begun, relegating him to a 37th-place finish, his third consecutive finish of 27th or worse, none of which have been due to a lack of speed.
Dropped out: Chris Buescher
Next up: A.J. Allmendinger, Josh Berry, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano