NASCAR Intriguing Top-10 Power Rankings

Shane Van Gisbergen is a complete wild card heading into the 2026 NASCAR season. The win-and-in stipulation has been removed from the playoff structure, so he will need to be at least competitive on other tracks. Still, the almost guaranteed three to five wins on road courses make him worthy of a top ten ranking. If he manages to continue improving on ovals, the field could be in a bit of trouble as the years go on.

9. Joey Logano

Joey Logano was a NASCAR driver who greatly benefited from the previous playoff format. It was no secret that if a Penske driver made it to the final four, they were going to be the favorite to win at Phoenix. Logano no longer has that postseason advantage over the rest of the field, giving the former multi-time champion a lower ranking than usual.

8. Tyler Reddick

Tyler Reddick has had a ton going on off the track with the 23XI vs NASCAR lawsuit putting his guaranteed charter in jeopardy. There was a talking point brought up last season on whether he will even be with the team this season or pursue other opportunities. 2026 has come, and he remains with the team owned by Michael Jordan. The lawsuit is in the past, and Reddick can focus on making a push for the chase.

7. Chase Elliott

Chase Elliott is a lock to be the fans’ favorite driver every season, and his performance always shows exactly why. He may not be the highest-ranked Hendrick driver, but he always puts up competitive efforts that make him valuable to the team. He brings championship experience and consistently great points finishes.

6. Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney, like Elliott, is one of the most beloved NASCAR drivers in the field. He has not put together the amount of wins he would like, but his constant top ten to top five finishes make him a threat in any points format. The chase format will give him an upper hand on some of the drivers ahead of him, perhaps leading to a second championship in 2026.

5. Christopher Bell

Christopher Bell started off the 2025 season hot, winning three consecutive races in the first quarter of the year. If he can have similar success early in 2026, the number five ranking will immediately jump towards the top. Bell is someone who could easily become the championship favorite by the midpoint of the season; he just needs to show some more consistency.

4. William Byron

William Byron was arguably the most consistent driver last season. He won the regular season title and was competitive until the very end. He is another driver who the chase format is likely to benefit. He could find himself competing for his first career championship if he can replicate what he did in 2025.

3. Chase Briscoe

Chase Briscoe is coming off an incredible debut season for Joe Gibbs Racing. After a turbulent start to the season, the Mitchell, Indiana, product took off in the second half of 2025. He won three races and made a final four appearance for the first time in his Cup Series career. Now in 2026, there will be no adjustment period for Briscoe, and he will be a force every time he’s on the track.

2. Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin has been consistently great for so long now; he just hasn’t been able to reach championship glory. That is likely going to be the main storyline until his career is over. Is this the season everything changes for the all-time great? The chase format returning should give him a better chance at reaching this goal, and considering how close he was last year, maybe he should be the favorite.

1. Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, is the only option to be number one. He dominated the early parts of 2025 before slowing down in the middle of the season. Many thought it would be a rather quick playoffs for the world-class driver, but he had other plans. He kicked it up a notch and was able to win the championship trophy in Phoenix.

End Of My NASCAR Rant

The new NASCAR season is sure to bring entertaining action with intrigue regarding the returning Chase structure. It will be easier to get a read on how these drivers will perform after a few weeks, but knowing what we know, this is how they rank before any on-track action in 2026.