NASCAR power rankings: Major top-five shake-up after Watkins Glen

Shane van Gisbergen scored his fourth win of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season Sunday, winning by 11.116 seconds at Watkins Glen. Here’s how the Cup Series field stacks up through 24 races. 

1. William Byron (Last week: 1)

Byron finished fourth and extended his lead in the regular-season standings to 42 points Sunday. He’s in the catbird’s seat for the regular-season title battle, and Saturday's Cook Out 400 at Richmond — a track similar to Iowa — could be the race where he sews up the regular-season championship. 

2. Chase Briscoe (Last week: 6) 

Briscoe finished fifth Sunday and has five top-five finishes in the past eight races. He’s one of three drivers to have at least 10 top-five efforts this season, joining Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson

3. Chase Elliott (Last week: 2)

Elliott lost 24 points to Byron in the regular-season title race and finished outside the top 20 (26th) for the first time all season Sunday. It’s been a good year for Elliott and the No. 9 team, but races like Sunday's are the reason many fans believe change must occur. 

4. Ryan Blaney (Last week: 5)

Blaney led 35 laps from the pole, won Stage 2 and finished sixth Sunday. He also moved up to sixth in the regular-season standings and is within striking distance of the top five. 

5. Denny Hamlin (Last week: 4)

Road courses are far from Hamlin’s strong suit, but a 25th-place finish with zero stage points is still a surprisingly poor result. However, Richmond offers Hamlin an excellent opportunity to bounce back and score his fifth win of 2025. 

6. Christopher Bell (Last week: 8) 

Bell finished a distant runner-up to van Gisbergen on Sunday, but the No. 20 team appears to be getting back on track after a hit-or-miss summer stretch. Bell is tied with Larson for fourth in the regular- season standings. 

7. Ryan Preece (Last week: 7) 

Preece lost 11 points to the playoff cut line despite scoring nine stage points and finishing 13th. The No. 60 team has been on a roll this season, but it may not culminate in a postseason bid. 

8. Kyle Larson (Last week: 3)

Larson suffered brake issues early in Sunday’s race and finished 39th after making repairs. He slipped to a tie for fifth in the regular season standings, and a pair of poor races at Richmond and Daytona could see him fall out of the top five entirely. 

9. Tyler Reddick (Last week: 10) 

Reddick quietly drove his way to a ninth-place finish Sunday, though he slipped to seventh in the regular-season standings. He has all but locked up a playoff spot at this point and shouldn’t have anything to lose at Richmond or Daytona. 

10. Bubba Wallace (Last week: 11)

Wallace scored his fourth consecutive top-10 finish Sunday, but Buescher’s strong run keeps him outside of the top 10 in the regular- season standings for now. Wallace finished top five at Richmond a year ago and is always a threat at Daytona, so the final two weeks of the regular season are major opportunities for the No. 23 team. 

11.  Shane van Gisbergen (Last week: unranked)

Van Gisbergen once again dusted the Cup Series field on a road course. The next two weeks give him an opportunity to continue improving on his oval craft, and Daytona could be an opportunity for him to snag what would be a series-leading fifth win. 

12. Chris Buescher (Last week: 16)

Buescher did exactly what he needed to do Sunday, winning Stage 1 and finishing third to gain 11 points on Preece in the playoff bubble battle. He has won at Richmond and Daytona, so his postseason destiny is in his hands. 

13. Ross Chastain (Last week: 15)

Chastain finished 10th at the Glen on Sunday, but he’s still 14th in the regular-season standings with little hope of finishing inside the top 10. Richmond will be a major test of the No. 1 team’s speed heading into the playoffs.

14. Austin Cindric (Last week: 13)

Cindric could only muster a 16th-place effort Sunday at Watkins Glen. The regular-season finale at Daytona should be a race that is circled on the calendar for a No. 2 team with nothing to lose. 

15.  Joey Logano (Last week: 14)

Logano finished 14th with zero stage points Sunday, continuing an underwhelming title defense season. He also slipped to 13th in the regular-season standings. 

16. Alex Bowman (Last week: 12)       

Bowman is still sitting pretty in regard to the playoff cut line, but a 20th-place effort Sunday wasn’t inspiring. The No. 48 team could use a good run at Richmond as a springboard into the playoffs.