NASCAR power rankings: New Hampshire results in a new No. 1

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney Eric Canha-Imagn Images

1. Ryan Blaney | (Last week: 2)

Blaney may have made himself the title favorite on Sunday. The 2023 Cup Series champion led 116 laps, won Stage 1 and looked to have the fastest car all weekend at a track that is relatively similar to Phoenix, which hosts the Championship Race on Nov. 2. 

2. Christopher Bell | (Last week: 3)

Bell wasn’t in the mix for the win on Sunday like many thought he would be, but he still finished sixth and has a solid 29-point gap to the cut line. If he has another top-10 afternoon at Kansas, he’ll go into the Charlotte Roval in a great points spot. 

3. Chase Briscoe | (Last week: 2)

Briscoe hung around all afternoon and came home 10th. He’s the last man inside the provisional Round of 8 field at the moment, but the No. 19 team is still moving in the right direction. 

NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson Eric Canha-Imagn Images

4. Kyle Larson | (Last week: 6)

Larson looked more like himself early in Sunday’s race, leading four laps and finishing second in Stage 2. He faded to seventh by the time the checkered flag flew, but it was a much-needed performance in the opening race of a playoff round for the No. 5 team. 

5. Joey Logano | (Last week: 7) 

When the air begins to catch a slight fall chill, Logano gets on the warpath. He led 147 laps on Sunday and won Stage 2 before finishing fourth. Logano also gained 26 points on the cut line, going from two points below going into New Hampshire to 24 points above leaving the ‘Magic Mile’. 

6. Denny Hamlin | (Last week: 4)

Hamlin’s 12th-place finish was overshadowed by his tussle with a Joe Gibbs Racing teammate in Ty Gibbs. Still, the veteran driver is 27 points above the cut line going into Kansas, which should be a good track for the No. 11 team. 

NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott Eric Canha-Imagn Images

7. William Byron | (Last week: 9) 

Byron is nearly a full race up (+47) on points following a strong third-place run at New Hampshire on Sunday. It was his first top-10 finish at the one-mile track, which has given Byron a fair share of trouble over the years. 

8. Chase Elliott | (Last week: Not ranked)

After qualifying 27th, Elliott put forth one of the best efforts of his season on Sunday. The 2020 Cup Series champion looked the part at New Hampshire, as he charged to a fifth-place result that puts him 14 points above the cut line going into Kansas. 

9. Bubba Wallace | (Last week: 5)

Wallace has found success at New Hampshire in the Next-Gen era, but that was far from the case on Sunday. The No. 23 Toyota went backwards from the start, and Wallace came home 26th on a miserable day for the No. 23 team. Wallace is 12th on the playoff grid, 27 points below the cut line going into Kansas. 

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain Eric Canha-Imagn Images

10. Ross Chastain | (Last week: 14)

Chastain hovered around the top 12 all day and eventually finished ninth. Unfortunately, that solid result still puts Chastain 12 points below the cut line going into Kansas, where he won the fall race a season ago. 

11. Tyler Reddick | (Last week: 8)

Like his 23XI Racing teammate in Wallace, Reddick also laid an egg at New Hampshire. Despite starting fourth, Reddick dropped like a rock late in the race and finished 21st. He’s 23 points below the cut line going into Kansas. 

12. Carson Hocevar | (Last week: 16)

Hocevar scored 12 stage points and finished 11th on Sunday. He made headlines by being aggressive on restarts, and it clearly paid off. Keep an eye on him as a dark-horse at Kansas next weekend. 

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece Eric Canha-Imagn Images

13. Ryan Preece | (Last week: 13)

Preece, a Berlin, Conn., native, finished 14th at his home track on Sunday. It wasn’t a flashy day, but it proved how consistent the No. 60 team has been for much of the season. 

14. Josh Berry | (Last week: Not ranked)

After a hellacious playoff run that included three last-place finishes and a first-round exit, Berry rebounded in a big way at New Hampshire. After an early spin, the Las Vegas winner rallied to finish second, as he was unable to keep a hard-charging Blaney back in the closing laps. 

15. Chris Buescher | (Last week: 11)

Buescher finished 18th on Sunday, breaking his streak of four consecutive top-11 finishes. Still, there should be plenty of optimism in the 17 camp going into Kansas - Buescher nearly won at the 1.5-mile track in May 2024. 

16. Michael McDowell | (Last week: Not ranked)  

McDowell quietly drove his way to an eighth-place finish on Sunday. The top-10 result moves him into the top-25 in the standings going into Kansas.