NASCAR power rankings: The Round of 8 field is set

NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell (20) drives at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

1. Christopher Bell (Last week: 1)

Bell brought home another third-place finish on Sunday and was one of two drivers who were able to keep up with van Gisbergen. He’s in the Round of 8 for the fourth consecutive year. 

2. Kyle Larson (Last week: 6)

Larson led 27 laps on Sunday, but was unable to mount a successful charge on SVG during the race’s final run. Still, the 2021 champion is in the Round of 8 for the fourth time in five years, and he’s undoubtedly a title favorite. 

3. Chase Briscoe (Last week: 2)

Briscoe, who was feeling nauseous during Sunday’s race, gutted out a tough 14th-place effort and advanced to the Round of 8. He’s below the cut line to start the Round of 8, but don’t count the No. 19 team out as a dark horse title threat. 

4. Chase Elliott (Last week: 4)

A week after his thrilling win at Kansas, Elliott kept the good times rolling by finishing eighth at the Charlotte Roval and helping a couple of his fans complete a gender reveal. The 2020 champion is in the Round of 8 for the eighth time in nine years. 

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) drives at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

5. Ryan Blaney (Last week: 5)

Blaney won Stage 2 and finished 13th at Charlotte on Sunday. He’s looking for a third consecutive Championship 4 berth, and a round featuring Las Vegas, Talladega, and Martinsville gives him an excellent chance to get back to Phoenix. 

6. Denny Hamlin (Last week: 3)

Hamlin was spun by Ross Chastain on the final lap and finished 23rd. He still easily advanced to the Round of 8, where he’ll look to advance to the Championship 4 and win his first Cup Series title. 

7. William Byron (Last week: 9)

Byron also easily advanced to the Round of 8 after finishing 11th on Sunday. He’s looking for his third consecutive Championship 4 appearance, and the Oct. 12 race at Las Vegas may be his best chance at winning his way to Phoenix. 

8. Tyler Reddick (Last week: 8)

Reddick started from the pole on Sunday, but had nothing to compete with van Gisbergen. He finished 10th - a solid day, but not enough to advance to the Round of 8 for the third consecutive season. 

NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) drives at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

9. Bubba Wallace (Last week: 7)

Like his 23XI Racing teammate in Reddick, Wallace was also eliminated from playoff contention after a 15th-place finish on Sunday. 2025 has still been a great year for Wallace, but a second-round elimination is slightly disappointing given how fast he’s been this season. 

10. Chris Buescher (Last week: 12)

Buescher continues to fly under the radar every week, and despite not being in the playoffs, he’s been very consistent over the last six races. Buescher finished fourth on Sunday, and he’s easily the best non-playoff driver regarding the points standings. 

11. Joey Logano (Last week: 10)

Logano advanced to the Round of 8 by the skin of his teeth. The three-time champion barely edged Ross Chastain for the final transfer spot with a 20th-place finish after Logano put on fresh tires in the closing laps. 

12. Michael McDowell (Last week: 13)

McDowell scored a fifth-place finish on Sunday, his second top-10 in the last three races and his fifth consecutive top-20 finish. The No. 71 team has come on strong at the end of the 2025 campaign. 

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain (1) drives at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

13. Ross Chastain (Last week: 11)

Chastain finished 21st on Sunday after his failed attempt to spin Hamlin and advance to the Round of 8. Getting back to the playoffs was certainly an improvement for Chastain, but not getting to the penultimate round has to be disappointing. 

14. Shane van Gisbergen (Last week: 16)

It was back to business on road courses for van Gisbergen, who won Stage 1 and led 57 laps en route to his fifth win of the season. With van Gisbergen improving on ovals and continuing to be dominant on road courses, the No. 88 team will be fun to watch in 2026. 

15. Ryan Preece (Last week: 15)

Preece quietly drove his way to a sixth-place finish on Sunday. He’s only behind Buescher in the standings among non-playoff drivers, and it’s hard to say his first year with RFK Racing has been anything but a huge success. 

16. AJ Allmendinger (Last week: Not ranked)

Allmendinger had a fantastic weekend in Charlotte. The road course ace paced practice on Saturday and finished ninth on Sunday after leading 13 laps. He also moved up to 24th in the Cup Series standings.