NASCAR power rankings: Leaving Las Vegas with a new No. 1

NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) and driver Chase Briscoe (19) drive for position during the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

1. Chase Briscoe (Last week: 3)

Briscoe wasn’t quite able to hold off Denny Hamlin on Sunday and win the race, but he still finished fourth and is above the cut line going into Talladega. He’s been lights out in the playoffs, finishing top 10 in six of the seven playoff races. 

2. Kyle Larson (Last week: 6)

Larson led the most laps (129) of any driver on Sunday and likely would’ve won if not for a late-race caution involving William Byron and Ty Dillon. He’s 35 points above the cut line following Sunday’s race and is in the driver’s seat for a Championship 4 berth. 

3. Denny Hamlin (Last week: 6)

Hamlin drove 15 of the best laps of his career en route to career win No. 60 on Sunday, a win Hamlin described as the biggest of his career. He’ll have the opportunity to fight for his first title at Phoenix on Nov. 2. 

4. Christopher Bell (Last week: 1)

Bell wasn’t bad at LVMS on Sunday, but he didn’t have the speed many expected out of him. He still managed to finish third, however, and he’s 20 points above the cut line going into Talladega. 

NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron (24) during the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

5. William Byron (Last week: 7)

Byron looked to be cruising toward a top-five finish until Ty Dillon pitted with 31 laps to go without warning Byron. That caused Byron to crash into Dillon and finish 36th, putting Byron in a 15-point hole. 

6. Ryan Blaney (Last week: 5)

Extenuating circumstances also took Ryan Blaney out of Sunday’s race. Blaney blew a tire late in Stage 1 and finished 38th, essentially putting him in a must-win situation over the next two weeks. 

7. Tyler Reddick (Last week: 9)

Despite being eliminated from the playoffs, Reddick ran a solid race on Sunday and came home with a fifth-place finish. He’s still seeking his first win of the 2025 campaign. 

8. Joey Logano (Last week: 11)

Logano didn’t run all that well on Sunday, but strategy gave him a sixth-place finish. However, he’s 24 points below the cut line going to Talladega, and he’ll need a pair of strong races to get back to Phoenix. 

NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (9) leads driver Ryan Preece (60) during the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

9. Chase Elliott (Last week: 4)

A pit road penalty doomed Elliott on Sunday, forcing the 2020 champion to rally and fight to get back on the lead lap. An 18th-place finish puts Elliott 23 points below the cut line going to Talladega. 

10. Chris Buescher (Last week: 10)

Buescher continued his steady season with a 12th-place finish on Sunday. He’s still leading the standings among drivers who did not make the playoff field. 

11. Ryan Preece (Last week: 15)

Preece finished ninth on Sunday after hanging around the top 15 for much of the day. The No. 60 team will have plenty of momentum going into their second season together in 2026. 

12. Bubba Wallace (Last week: 9)

Wallace ran inside the top 10 early, but a pit road speeding penalty put him behind the eight ball. Like Elliott, he managed to get back on the lead lap, but could only muster a 22nd-place finish by race’s end. 

NASCAR Cup Series driver Michael McDowell (71) leads a group during the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

13. Alex Bowman (Last week: Not ranked)

Bowman had one of the fastest cars on the track in Stage 3 of Sunday’s race and managed to finish seventh - his first top 10 result since the Bristol Night Race on Sept. 13. 

14. Michael McDowell (Last week: 12)

McDowell quietly drove his way to a 16th-place finish on Sunday. In his first year with Spire Motorsports, the veteran driver has a great shot at finishing the year in the top 20 in the points standings. 

15. Brad Keselowski (Last week: Not ranked)

It’s Keselowski who currently holds that 20th-place spot in the standings after a 10th-place finish on Sunday. If not for the No. 6 team’s extremely slow start to the season, Keselowski could still be racing for his second championship. 

16. Kyle Busch (Last week: Not ranked)

Busch struggled mightily in the opening laps of Sunday’s race, but battled back to finish eighth - his first top-10 result since the Southern 500 on Aug. 31. Talladega on Oct. 19 is Busch’s best shot at winning a race this season.