Final 2025 NASCAR power rankings: Major shake-ups after Phoenix finale

Ryan Blaney won Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway, and Kyle Larson brought home the 2025 Cup Series championship. Here’s how the field stacks up in our final power rankings of the season: 

1. Kyle Larson (Last week: 2)

Larson finished third Sunday and won his second Cup Series title. It was far from a perfect day for the No. 5 team, but it got the job done. 

2. Ryan Blaney (Last week: 4) 

Blaney scored his fourth victory of the season Sunday and was the only non-Championship 4 driver who gave Denny Hamlin and William Byron trouble. Had he been able to hold off Byron at Martinsville a week ago, he could have been a two-time champ. 

3. Denny Hamlin (Last week: 5)

Hamlin finished sixth in another heartbreaking championship loss Sunday. He’ll end 2025 second in the standings and forever wondering what could’ve been. 

4. William Byron (Last week: 1)

Byron was on pace to finish second in the race and the standings before he blew a tire with three laps to go. He finished 33rd in the race and fourth in the championship. 

5. Chase Briscoe (Last Week: 3)

Briscoe had multiple tire issues Sunday and finished 18th after pit strategy did little to move him forward late in the race. He finished third in the standings in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing. 

6. Christopher Bell (Last week: 6) 

Bell finished 11th Sunday, a quiet day for the No. 20 team. He’ll be a motivated driver in 2026 after barely missing out on the Championship 4 in 2024 and 2025.          

7. Joey Logano (Last week: 8) 

Logano finished fourth Sunday and could’ve won had the race been one lap longer. He was unable to defend his 2024 title, but it was still a solid year for the No. 22 team. 

8. Chase Elliott (Last week: 7)

Elliott led in Stage 3 of Sunday’s race and could’ve been in contention to win if not for a pit road speeding penalty. The 2020 champion rebounded to finish 10th and ended up eighth in the championship standings.

9. Ryan Preece (Last week: 10) 

Preece capped his solid first year with RFK Racing with a ninth-place finish at Phoenix. He ended 2025 with 14 top-10 finishes, more than six of the 16 playoff drivers.      

10. Chris Buescher (Last week: 11) 

Buescher finished 12th Sunday and ended the year 17th in the standings, highest of those who failed to qualify for the postseason. After barely missing the playoffs in 2024 and 2025, you can bet that Buescher and the No. 17 team will be highly motivated in 2026.  

11. Tyler Reddick (Last week: 9) 

Reddick slogged through his first winless season with 23XI Racing and finished 26th Sunday. He finished ninth in the championship after being eliminated in the Round of 12.  

12. Josh Berry (Last week: 15) 

Berry finished seventh Sunday, his second top 10 in the season’s final four races. He finished 16th in the standings after scoring his first career win at Las Vegas in March. Overall, his first campaign with the Wood Brothers was a resounding success.  

13. Brad Keselowski (Last week: 16) 

Keselowski closed 2025 strong with a runner-up finish, barely losing Sunday’s race to Blaney on the final lap. The 2012 champ finished 20th in the championship standings.  

14. Ross Chastain (Last week: 13) 

Chastain had a quiet Sunday afternoon, finishing 13th. He did, however, race his way into the top 10 in the standings, finishing 10th in the championship after Bubba Wallace encountered mechanical issues and finished 37th at Phoenix.  

15. Kyle Busch (Last week: Unranked) 

Busch closed an abysmal campaign with a fifth-place finish Sunday and finished 21st in the standings. The top-five finish at least gives the two-time champion momentum going into 2026.  

16. Michael McDowell  (Last week: 13)        

McDowell finished eighth Sunday and 22nd in the championship. Overall, it was a solid year for McDowell in his first season with Spire Motorsports.