The season is in full swing now and the NASCAR Power Rankings have started to stabilize. Denny Hamlin was the big winner this Sunday in a controversial finish. Hamlin has his pit crew to thank for his second win of the season.
When it came down to pit, that pit crew put him out in front of the field for the final restart. That is all you can ask a pit crew to do. Get your driver on the track in a position where they can use their skill and talent to run away to the finish.
No new faces in the NASCAR Power Rankings, but there was some movement. Especially near the top.
1. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing (+2)
For his efforts at Richmond, Denny Hamlin gets to sit on top of our NASCAR Power Rankings this week. Hamlin did it in a controversial fashion, but he doesn’t really care what other people think.
Going into Martinsville, is it possible that we will see back-to-back wins for Hamlin? He has been the short track king this season with wins at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, Bristol, and now Richmond.
2. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports (-)
Now, there would have to be a huge slide for Kyle Larson for him to leave one of these top three spots, if I’m honest with you. He is almost always there with speed and a chance to win, week in and week out.
Larson has new competition at Hendrick Motorsports with the rise of William Byron. However, for now, he is the best driver not named Denny Hamlin in the Cup Series right now.
3. William Byron – Hendrick Motorsports (-2)
The one issue I have with William Byron is his inconsistency. Now, he shook some of that last season and rode a wave to six wins. It would be nice to see him show up every week like Larson does.
Byron needs to avoid a summer slump. He has had a bit of a struggle keeping himself fast through the hot months of the season. Let’s see if he can keep the pace this week at a track he has won at before.
4. Christopher Bell – Joe Gibbs Racing (-)
Talk about a driver who is fast every week, Christopher Bell just can’t get out of his own way. It feels like Bell is either leading or chasing down the leaders at all times. Speeding on pit road ended his chances of winning this week.
Bell gets to stay here because despite the issue, he finished P6. If I had to put money on it now, I’d probably bet on Bell to make the Championship 4 once again this year.
5. Ross Chastain – Trackhouse Racing (+2)
I loved that Ross Chastain went wild on those wet weather tires. He took off at the start of this race and I thought he was going to be more involved at the end.
Despite not grabbing a win yet, Chastain has been fairly consistent. He’s got speed and Trackhouse Racing will be looking to get back to victory lane soon with him.
6. Martin Truex Jr. – Joe Gibbs Racing (+3)
Now, sixth in the NASCAR Power Rankings might be low for the points leader, but I want to see Martin Truex Jr. win a race. He has a lot of good races so far this year, let’s see him complete one.
I did give Truex a boost this week because he should have won that race. Leading for 228 laps and not winning is a tough pill to swallow.
7. Tyler Reddick – 23XI Racing (+1)
Tyler Reddick managed to get his car right and finish in the top-10. Once this team starts to get more top-5 finishes, the wins are going to come. Reddick has a ton of talent and I think is on the verge of a big break through.
For now Reddick is anchoring this 23XI Racing organization. Bubba Wallace should have finished in the top-5 but a bad pit stop before overtime sank those chances completely.
8. Ty Gibbs – Joe Gibbs Racing (-2)
The young driver falls a bit this week in the NASCAR Power Rankings. Ty Gibbs is going to win a race this year, you can almost guarantee that.
This is the first finish outside of the top-10 for Gibbs since Daytona. He will be back up front this weekend at Martinsville and all will be forgotten. Where do you think his first win is going to happen?
9. Ryan Blaney – Team Penske (-4)
The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion started out fast this season. In the last couple of weeks, things haven’t been clicking. So, Blaney falls pretty harshly this week.
Right now, Blaney has to get back to the front of the pack. A few bad weeks could really dislodge the momentum this championship team had coming into the year.
10. Alex Bowman – Hendrick Motorsports (-)
Alex Bowman is going to stay in our NASCAR Power Rankings this week. He was good at Richmond but got screwed by that Kyle Busch caution. Just a consequence of short track racing.
Even with the issues at Richmond, I think Bowman deserves to stay at least another week. After Martinsville that could change, of course.
NASCAR Power Rankings after Richmond
The NASCAR Power Rankings change a lot week to week. But there is something to be said about our drivers who are consistent and show up week in and week out. I’m sure there will be drivers added to the top-10 here and there as the season goes on.
Drivers catch fire and others have bad luck for weeks at a time. The Cup Series schedule is long and difficult. The ones who are able to make it to the end of the year while being competitive for almost 40 races a year are the ones who will stay in this top group.
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