NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings: Kyle Larson has perfect day in Las Vegas

The Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was dominated by Kyle Larson. That means a new leader in the NASCAR Power Rankings. A few drivers stumbled and others impressed in the desert.

It is still early on in the season. So, we are likely going to see a lot different list by the time the summer months come along. For now, as we start to get into the spring, it is just a nice reminder of how these drivers have performed early.

Now, this isn’t the points standings, this is the NASCAR Power Rankings. That means recent performance matters and each driver will be judged more harshly based on the Pennzoil 400 than say, how they did in Daytona two weeks ago.

1. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports (+2)

What else can you say about Kyle Larson’s performance this weekend than “dominant.” He put an old-fashioned butt-whooping on the rest of the Cup Series on his way to his first win of the season. He swept both stages and took home the checkered flag.

A confident Larson can do a lot of damage in a short period of time. He moves up a couple of spots in the NASCAR Power Rankings thanks to his performance in the desert.

2. William Byron – Hendrick Motorsports (-)

A garbage bag took William Byron from a top-5 day to struggling to find the top-10. However, he and his crew battled back and salvaged their day in Las Vegas.

For now, Byron gets to hold onto his spot at #2. He won the March Phoenix race last year, stealing it from Larson late in the race on a final restart. Can he get to Victory Lane again?

3. Kyle Busch – Richard Childress Racing (-2)

Will Kyle Busch ever feel confident taking his car to pit road? Because right now, I think he dreads it every time he has to do something as simple as top off on fuel.

If it weren’t for another pit road mistake, Busch would likely get pushed down just one spot in the NASCAR Power Rankings, but the mistakes from last year are continuing to plague this crew.

4. Ross Chastain – Trackhouse Racing (+1)

Another strong performance and a bit of sass at Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain had a good day in Vegas. He didn’t hit the jackpot, but after making his own mistakes on pit road, the Melon Man got track position back.

Chastain was on a two-tire strategy to end the race, but still managed a P4 finish. He moves up in the NASCAR Power Rankings, and he’s been up front every week so far.

5. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing (+1)

Since winning the Busch Light Clash, nothing has really gone Denny Hamlin’s way. He’s had fast cars, but getting them to the end has been a task.

This week in Vegas was solid, P8 on the day. Hamlin lost speed late in the long green flag run and never got it back, he still moves up one spot this week.

6. Ryan Blaney – Team Penske (+1)

Now, Blaney is a driver who has had his fair share of good races. He now has back-to-back top-5 finishes and a little bit of momentum going to Phoenix, and has moved up in the NASCAR Power Rankings.

The 2023 NASCAR Champion didn’t win the Phoenix championship race, but he did finish P2 to Chastain. Keep an eye on those two again this week to see if we have any extracurricular activity.

7. Tyler Reddick – 23XI Racing (Unranked)

From unranked to #7! Tyler Reddick was hurt by his performances at Daytona and Atlanta, so I kept him out of the top-10 until now. Las Vegas showed me he still has what we all thought he had.

That is, Reddick is incredibly talented and can get the most out of his car. He needed just a few more laps to catch and pass Larson, but it never happened.

8. Bubba Wallace – 23XI Racing (-4)

Someone had to be the loser this week, and unfortunately for Bubba Wallace, it was him. Wallace drops hard after earning two P5 finishes at Daytona and Atlanta.

A stuck lug nut was the big issue yesterday. By the time it was said and done, Wallace was down 12 laps and he even fell 10 spots in the points standings.

9. Daniel Suárez – Trackhouse Racing (-)

Daniel RAPIDO Suárez is still at #9 because he had a solid all-around day at Las Vegas. His car didn’t hold up in the long run like others, but he was able to finish P11.

With a win secured, Suárez needs to just focus on solid finishes and look for his next opportunity to win a race. Right now, he’s right where he belongs in the NASCAR Power Rankings.

10. Martin Truex Jr. – Joe Gibbs Racing (Unranked)

Nothing flashy this season from Martin Truex Jr. He has led some laps, but has not made the top-5 at all this year. Still, I have to put him at #10 in the NASCAR Power Rankings because he has over 100 points and is third in the standings.

The regular season champion last year, Truex deserves respect for his modest finishes so far this season. I’m sure he will be in Victory Lane soon enough.

NASCAR Power Rankings: Who fell out of the top-10?

This week, we had two drivers fall from the NASCAR Power Rankings. Both Chris Buescher and Joey Logano were in my top-10 last week, but I couldn’t justify it this week. Even with Logano’s great qualifying speed carrying through to Vegas.

Buescher has made too many mistakes or had issues like his loose wheel yesterday. Right now, he and the team are stepping on their own feet and tripping themselves up. Buescher won three races last year, so don’t count him out completely, but he has to turn things around.

As for Logano, yes, he has started on the front row every race this season. The Pennzoil 400 was Logano’s first top-10 finish of the year. Both of these drivers could turn things around and be back in the NASCAR Power Rankings soon.