NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings: Top drivers after thrilling Atlanta finish
Two weeks into the season, we have enough data points. So, let’s lay out the top-10 drivers with these NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings.
With the Busch Light Clash, Daytona 500, and Ambetter Health 400 in the rearview we have an early idea of how these drivers and teams stack up against each other. Two drafting tracks in Daytona and Atlanta don’t tell us much, but it will have to do for now.
There are now two winners this season in William Byron and Daniel Suárez. Qualifying may have told us more than anything else this season so far. Looking ahead to Las Vegas, here are the NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings post-Atlanta.
1. Kyle Busch – Richard Childress Racing
Rowdy is going to take the top spot in our NASCAR Power Rankings this week. Heartbreakingly close to winning at Atlanta, 0.007 seconds close, Busch has been strong this season, when he isn’t wrecking.
Runner-up at Busch Light Clash, P12 at Daytona, P3 at Atlanta and a win in the Truck Series – not a bad start to the season for Busch. Going home to Vegas, he could separate himself from the rest of the field with a strong performance.
2. William Byron – Hendrick Motorsports
The Daytona 500 champion didn’t look as strong this weekend due to a few incidents on the track. However, Willy B won six races last year and already has another one to start the year.
Byron won the Las Vegas race last March. In 2022 and 2023, Byron had two wins by the time the season was two months old, could he snag another Vegas victory and move up in the rankings next week?
3. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports
No, Kyle Larson has not had a great start to his season. He was a DNF in Atlanta, but had fun racing while he was on the track.
Starting at Las Vegas, where he won in the playoffs, Larson should get into his groove. A couple of rough weeks and he will find himself slipping in the points standings further and potentially these NASCAR Power Rankings.
4. Bubba Wallace – 23XI Racing
After Atlanta, Bubba Wallace has a pair of P5 finishes and finds himself fourth overall in the points standings. No other Cup Series driver was able to finish in the top-10 twice, let alone the top-5.
There seems to be a new confidence with Wallace, at least to start the season. We will see if he can keep it going. Las Vegas is a solid track for his skillset, he finished P4 in this race a year ago.
5. Ross Chastain – Trackhouse Racing
The Melon Man! Ross Chastain made a move at Daytona for the lead and it didn’t pay off for him, but he finished a strong P7 in Atlanta.
Chastain and Larson are more alike than many realize, both being too aggressive for their own good at times. Given his bounce-back performance last night, I feel good about Chastain at #5.
6. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing
On one hand, Denny Hamlin won the Busch Light Clash and was strong in the Duels at Daytona. On the other hand, he has finishes of P19 and P23 to start the points-paying season.
Another driver I believe will start to get into a rhythm starting this week, Hamlin could easily be Toyota’s top driver this season. If he doesn’t get it together soon, he will find himself slipping in the NASCAR Power Rankings.
7. Ryan Blaney – Team Penske
The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion had bad luck in Daytona. Last night in Atlanta, he was inches from another photo-finish win.
For once, Blaney was on the wrong end of one of those close finishes. Once again, the 12 team is going to quietly get through the season, win some races here and there and will be ready for a deep playoff run this fall.
8. Chris Buescher – RFK Racing
One driver who had a winning car at one point in the Atlanta race, Buescher. He was wrecked at the end of Stage 2 by Joey Logano but still wheeled a damaged car to a P9 finish.
After winning three races in 2023, Buescher and this 17 team are ready to have a major breakthrough. Will it happen this year or have to wait until 2025?
9. Joey Logano – Team Penske
A pole award, front row, and a modified glove – all of that has Joey Logano on the edge of my top-10. If he loses points this week because of his webbed qualifying glove, then he’ll have more work to do.
Logano was able to wheel himself into contention on Sunday in Atlanta. That late block to end Stage 2 on Buescher was ill-advised, but the 22 team has shown speed this year and that goes a long way two weeks into the season.
10. Daniel Suárez – Trackhouse Racing
If you’re one of only two drivers with a win on the season, you get to be in the top-10 in the NASCAR Power Rankings. Daniel Suárez came out on top of one of the most iconic finishes in the history of the sport on Sunday.
Don’t scoff at him being #10, either. In the 2022 season, the last year Suárez won a race, he finished the year 10th overall in points. With Atlanta and Watkins Glen to start the playoffs this year, I’d feel good as a 99 fan.
NASCAR Power Rankings: Outside looking in
This early in the year, you can shuffle the NASCAR Power Rankings around, to be honest. It is hard with such a small sample size to determine the best drivers. However, through two races, I think that the top-10 list is strong.
There are drivers, like former champions, who get the benefit of the doubt for early-season struggles. Others are not necessarily afforded that. Among the drivers I left off the top-10 include Alex Bowman, Tyler Reddick, Michael McDowell, and Chase Elliott. At this point in the season, one good race from a few of these drivers could change a lot.