NASCAR shakes up Power Rankings after Pocono with new No. 1 driver

Following an exciting weekend at Pocono Raceway, Pat DeCola of NASCAR.com has updated his NASCAR Power Rankings, complete with a new top driver leading the way.

Reigning Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney captured the win in the Pocono Mountains, his second of the season. He’s really picked up his performance over the last month, and now he’s in a fantastic position to defend his title, with plenty of time to continuing improving his standing over the course of the summer.

He’s not the new top dog in the NASCAR Power Rankings though. That honor goes to 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, and there’s a myriad of reasons why, as he’s been extremely consistent in 2024. Check out the full power rankings below, courtesy of DeCola.

1) Tyler Reddick (+1)

Tyler Reddick is nipping at the heels of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in the Cup Series point standings, as his consistency continues to be a marvel each weekend. Pocono was no different, as the 23XI Racing wheelman came home P6 at the Tricky Triangle.

When it comes to Indianapolis, experience isn’t the name of the game for Reddick. He’s only run the Brickyard 400 once, but it was a solid afternoon, as his Richard Childress Racing No. 8 came home P8 on the afternoon.

2) Kyle Larson (-1)

It wasn’t the best afternoon in Pocono by Kyle Larson’s standards, as he finished P13. Still, that’s more of a testament to Larson’s expectations and his standing in the NASCAR community, as many expected him to play a bigger role in Pennsylvania. 

Now, Indianapolis will be a fascinating challenge for Larson, after he ran the Indianapolis 500 earlier this season. In the past, he’s run well at the track in the Cup Series, with his best finish in six starts a P5 finish in 2016.

3) Chase Elliott (—)

Chase Elliott continued his impressive 2024 with another top ten on Sunday in Pocono. The former NASCAR Cup Series champion finished P9 on the afternoon, bouncing back from his Top 20 streak ending in Chicago last weekend. 

While Elliott would be a popular winner in Indianapolis, don’t get your hopes too high. His best finish was a P9 in 2019, and that’s his only top ten in six starts in the Brickyard 400.

4) Denny Hamlin (—)

After a bit of hard luck over the last month, Denny Hamlin returned to form in Pocono. He was the car to beat throughout the afternoon, and he looked headed towards back-to-back wins in Pennsylvania, but Ryan Blaney got the best of him.

Regardless, a P2 finish is nothing to snub your nose at. Now, with Indianapolis on the docket, a race Hamlin has never won, the perfect follow up would be kissing the bricks. We’ll see if he can add it to his list of accomplishments.

5) Ryan Blaney (+1)

Ryan Blaney’s rollercoaster 2024 campaign is beginning to find a peak, it seems. Over the last month and change, Blaney has two victories, after his win at Pocono Raceway over the weekend.

Moving forward to Indianapolis, Blaney has only one top ten at the track over six attempts. That was a P7 finish in 2019, so he’s hoping the return of the Brickyard 400 brings some better luck to the Team Penske wheelman.

NASCAR Power Rankings — No. 6 through No. 20:

6) William Byron (+1)
7) Martin Truex Jr. (-1)
8) Christopher Bell (-3)
9) Alex Bowman (+1)
10) Brad Keselowski (+1)
11) Ty Gibbs (-2)
12) Chris Buescher (—)
13) Joey Logano (+1)
14) Bubba Wallace (+1)
15) Ross Chastain (-2)
16) Chase Briscoe (+1)
17) Daniel Suarez (+3)
18) Austin Cindric (+1)
19) Josh Berry (NR)
20) Kyle Busch (-4)

As you can see, Tyler Reddick leads the way in the latest NASCAR Power Rankings, but there’s plenty of other wheelmen looking to make a big move, like Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski. We’ll see how it all changes after next weekend, with the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the docket.