What a wild weekend at Watkins Glen! Sorting out this week’s NASCAR Power Rankings was no easy task. When the majority of drivers from the previous top-10 have poor races, ranking them becomes a real challenge.
From the previous rankings post-Atlanta, Kyle Larson was the first driver to finish at Watkins Glen in P12. Among all the playoff drivers, only Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric cracked the top-10. For the first time since the Chase format was introduced in 2004, not a single playoff driver finished in the top five.
These rankings reflect what the drivers gave to work with. Let’s dive in.
1. Tyler Reddick – 23XI Racing (No Change)
Despite being spun early in the race, Reddick made the most of a tough day. His car didn’t have the speed to keep pace, but he hung in there.
This marks the first rough race for Reddick in months, probably since May. He still sits atop the NASCAR Playoffs standings.
2. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports (+1)
Larson moves back up after besting Christopher Bell head-to-head on Sunday. Despite running around P25 most of the day, he managed to finish P12.
Not a standout day, but in a chaotic weekend, it was enough to earn him a rise.
3. Christopher Bell – Joe Gibbs Racing (-1)
Bell and his team feel ready for another deep playoff run. But their consistency remains a question mark.
The regular season has been a bit of a roller coaster, and I want to see this No. 20 team pull together solid top-15 finishes on tough days and top-10s or top-5s when things go well.
4. Chase Elliott – Hendrick Motorsports (+1)
A solid top-20 finish keeps Elliott moving up the ranks this week.
He’s only had one finish worse than P19—Chicago, where he finished P21. Still, the team needs more speed on race day.
5. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing (+1)
Hamlin moves up despite finishing P23, thanks to chaos early in the race and a wreck in Stage 3. His result was better than it looks on paper.
With Bristol coming up, Hamlin is six points below the cutline. A strong run is crucial if he wants to advance to the Round of 12.
6. Daniel Suárez – Trackhouse Racing (+2)
Out of all the playoff drivers and those in the Power Rankings, Suárez’s P13 was one of the better performances.
While his teammate Ross Chastain led laps, Suárez quietly had a solid day, putting the No. 99 team in a good position heading into Bristol. They just need to avoid disaster to move into the Round of 12.
That wraps up this week’s Power Rankings! As always, these are tough decisions, especially after such an unpredictable race. Let’s see what happens at Bristol.
7. Kyle Busch – Richard Childress Racing (-3)
Three straight top-5s and then P30. That is a tough go of things for Kyle Busch who has had a tough go pretty much all season long.
He gets to stay this week. One more result like that and he will likey fall from the rankings due to the lack of speed this team has had for most of the year.
8. Austin Cindric – Team Penske (NR)
The ONLY driver to record top-10s at Atlanta and Watkins Glen – Austin Cindric. He has four straight results of P18 or better.
This team and driver appear to be coming into their own. Unfortunately, Cindric has a best finish at Bristol of just P20. Good points cushion, can’t let it collapse.
9. Ryan Blaney – Team Penske (-2)
Team Penske is doing pretty well in these playoffs but Ryan Blaney, not so much. Three DNFs in the last four weeks is not ideal.
Good news, in those four weeks, when he did finish a race, he was P3 in Atlanta. This team has to find qualifying speed soon or they could be out of the playoffs early.
10. Ross Chastain – Trackhouse Racing (NR)
Pole award, most laps led, Stage 2 win, and a P4 result for Ross Chastain put him back in the NASCAR Power Rankings. Ross might be the ultimate spoiler.
It will be interesting to see how Chastain does at Bristol and moving forward. He is racing without a care in the world and that could be dangerous for other drivers.
