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A trip out to New Hampshire produced a weekend unlike any other we have seen in NASCAR. Christopher Bell also pulled off the sweep. No driver in the Cup or Xfinity Series were able to best him at the Magic Mile.
New Hampshire was not a great weekend for most of our NASCAR Power Rankings members with only a few having days worth talking about. For that reason, I’m hesitant to ding anyone too bad, with the exception of one driver.
There are now four drivers with three wins on the season. It is going to be an incredibly competitive fight for the championship this year.
1. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports (-)
A quiet top-5 for Kyle Larson. That is, unless you’re his spotter. Larson had frustrations with Denny Hamlin on Sunday, but the P4 finish makes it all worth while.
When you finish fourth and no one is really talking about it, you know that you are a talented driver. Larson tied Chase Elliott in the points standings after New Hampshire, back on track to win the regular season.
2. William Byron – Hendrick Motorsports (-)
A P26 finish for William Byron was not what he needed. If there is not speed at Nashville, then I could see Byron dropping in the NASCAR Power Rankings anywhere from two to four spots.
Yes, you won early in the season, but what about lately? I’m almost out of excuses for Byron who is having a summer slump much like he did in 2022.
3. Chase Elliott – Hendrick Motorsports (+1)
With how poorly everyone else in the NASCAR Power Rankings did at New Hampshire, Chase Elliott gets to move up one spot for being P18.
Elliott has kept his streak of top-20 finishes alive. Nashville is a race he has his eyes on as a potential win this Sunday.
4. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing (-1)
P24 for Denny Hamlin, another disappointing result. Where is the winning speed we saw on an almost weekly basis for the first 15 weeks of the season?
Hamlin is going to bounce back, but there should be some concern here. Good thing he has those three wins to lean back on.
5. Christopher Bell – Joe Gibbs Racing (+2)
Christopher Bell joins Hamlin, Byron, and Larson in the three-wins club. It is very interesting to see this JGR vs. HMS battle play out like this.
Consistency is the name of the game for Bell. Need to see more on a week to week basis to move Bell further up this list.
6. Tyler Reddick – 23XI Racing (+1)
Solid top-10 for Tyler Reddick. The dirt racers ground their groove on the wet tires, searching constantly for cooler spots of the track where they could pick up speed.
Great work from the 45 team each week. It feels like they are starting to build up for the postseason, ready for a big performance sooner rather than later. Reddick remains solid in the NASCAR Power Rankings.
7. Brad Keselowski – RFK Racing (-2)
After New Hampshire, Brad Keselowski had just a P28 to show for it. Two hour rain delay to finish in the back of the pack is not ideal.
This team looked like they were starting to get into championship-level form starting at Texas. Now, things have cooled off. Could we see the 6 team surge again in the NASCAR Power Rankings?
8. Ryan Blaney – Team Penske (+1)
Ryan Blaney would have had a great finish if it weren’t for being wrecked by Michael McDowell. It cost him a great day.
I can’t punish Blaney too much for this. He gets to move up only because one driver has run out of chances to have winning speed.
9. Martin Truex Jr. – Joe Gibbs Racing (+1)
Back in the top-10 for Martin Truex Jr.! It had been a while since we could say that. Now he can start to build back up and get ready to win a race this season.
As far as points go, Truex is just fine. But he is going to have to start leading laps again and running up front.
10. Alex Bowman – Hendrick Motorsports (-4)
I was so close to removing Alex Bowman from the NASCAR Power Rankings. But I just couldn’t do it this time.
Bowman has a ton of top-10 finishes. But where is the speed to win a race? I’m not seeing it and I’m starting to not believe in the 48 team’s capability to get there.
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