NASCAR Power Rankings
1. William Byron: #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Not much of a surprise here. Byron is tied for the Cup Series lead in wins, and he’s already sitting on 17 playoff points. The 24 car has been consistent this season, which hasn’t always been the case throughout Byron’s career. On a team with guys like Kyle Larson and Chase Elliot, it’s easy to forget just how good Byron and Bowman really are. If Byron can avoid the late-season issues that have plagued him throughout his career, he’s a legitimate championship contender.
2. Kyle Busch: #8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
There’s always been an assumption in NASCAR that when a guy switches teams, there’s a learning curve. That’s not much of a surprise since drivers have to learn how to work with a new crew chief, a new team of engineers, new pit crew, and in Kyle’s case, a new manufacturer. But Kyle Busch has come in and done what he’s always done: win races. He won at Hendrick, He won at Gibbs, so it’s not much of a surprise that he’s winning at RCR. However, three wins (and two second-place finishes) in the young season is surprising, even for a driver of Kyle’s status.
3. Martin Truex Jr.: #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Martin Truex Jr and his two race wins are just the most recent example of MTJ doing what he does: consistently racing well. It’s easy to get distracted by the fact that he only has one stage win, but his 11.4 average finish puts him in the upper echelon of drivers in 2023. Outside of his two victories, he has three additional Top 5s and 6 Top 10 finishes. Toyota has struggled to put up the results that they would’ve liked over the last couple of seasons, largely because there are so few of them on the track. But Truex continues to be a stabilizing force. There have been some rumors that 2023 might be the last full-time season for the driver of the #19 car, and if it is, he seems like he’s going out in style.
4.Kyle Larson: #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
There is an argument to be made for Kyle Larson being the best racecar driver on the planet. If you put him in a truck, he excels. Put him in an Xfinity car, and he wins. He has two wins in the Cup Series. None of those figures include the times when he jumps in a Sprint car and wins a race at a local dirt track on a random Thursday night. This isn’t news, but Kyle Larson is a damn good driver. He has two wins on the season, four additional Top 5s and 5 more Top 10s. He would be higher on this list if his average finish was a bit better. He has five finishes of 30th or worse on the year, some of which weren’t his fault, and a 29th at Auto Club Speedway. He’s led almost 600 laps this season, and has six races he’d largely like to forget. Kyle Larson is really good at racing.
5.Ryan Blaney: #12 Penske Motorsports Ford
2023 hasn’t been a great season for any of the Ford drivers. Aric Almirola made a comment a few weeks back about how Ford was “mercurial” when it came to their cars. Joey Logano took things a step further by pointing out that Ford lacks downforce, and that the cars have to be “perfect” if they want to have a chance at winning. Blaney is the only Ford driver to get to victory lane this year after winning the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend….urm….Memorial Day. The fact that Blaney has posted two runner-up finishes, a third-place finish, and five additional Top 10s is a testament to how good he is. Ford doesn’t have much to be happy about this season, but Ryan Blaney isn’t the reason why.
6.Denny Hamlin: #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Denny Hamlin is still in pursuit of his first-ever Cup Series Championship, which is remarkable when you realize how good Hamlin has been over the course of his career. Unfortunately for him, someone has always just been a little better. 2023 has been more of the same for the driver of the 11 car. He has one win on the season but has only led 255 laps on the year. He has enough Top 5 and Top 10 finishes to not consider the season a failure by any means. Denny has done well. His one win coming at Kansas certainly provides him some hope on the 1.5-mile tracks that are coming up on the schedule, but a guy looking for his first championship probably needs some better results.
7.Ross Chastain: #1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
The most controversial driver on the circuit this year comes in at 7th. If I had made this list a few weeks ago, he would’ve been higher. With the way things have been going, he may very well be lower a few weeks from now. Before a 10th place finish (that was largely due to pit strategy), Chastain had three straight finishes of 22nd or worse. A few weeks ago, car owner Justin Marks said that he was going to have to talk to Chastain about being too aggressive. Chastain said that he's afraid if he reels it in, he won’t be driving as hard. Something has changed with the 1 car, and it hasn’t changed for the better. Ross has to figure out how to drive competitively without driving like a moron. He has the talent to do it, but he’s not showing it right now.
8. Joey Logano: #22 Penske Motorsports Ford
There’s a case to be made for Logano, the defending champion, being a bit higher on the list. I probably could have put him one spot ahead of Ross, but he’s at number eight for the time being. Joey has one win, two seconds, and two third-place finishes this season. That’s pretty impressive when you’re driving a car that has to be “perfect” to be competitive. Unfortunately, when Joey has been bad, he’s been really bad. After starting on the pole in Las Vegas, he finished 36th. He also finished 37th at Bristol and has two additional finishes of 30th or worse. Joey has the rare distinction of being an active driver with multiple championships, but things could certainly be better for the 22 this year.
9. Christopher Bell: #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell is the third Joe Gibbs Racing driver to be on the list, which isn’t surprising. Outside of HMS, Gibbs has been the most successful team on the Cup circuit over the last few years. Bell’s season has been a tell of two halves. In the first eight races, he won at Bristol and had four other Top 5 finishes (along with a 6th). Over the last eight races, he’s finished outside of the Top 10 five times. Bell has an average starting position of 9.9, but an average finish of 13.1. That’s not terrible, but it does make him the bottom of the heap as far as Gibbs drivers.
10. Kevin Harvick: #4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
If anyone wants to roast me for having Harvick in my Top 10, I’ll take that. Perhaps I’m being a prisoner of the moment, but I remember being a 13-year-old who watched this young guy I didn’t know much of anything about take over for Dale Earnhardt. Harvick hasn’t won any races this season, but his 60 Stage 2 points show that he’s been at or near the front near the end of races. As is the case with a lot of Fords, he’s just struggling to finish. He finished a season-best 2nd at Darlington and has three other Top 5s and six more Top 10s. This probably isn’t the swan song that Harvick had in mind, but it’s not been a bad season by any means.
The Guys Who Almost Made the Cut (Honorable Mentions)
- Brad Keselowski: #6 RFK Racing Ford
When Brad bought into Roush-Fenway Racing, a lot of people wondered why. The team hadn’t been competitive in years, and Brad was leaving Penske. Three Top 5s and six Top 10s are solid. I’m not sure the equipment is good enough to get Brad into victory lane, but I’m confident in calling him an over-achiever this season.
- Bubba Wallace: #23 23XI Racing Toyota
Bubba Wallace used to be considered one of those guys who could win if everything went his way on a superspeedway. That’s not a knock; a lot of drivers have their only wins at tracks where you stand on the gas and hope for the best. But that’s not Bubba’s story anymore. After winning at Kansas last year, Bubba started a run of three-straight Top 5 finishes at the same track this year. His average finish (17.1) is brought down some because of some bad finishes, but Bubba is in a position to make the playoffs, and I’d be shocked if he doesn’t get at least one win this season.
- Tyler Reddick: #45 23XI Toyota
How does a guy who has a win (COTA) land outside the Top 10? Four finishes of 33rd or worse will do that. Reddick certainly hasn’t been bad this year with five Top 5s and 7 Top 10s. He just hasn’t been consistent. In the last four races, Reddick has an average finish of 23.8. He’s also averaging a finish of four spots worse than his average starting spot.
- Chris Buescher: #17 RFK Racing Ford
Two guys from RFK Racing almost making the Top 10?! Yep. Buescher hasn’t set the world on fire by any means this season, but an average finish of 13.8 warrants some discussion, as it’s 4.1 spots better than his average finish last season. Buescher did win a race last year, and it seems plausible that he could pick up at least one checkered flag this season. Three Top 5s are nothing to scoff at, either.
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr: #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Yes, I have referred to Ricky as “Wrecky Spinout Jr.” I’ve also referred to him as “Danica’s Ex.” But he won the Daytona 500. On the surface, his one addition Top 5 and five total Top 10s don’t seem like earth-shattering numbers…and they’re not. But Ricky got a spot on my honorable mention list because he’s putting up an average finish of 14.6 on a single-car, underfunded team. JTG Daugherty Racing isn’t a powerhouse team, so the fact that Stenhouse is setting at 12th in the Playoff Standings (14th in traditional standings) is an accomplishment. My personal take? Ricky has realized that he doesn’t have the equipment to compete for wins every week, and he’s accepted it. It’s led to him making fewer mistakes by trying to create something that just isn’t there.
