Matt Johnson
After one week off, the best NASCAR drivers in 2026 returned to the track on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway for the eighth points race of the season. We have a new winner for just the fifth time this season and, with the likes of Chase Elliott and William Byron struggling, there’s a shakeup in our top 10 drivers.
Let’s dive into our latest NASCAR power rankings after Bristol. As always when we evaluate the best NASCAR drivers right now, the latest race (Food City 500) and the last five to six races are weighted heavily into the rankings. However, some benefit is given to top drivers who might be struggling as of late.
1. Tyler Reddick (Previously: 1)
Has Tyler Reddick finally exorcised his demons on the short track? He didn’t get stage points at Bristol, but the driver of the No. 45 car overcame a speeding penalty on a track type that has been his kryptonite to finish fourth on the day. It marks the fifth time this season he’s finished in the top five, with those four others of course being wins. The No. 45 car also qualified second at Bristol, behind only Ryan Blaney. If Reddick has truly figured things out on the short track, he might be the favorite to win The Chase.
Related: Denny Hamlin Addresses Tyler Reddick’s Future with 23XI
2. Ryan Blaney (Previously: 3)
Ryan Blaney had the fastest car at Bristol Motor Speedway. In fact, the No. 12 might be the fastest through eight races this season and Blaney’s racing at a Reddick-like level with the Cup Series lead in victories. Unfortunately, he’s also saddled with the worst pit crew in NASCAR. More issues in the Food City 500 for the No. 12 crew are now the reason why Blaney has lost more than 90 spots on pit road this season; the team has been that disastrous. If changes are ever made and they work, Blaney is going to win five races in 2026.
3. Ty Gibbs (Previously: 4)
We moved Ty Gibbs up to fourth in our NASCAR power rankings two weeks ago and now he has his first-ever Cup Series win. Everything about his trip to victory lane on Sunday at Bristol was earned. After the No. 54 car struggled early, placing 13th in Stage 1, he worked his way back through the field and put himself in a position for the team to bet on the tires after the last caution. It paid off, with Gibbs holding off Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney (twice) in overtime. In the last six races, Gibbs has finished no worse than sixth, and he leads the Cup Series with a 4.0 average finishing position in that span.
Related: Winners, Losers from Food City 500
4. Denny Hamlin (Previously: 2)
Denny Hamlin had a good day at Bristol, finishing 9th and recording the fifth-most points (41). But obviously good isn’t nearly good enough for the future Hall of Famer. The No. 11 car really never had the speed to match with Blaney or Kyle Larson; even his teammate Ty Gibbs had the better car. Hamlin won’t be elated by his finishes in the last two races at Martinsville, but what should matter to him is that he leads the Cup Series in points scored (240) in the last five races.
Related: NASCAR Cup Series All-Time Wins Leaders
5. Kyle Larson (Previously: 8)
Kyle Larson obviously didn’t get the victory he wanted in Sunday’s Bristol race, but he showed more of the dominance and speed that you’d expect from the No. 5 car at Hendrick Motorsports. He came into the Food City 500 without a stage win this season and he won both on Sunday at Bristol, allowing him to record the second-most points (54) on the day. There’s an outlier performance (32nd at Darlington) in his recent stretch, but he has a 5.6 average finishing position in the last five races outside of that.What still feels crazy is that he hasn’t won a Cup Series race in nearly a year.
Related: NASCAR Standings after Food City 500
6. Christopher Bell (Previously: 7)
After qualifying 14th on Saturday, Christopher Bell raced his way to a second-place finish in Stage 1 on Sunday and seemed to have the speed to stick with Larson and Blaney all race long. Then he got a speeding penalty, dropped to the rear of the field and when the car got loose and spun, the damage ensured he had no chance of clawing his way back. It marked the second time in the last three races that Bell has finished 19th or worse. However, even with that, he still ranks sixth in average finishing position (10.3) over the last six races with the fourth-most laps led (207). We’re more than willing to write off Sunday’s tiny setback at Bristol because Bell is consistently performing like one of the best NASCAR drivers right now.
7. Chase Elliott (Previously: 5)
Whatever plan Hendrick Motorsports came into Bristol with for the No. 24 and No. 9 teams needs to be discarded in the trash and never revisited again. Coming off a win two weeks ago at Martinsville, Chase Elliott qualified 18th and finished 22nd at Bristol. He didn’t even sniff stage points either, making this a colossal waste of a day for the No. 9 team. We know what Elliott is capable of, but what’s concerning is that he already has two finishes outside the top 20 this season after not having one until August of last year. We’ll also note that all six of Elliott’s finishes outside the top 20 since the 2025 season have come since August, so fans do have some justification for being upset with the results.
8. William Byron (Previously: 6)
No one told us the No. 24 team was going to take two weeks off. That’s what happened, right? It’s our assumption, because William Byron qualified 30th on Saturday and then started at the rear of the field so the team could try and make changes to the steering system. How did that work out? He finished five laps down and scored just seven points. We’re willing to just chalk this up as the equivalent of a DNF for the No. 24 team, but it’s inexplicable how badly the car was set up for this weekend.
9. Chase Briscoe (Previously: Unranked)
In his first four races of the season, Chase Briscoe finished 36th or worse three times and accrued just four points total as a result. He’s now on the doorstep of the 16th spot in The Chase. Sunday’s fifth-place finish at Bristol was his best since EchoPark and he’s averaged 32.3 points per race in the last five weeks (four races). If the No. 19 team has gotten all of the disasters out of its system, Briscoe could ascend up the NASCAR power rankings quickly.
10. Ryan Preece (Previously: Unranked)
Ryan Preece has put together a nice stretch here as of late. He earned an eighth-place finish at Bristol on Sunday, his first top 10 since EchoPark (ninth). Consistency has been the theme for him in the last five weeks, as evidenced by the fact that he’s finished 13th or better in all five races. RFK Racing isn’t making any major waves right now, but Preece and Brad Keselowski are positioning themselves for spots in The Chase.
