Matt Johnson
Who is the best driver in NASCAR? Our NASCAR power rankings this week come after a chaotic finish in Nashville. Joey Logano took home the win, earning his spot in our rankings of the best NASCAR drivers, but there are also plenty of other changes in the NASCAR rankings this week.
Coming out of Sunday’s race, here are the best NASCAR drivers right now heading into Chicago.
10. Joey Logano – 470 points – (Previously: Unranked)
We’re still not sure how Joey Logano managed to drive over 100 laps and then do a burnout before running out of fuel. The much-needed win for Logano locked up a playoff spot, meaning he gets to avoid a fight on the playoff bubble. Making his first appearance this season in our NASCAR power rankings, Logano has three top-6 finishes in the last five races.
- Joey Logano stats: 19 races, 1 win, 6 top 10s, 3 top 5s, 3 poles, 2 DNF, 225 laps led, 12.158 average starting position, 17.053 average finishing position
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9. Brad Keselowski – 531 points – (Previously: 9th)
The hot streak is officially over for Brad Keselowski. From Darlington through Iowa, Keselowski had four top-10 finishes with an average finishing position of 5.8. Unfortunately for Keselowski, Sunday’s trip to Nashville represented his second consecutive placement of 25th or worse and he has managed just 33 total points in the last two weeks. If he repeats his finish from Chicago last year (24th), Keselowski will be out of the NASCAR power rankings next week.
- Brad Keselowski stats: 19 races, 1 win, 9 top 10s, 7 top 5s, 0 poles, 2 DNF, 69 laps led, 19.105 average starting position, 14.632 average finishing position
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8. Chris Buescher – 504 points – (Previously: Unranked)
Chris Buescher is starting to get going again. Back at Sonoma, he overcame starting 26th to finish third and he secured 44 points with 1 playoff point. While he did slip up in Iowa (18th place and 23 points), Buescher has rebounded with consecutive top-5 finishes. He still doesn’t have that elusive trip to victory lane, but Buescher is now one shy of William Byron and Christopher Bell (six) in top-5s and he has as many top-10 finishes as Chase Elliott.
- Chris Buescher stats: 19 races, 0 wins, 9 top 10s, 5 top 5s, 0 poles, 1 DNF, 148 laps led, 17.737 average starting position, 13.789 average finishing position
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7. William Byron – 570 points – (Previously: 7th)
Nashville marked the third time in the last month that William Byron started in the top 10 and finished 19th or worse. Iowa (2nd place) is the outlier as of late, as Byron’s average finishing position is 18. The car is proving itself to be great in qualifying, Byron’s started no worse than 7th in the last month, but he keeps falling back into the back once the race begins. If his history at Chicago is any guide, Byron won’t be cracking the top 10 this Sunday.
- William Byron stats: 19 races, 3 wins, 10 top 10s, 6 top 5s, 1 pole, 1 DNF, 236 laps led, 9.158 average starting position, 13.526 average finishing position
6. Ryan Blaney – 560 points – (Previously: 6th)
As of late, even when Ryan Blaney finishes outside the top 20, he’s still showing something to prove he’s one of the best NASCAR drivers. Sunday’s race in Nashville was his worst starting position (18th) in a month, coming off four straight races of starting 3rd or better. Blaney overcame it, finishing 6th and picking up 34 points. He’s averaging 36.8 points in the last fice races with three top-10 finishes. A second win is coming for Blaney.
- Ryan Blaney stats: 19 races, 1 win, 8 top 10s, 5 top 5s, 1 pole, 3 DNF< 371 laps led, 12.421 average starting position, 15.895 average finishing position
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5. Christopher Bell – 576 points – (Previously: 3rd)
Christopher Bell was one of the best on the track in Nashville, until one thing cost him. There are some similarities to Kyle Larson in that Bell’s peaks give him a chance to win any time he’s behind the wheel. Then, you get the 4 DNFs and realize why he isn’t higher in the standings. Still, prior to his 36th-place finish in Nashville, Bell’s average finishing position was 4.4. He’ll rebound and find his way back to victory lane, but he’s also a safe bet to record another DNF.
- Christopher Bell stats: 19 races, 3 wins, 11 top 10s, 6 top 5s, 1 pole, 4 DNF, 582 laps led, 11.158 average starting position, 15.263 average finishing position
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4. Chase Elliott – 644 points – (Previously: 2nd)
Consecutive 18th-place finishes is the lowest point in Chase Elliott’s 2024 season to date. That says a lot when some of the NASCAR drivers have multiple DNFs heading into July. Nashville just didn’t work out for Elliott and there are some adjustments that need to be made. Considering he hasn’t ever finished outside the top 20 this season, though, we’re not bumping him down much in our NASCAR power rankings this week.
- Chase Elliott stats: 19 races, 1 win, 9 to 10s, 7 top 5s, 0 poles, 0 DNF, 178 laps led, 11.421 average starting position, 10.053 average finishing position
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3. Tyler Reddick – 611 points – (Previously: 4th)
As Tyler Reddick said on “Actions Detrimental wit Denny Hamlin“, the bright side of finishing third on Sunday was that he avoided adding to the long list of second-place finishes. Reddick wasn’t perfect in Nashville, but he still finished 3rd. It marks his fifth top-10 finish in the last six races, including a trio of top-5s. Reddick has demonstrated in 19 races that he is clearly one of the best NASCAR drivers in 2024. Now, he just needs to secure that second win.
- Tyler Reddick stats: 19 races, 1 win, 12 top 10s, 7 top 5s, 1 pole, 1 DNF, 409 laps led, 10.158 average starting position, 12.526 average finishing position
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2. Denny Hamlin – 621 points – (Previously: 5th)
Denny Hamlin won the battle with Ross Chastain for the win in Nashville, then chaos struck. He still managed to hang on for a few overtimes, but only Joey Logano has the unlimited gas. We do have to recognize that Hamlin hasn’t finished higher than 12th in a month, but this stretch comes after a five-race stretch where he never finished worse than fifth. We’d feel safe predicting that Hamlin’s fourth win of the season will happen this month.
- Denny Hamlin stats: 19 races, 3 wins, 8 top 10s, 6 top 5s, 2 poles, 2 DNF, 720 laps led, 11.053 average starting position, 14.211 average finishing position
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1. Kyle Larson – 664 points – (Previously: 1st)
Kyle Larson is the best driver in NASCAR. It’s irrefutable that his aggressiveness can be his own worst enemy at times, it’s caused multiple wrecks and DNFs. What you can’t argue with are the results. Despite racing in one fewer race than his peers, Larson is tied for the lead in wins (three), leads NASCAR in top 5s (eight) and is atop the leaderboard in laps led (754). When you’re one of the favorites to win anywhere, you belong atop the NASCAR power rankings.
- Kyle Larson stats: 18 races, 3 wins, 10 top 10s, 8 top 5s, 4 poles, 2 DNF, 755 laps led, 10.0 average starting position, 12.278 average finishing position
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