Matt Johnson
Who is the best NASCAR driver right now? If it’s on a road course, the only answer is Shane van Gisbergen after he earned his fourth win of the season thanks to a dominant performance at Watkins Glen International. However, ovals dominate in stock car and that’s why the best NASCAR drivers right now are at the top.
Let’s dive into our latest NASCAR power rankings after Sunday’s Cup Series race at Watkins Glen.
1. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
William Byron is the best NASCAR driver in 2025. For all intents and purposes, he can be declared the regular-season champion. With two races to go, Byron has a 42-point lead over Chase Elliott and no other driver is within 80 points. There’s no reason to expect the driver who leads the Cup in laps led (910), one of only two drivers with 560-plus laps led, will suddenly cede all that ground. If the No. 24 car hadn’t run out of fuel on the final laps in a few races, he’d also have more than two wins and certainly would be leading Cup in top 10s.
- William Byron stats (2025): 812 points, 2 wins, 13 top 10s, 9 top 5s, 2 poles, 3 DNFs, 910 laps led, 10.917 average starting position, 13.75 average finishing position
Related: NASCAR Standings 2025, playoff points standings
2. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing
Chase Briscoe has been one of the best NASCAR drivers this summer. Early in the year, it was fair to criticize him for not consistently turning a great average starting position (12.75), including 4 poles, into more than just a solid but not great average finishing position (14.625) over his first 16 races. Since Mexico City, he’s been on fire. Briscoe has six top‑7 finishes in the last nine races, including a win at Pocono and runner-up finishes at Sonoma, Dover, and Iowa, plus a fifth at Watkins Glen. Over the last six races, Briscoe leads the Cup Series in average starting position (2.3), average finishing position (8.7), and top‑5s (four), and he ranks third in laps led (149).
- Chase Briscoe stats (2025): 674 points, 1 win, 12 top 10s, 10 top 5s, 6 poles, 3 DNFs, 313 laps led, 10.042 average starting position, 13.333 average finishing position
Read More: NASCAR Drivers Having Breakout Seasons, including Chase Briscoe
3. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
It’s fair to say that Ryan Blaney only won the pole at Watkins Glen over the weekend because Shane van Gisbergen ran in the first qualifying group, who all put up slower times than the drivers in the second group. Even with that acknowledged, what lands Blaney third in the NASCAR power rankings is what he’s done over the last month. Across his last four races, Blaney has two stage wins (2 playoff points), 165 stage points (41.25 points per race), and he hasn’t finished worse than 8th (at Dover). He also ranks third in Average Rating (95.4) in the last six races and boasts the fourth-most laps led (430) this season. The only reason he’s lower than the other top drivers in points is that his No. 12 car has been on the wrong side of bad luck or had engine issues, resulting in seven DNFs.
- Ryan Blaney stats (2025): 710 points, 1 win, 12 top 10s, 8 top 5s, 2 poles, 7 DNFs, 430 laps led, 15.043 average starting position, 16.417 average finishing position
Related: Winners and Losers from Watkins Glen, including Ryan Blaney
4. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Road courses simply aren’t good for Denny Hamlin. He started 22nd at Watkins Glen and finished 25th, with his car never really giving him a legitimate shot at a top‑15 run. In four road course races this season, Hamlin has one top‑five finish (Chicago) and three finishes outside the top 20. Missing the Mexico City race following the birth of his son likely spared him another poor result. On ovals, however, Hamlin remains one of the best NASCAR drivers in 2025. Since the start of June, he has placed third twice (Nashville and Indianapolis), second at Pocono, and first at both Michigan and Dover. He ranks third in laps led (555) and leads the Cup Series in oval wins (four) this season. At the very least, Hamlin is performing like a driver destined for the Championship 4.
- Denny Hamlin stats (2025): 731 points, 4 wins, 12 top 10s, 11 top 5s, 1 pole, 3 DNFs, 555 laps led, 15.261 average starting position, 13.565 average finishing position
Read More: Denny Hamlin Calls Top NASCAR Prospect a Generational Talent
5. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
No Cup driver needed a strong performance at Watkins Glen more than Christopher Bell. While his playoff spot was locked up back in Atlanta, leading to a stretch of three consecutive wins, it’s been a summer to forget for the No. 20 car. Across nine races from Michigan through Iowa, Bell had an average finishing position of 15.22, which pales in comparison to the 9.17 mark he posted from his first win through Nashville. The hope is that Sunday’s second-place finish is a springboard for Bell heading into the playoffs.
- Christopher Bell stats (2025): 727 points, 3 wins, 14 top 10s, 9 top 5s, 1 pole, 3 DNFs, 221 laps led, 14.333 average starting position, 12.125 average finishing position
Read More: Top NASCAR Prospect ‘Likely’ to Race Full-Time for JGR in Xfinity Next Year
6. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
If our NASCAR power rankings were determined based on pure talent, Kyle Larson deserves the No. 1 spot. However, this summer has turned 2025 into a rather disappointing season for the No. 5 car. After finishing 28th at Iowa, where his car got banged around and stuck in traffic, Larson finished last on Sunday at Watkins Glen. The car was the problem. It qualified 26th, and just a few laps into Stage 1, Larson reported brake issues that required a lengthy stop in the garage. Since trying to run “The Double” on May 25, Larson has finished outside the top 30 four times, and he’s been outside the top 15 six times.
- Kyle Larson (2025): 727 points, 3 wins, 14 top 10s, 11 top 5s, 1 pole, 2 DNFs, 873 laps led, 12.958 average starting position, 14.542 average finishing position
Read More: Hendrick Motorsports Eyeing Top Prospect for Full-Time Xfinity Ride in 2026
7. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
Running as an open team has seemed to do wonders for Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing. Entering the race at Dover on July 20, Wallace was just above the cutline on the playoff bubble and in danger of missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Between that and the fallout from 23XI Racing losing its charter status, there was added pressure on Wallace. Bubba Wallace’s 2025 stats (2025): 610 points, 1 win, 10 top 10s, 4 top 5s, 6 DNFs, 136 laps led, a 16.8 average starting position, and a 17.8 average finishing position. He’s delivered the best stretch of his career. Wallace placed seventh at Dover, working his way up from 22nd on the starting grid. He followed that up by qualifying second for the Brickyard 400 and then beating Kyle Larson twice in overtime for a playoff-clinching win. With the pressure of making the playoffs off his shoulders, Wallace recovered from being two laps down in the final stage at Iowa to finish sixth. On Sunday, he continued his improvement on road courses by finishing eighth. Now, Wallace heads to two tracks, Richmond and Daytona, where he has a fair amount of success. Momentum is building right before the playoffs.
- Bubba Wallace stats (2025): 610 points, 1 win, 10 top 10s, 4 top 5s, 6 DNFs, 136 laps led, 16.792 average starting position, 17.75 average finishing position
Related: Bubba Wallace Takes Swipe at Critics
8. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick is the only driver in our NASCAR power rankings without a win this season. It’s particularly surprising for a driver who won eight Cup races between 2022 and 2024. On the positive side, his ninth-place finish at Watkins Glen pushed him just behind Kyle Larson (14.5) and William Byron (13.8) for the seventh-best average finishing position (14.4). It added to his strong run, posting a 9.11 average finishing position in the last nine races. Most importantly for Reddick, he’s punched his ticket to the playoffs.
- Tyler Reddick stats (2025): 701 points, 0 wins, 9 top 10s, 5 top 5s, 1 pole, 1 DNF, 112 laps led, 12.792 average starting position, 14.417 average finishing position
Related: Tyler Reddick Landing Spots if He Leaves 23XI Racing This Offseason
9. Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing
Shane van Gisbergen is the best road course racer in NASCAR history, which should be evident after his dominant win. Given his cushion in playoff points and the upcoming ROVAL 400 in the Round of 12, there is every reason to believe the rookie will make it to the Round of 8. The one thing holding SVG back from being ranked higher among the best NASCAR drivers is simply his inexperience on ovals. Excluding road course races this season, van Gisbergen’s average finishing position is 28.7 in 19 races. He has already shown improvement and will be even better as he gains more experience, but it does work against him right now given the playoff race locations.
- Shane van Gisbergen stats (2025): 441 points, 4 wins, 5 top 10s, 4 top 5s, 3 poles, 3 DNFs, 246 laps led, 22.75 average starting position, 21.583 average finishing position
Related: Shane van Gisbergen Lands Extension, Why Trackhouse Racing’s Future is Bright
10. Chris Buescher, RFK Racing
Chris Buescher entered the weekend just ahead of Ryan Preece on the playoff bubble and needed repeat winners in the final three races. SVG helped him out by winning his fourth race of the season, but Buescher did the most for himself. He earned 44 points at Watkins Glen, including a playoff point for the Stage 1 win, giving him a 34-point lead over Preece for the 16th and final playoff spot. Buescher now has a bit more control of his playoff destiny, but he still needs a few things to go his way.
- Chris Buescher stats (2025): 618 points, 0 wins, 12 top 10s, 4 top 5s, 1 DNF, 38 laps led, 11.167 average starting position, 13.708 average finishing position
Related: NASCAR Results from Watkins Glen
