NASCAR Power Rankings: Playoff field locked in after Darlington

The regular season finale went down last night at Darlington Raceway. Once again we have a shift in the NASCAR Power Rankings. There have been some big movers and shakers, even if they came up short of making the playoffs.

A regular-season champion was crowned, we had a walk-off win from Chase Briscoe that stole the final playoff spot, and a lot more action.

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There are times when I miss trends or wait a few weeks before promoting a driver on the NASCAR Power Rankings. It’s about who is fast on a week-to-week basis and there are times when we need a few results to make a conclusion, that’s the case below.

1. Tyler Reddick – 23XI Racing (-)

Winning the regular season championship is a big deal. Tyler Reddick fought through illness at Darlington to finish P10.

That finish was enough to win the regular season by a single point over the driver right below him. Reddick remains on top of the NASCAR Power Rankings heading into the playoffs.

2. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports (-)

Of course, you have to give credit to the driver who almost caught Reddick. Kyle Larson has had a great season but mistakes on his end, and missing the Coke 600, threw his season out of whack.

Too many DNFs and too many missed opportunities. In the final 13 races of the regular season, Charlotte to Darlington, Reddick outscored Larson by 91 points.

3. Christopher Bell – Joe Gibbs Racing (+1)

It is about time we get a little consistency from Christopher Bell and frankly, Joe Gibbs Racing. They had four fast cars and two of them took some kind of damage on Sunday.

But Christopher Bell kept a straight wheel and brought his No. 20 home P3. That’s good enough to move past his teammate in the NASCAR Power Rankings.

4. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing (-1)

This is the first time in a while that Denny Hamlin has not been in the top-3 of these NASCAR Power Rankings. Bell moves past him because the raw speed has not been there so much.

Honestly, these two could be flipped, but I think Bell deserves to be rewarded here. Hamlin has plenty of chances to move back up.

5. Kyle Busch – Richard Childress Racing (NR)

WELCOME! Kyle Busch is BACK in the NASCAR Power Rankings for the first time since… Atlanta? Busch has three straight top-5 finishes.

Richard Childress Racing may have found their speed again, but it is too late. Neither Busch or Austin Dillon are going playoff racing. But there is positive momentum here.

6. Bubba Wallace – 23XI Racing (-1)

The reason why Bubba Wallace doesn’t drop more than one spot this week is because he won the pole and even with damage, salvaged his finish. He’s still on a pretty good hot streak.

It looked like it was going to be another top-10 or top-5 finish for Wallace. Then he was involved in the big one late in the race. P16.

7. Chris Buescher – RFK Racing (NR)

With three straight top-10 finishes, Chris Buescher moves back into the NASCAR Power Rankings. He was also close to the NASCAR Playoffs but had it taken away by Chase Briscoe.

Close calls at Kansas, Darlington, and Phoenix now pop out like sore thumbs. Buescher needs to focus on closing out the season strong and work toward 2025.

8. Chase Elliott – Hendrick Motorsports (+1)

The only reason why Chase Elliott moves up this week is because of how poorly his teammate William Byron is doing, and because Ryan Blaney is no longer in the NASCAR Power Rankings.

It is time to start worrying about the No. 9 team’s championship hopes. Three races without a top-10 and once again we aren’t seeing that winning speed from this car.

9. Brad Keselowski – RFK Racing (+1)

Unlike many drivers, Brad Keselowski has not allowed his season to bottom out. Since COTA, he has not had a single DNF.

The finishes aren’t jumping off the page, P5 at Michigan, P8 at Daytona, P14 at Darlington. But that’s a good starting spot heading into the NASCAR Playoffs.

10. William Byron – Hendrick Motorsports (-3)

William Byron rounds out the NASCAR Power Rankings. Since winning three of the first eight races of the season, Byron has had four DNFs, and not much to write home about.

Runner-up finishes at Iowa and Michigan have been good, But three DNFs in the last five races has sunk Byron’s season just as the NASCAR Playoffs begin.