NASCAR Power Rankings: Round of 8 shake up at Las Vegas

One race has changed everything in the NASCAR Playoffs. What a shock to the NASCAR Power Rankings this week after Las Vegas. Joey Logano shocked the world and is now heading to the Championship 4.

For other drivers, it was not such a great day. Five of the drivers in the Round of 8 had issues with wrecks, on pit road, or some combination of unfortunate circumstances.

There is a lot of movement. As we get ready for the final three weeks of the season, these are the fastest drivers and teams in the Cup Series in the NASCAR Power Rankings.

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

While he didn’t win the race, Christopher Bell was the fastest driver on Sunday. He won the pole award and went on to finish P2.

No, he didn’t get his win and pass to Phoenix. However, Bell showed that speed that he always seems to find at this point in the season.

2. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports (-1)

Now, Kyle Larson wasn’t horrible, but he wasn’t great. Botched pit stops and a piece of debris in his grilled made Sunday harder on Larson than it had to be.

Larson only falls one spot in the NASCAR Power Rankings because Bell outperformed him. Straight up beat him. Homestead could change that, though.

3. William Byron – Hendrick Motorsports (-)

Another week, another top-5 finish for William Byron. If only he could lead some laps and show that he’s ready to win his first race since Week 8 of the season.

Byron has been great, but again, it is unclear if he can win a race. To get the Bill France Cup, he will likely have to win a race in the next few weeks.

4. Joey Logano – Team Penske (NR)

Shooting up through the NASCAR Power Rankings, Joey Logano has shocked the Cup Series. You can’t let Logano have a chance in the Round of 8 because he does things like this.

Logano is going to Phoenix and that means two weeks to prep. We likely won’t hear much from him at Homestead or Martinsville.

5. Alex Bowman – Hendrick Motorsports (+5)

While he is not in the NASCAR Playoffs anymore, Alex Bowman might be a top-5 driver this season. He keeps pumping out these great finishes.

P5 on Sunday earned Bowman a lot of points. He is going to try and have the best finish possible while being out of the championship hunt.

6. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing (-)

A last-ditch fuel-saving strategy saved Denny Hamlin’s day. He had many issues on pit road and a lack of true speed.

Hamlin only stays put in the NASCAR Power Rankings due to how poorly others did yesterday. Can Hamlin turn things around to make the Championship 4?

7. Ross Chastain – Trackhouse Racing (+2)

As the playoffs continue, Ross Chastain continues his crusade. For a moment I thought Chastain could be the winner on Sunday.

While he didn’t quite reach victory lane, another top-10 finish moves him up the NASCAR Power Rankings. Can the Melon Man win another race this season?

8. Chase Elliott – Hendrick Motorsports (-4)

Getting caught up in a wreck with Tyler Reddick in Stage 2 did not help Chase Elliott. The Hendrick driver never really got to compete on Sunday.

While Elliott has a great average finish, his winning speed is lacking. He hasn’t won but one race, back at Texas in the spring. What can this team do to get to Phoenix while more than 50 points below the cutline?

9. Ryan Blaney – Team Penske (-4)

Ryan Blaney was also in that Stage 2 incident. Therefore, he falls in the rankings as well.

The defending Cup Series champion is now in a hole. He has to pick up a lot of points, and might have to win at Martinsville again to make it to Phoenix.

10. Tyler Reddick – 23XI Racing (-3)

Unfortunately for Tyler Reddick, he gets no bonus points for flipping over completely and driving to pit road. It was awesome, though.

Reddick has been slipping lately. He has to step it up or the regular season champion will be left out of the Championship 4.