NASCAR ranks Top 20 most-dominant drivers with month to go in regular season

NASCAR is currently enjoying a two-week break due to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, with the Cup Series returning on Aug. 11 at Richmond Raceway.

With some time to reflect, it’s amusing to look back at the campaign we’ve enjoyed thus far. That’s what NASCAR.com has done, ranking the most dominating drivers of 2024.

Looking at the Top 20, NASCAR.com came to their conclusion through the to Adjusted Points Index (Pts+), “which rates every driver’s performance per race relative to a series average of 100.” Check out the results below.

1) Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson continues to prove why he’s considered the most talented driver in the Cup Series field. He’s shown it throughout the 2024 campaign, including during his latest victory, during the Brickyard 400.

Additionally, Larson is the leader in both the playoff standings and the overall Cup Series points. His four wins are the most on the season for any driver at the moment. By all metrics, he’s been the most dominant of any driver this season.

2) Tyler Reddick

Tyler Reddick is blossoming before the eyes of every NASCAR fan. Since joining 23XI Racing, he’s become a threat to win week-in and week-out, regardless of the track the campaign is heading to.

In the overall Cup Series points at the moment, Reddick’s tremendous season can be illustrated, as the No. 45 wheelman is only -15 points from the lead. As for the playoff standings, he’s sixth overall, the top driver with only one victory, and he could move quickly up the rankings with another win or two on the season.

3) William Byron

No driver started their season off on a better note than William Byron, as he captured the win in the Daytona 500. Additionally, Byron also won at COTA and Martinsville, three different kinds of tracks.

While Byron started the season on a torrid pace, becoming the first driver to reach three victories, he’s since seen his star shine a little less bright. He’s in fourth in the playoff standings, and P6 in the overall Cup Series points, -95 points behind his teammate Kyle Larson.

4) Chase Elliott

Chase Elliott knocked some rust off after a disappointing 2023, and he’s been much more consistent in 2024. He won at Texas Motor Speedway, and he’s been looking more like the Elliott of old this season.

While the former Cup Series champion is back in eighth in the NASCAR playoff standings at the moment, his impressive driving has led to a fantastic standing in the overall Cup Series points, as the No. 9 is only ten points behind first, and has continually traded places with Kyle Larson throughout the course of the season.

5) Christopher Bell

After making the Championship 4 in back-to-back seasons, Christopher Bell should be a household name by now. After three wins in 2024, perhaps he’s on his way to becoming one.

Regardless, his abilities on-track aren’t rivaled by many. Bell actually led the playoff standings for a couple of weeks, with his three victories, but he’s now fallen behind Kyle Larson. Elsewhere, he’s in P8 in the overall Cup Series points, -98 points behind the No. 5 wheelman.

6) Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin looks like a man on a mission in 2024. He has three wins, but his overall goal has never been more defined than it is at the moment, with Hamlin’s eyes on the elusive Cup Series championship that he’s never won.

Still, after a blistering start to the season, Hamlin has cooled off a bit throughout the summer. Luckily, he’s third in the playoff standings, with three victories on the season, and fourth in the overall Cup Series points, 43 points behind Kyle Larson.

7) Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney looked to have been going through a bit of a championship hangover at the start of the 2024 campaign. However, he’s returned to form as the weather began to heat up, and he’s now back to being one of the top wheelmen in the entire sport.

The Team Penske star currently sits in fifth in the playoff standings, with his two victories on the season, and in the top five in the overall point standings, -73 points behind first after a slow start to the 2024 campaign.

8) Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski is back to his championship form in 2024. After taking on a gigantic challenge in his freshly formed RFK Racing team, the former Cup Series champion has already won a race this season, and he’s come close to multiple other victories, as well.

While he’s not usually the fastest car on the track week-in and week-out, Keselowski is in great shape as the playoffs approach. He’s currently in tenth in the playoff standings, while sitting in ninth, 134 points behind Kyle Larson in the overall Cup Series points.

NASCAR’s Top 20 most-dominant drivers — No. 9 through No. 20:

9) Alex Bowman
10) Chris Buescher
11) Martin Truex Jr.
12) Ty Gibbs
13) Joey Logano
14) Ross Chastain
15) Bubba Wallace
16) Chase Briscoe
17) AJ Allmendinger
18) Noah Gragson
19) Daniel Suarez
20) Kyle Busch

As you can see, there’s little surprise who’s atop the list, with Kyle Larson and his four wins coming in No. 1. However, there’s a couple shockers as we examine the rest of the list, like AJ Allmendinger and his ten starts in No. 17, and Kyle Busch and his struggles at No. 20. Still, much could change over the next couple of months, as the Cup Series returns to action with the playoffs looming large.