NASCAR shakes up Power Rankings, names new No. 1 ahead of Olympic break

The NASCAR Cup Series entered their two-week break for the 2024 Summer Olympics on a high note, following an awesome return for the Brickyard 400.

Kyle Larson was victorious at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but it wasn’t without controversy. There’s one or two instances where his fellow drivers will look back and claim Larson was lucky to get to Victory Lane, but with the way the No. 5 drove through the field on Sunday, it’s tough to say his win wasn’t earned.

Afterwards, Pat DeCola of NASCAR.com churned out a fresh update to his NASCAR Power Rankings. Larson is back on top after his win, but check out the full rankings below to see where the rest of the Cup Series’ best stand, as they enter a much needed hiatus.

1) Kyle Larson (+1)

Kyle Larson added another crown jewel event to his resume on Sunday. It wasn’t without controversy, but Larson’s impressive drive proved why he’s considered the most talented wheelman in the Cup Series, and it’s how he ended up kissing the bricks in Indianapolis. 

Following his win over the weekend, 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, and there seems to be more where that came from when NASCAR returns from its mini-hiatus.

2) Tyler Reddick (-1)

The polarizing yellow flag for Ryan Preece ended Tyler Reddick’s bid to kiss the bricks. He might’ve had something for Kyle Larson at the end of the Brickyard 400, but the caution secured Reddick a runner-up finish.

In the overall Cup Series points, 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) Ryan Blaney (+2)

Perhaps no driver has a bigger gripe with NASCAR due to the end of the Brickyard 400 than Ryan Blaney. Kyle Larson bested him on the restart, due to Brad Keselowski running out of gas, and many wondered whether it was fair-play from the No. 5. Alas, Larson won the race, and Blaney had to settle for P3.

The reigning Cup Series champion 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.

4) Chase Elliott (-1)

Chase Elliott had a rollercoaster afternoon in Indianapolis. A controversial blend-line violation sent him into a tailspin, but the Hendrick Motorsports star was able to recover nicely, and capture a top ten during the Brickyard 400.

While Elliott is back in eighth in the NASCAR playoff standings at the moment, his consistency 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) Denny Hamlin (-1)

Denny Hamlin was hoping to add a Brickyard 400 victory to his illustrious resume. However, it wasn’t to be, as he was caught up in a wreck during the final laps of the race, ending up finishing P32 on the afternoon. 

After a blistering start to the season, Hamlin has cooled off a bit throughout the summer. Still, 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.

6) Christopher Bell (+2)

Christopher Bell looked impressive during the Brickyard 400. The No. 20 wheelman seems to be back on track, as he came home P4 on the afternoon in Indianapolis, after some uneven performances over the last month and change. 

For a couple of weeks, Bell actually led the playoff standings, 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.

7) William Byron (-1)

William Byron had some tough luck on Sunday. His car looked fast, but the No. 24 was wrecked early on, and the three-time winner in 2024 couldn’t fight for his fourth win of the season in the Brickyard 400, coming home P38 instead. 

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.

8) Martin Truex Jr. (-2)

Martin Truex Jr. wanted to win the Brickyard 400 in his final attempt at the race, but an accident ended his hopes of doing so. The No. 19 tangled with Ross Chastain, and it ended up ruining Truex Jr.’s afternoon at Indianapolis, securing him a P27 finish.

As we enter this two-week break, Truex Jr. is the top car without a win, 108 points to the good as it pertains to the playoffs. Still, he’d love to end up in Victory Lane at least one more time before he calls it a career, and we’ll see if he can get there.

9) Brad Keselowski (+1)

Brad Keselowski had dreams of another Brickyard 400 victory. However, the No. 6 wasn’t the beneficiary of a late caution, and he ended up running out of gas from the lead before the race ever went back to green, finishing P21 when it was over with.

Keselowski’s win at Darlington has locked him into the playoffs, as he currently sits tenth overall in the playoff standings. However, his consistency is better defined by his place in the overall Cup Series points, where he’s P9, 134 points behind the leader.

10) Alex Bowman (-1)

Alex Bowman found it tough to find success at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Before being involved in an accident, he was running in the middle of the pack, but that all went away late in the race, and he ended up finishing P31 on the afternoon.

Some may believe Bowman had luck on his side when he locked himself into the playoffs with a win during the Chicago Street Race. Regardless, he’s been one of the Cup Series’ more consistent drivers in 2024, as he sits P10 in the overall point standings at the moment.

NASCAR Power Rankings — No. 11 through No. 20:

11) Ty Gibbs (–)
12) Chris Buescher (—)
13) Bubba Wallace (+1)
14) Ross Chastain (+1)
15) Joey Logano (-2)
16) Daniel Suárez (+1)
17) Chase Briscoe (-1)
18) Austin Cindric (—)
19) Todd Gilliland (NR)
20) Kyle Busch (—)

Alas, Kyle Larson has rightfully reclaimed the top spot on Pat DeCola’s NASCAR Power Rankings, and it’s easy to see why after his performance in Indianapolis. Still, Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney remain hot on the trail of the No. 5, and could overtake him when the Cup Series returns on Aug. 11.