NASCAR Power Rankings: Logano Strikes Again; Blaney Takes A Beating

There's just something about years that end in even numerals. Joey Logano and his crew chief Paul Wolfe always find a way to come to life, and it is happening again in the year of 20-and-26. Logano snagged his third win in his last nine starts last Saturday night in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol, and he continues his hold atop the weekly Racing America On SI Power Rankings.

While Logano, and others, like Kyle Larson, continue to soar through the opening races of the Chase, others haven't been as fortunate. Ryan Blaney, who was crashed out in an incident with Carson Hocevar with 42 laps remaining in the event, continues his disastrous fall from grace.

Just how far did he fall this week? Blaney Nation may not want to even scroll to find out.

However, just because these are the rankings after Bristol, doesn't mean things are set in stone by any means. Drivers still have seven races left to claw their way toward a better finish in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings, and in turn, the Racing America On SI Power Rankings.

Here are the rankings after the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway:

1. Joey Logano (Last Week: 1)

Fans may have called Logano's previous Cup Series titles "Mickey Mouse" championships, but he's proving why he should be respected. Logano led 93 laps at Bristol, and got by pissed-off teenager Carson Hocevar for the lead with seven laps to go and never looked back. Logano now sits third in the championship standings, and is well within range of a fourth Cup crown.

2. Kyle Larson (2)

What a turnaround it's been for Kyle Larson since the Chase kicked off. The driver, who entered NASCAR's championship fight as the No. 7 seed, has not finished worse than fifth in the three Chase events so far, and his last two runs have been a win at Gateway and a runner-up effort at Bristol. Not too shabby. The defending champ is heating up at the right time, and he's now the point leader.

3. Christopher Bell (4)

After a 19th-place finish at Gateway, Christopher Bell rebounded with a solid fourth-place finish at Bristol. Don't let the Darlington winner, who often goes under the radar, out of your sights. He's a true championship contender.

4. Ty Gibbs (5)

Man, how cool would it have been for Ty Gibbs to bring that iconic Kyle Busch M&M's tribute scheme to victory lane? While he faded to a fifth-place finish after a late run-in with Carson Hocevar, it was still a solid outing for Gibbs, who continues to impress during this 2026 campaign.

5. Denny Hamlin (3)

Denny Hamlin experienced another subpar day in Saturday night's race at Bristol, but like he had done in the opening two races of the Chase, he salvaged an okay result. Hamlin's eighth-place finish keeps his championship hopes realistic, but he needs to get it together. He sits one point behind Larson with seven races to go.

6. Josh Berry (8)

Whatever switch flipped in Josh Berry's head when he was told he would not return to Wood Brothers Racing in 2026, it has changed the game for the driver. With his sixth-place finish at Bristol, Berry now has seven top-10 finishes in his last eight starts. The dude needs to drive like his career depends on it from now on, because it's working.

7. Carson Hocevar (10)

Carson Hocevar got into a tussle with Ryan Blaney on-track and off-track at Bristol, and he came out smelling like a rose in both of them. Hocevar finished third in the race, and then got two impressive punches in on Blaney post-race. You have to feel like at some point, someone will get the better of Hocevar, but it still hasn't happened yet. But the enemies are building.

8. Ryan Preece (7)

While his 14th seed in the Chase Grid after three races may not show it, Ryan Preece has done a great job since securing his first career Chase Berth with his first career win at Daytona. A 10th-place finish at Bristol makes it a pair of 10th-place runs for Preece through the opening three races of the Chase. His average finish of 11.33 over his last nine starts is nearly five spots better than his season average finish.

9. Austin Cindric (9)

Much like Preece, Cindric's performance of late has gone very under the radar. Sure, he isn't winning like the other Penske cars, but Cindric has put in finishes of 13th, 10th, and 11th in the Chase events, and he has just two finishes outside the top-15 in his last 15 starts.

10. Bubba Wallace (12)

While Bubba Wallace's 23XI Racing teammate, Tyler Reddick, is slumping backward in the Chase Grid, Wallace is actually working his way forward. Wallace, who entered the Chase as the 14 seed, now sits 10th in the standings after finishes of eighth, 14th, and seventh at Darlington, Gateway, and Bristol. Can Wallace, who has had inconsistent stretches this season, keep the mometum rolling?

Best of the Rest

11. William Byron (16)
12. Alex Bowman (6)
13. Brad Keselowski (14)
14. Tyler Reddick (13)
15. Ross Chastain (19)
16. Ryan Blaney (11)
17. Daniel Suarez (18)
18. Chase Briscoe (15)
19. Michael McDowell (17)
20. Todd Gilliland (21)
21. Chris Buescher (23)
22. Chase Elliott (20)
23. Austin Dillon (25)
24. Shane van Gisbergen (27)
25. AJ Allmendinger (26)
26. John Hunter Nemechek (24)
27. Connor Zilisch (29)
28. Cole Custer (28)
29. Noah Gragson (32)
30. Erik Jones (22)
31. Zane Smith (30)
32. Austin Hill (31)
33. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (33)
34. Cody Ware (34)
35. Riley Herbst (36)
36. Ty Dillon (35)

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