標籤: drivers

The results of NASCAR’s 2026 All-Star Race at Dover didn’t stop at just the “boring” format. Another debate quickly erupted on social media over the weekend: Is the race still paying enough to feel truly special?

As for the winner, the answer for a lot of fans seems to be ‘no.’

The NASCAR All-Star Race winner still takes home $1 million, the same top prize the event has offered since 2003. And while that number once seemed huge, many fans now feel it no longer matches the scale, money and publicity of modern NASCAR.

Fans feel the “Jackpot” feeling is gone

For years, the All-Star Race has felt like drivers are risking everything for a life-changing test.

But in 2026, many fans feel that edge is gone. Part of this comes from inflation. A $1 million prize in 2003 would be worth about $1.81 million today, meaning the value of the prize has quietly diminished over time.

And after Dover’s chaotic race weekend, fans began to openly question whether NASCAR needed to seriously reconsider pay.

Some argue that if the sport really wants to make the race feel like a major event again then the winner should now get something closer to $5 million.

Especially now that NASCAR is working under a massive television rights deal worth $7.7 billion through 2031.

One fan on Reddit said nostalgically: “This used to be a really huge cash prize, so all the best drivers were tempted to buy a purse you wouldn’t normally see (outside of the Daytona 500). If you want people to do nothing again, make the prize $5 million.”

Now let’s be clear, and put the demonstrative outrage aside: $1 million is a lot of money, no question about it. It’s just putting that figure in context for the fans’ entertainment. The logic behind this is simple: If NASCAR wants drivers to race aggressively in a non-points exhibition full of wreck risks and experimental formats, the reward must also be huge. Because, to put things in perspective, the top NASCAR Cup Series drivers earn base salaries ranging from $5 million to more than $15 million per season.

When you add up race winnings, performance bonuses and sponsorship deals, the total annual earnings of the sport’s biggest stars often exceed $10 million to $17 million annually. So this means that they will not risk any aggressive moves for a race in which they may not get any points.

RELATED: Fans and analysts criticize NASCAR Dover All-Star Race

Not all fans think money solves problems

At the same time, not everyone believes that throwing more money into the race will suddenly solve everything.

Some fans admitted that they don’t care about the millionaire drivers becoming even richer. “I think the novelty of the big prize has also worn off for most people. Why should we care if a millionaire wins more money?”

For them, the issue is more about the breed losing its identity over the years. And to be honest, this feeling continued to emerge after Dover.

A lot of the reaction focused on nostalgia, fans missing when the All-Star Race was simpler, shorter, more aggressive and truly different from a regular Cup Series event.

Instead, many viewers felt that the 2026 edition became overly complicated due to segment changes, inversions, and a format that ran too long.

This is where the division is actually taking place. Some fans believe that a much larger purse, perhaps even $5 million, could bring back excitement and motivate drivers to race harder.

Others think the event has “lost its soul” and that fixing the format makes more sense than raising checks.

The drivers themselves have started taking the conversation forward

Driver fans agree. Bubba Wallace recently said that the $3 million prize would probably change the way drivers race aggressively.

Denny Hamlin also acknowledged that the current payout “doesn’t move the needle the way it once did.” He said: “I’m just going to spend $1 million on parts and pieces? We haven’t developed anything yet,” Hamlin said. “So, to change all these things piecemeal, we’re going to make changes, we’re going to spend a lot of money. And it’s only paid $1 million to win. It’s paid $1 million to win for 30 years. It’s not that good anymore. Even if one of my cars won, I don’t even remotely see it as a break-even proposition.”

And when drivers are also openly and freely saying they want “more” money, it seems like maybe they do.

My love for motorsports began as a child watching races with my family in Tunisia. Fast forward to today… more about Farah Ben Gamra

Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway marks the midpoint of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season. With 12 points worth of NASCAR stats to analyze, now is the perfect time to give out some awards at this stage of the season.

Let’s take a look at our midseason NASCAR awards ahead of the Coca-Cola 600.

Best Driver: Tyler Reddick

Who else will receive this honor besides Tyler Reddick? Has the No. 45 team had any luck this season? Definitely. What can’t be denied is the results and how Redick consistently finds a way to finish at the front of the field. He starts (6.6 average starting position, first in the Cup Series) as strong as he finishes (5.7 average finishing position), and he has finished in the top five in 66.7 percent of his races with a top 10 finish in 75 percent of his races. With a 129-point lead at the end of May, Reddick seemed destined to win the regular season title.

Best Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

23XI Racing needs a little consideration here, but Joe Gibbs Racing has clearly been the best team in NASCAR so far. Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs have both won this season, and JGR is the only team with two drivers in the top six points leaders. Additionally, Hamlin (624) and teammate Christopher Bell (325) are first and third in laps, with Tye in 11th (78). While it’s been a relatively quiet season for Chase Briscoe in his first year with JGR, the driver of the No. 19 car ranks eighth in average finishing position (13.0) over the last six races with three top-10 finishes.

Biggest Surprise: Ty Gibbs

Ty Gibbs remains one of the least popular drivers in NASCAR, and during the year a lot of questions were asked about whether he would prove if he was really meant to drive the No. 54 car. Let us tell you that the results of this season speak volumes about the improvements made by the 23-year-old player. In 2025, Gibbs had five top-fives, 10 top-10s and recorded an average finishing position of 17.86. Through 12 races this season, he already has six top-five finishes and is on pace to break his career high (eight) in the Cup Series. Similarly, he has finished in the top-10 eight times and will look to surpass his previous season’s best points tally (12 in 2024). Additionally, Gibbs recorded his first Cup Series win, capping a seven-week stretch of top-10 finishes, which has dramatically improved his average finishing position in the Cup to the sixth-best mark (13.8).

Biggest Disappointment: Joey Logano

A year ago we would have put Kyle Busch on this list, but he avoids it this season because of how low the expectation level has now reached for Richard Childress Racing and the No. 8 team. So, Joey Logano is left as the biggest disappointment in the NASCAR Cup Series this season. Logano has had the same number of top-10 DNFs this season (three) with an average finishing position (22.417), which ranks 26th in the Cup Series, behind AJ Allmendinger (19.5), Zane Smith (19.9) and Erik Jones (20.0). Since Darlington, Logano’s average finishing position is 26.5, and he is third at Martinsville and seventh at Bristol. Logano has no chance to challenge for the championship this year, and the best-case scenario might be him finishing outside the top-10 in The Chase.

Best Pit Crew: No. 20 Team

A lot has gone wrong for Christopher Bell this season, some of which is out of his control. JGR and Bell are feeling pretty good right now about how amazing the No. 20 pit crew is. NASCAR.com rated them as the No. 1 pit crew entering the All-Star Race, and the numbers support it. Bell’s pit crew has the second-fastest average pit stop of the season (10.52 seconds), with the fastest average pit stop of the season (8.92 seconds). Additionally, according to PitCrewRank.com, only nine of 47 pit stops have taken 11.6 seconds or longer, tying the No. 20 crew for first in PCR (1,072).

Worst Pit Crew: No. 8 Team

Kyle Busch’s winning streak in the Cup Series has reached triple digits. The future Hall of Famer deserves much of the blame for what happened, with his struggle to adjust to the Next Gen car and his anger playing a role in the conflicts that led him to perform better. What can’t be ignored is how poorly the No. 8 pit crew has performed this season. Busch’s pit crew ranked 35th in PCR with a 12.22 average pit time. While Bell only required pit stops of 11.6-plus seconds 19.2 percent of the time, the No. 8 team required 12-plus seconds in 17 of 49 qualifying pit stops, or 34.7 percent of the time. We wouldn’t predict Busch winning a Cup race in the near future.

RELATED: Insiders reveal which team Kyle Busch could race for in 2027

Most Improved Driver: Carson Hocevar

Carson Hocevar is the next superstar NASCAR has been waiting for. The 23-year-old’s first career Cup Series win at Talladega and the celebration that followed was perhaps the best moment of the Cup Series this season. What’s really different with the driver of the No. 77 car is how he’s channeling his aggression and racing smarter, which results in more consistency in the end. Hocevar (14.6) currently leads William Byron (16.0), Kyle Larson (17.3), Chase Briscoe (17.5) and Christopher Bell (17.8) in average finishing position. He’s already set career highs for top-fives (three), and he’ll break personal bests for top-10s (nine) and laps led (131) in just a few weeks. Keep in mind, Hocevar is having all this success while overcoming bottom 10 pit crews.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

We’re now 12 races into the NASCAR Cup Series regular season and coming off Shane Van Gisbergen’s road course win at Watkins Glen. With the All-Star Race coming up, it’s the perfect time to evaluate the best NASCAR drivers right now.

Let’s take a look at our latest NASCAR Power Rankings after Watkins Glen.

1. Tyler Reddick (First: 1)

Tyler Reddick is the best driver in NASCAR right now. Through 12 races, he leads the Cup Series in average starting position (6.6), wins (five), top-five finishes (eight), and average finishing position (5.7), and his worst finish was 15th. With a 129-point lead over second place and a 145-point gap between Reddick and third place, they seem destined to win the regular season title.

2. Denny Hamlin (First: 2)

Road courses have never been Denny Hamlin’s strength. He’s said that for him, finishing in the top 10 on a road course is the equivalent of finishing in the top five on an oval, so we’ll count a 16th-place finish at Watkins Glen on Sunday as a top 10 finish. Most importantly for Hamlin, he leads more than 100 laps in Cup Series laps (624), and only three drivers have led more than 600 laps. It seems like this season is their best chance to win a championship.

3. Chris Buescher (First: 4)

Chris Buescher had a slightly disappointing result by his standards, finishing 12th at Watkins Glen. What has made him third among the best NASCAR drivers at the moment is his hot streak. Over the last eight races, he has claimed an impressive 9.5 average finishing positions and over that two-month period he has scored an average of 33 points per race. That’s far more consistency than guys like Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Kyle Larson.

4. Ryan Blaney (First: 6)

Ryan Blaney has bounced back from a disappointing two weeks with consecutive top-12 finishes. He ranks fourth in the Cup Series in laps led (249), but what stands out most about driving the No. 12 car this season is his number of Cup-leading passes. It’s really been pit road that has kept this team from getting there with Reddick and Hamlin. If these things get sorted out, Blaney is a championship contender.

5. Chase Elliott (First: 3)

Both car setup (27th starting position) and strategy (24th place finish) didn’t work out for the No. 9 team at Watkins Glen. Chase Elliott, like every other Hendrick Motorsports driver, was a complete non-factor. He already has two wins this season and is a great choice to win the title, but there is some concern that Elliott has already finished outside the top 20 three times before the halfway point of the regular season.

6. Ty Gibbs (previously: unranked)

After consecutive finishes outside the top 33, Ty Gibbs took advantage of a trip to the road course with a third-place finish. It marked Gibbs’ sixth top-five finish this season, second most in the Cup Series. Although he has the benefit of racing with great equipment and an excellent crew, he is ultimately making the most of it.

7. Austin Cindric (First: 9)

It was a slow start to the season for Austin Cindric. In the first five races, his average finishing position was 29.0 and he scored more than 20 points in a race only once. Although it took some time, the No. 2 crew figured things out. Over the last six races, Cindric ranks fifth in average finishing position (11.3) thanks to three top-10s and a top-20 finish in each race. He has averaged 29.5 points per race in that span. This has brought him back above the cutline.

8. Carson Hocevar (First: 5)

It should come as no surprise that Carson Hocevar didn’t fare well at Watkins Glen. The only attention the No. 77 car really received was for the incident involving Josh Berry. The 28th-place finish at Watkins Glen came after six races, where he had an average finishing position of 8.3 and his first Cup Series win. We think this year is going to be another trip to victory lane for him.

9. Kyle Larson (1st: 7)

Kyle Larson has gone a full year without winning a Cup Series race. Over the last 36 races, he ranks only 11th in average finishing position (15.7), and over the last six races he ranks 16th in average finish (18.5). The No. 5 car has two DNFs this season and has finished outside the top 20 five times, including the last three races.

10. Daniel Suarez (Previously: Unranked)

Let’s remember that coming into the season, there were legitimate questions about whether Daniel Suarez had a future in the Cup Series. He has had an excellent year with Spire Motorsports. Suárez’s 15.00 average finishing position would be the highest mark so far in his Cup Series career, and he is headed for more top-10s and top-five finishes than last year. Just as importantly, he has remained consistent with the ninth-best average finishing position (13.7) over the last six races.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

JR Motorsports has always aimed high, but their 2026 vision for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is taking the “Super Team” concept to a new level. Although they look absolutely unbeatable on paper, it raises an uncomfortable question: can you really dominate every race without making it impossible for your drivers to keep their championship path clear?

The answer, so far, is complicated.

At the center of it all is the No. 88 car, which has become the poster child for JRM’s seat-sharing experiment. King Carruth is handling the heavy lifting with 23 races, while the other 10 are divided among Hendrick’s big names: Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman.

The plan sounds great on paper, mixing full-time championship continuity with elite Cup-level talent. But in reality things are becoming much more complicated.

It’s a similar story with the number 1 car. Working with an experienced crew chief like Rodney Childers, Carson Kvapil and Connor Zylisch are sharing the seat. This adds another layer of complexity to a system that already has a lot of moving parts and constantly changing priorities.

When teammates stop feeling like teammates

The tension is no longer theoretical, it is now visible on the track.

At Texas Motor Speedway, the issue became impossible to ignore when Kyle Larson, stepping into the JRM car as a guest driver, fought head-to-head with the team’s full-time championship leader Justin Allgaier. The fight ended with contact.

For Allgaier, it will be an uncomfortable situation to race for a title and at the same time share space with drivers who do not have the same championship burden, yet have similar equipment and, sometimes, the same agenda: winning immediately.

This is where the contradiction lies. JR Motorsports is technically one team, but at key moments it behaves like two different racing philosophies living in the same garage.

Based on results alone, JR Motorsports is doing exactly what it set out to do.

Justin Allgaier leads the championship with 598 points and 3 wins and remains firmly in place as the team’s primary title contender. Brandon Jones and Sammy Smith are also in the top six, and Carson Kvapil and Raja Carruth are also in the top 15.

It is, statistically, the strongest team in the series. JRM has already won seven of the first 11 races this season.

But the problem will be of distribution.

Any time a Cup driver gets in a JRM car and gets a win, it completely shakes up the stage points and playoff standings for the guys who are actually racing for the title every week. This is a setting where every single point counts, so these fluctuations start to get really annoying.

Hidden costs of rotation

This is exactly where people start to see things differently. Proponents of the setup argue that JR Motorsports is making the most of what they’ve got and giving their drivers the best possible training grounds. He believes that having Cup-level talent in the same equipment raises the level for everyone, forces young guys to step up, and basically guarantees that the team is on the front lines every weekend. Which kind of makes sense.

But critics see a bigger problem: The championship battle is actually starting to get blurry.

When your drivers constantly swap seats, the whole teammate atmosphere gets a little messy. Things like working together in drafts, helping each other defensively, or planning long-haul strategies go awry when the person you’re racing against today could be sitting in your seat next Saturday.

The lack of consistency really hits hard at superspeedways like Daytona or Talladega, where being on the same page as a team matters as much as having a fast car.

A system designed to win… but what about titles?

Analysts like Frontstretch’s James Cross are already flagging long-term risks here: JRM could build a race-winning machine that becomes a complete nightmare to manage once it reaches the playoffs.

The concern isn’t that they won’t be fast, but rather that the team’s own setup could detract from the consistency you need to really seal the deal on a championship. Since Cup drivers don’t gain or lose anything in these standings, their wins don’t help them much, but they can certainly cause an upset in playoff points, seeding, and momentum for the full-time JRM guys. Over the course of a long season, those small margins ultimately matter.

To be fair, JR Motorsports isn’t failing at this point. The team is stacked, they’re fast, and statistically, they basically own the series right now.

But the question is, will it last? Is JRM creating the most advanced competitive system in NASCAR’s second tier, or are they accidentally making it harder to win championships by spreading success too thinly?

My love for motorsports began as a child watching races with my family in Tunisia. Fast forward to today… more about Farah Ben Gamra

Sunday’s Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway presented “The Big One,” with several drivers near the top of our NASCAR Power Rankings crashing out in Stage 2. With first-time winners and changes in results, there has been some change in our rankings of the best NASCAR drivers.

Let’s dive into our latest NASCAR Power Rankings, evaluating the 10 best drivers in NASCAR right now.

1. Tyler Reddick (First: 1)

How? how exactly? Despite suffering some damage in the first “The Big One” and then a tire blowout and hit the wall on the final stage, Tyler Reddick finished 14th at Talladega on Sunday. To reach this high after all the damage the No. 45 car suffered shows that everything is going Redick’s way this season. Through 10 races, he leads the Cup Series in top five (six), top 20 (10) and both average starts (5.6) and finishing positions (5.9).

RELATED: Tyler Reddick announces contract decision for 2027

2. Denny Hamlin (First: 2)

Denny Hamlin led the most laps at Dega (28) and finished 15th. This happened because the No. 11 car got stuck at high speed in the first section at its pit stop in Stage 1, requiring a pass-through. He spent the entire day trying to get that lap back, but finally did. Fortunately for the future Hall of Famer, staying behind in Stage 2 helped him avoid “The Big One”, which took out Kyle Larson, William Byron and Ryan Blaney. So, Hamlin has retained his spot in the NASCAR Power Rankings.

Read more: NASCAR Cup Series all-time winners leaderboard

3. Chase Elliott (First: 3)

Chase Elliott may not have won at Talladega, but he was the only top-10 driver entering the weekend, finishing in the top 13 of the Jack Link’s 500. On the positive side of things for the No. 9 team, Elliott has claimed the third-best average finishing position (8.7) in the last six races. However, he ranks fifth in laps led (109) during that span, and a lack of stage points on Sunday prevented him from overtaking Ryan Blaney for points this season. However, this performance was needed, as it gives Elliott consecutive top 10 finishes after finishing 15th or worse in three of his previous five races.

Read more: Best NASCAR races 2026, ranking every race this season

4. Chris Buescher (previously: unranked)

Chris Buescher came very close to breaking his winless streak, but his second-place finish added to his excellent run of late. He ranks fourth in average finishing position (9.8) over the last six races, and has the second-most top 10s (four) with 64 laps (eighth) during that span. RFK Racing is also getting consistent results, which could make that elusive victory that much closer for the No. 17 team.

Read more: The state of NASCAR after Talladega

5. Carson Hocevar (previously: unranked)

After coming so close to reaching the victory lap several times over the past calendar year, Carson Hocevar finally got his long-awaited moment at Talladega. They celebrated in a way that will be remembered for ages. Hocevar and the No. 77 team clearly have the pace to win many races this season and the experience he has gained since becoming a full-time Cup Series driver is being reflected in the improved results. Hocevar ranks sixth in average finishing position (11.2) over the last six races and we’re really starting to see signs of him becoming a superstar.

6. Kyle Larson (1st: 3)

It’s getting stuck in debris as we saw on Sunday, which made the self-inflicted DNFs at Echopark and Darlington even more costly for Kyle Larson and the No. 5 team. Larson scored just one point at Degas on Sunday, giving him 33 points in those three races. He has also not won a race since May 11, 2025. Had he wrecked while still at the front of the field, we wouldn’t have dropped him so far in the NASCAR Power Rankings, but the strategy at Dega wasn’t working even before the crash.

RELATED: Huge NASCAR wreck at Talladega Superspeedway

7. Ryan Blaney (First: 5)

It’s consecutive outside the top 20 for Ryan Blaney, who has a combined 20 points at Kansas and Talladega. There was an accident resulting in a DNF on Sunday, while there was a damaged splitter issue due to a collision on pit road last week. At his peak, Blaney has arguably been NASCAR’s best driver this season. Unfortunately, the No. 12 team’s pit crew is not up to that standard, and now he has had consecutive races where a collision effectively ended his day.

8. William Byron (1st: 7)

William Byron’s No. 24 car initially returned to the track after being damaged at Talladega on Sunday, but it was ultimately determined that he would not make the rest of the race. That second DNF of the season came just two weeks after an inexplicably terrible performance at Bristol (30th). We know Byron is capable of long periods of dominance, both in wins and top-five finishes, but he has finished 28th or worse three times this year.

9. Ty Gibbs (First: 6)

It was a bit of a surprise to see the No. 54 car sent back after the heavy damage it sustained in “The Big One” on Sunday. A few minutes later, the above damage caused a front tire to blow out and Ty Gibbs’ car crashed into the wall. This ended Gibbs’ streak of seven consecutive top-10 finishes, but he had led 17 laps before the crash on Sunday.

10. Christopher Bell (First: 4)

It’s been a strange situation for Christopher Bell lately. In the last three races, he has started outside the top 10 each time and has achieved an average finishing position of 21.3. However, Bell has also scored 78 points over that three-week period, one of the higher average scoring positions in the Cup Series. Penalties and bad luck have been the downfall of the No. 20 team recently, but his numbers in 10 races – 303 laps led (third) – paired with how often he has led in stages, are far better than his recent finishes.

RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series Stage Winners 2026

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

F1 drivers in Italy are being investigated as authorities believe some of their income has not been taxed where it was actually earned. It is not about where they live on paper, but where they work in reality.

Most Formula 1 drivers are officially based in low tax countries, and this is completely legal. This is a loophole that many racing drivers have taken advantage of. The problems begin when they race at the Italian circuits of Monza, Imola and Mugello. Incidents there are now being used as a basis for calculating what portion of a driver’s global earnings should be taxed locally. The income generated by those events is linked to the work they do on Italian soil. Italian authorities now argue that a portion of that income should be declared and taxed locally.

So they have turned the tax pressure on Formula 1 drivers in Italy into a full-scale investigation, and its scope is broader than before. Authorities are not just looking at individual cases, but are systematically reviewing how drivers have been taxed on income associated with races organized in the country over a number of years.

Italy looking for years of F1 income

It’s certainly not just a straightforward check or routine paperwork. The Italian financial police are going back to the 2020-2024 season, asking for all the paperwork: contracts, sponsorship deals and even pay statements to get a clear picture of how much drivers really earned while doing their job in Italy. They’re tearing it to pieces, looking at everything from race win money to appearance fees, even pieces of sponsorship deals tied to racing in the Italian Grand Prix.

And the consequences can go beyond money. If the amount they are being asked to repay exceeds €50,000 it could actually become a full criminal case under Italian law, carrying large fines and even, at least in theory, a prison sentence of up to five years. Given the large amounts of money involved per season for drivers, it would not take much for the sums to add up, which is why this investigation holds real legal importance.

It has been reported that all drivers are receiving official letters demanding that they hand over all their tax filings. This confirms that the process is active and targeted, and not just a generic warning for the game. They’re not just looking at drivers. The teams are also involved in a case of not deducting proper taxes on payments for work done in Italy. If all this is true, teams may also face financial risks of their own.

At the same time, Italy has also tightened its tax system to make it less attractive for people considering moving there, raising the annual fixed payment on foreign income to €300,000. More importantly, the scheme does not only cover income earned within Italy. Any salary paid by an Italian team like Scuderia Ferrari is taxed under standard rates, which can reach up to 43 percent. This also limits the leverage for high-profile moves like Lewis Hamilton joining the team.

The situation is straightforward in theory but messy in reality. Drivers have long structured their finances, often legally, in many countries, but Italy is now testing it.

Watch all the Formula 1 action live at the Miami Grand Prix: Now available on Apple TV+

My love for motorsports began as a child watching races with my family in Tunisia. Fast forward to today… more about Farah Ben Gamra

Kyle Busch made headlines before this weekend’s NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway by suggesting he could get paid for comments he made earlier in the week about Denny Hamlin. Since Busch’s on-track performance isn’t adding anything to the feud, he’s now working behind the microphone.

In a recent interview, Busch said that Hamlin played the role of the villainous driver who is winning too much. However, they are not talking much, leaving Hamlin to “run his mouth” and say he “might have to face him again here soon” and that Busch has been “washed up” as a driver.

“He has his own podcast and he’s been running his mouth lately so he might be here again soon… He’s been telling me I’m tired and can’t drive anymore.”

RELATED: NASCAR Insider Highlights Kyle Busch’s Options in Free Agency

To set the record straight, Hamlin never said his former partner was washed up or could no longer drive. Instead, on last week’s episode of Actions Detrimental, the driver of the No. 11 car said Busch should “take it better” amid Richard Childress Racing’s ongoing struggles. Hamlin also said that anyone still holding out hope that Busch would regain his former glory as a consistent winner will be “very disappointed” because the 40-year-old “doesn’t know how to get speed out of a Next Gen car on a consistent basis.”

Hamlin, who has scored 12 Cup Series wins since his last trip to Victory Lane in Busch’s No. 8 car, also compared himself to Busch, saying he “can’t catch that guy’s helmet talent-wise”. Apparently, Bush didn’t hear that part of the segment. It’s also notable that when Busch was on the podcast last year, Hamlin credited him with developing his career.

RELATED: Denny Hamlin gives clear message on Kyle Busch’s struggles

Busch also revealed his “hate list” of fellow NASCAR drivers, which includes Carson Hocevar, Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski. As with Hamlin, the only problem he may cause for them is when he’s going to lag, and probably not for the first time in that race.

NASCAR statistics support this. Over the last six races, Busch ranks 31st in average finishing position (25), which puts him well behind Hamlin (5.3, second), Keselowski (10.0, sixth), Hocevar (14.3, 13th) and even the struggling Logano (19.8, 21st).

RELATED: Kyle Busch winless streak, what’s happened since and before last win

Even in the last 15 races leading up to Talladega, Busch is 21st in average finishing position (20.6), while Hamlin is fifth (11.8), Keselowski is sixth (12.5), Logano is 12th (15.3), and even Hocevar (19.6) is slightly ahead of the future Hall of Famer. None of these drivers can really see Busch as a rival because he is not providing them any competition.

Busch’s frustration with RCR is obvious, but what has brought his struggles even more into the spotlight is that Dillon has been performing better than him this season. Both are forced to deal with RCR providing inadequate support, but the driver of the No. 3 car is handling it better and producing better results.

Notably, Hamlin did not respond to Busch’s weekend comments during Monday’s episode of Actions Detrimental. It will be interesting to see how things play out between the two drivers in the coming weeks, when Hamlin will inevitably tie Busch for a career Cup win and ultimately surpass him this season.

RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series all-time win list, including Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway marked the ninth points race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. This provides another excellent data point to add to our weekly analysis as we continue to evaluate the best NASCAR drivers right now.

Toyota has been the standout team in our NASCAR Power Rankings this season and Sunday’s race at Kansas didn’t change that. However, there is still quite a bit of movement in our ranking of the best drivers in NASCAR today.

1. Tyler Reddick (First: 1)

Tyler Reddick now has five wins in nine races this season. It’s absolutely absurd how excellent the No. 45 car has been in 2026. Was he as dominant as Dale Earnhardt when he won five of the first nine races? No, and the fact that Redick is fifth in laps led (189) shows that. What he’s proving this year is that he’ll likely be regular season champion, and a 25-point lead in The Chase and how well he’s performing in the mile-and-a-half could now make him the championship favorite.

RELATED: Insider reveals potential cost of signing Tyler Reddick to new contract

2. Denny Hamlin (First: 4)

If not for “Cody Were Caution”, Denny Hamlin probably would have won the race at Kansas on Sunday. However, it is also fair to acknowledge the No. 11 driver was again put in position to win that race as Reddick’s car momentarily experienced fuel issues. Missing that second win in 2026, which would have tied him with Kyle Busch for all-time Cup Series wins, is certainly painful for Hamlin. Fortunately, he still won Stage 1, he claimed the second-best average finishing position (5.3) over the last six races, and he led the Cup Series in laps led (562) during that span while earning 292 points (48.7 per race).

RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series all-time wins leaders

3. Kyle Larson (1st: 5)

Kyle Larson has now gone 33 consecutive races without a win in the Cup Series. It seems unimaginable for this to happen to the driver of the No. 5 car, but heartbreaking defeats have been a theme for him this year. While it’s clear that Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet are still trying to figure things out with their new setup, as evidenced by the performance of the other HMS cars, Larson is still on tears. He has won three of the last four stages and has scored 54 points in consecutive races, while finishing in the top 10 in six of his last seven races (32nd at Darlington). A win is coming for Larson, but even without it he is back to performing like one of the best NASCAR drivers.

RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series Stage Winners 2026

4. Christopher Bell (First: 6)

Ignore Christopher Bell’s 20th-place finish at Kansas Speedway last weekend. He finished in the top five in both stages, posted the fastest lap and was in the top four at the start of overtime. Unfortunately, luck ran out of him. Reddick went right over the bell and sent the No. 20 car into the wall, dropping him to 20th due to the damage. Bell had the race-winning car on Sunday and should have at least finished in the top five.

5. Ryan Blaney (First: 2)

Team Penske finally made a change to Ryan Blaney’s pit crew last week and it didn’t make a difference. He ran a very good race early on, but then suffered damage to the No. 12 car’s splitter due to contact with AJ Allmendinger on pit road. The team took a penalty for having too many people over the wall to work on it and, after finishing ninth at Kansas, Blaney finished 24th after spending parts of the final stage several laps down. This ended a streak of three consecutive top six finishes and a seven-race streak where his average finishing position was 4.6. Blaney is on par with Redduck, Larson and Hamlin in terms of his racing ability, but his team is not doing him any favors this year.

RELATED: AdventHealth 400 winners, losers

6. Ty Gibbs (1st: 3)

Ty Gibbs now has seven consecutive races with top-10 finishes en route to his first Cup Series win, and he is averaging 43.1 points per race during that span. So why is he falling in our NASCAR power rankings? Because with the speed the No. 54 car had on Sunday at Kansas and as good a job as his pit crew did in getting him back out there quickly, he really struggled to make passes. It was a very uneventful race for Gibbs, and it felt like he got less time with his car and team than the other top drivers.

RELATED: 2026 NASCAR Cup Series standings now after Kansas Speedway

7. William Byron (before: 8)

It’s a nice rebound from William Byron after what happened with the setup of the No. 24 car at Bristol (30th place). Byron certainly didn’t have the pace to win the race on Sunday at Kansas; The car was not good enough to challenge for a top five average running position. However, after qualifying in 14th place, Byron finished 11th in Stage 1 and 13th at the end of Stage 2. By the end of overtime he had moved up to seventh, his fifth top 10 finish in the last six races. Now it’s up to Hendrick to improve on his troubling 24.0 average starting position over the last two races.

8. Chase Elliott (First: 7)

By the standards of how things should be for the No. 9 team under Chase Elliott, Sunday was fine. He finished sixth in Stage 1, and Allan Gustafsson’s pit-timing strategy resulted in fourth place in Stage 2. Elliott has scored more than 40 points in three of his last four races with three top-10 finishes, but there are also two poor performances at Phoenix (23rd) and Bristol (22nd) that highlight more of the inconsistency seen in this team than in 2025.

RELATED: AdventHealth 400 results, full NASCAR stage results at Kansas

9. Chase Briscoe (First: 9)

If Chase Briscoe started today he would be in Chase. This is a good situation after a rough first month of the season in which he finished 36th or worse in three of the first four races and scored only 4 points overall in that span. Briscoe boasts an 8.4 average finishing position over the last five races, and although there is still room for improvement for the No. 19 team, they are at least getting back on the right track.

10. Bubba Wallace (previously: unranked)

That kind of performance should make Bubba Wallace feel even more remorse over his actions at Martinsville, which cost them at least 15 points. He finished fifth on Sunday and remained in the top six of the field for most of the race at Kansas. He is now tied with William Byron on points, and if he had kept a cool head a few weeks ago, we would be talking about him sitting sixth in the standings, just a few points behind Elliott.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

We’re in the race for eight points in the 2026 NASCAR season for the Cup Series before this weekend’s action at Kansas Speedway. While there is still more than 2/3 of the season left, we can look at some NASCAR stats to highlight the drivers who have disappointed so far.

Let’s take a look at the list of NASCAR drivers who have not lived up to expectations this season. Team performance could certainly play a role in these drivers’ contention in 2026, but the point is that these drivers are not performing up to the expected standard.

Connor Zylisch

No one with any reasonable expectation thought Connor Zylisch would make The Chase in his rookie season. The learning curve in the Cup Series is too steep to be met. However, we had some hope early in the season when he was at the front of the field at the Daytona 500 and Echopark. Wrecks took him out and following COTA, where two spins resulted in a 14th-place finish, he finished 26th or worse in four of his last five races (18th at Darlington). Zyllic’s future is still bright and he could win a road-course race this year, but it’s not a good look for Trackhouse nor the No. 88 team when Zyllic is 33rd in points and Daniel Suarez would be in The Chase if the regular season ended today.

kyle busch

We agree with Denny Hamlin: Anyone expecting Kyle Busch to turn back the clock and become KFB again will have to either invent a time machine or let go of the past. Richard Childress Racing isn’t doing Busch any favors, but let’s also keep in mind that Busch now has multiple crew chiefs with the No. 8 team. Furthermore, he’s barely performing any better than teammate Austin Dillon, and the driver of the No. 3 car isn’t making as much of a fuss nor is he venting his frustrations on everyone around him. Bush’s winless streak has reached three digits, and there is no reason to think it will end in 2026. As far as numbers go, Bush’s average finishing position (22.0) is worse than Daniel Suarez (16.3), SVG (19.9), AJ Allmendinger (19.4), Zane Smith (20.3) and Eric Jones (20.4).

RELATED: Kyle Busch winless streak, things that happened before and after the win

Ross Chastain

One theme of this list has been the disappointment of NASCAR drivers with trackhouse racing. This probably says a lot more about the team than Zilleisch and Ross Chastain. As for Chastain, she finished the 2025 season with the 12th-highest average finishing position (15.8) thanks to her eighth-most top 20 finishes (26). While we’re only 8 races into the 2026 campaign, Chastain’s average finishing position has dropped to 19.375 and she’s finished in the top 10 just once (Atlanta). We’re not questioning Chastain’s talent, she may perform better on a stronger team. Unfortunately, the trackhouse situation has made this season very disappointing for him and there is no reason to think a turnaround is imminent.

chase brisco

Chase Briscoe is starting to dig himself out of the hole he found himself in just a few weeks ago. A second-place finish at Echopark (43 points) was followed by three races where he finished 36th or worse and only scored 4 points overall. He also finished outside the top-10 at Darlington and Martinsville, largely a result of starting 23rd and 27th in the respective races. This is not what we expected from a guy who won three races in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025, even taking the No. 19 team to the championship 4. The statistics aren’t great for Briscoe at present, but he is improving and what he has shown as a driver over the past calendar year suggests he will bounce back.

RELATED: NASCAR predictions for Kansas, including Chase Briscoe

kyle larson

Kyle Larson has not won 32 consecutive Cup Series races. The winless drought seems shocking for a man considered by many to be the best driver in the world. Well, Larson last reached victory lane a year ago in the spring race at Kansas Speedway, which he completely dominated. Although he has since won the 2025 Cup Series championship, it seems strange that he has not even finished second in this season’s race. We’d say, Larson’s history of excellence and the fact that he’s second in laps led (421) this season all suggest that victory is imminent for the No. 5 team. However, this season has been a bit disappointing so far.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings before Kansas

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Easter Sunday provides a week off for NASCAR Cup Series drivers to rest and focus their attention on the remainder of the season. While the best NASCAR drivers are focused on positioning for The Chase, many may find themselves under real pressure to perform otherwise they will hear a lot of talk about potentially being replaced.

Let’s dive into our latest NASCAR hot seat, taking a look at five drivers who could be in danger of losing their Cup Series seats in 2027 before NASCAR’s silly season.

Alex Bowman, No. 48 car, Hendrick Motorsports

At this point, we just want to see Alex Bowman stay healthy. Vertigo has sidelined him for most of the season and there is still no timeline for his return. Unfortunately, medical issues have been a major theme of his Cup Series career. It was a proving year for the driver of the No. 48 car, whose contract was about to expire and unfortunately, health problems reared their ugly head again in 2026. Now it seems the question is who Hendrick Motorsports will hire to replace Bowman in 2027, not if they do.

RELATED: Potential Alex Bowman replacement in the No. 48 car

Noah Gragson, No. 4 car, Front Row Motorsports

Through seven races this season, Noah Gragson is 29th in points (93). He is 74 points behind 16th and last place in The Chase and his average finishing position this season is only 23.857, with single-digit points earned in four consecutive races, making a 10-race Chase extremely unlikely. It’s not that Front Row Motorsports is printing money as a business; Owner Bob Jenkins admitted during the legal battle against NASCAR that he often lost money on this recreational venture. As stated, FRM suffered monetary damages from the settlement and now has three full-time charters. There should be money to replace Gragson with someone who can either deliver better results over the long term or deliver consistent performance.

RELATED: Early NASCAR Foolish Season Predictions

Riley Herbst, No. 35 car, 23XI Racing

We’ll start with good news for Riley Herbst. The 27-year-old has been performing better this season than in his first year as a full-time Cup Series driver. He has also demonstrated that he can be a good teammate and due to his strong ties to Monster Energy, as well as his family’s deep wealth, Cup teams will be interested in him. That’s great, because 23XI Racing will be replacing Corey Heim as the full-time driver for the No. 35 car next season.

RELATED: Beginner Driver emerges as third card option at Legacy Motor Club in 2027

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 car, HYAK Motorsports

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has some marketability and definitely has some value. However, the veteran driver currently sits 30th in Cup Series points behind Austin Dillon, Todd Gilliland, Noah Gragson and Riley Herbst. Stenhouse has finished 25th or worse in five of seven races this year, with four top 10s in his last 44 Cup Series races, and he ranks 35th in average finishing position (24.8) in his last 36 races. In truth, Hyak Motorsports may decide that its best option is to sell its charter to another team and reap the benefits of the new costs for a permanent full-time seat. If that happens, Stenhouse may have to spend his 39 season racing in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Kyle Busch, No. 8 car, Richard Childress Racing

Of all the drivers we’re putting on the NASCAR hot seat, Kyle Busch is clearly the one who will find another ride the easiest. He currently sits ninth on the NASCAR Cup Series all-time win list, and his recent success in some Truck Series races shows he still has something left in the tank. That said, it’s pretty clear that the No. 8 team and Richard Childress Racing are as fed up with Busch as the future Hall of Famer is with him. Jesse Love will likely drive the No. 8 car, while Busch will get another chance to prove he is still capable of winning Cup Series wins. This win drought and his problems with the Next Gen car suggest that Busch may be a bigger problem than few people would like to admit.

RELATED: NASCAR and historical events during Kyle Busch’s winless streak

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

When NASCAR announced the return of The Chase for the 2026 season, many drivers and fans were overjoyed to see the old win-and-playoff format gone for good. Now seven races into the season, some drivers may already be missing the old ways of playoff-clinching scenarios.

After Sunday’s Cook Out 400 we are more than a quarter of the way through the Cup Series regular season. With the Cup Series having a week off, it’s worth taking a look at some of the marquee drivers who are on the NASCAR Chase bubble right now.

Josh Berry: 55 points behind

Josh Berry led Wood Brothers Racing to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs last season with his victory in the Pennzoil 400 on March 16. More than a year later, the No. 21 team faces even longer odds joining the 16-driver, 10-race battle. The good news for Berry is that he had a season-best finish of 10th at Martinsville, scoring 36 points. He has earned 56 points in the last two races and has moved up double digits on the points leaderboard. However, the fact that he scored only 23 points over the four-race span from Atlanta to Las Vegas eliminated his margin for error in advancing. Some of his teammates this season have already performed on better teams and in races with better equipment, making it extremely unlikely for Berry to make the playoffs.

RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series Stage Winners 2026, Stats Tracker

Kyle Busch: 48 points behind

Based on how the No. 8 car has performed over the seven races, and indeed the entire Richard Childress Racing team, even a win-and-in format will not get Kyle Busch into The Chase. It is the first time in his Cup Series career that Busch has gone without a top-10 finish in the first seven races, and his frustration with the team is evident in interviews. We have not seen any evidence from RCR or the No. 8 car to believe that Busch will not go three consecutive seasons without a Cup win.

RELATED: Kyle Busch winless streak, what’s happened since last win

Chase Briscoe: 36 points behind

In his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing driving the No. 19 car, Chase Briscoe earned a championship No. 4 finish and won three races with 15 top-five finishes. Although he was certainly seen as a championship contender coming into this year, it seems safe to rule Brisco out for it before the calendar flips to April. It’s not necessarily his fault. Finishes at Daytona (36th), COTA (37th), and Phoenix (37th) were mainly due to debris around him or problems with the car. Why it doesn’t matter in The Chase, not when you score a total of 4 points in those three races. Now after consecutive finishes outside the top-10, we are confident in saying that Briscoe will not finish in the top-8 in points in the regular season, and that means he has no real title hopes.

Connected: NASCAR Standings Today, Points Leader After Martinsville

Ross Chastain: 31 points behind

With better equipment, Ross Chastain could be a championship contender. The work he’s been doing with the No. 1 car this season for Trackhouse Racing could keep him out of The Chase altogether. This generally appears to be a trackhouse issue, as Connor Zylisch has performed like Cody Ware on the oval this season. In the past, Chastain would make up for the team’s shortcomings by winning. That’s not an option, and while we’d still predict him to be one of the 16 drivers in The Chase, it’s no longer the certainty that many expected just a few months ago.

Austin Cindric: 18 points behind

Austin Cindric’s arrow is pointing up after these past two weeks. The fact that he is still 18 points behind Daniel Suarez for 16th and last place after scoring 78 points in the last two races speaks volumes about the huge hole he has dug through the first four races of the season. With the points gap narrowing, Cindric has potentially given himself a little margin for error while still having a chance to clinch one of the final two spots in The Chase.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings 2026

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

This week’s NASCAR schedule takes us to Martinsville Speedway in Virginia on Sunday afternoon for the Cook Out 400. We’re getting a field of 37 drivers for Sunday’s Cup Series race, including one part-time driver and one medical replacement.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman will miss his fourth consecutive race due to vertigo and there is currently no timeline for his return. Justin Allgaier will race behind the wheel of the No. 48 car, his third time this year.

READ MORE: NASCAR Power Rankings before Martinsville

Let’s dive into the NASCAR entry list for Martinsville, which includes Austin Hill behind the wheel for Richard Childress Racing.

NASCAR Entry List Martinsville: Cook Out 400 Field

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

NASCAR’s silly season in 2025 was largely non-existent, with the only significant move being Daniel Suarez joining Spire Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing, replacing him with Connor Zylisch. Things are going to be very different this year, with some big names in the Cup Series having their deals expiring.

Let’s take a look at our early NASCAR silly season predictions with some guesses as to where some of the top free-agent drivers and up-and-comers will land next season.

Tyler Reddick: No. 45 car for 23XI Racing

Could Hendrick Motorsports try to make things interesting with Tyler Reddick as a possible option for the No. 48 car? Maybe, but that would require Hendricks to overtake 23XI Racing, and Michael Jordan is not allowing that to happen. Reddick has already secured the 2024 regular season title for the 23XI, and he set the team’s single-season wins record before the calendar even turned to April. He’s in blank check territory, and given Jordan’s reputation for winning at all costs, there’s no way anyone else could drive the No. 45.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings after Darlington

Corey Heim: No. 35 car for 23XI Racing

Corey Haim proved in 2025 that he already belongs in the Cup Series full-time. However, the young driver is sticking to the plan set out for him by 23XI Racing. This included historic dominance of the Truck Series last season, and he is now splitting time between the Truck, Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026. Patience will finally be rewarded this offseason. Heim will replace Riley Herbst in the No. 35 car, giving 23XI Racing a three-man team of Reddick, Heim and Bubba Wallace that will give them a chance to form a new “Big Three” of teams in NASCAR.

RELATED: NASCAR insider explains why Corey Haim doesn’t have a full-time Cup ride yet

Riley Herbst: Legacy Motor Club

After a brutal first season in the Cup Series with 23XI Racing, Riley Herbst has shown signs of progress in 2026. He recorded an eighth-place finish in the Daytona 500 and, in the same race, proved he could be a great teammate by helping Tyler Reddick to victory. He finished 23rd at COTA and 18th at Phoenix, and had a real chance of breaking into the top-20 at Darlington, before being spun by Connor Zylisch on the final stage, with car damage dropping him back into the field. Herbst is performing well enough to at least get another full-time ride next season, and given the financial resources he brings to the table, he is a perfect fit for Legacy Motor Club next season as it brings in a third car.

RELATED: Beginner Driver emerges as third card option at Legacy Motor Club in 2027

Alex Bowman: a few steps away from racing

Medical issues have been an unfortunate theme of Alex Bowman’s NASCAR career. An injury kept him out of five races in 2022, and the following year, a broken back kept him out of three races. Unfortunately, he will now miss at least five races in 2026 due to dizziness. This is the last thing to happen in a contract year with Hendrick Motorsports, but it’s been one thing after another for him over the past five years. We think Bowman will miss a Cup Series ride and will take the 2027 season off. Maybe he should get a role working as a NASCAR analyst for Amazon Prime Video’s coverage and see how he feels after that.

RELATED: Identifying potential Alex Bowman replacement for Hendrick Motorsports in 2027

Daniel Suarez: No. 7 car for Spire Motorsports

After how ugly things ended at Trackhouse Racing, the 2026 campaign with Spire Motorsports felt like a now-or-never situation for Daniel Suarez’s Cup Series career. Not only is he performing well, but the driver of the No. 7 car is outpacing all of his former teammates, including Ross Chastain. Perhaps this says more about Spire versus Trackhouse, but what has become clear this spring is that Suarez is still more than capable in the Cup Series behind the wheel of a solid car and a supportive team. He brings a great deal of stability to the table, is well liked, and is backed by great sponsors. It’s checking enough boxes that we can’t move Spier out of the No. 7 spot, even if it means Suarez will potentially have to take a one-year deal after this season.

Read More: NASCAR Stage Winners 2026, Stage Results Tracker

Kyle Busch: No. 71 car for Spire Motorsports

As his Cup Series win streak reaches three points, one thing is clear: Kyle Busch probably won’t be back with Richard Childress Racing in 2027. The future Hall of Famer is fed up with the car he’s been provided by RCR, and the team’s sentiment – ​​at least based on what’s heard on the radio – reflects a similar sentiment toward the driver. Although we do not expect Busch to replace Suarez in the No. 7 car, Spire may decide to replace Michael McDowell for Busch. McDowell, who will turn 42 in December, will have to find a smaller team to ensure a full-time ride in the Cup Series next season.

Jesse Love: No. 8 car for Richard Childress Racing

Jesse Love, one of the top prospects in NASCAR, is already a development driver for Richard Childress Racing and he’s getting some opportunities to prove himself in the Cup Series this season. Given recent reports that the Legacy Motor Club doesn’t want to be a short-term spot for another team’s emerging player to be developed for just a year before leaving, we think RCR will let Love join him next season. He will replace Busch in the No. 8 car, giving the team a 22-year-old driver who is perhaps more capable of guiding during races and with whom any early success will be seen as a positive step towards an even brighter future.

Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski: RFK Racing

There’s an old saying in sports that you can’t replace the boss. So, even if he wasn’t performing consistently, it’s hard to imagine any scenario where co-owner Brad Keselowski gives up his seat in the No. 6 car for RFK Racing. As far as Chris Buescher is concerned, although he doesn’t have an ownership stake in the team, the No. 17 team has proven to be a perfect fit for him, and this partnership is certainly working out for both parties. We believe the three-car team of Buescher, Keselowski and Ryan Preece will stay together at RFK next year.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Tyler Reddick dominated another NASCAR race this week, earning his fourth win of the season and we’re just six points shy of the race on the year. Reddick is clearly the best driver in NASCAR at the moment, so the question really is, who is chasing him this season?

Let’s dive into our NASCAR Power Rankings right now, evaluating the 10 best drivers after Darlington.

1. Tyler Reddick (First: 1)

The No. 45 car was clearly the fastest all weekend at Darlington Raceway. What stood out about Tyler Reddick’s performance in the Goodyear 400 was his ability to overcome electrical issues that required a new battery and left him at the back of the field, allowing him to race back through the pack to reach Victory Lane for the fourth time this season. It should come as no surprise that Redick leads the Cup Series in average starting position (7.33) and average finishing position (4.17), while boasting the second-most quality passes in the series (664). With a 95-point lead over second, it seems inevitable to win the regular season championship, which would be Redick’s second in three years.

RELATED: The state of the NASCAR Cup Series right now

2. Ryan Blaney (1st: 7)

Frustration is growing in the number 22 car. For the second time in three weeks, Ryan Blaney had to drop to the back of the lead-lap field because his tire changer did not have the left wheel securely in place, forcing him to pit in a teammate’s stall. As Fox noted, Blaney’s pit crew was ranked 33rd among the 36 full-time teams coming into Sunday’s Goodyear 400, and their performance at Darlington will likely drop them further. It’s a testament to Blaney that he continues to get the hang of it, most recently with a third-place finish and 42 points on Sunday. Blaney has claimed an average finishing position of 5.6 over the last five races and has earned 194 points during that span. He has two finishes in the top 10 (four) and is one of only three drivers to record stage points in all six races this season.

RELATED: Goodyear 400 winners, losers, including Ryan Blaney’s pit crew

3. Bubba Wallace (First: 4)

Moving Bubba Wallace up a spot after his worst finish of the season (34th) at Darlington will surely seem absurd to some. However, take a closer look at what happened last weekend. Wallace finished second in the No. 23 car and then finished fourth in Stage 1, positioning himself for another top-five points day. Unfortunately, during a pit stop under caution after Stage 1, the No. 23 team’s pit crew made a mistake changing the left-front tire. Wallace had to return to his stall halfway through the exit to secure the tyre. This dropped him out of the top 15, and as he started climbing back up – showing the car’s speed – Denny Hamlin ran into Erik Jones and then the No. 23 car and he hit the wall. There was no real control of the car after that, but Wallace still finished with the fastest lap of the race, he leads the Cup Series in stage points (60), and he has the second most top 10 finishes.

Connected: Bubba Wallace addresses NASCAR fighting penalty after Daniel Suarez incident

4. William Byron (1st: 8)

It hasn’t exactly been a banner start to the season for Hendrick Motorsports. However, William Byron and the No. 24 team are at least trying their best to get things back on track. While the car setup was obviously never good enough to win the Goodyear 400, Byron still came away from Darlington with his third consecutive top 10 finish, earning 115 points during that span. Let’s also keep in mind that he was the only HMS driver to make the top 10. Through six races, Byron ranks in the top five in both average finishing position (11.83) and average mid-race position (10.5), while ranking seventh in stage points (40).

RELATED: Goodyear 400 results from Darlington, total points and stage results today

5. Denny Hamlin (1st: 3)

After three consecutive top-10 finishes, including a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the No. 11 car had to settle for an 11th-place finish at Darlington without any stage points. Denny Hamlin was fortunate that the No. 11 suffered minimal damage when he arrived behind Erik Jones. However, they later reported a rattling noise coming from the car, and required an extended pit stop to investigate. An 11th-place finish is good enough, and it certainly won’t hurt Hamlin too much on a day when Kyle Larson finished behind. Still, Hamlin might want to consider himself lucky to come out of it with 26 points.

RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series stage winners 2026, full season stats

6. Ty Gibbs (1st:9)

The hot streak continues for Ty Gibbs, and it’s an incredible feeling for Joe Gibbs Racing and the No. 54 team. After a poor performance in qualifying, Gibbs improved from his 28th-place starting position to 16th in Stage 1 and then ninth in Stage 2. He continued to climb from there, using the closing quarters of the Goodyear 400 to finish sixth, narrowly missing out on making four consecutive races inside the top 5. While that streak ended, JGR will happily take the 156 points and 4.75 average finishing position. He scored a combined 15 points in the last four races and finished 23rd or worse in the first two races.

7. Christopher Bell (First: 2)

Whatever was planned for the No. 20 car at Darlington failed miserably and adjustments to the race did not help. It may not have been up to Joey Logano’s level, but it certainly felt like it considering how well the other Joe Gibbs Racing cars performed this weekend. Christopher Bell finished 22nd, just ahead of teammate Chase Briscoe. In Stage 1, Briscoe finished 14th and Bell finished 18th. In Stage 2, Briscoe finished fourth and Bell finished 14th. Briscoe ultimately finished the day in 12th place, while Bell finished 19th. It was a huge disappointment after three consecutive races where the No. 20 finished fourth or better.

8. Chase Elliott (First: 5)

For the second time in three races, the No. 9 team found a way to keep Chase Elliott from breaking into the top-10. Elliott finished 3rd at Darlington and he scored 4 points in Stage 1, but whatever calls crew chief Alan Gustafson made with the No. 9 did not work. Elliott struggled to finish only 15th on Sunday, losing a promising starting spot. We can’t really blame Elliott here, but it feels like every few weeks something happens to the team that costs him.

9. Kyle Larson (1st: 6)

Kyle Larson looked strong early on at Darlington, finishing fifth in Stage 1 and third in Stage 2 and going into the final 50 laps of the Goodyear 400 to secure himself the third-most stage points (14). Unfortunately for the No. 5 team, something went wrong again. Larson, in 11th place, suffered a right rear injury in the closing stages and had to nurse it around the track before eventually pitting. By the time the checkered flag waved, a potential top-12 finish changed to 32nd. The issue broke a three-race run of top-10 finishes and took away more than 20 points from him. Between the tire issue and the crash a few weeks ago, Larson has lost so many points that he is currently 10th in the standings.

10. Brad Keselowski (Previously: Unranked)

Brad Keselowski didn’t have the fastest car at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, but the veteran certainly made the most of his trip to the iconic track. The No. 6 took his first two stage wins of the season, with both great strategy and some lucky timing helping him do so. He has now finished in the top 10 in each of the last two races, and has a pair of top five finishes on the year. Now heading to one of his best tracks, another top five could be on the way for Keselowski.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 124–116 for their seventh consecutive win. It was also the Lakers’ second win against the Rockets in three days, giving them a tiebreaker in the battle for the No. 3 seed. According to LA sports reporter Law Murray, after the win over the Rockets, the Lakers have now won the tiebreaker against all of their closest Western Conference opponents.

“The Lakers should be the 3rd seed in the West and a trip to the semifinals. This season they have all the relevant tiebreakers – 2-1 vs. Rockets (can only play three quarters) – 2-1 vs. Nuggets (lost in Memphis) – 3-0 vs. Timberwolves (ant knee),” Law posted on X.

The Lakers swept a two-game set in Houston this week. Remarkably, this was a huge turnaround after their poor performance against the Rockets on Christmas Day. The win gave Los Angeles a 1.5-game lead over the Timberwolves with a 44–25 record. They also hold a 2.5 game lead over the Rockets.

As the final stretch of the regular season approaches, the Lakers are hitting their stride. Currently, the No. 3 seed appears to be the goal as they trail the San Antonio Spurs by seven games with 13 games remaining. Because of this, if the Lakers continue to win they will likely start the playoffs as the No. 3 seed.

These two wins were a major achievement in the playoff preview between the Lakers and the Rockets. If the teams meet again, it could turn out to be one of the best series of the playoffs.

The Pennzoil 400 marked the fifth points race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, providing the third winner to this point. We also saw some of NASCAR’s best drivers perform very well at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, resulting in things getting a little closer to normal in the weekly rankings.

Let’s take a look at our latest NASCAR Power Rankings coming out of Las Vegas.

1. Tyler Reddick (First: 1)

Tyler Reddick dropped out of the top 10 for the first time this season, finishing 13th in the Pennzoil 400. However, he scored record points in both stages, before the No. 45 car suffered a slight decline after the final pit stop. Despite his worst season finish, Reddick still tied for the fourth-most laps led (112) among top-10 (four) and top-5 (three) teams in the Cup Series and the top average finishing position in the Cup Series (4.8). Reddick is currently ranked No. 1 in the NASCAR Power Rankings, but he’s now in a position where he could be overtaken by Darlington.

RELATED: NASCAR standings after Las Vegas

2. Christopher Bell (First: 4)

Making it three consecutive top four finishes for Christopher Bell. The No. 20 car did not have the same pace as teammate Denny Hamlin, but Las Vegas consistently scored over 50 points with Bell taking the stage win. Bell did not just lead the Cup Series in laps (225); He is the first driver to complete 200 laps this season and has tied Reddick for the longest streak of top-5 finishes (three) this year. The disastrous performance at Daytona (35th place, 3 points) seems like a distant memory and it won’t be even a month until Joe Gibbs Racing has two race winners in 2026.

Read more: Best NASCAR races 2026, ranking every NASCAR race this season

3. Denny Hamlin (1st: 6)

No one was beating Denny Hamlin in the Pennzoil 400. After finishing third in Stage 1, he dropped to the back of the field (31st) on the restart for speeding on pit road (50.03 mph). It didn’t take long for the No. 11 car to get back into the top 15 and finished Stage 2 in fifth place. At that point it was clear that no matter who had the fastest car on Sunday, Hamlin was headed to victory. After running at the front of the field at Daytona and Atlanta, but falling back due to car damage from wrecks caused by his teammates, Hamlin now has three consecutive top-10 finishes with an average finishing position of 5.33 and a total of 145 points during that span. Oh, he’s also now headed to Darlington where he’s a spring season winner.

Related: Pennzoil 400 Results

4. Bubba Wallace (First: 3)

We’re five races into this season and Bubba Wallace still has the second-most points in the Cup Series. Part of that is certainly due to the stages, as he became the first driver to score 50 stage points this year. That said, it’s also worth acknowledging that Wallace ranks sixth in laps led (86), he’s tied with Kyle Larson for the highest average spot in mid-race (7.60) and he leads the game in quality passes (690). That leaves you with a driver who has had the most top 10 finishes (four) on road courses with a season-worst finish of 11th.

RELATED: Denny Hamlin praises Bubba Wallace for elite improvement

5. Chase Elliott (First: 7)

The only driver who made Denny Hamlin sweat a little in the final stages was Chase Elliott. It says a lot about where this No. 11 car is, as Las Vegas Motor Speedway has not been particularly kind to the team in recent years. While Elliott did not perform particularly well in the stages on Sunday (3 points total), the adjustments made put him in position to challenge Hamlin at the end. Leading up to Darlington, Elliott has finished 11th or better four times with more than 33 points in each race. Phoenix (23rd) was clearly an example of a flawed game plan, but Elliott is back on track to win the regular season championship.

6. Kyle Larson (1st: 5)

Kyle Larson won his first NASCAR race in 2026, most recently in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. At a track where he has historically dominated, Larson finished second in both stages (18 points) and led the second-most laps (62 points), but he lost a bit of balance with the car in the final stages and he finished seventh. Larson’s average finishing position over the last three races is 5.333, but the No. 5 team is coming up just short of the finish line. It’s only a matter of time before that changes and his OARS win on Saturday showed he can still find victory lane even when he doesn’t have the best car.

7. Ryan Blaney (First: 2)

After the win in Phoenix, Team Penske was not having it at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s a testament to Blaney’s driving that he finished sixth on the same day Joey Logano finished 21st, and we saw that carryover on Sunday. Blaney scored two stage points (ninth in Stage 1), but fell to the middle of the pack and finished 16th in the Pennzoil 400. Through five races, Blaney finished outside the top 15 twice with one win and two top 10 finishes.

8. William Byron (before: 8)

William Byron had his best performance of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, scoring his first top-5 finish of the year and scoring 49 points in the process. While the No. 24 didn’t have the pace to catch Hamlin in the long sprint in the final stages, there were some great battles earlier in the race. Byron and Hendrick Motorsports are righting the ship after three consecutive races outside the top 10, and he’ll likely climb the NASCAR power rankings in short order.

9. Ty Gibbs (previously: unranked)

It certainly seems as if the commentary surrounding Ty Gibbs in the Spire Motorsports-Joe Gibbs Racing legal battle has lit a fire for the young driver. In the first two races of the season, Gibbs scored a total of 15 points with an average finishing position of 30.0. The No. 54 car is now coming off a three-race run with 123 points and an average finishing position of 4.333. Gibbs, 23, is certainly starting to look like the driver his grandfather always believed he could become. A first career Cup Series win remains elusive for Ty, but it’s impossible to ignore how well he has performed of late.

10. Chase Briscoe (Previously: Unranked)

Chase Briscoe managed to finish eighth in the Pennzoil 400, truly one of the most impressive performances of the weekend. Due to a poor start to the season, which affected the metrics for qualifying order, he was part of the first qualifying group and started 18th on Sunday. Things got worse for the No. 19 team, as Briscoe received a speeding penalty in Stage 1 and then a penalty for pitting outside the box in Stage 2, resulting in him spending most of the race a lap down. He was successful in making a comeback in the top-10. He still has two DNFs on his record this season, but Brisco’s driving when the car isn’t being seriously damaged is reminiscent of last season.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

NASCAR heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for the fifth points race of the Cup Series season. The field of drivers for Sunday’s NASCAR race has been determined, marking the first time in 2026 that there will be no open cars running this weekend.

As of now, Hendrick Motorsports has listed Alex Bowman as a contender for the No. 48 car. He missed last weekend’s race due to dizziness, with Anthony Alfredo taking his place behind the wheel at Phoenix. If Bowman returns this weekend, he will find himself 36th in points and 77 points back of 16th in The Chase.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings 2026, 10 best NASCAR drivers entering Las Vegas

Let’s dive straight into the NASCAR entry list for Las Vegas, presenting the field of Cup Series drivers for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400.

NASCAR Entry List Las Vegas: Pennzoil 400

RELATED: NASCAR Odds Las Vegas, 4 Picks for Pennzoil 400

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

After two superspeedway races to start the 2026 NASCAR season, the Cup Series now heads to Texas for its first road course of the year at COTA. This is an opportunity for many of the top drivers to move up in the points standings, who had a slow start in February.

There are two things worth noting regarding the Cup Series entry list. First, Jesse Love (No. 33) will be the only outside entrant to join the field of 36 full-time drivers. Additionally, Brad Keselowski could begin the race to remain eligible for points before being replaced by Joey Hand, as Keselowski is recovering from a broken foot suffered during the offseason.

RELATED: NASCAR weekend schedule for COTA

Here is the NASCAR entry list for the Cup Series drivers competing in Sunday’s race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

NASCAR entry list this week: Cup Series at COTA

READ MORE: NASCAR Power Rankings before COTA

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The first two points races of the 2026 NASCAR season are in the books and there have already been plenty of surprises. Although we don’t want to overreact to the small sample size, the Chase playoff format and scoring system makes performance in these races more important than ever.

Let’s dive into our latest NASCAR stock report After the AutoTrader 400, take a look at the NASCAR Cup Series drivers whose stock is rising or falling.

Stock Up: Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick

It’s only right to group the faces of 23XI Racing together. Tyler Reddick became the sixth driver in Cup Series history to win the first two points races of the season, while Bubba Wallace leads NASCAR in stage wins (two) and laps led (86). Additionally, Reddick and Wallace are two of three drivers to have a pair of top-10 finishes this season. No one is suggesting that the 23XI has reached the competition level of Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske or Joe Gibbs Racing. What is clear, however, is that Michael Jordan’s team has two drivers they can look to with both Wallace and Redick now having reached the playoffs, who could have even more wins.

RELATED: Insider sheds light on Tyler Reddick’s future with 23XI Racing in contract year

Stock Down: Alex Bowman

There is always pressure on the fourth-best driver at Hendrick Motorsports, with fans always wondering if there is a better option available. Alex Bowman comes into 2026 in a contract year and it appears he will be a beneficiary of the new playoff format. Instead, his finish in the No. 48 car through two races has increased the pressure moving forward. After finishing 40th in the Daytona 500 thanks to an early DNF, Bowman needed a good points day at Atlanta. He had already been put in a hole in one as qualifying was rained out, resulting in him starting 36th in the Autotrader 400. Bowman finished 23rd on Sunday, failing to score a stage point and never actually breaking into the top 10. He is ranked 32nd in points at COTA, 107 points behind Tyler Reddick and 27 points behind the last playoff spot. Bowman’s margin for error is now virtually gone.

Related: AutoTrader 400 Winners, Losers

Stock up: Shane van Gisbergen

We predicted entering the season that Shane Van Gisbergen would make the NASCAR playoffs under the new format, and that feeling now looks even better. At the Daytona 500, he started 13th and moved toward the front of the field, before a wreck damaged his car and resulted in a 30th-place finish (7 points). SVG faced another challenge at the superspeedway in Atlanta. Starting 28th, he made his way into the top 10 by the end of Stage 2, and if not for Kyle Larson’s reckless move on the final lap, SVG might have finished even better than 10th (1 point in that stage). He nevertheless bounced back, avoiding further damage to finish sixth at Echopark. Through the first two points race in 2025, SVG had 18 points; He already has 45 this season and is now headed to COTA. He knows how to run at the Oval now, and that should worry the rest of the players in the field.

RELATED: NASCAR results for Cup Series today, NASCAR stage results for Atlanta

Stock Down: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The arrow was pointing towards Ricky Stenhouse Jr. after finishing second (35 points) in the Daytona 500. He had a chance to maintain that momentum at another superspeedway, starting from third on the grid. Instead, the No. 47 car got caught in a wreck with Ty Gibbs right in front of him at the start of Stage 2. Stenhouse finished 36th and scored just one point. He is now ranked 22nd on the leaderboard heading into COTA, where his average finishing position is a very poor 22.4.

RELATED: NASCAR takes lead after Autotrader 400

Stock Up: Daniel Suarez

Daniel Suarez will face the 2026 NASCAR season after being let go by Trackhouse Racing, forcing him to sign a one-year deal with Spire Motorsports. It was immediately clear that he would be on the chopping block, and failing to meet expectations could see him dropped from the Cup Series for once, possibly as a full-time driver. He has handled the pressure with remarkable poise, finishing seventh in the Duel 1 at Daytona (4 points), 13th in the Daytona 500 (31 points) and now fifth in the AutoTrader 400. Already at 67 points on the season, it took Suarez five races to reach that total last year with Trackhouse.

RELATED: NASCAR results for O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Echopark Speedway

Stock Down: Kyle Busch

It is becoming impossible to ignore that the partnership between Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing is not working. Just a day after winning the Truck Series race at Echopark, Busch finished 34th in the No. 8 car for RCR on Sunday. Now, responsibility for the accident he was involved in should fall primarily on the shoulders of the 40-year-old driver, but in his post-accident interview he clearly pointed fingers elsewhere. Busch’s winless streak in the Cup Series is rapidly approaching 100 races, and his frustration with RCR in a contract year – which is evident on the radio – makes a split this offseason feel inevitable.

RELATED: NASCAR Truck Race Stage Results and Fr8 Racing 208 Full Results

Stock Up: Zane Smith

Zane Smith is off to a much better start than he did a year ago. The driver of the No. 38 car currently sits fifth in points, ahead of Cup Series champions like Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson. He is the only driver outside of 23XI Racing to finish in the top-10 in both points races this season. To his credit, Smith is tied with Brad Keselowski in laps led (10) and ahead of Blaney (eight) in that category. Reaching the playoffs may still be a long shot for the 26-year-old, but he’s demonstrating why he should be in the Cup Series for years to come.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings after Atlanta, 10 best NASCAR drivers right now

Stock Down: Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin certainly isn’t nervous right now about where he sits in the points. That moment won’t come until a few more races into the regular season. Unfortunately, just months after losing the Cup Series championship in heartbreaking fashion, the 45-year-old’s hopes of winning his first title this season are already fading. This is, in part, due to a change in the playoff format that he wanted. The top three finishers in the regular season have a massive points advantage over the rest of the field. Heading into March, Hamlin is 93 points out of first place and 49 points out of third. He basically can’t afford to DNF moving forward, and there are still 34 races left in the season (including the 10-race Chase).

RELATED: Denny Hamlin Predicts Who Will Win the NASCAR Championship

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

It’s always important not to overreact to any race during the 2026 NASCAR season, especially since a lot can change depending on the track. However, coming off the first points race of the season, we can say that there are some drivers who are headed in the right direction and others in the wrong direction heading into Atlanta this weekend.

Let’s dive into our NASCAR Stock Watch after the Daytona 500, highlighting the full-time Cup Series drivers whose stock is up or down ahead of the second race of the season.

Stock Up: Zane Smith

Zane Smith is in the spotlight at a time when 19-year-old Connor Zylisch and 23-year-old Carson Hocevar are viewed as the future faces of the NASCAR Cup Series. However, Smith made his name in the Daytona 500. He won Stage 1 – the first stage win of his career – and then moved up from 15th in Stage 2 to finish sixth behind Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Logano, Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski. Smith’s 41 points are one of his highest totals since joining the Cup Series, and he led the same number of laps as Logano and Christopher Bell (nine) in the 500. We’re not saying Smith is a safe bet to reach the playoffs by any means, but surpassing his career highs in top 10s (five) and laps led (22) seems possible.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings after Daytona

Stock Down: Chase Briscoe

This is certainly not the time to panic for Chase Briscoe or the No. 19 team; It’s too early in the season for that. He made Championship 4 last season in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing and performed as a top-five driver in the second half of the season. However, Briscoe left Florida with only 2 points after starting 2nd in the Daytona 500 and leading the field in Duel 2. He is already 41 points behind third place in the regular season points, and the new Chase format is unforgiving for many of the underperforming top drivers. Briscoe will still reach the playoffs, but its championship chances took a hit last Sunday.

Read more: Denny Hamlin predicts who will win the NASCAR championship

Stock up: Shane van Gisbergen

We know that Shane Van Gisbergen finished 30th in the Daytona 500 with only 7 points out of the No. 97 car. However, he led three laps and was regularly in the top 10 of the field before getting stuck in the Big One. He was in 12th place when the incident began and his car was so damaged that he could not effectively continue. What matters is that SVG demonstrated he is much better in oval racing than he was a year ago – good enough to crack the top-20 this year and potentially score some top-10s and stage points. SVG stock is on a rise.

RELATED: NASCAR Predictions 2026, 16 Playoff Drivers Projected

Stock Down: Connor Zylisch

With 20 laps to go in Stage 2, Conor Zylisch found himself leading the field in the Daytona 500. As the teen began earning praise from the broadcast crew, he twice got into the side of Justin Allgaier and his car came loose from there before losing control. There’s no denying that this rookie is one of the best prospects to enter the Cup Series in the last few years, but troubles are brewing and he has a lot to learn. He will be very competitive on road courses this year, but struggles on ovals in the Next Gen car will keep him out of the playoffs.

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin explains when NASCAR drivers should worry about points, standings

Stock Up: Tyler Reddick

After failing to win a single race in 2025, Tyler Reddick started his 2026 campaign with a Crown Jewel win. Although he wasn’t dominant, his last lap move to get to the front of the field and win the Daytona 500 shows what Reddick is capable of and why he was the NASCAR regular-season champion in 2024. After a turbulent season on the track last year, Reddick has regained his confidence and focus. More wins are coming this year.

RELATED: NASCAR points standings after Daytona 500

Stock Down: Alex Bowman

Hendrick Motorsports’ fourth-best driver always feels some pressure to perform. Alex Bowman has phenomenal equipment and a great team, but results in recent seasons – only one win in the last three years – have been disappointing. Unfortunately for Bowman, his 2026 campaign got off to a bad start. Not only did the No. 48 car fail to lead a lap in the Daytona 500, but it completed only 123 laps after its car suffered race-ending damage in a collision during the Big One. With that result, he now ranks 22nd in average finishing position (20.3) over the last 15 races, with the likes of Daniel Suarez, AJ Allmendinger and Justin Allgaier having multiple top-five finishes (one).

RELATED: NASCAR Hot Seat 2026

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Who will win the NASCAR race this weekend? There’s always a little chaos in the final laps, as we saw in Sunday’s Daytona 500. However, NASCAR’s top drivers have track records on superspeedways that can often paint a picture of what will happen in a Cup Series race on Sunday.

Let’s look at the NASCAR odds for this week’s Cup Series race in Atlanta, the AutoTrader 400 at Echopark Speedway. Odds for both race winner and top-3 finish are via DraftKings.

RELATED: NASCAR Predictions for the AutoTrader 400

RELATED: NASCAR schedule, TV information and qualifying times this week for Atlanta

NASCAR picks this week

Ryan Blaney – Race Winner (+1000)

We don’t often pick a favorite to win a Cup Series race on Sunday, unless it’s Shane van Gisbergen on a road course. However, Ryan Blaney performed very well at Daytona until debris around him caused so much damage to the No. 12 car that it fell out of contention. He finished fourth here last February and won the pole in qualifying (30.91 seconds), so there’s no doubt Team Penske can put him in great position to win at Echopark Speedway. After a disappointing performance last Sunday, we think Blaney will bounce back with a win this weekend.

Joey Logano – Top 3 Finish (+300)

Joey Logano finished 12th in the race at Atlanta last February, but led 83 laps and finished third in Stage 2. Logano scored four career top-five finishes in 24 races at Atlanta, finished third in laps led (528) and second among active Cup Series drivers. This is a track where Team Penske has had a great deal of success. Although we don’t think Logano wins the AutoTrader 400, we are picking him to finish in the top-three.

Kyle Busch – Top 5 Finish (+260)

After winning the pole for the Daytona 500, Kyle Busch ultimately finished the race in 15th place, and it could have been even worse had he not had a major crash ahead of him. Luckily, the future Hall of Famer is now on his way to one of his best tracks. Since 2023 at Echopark Speedway, Busch has claimed an average finishing position of 8.8 (first in the Cup Series) with five top 10s and a pair of top-five finishes. We believe what happened at Daytona led to a comeback to No. 8 and a top five finish on the AutoTrader 400.

Carson Hocevar – Top 10 Finish (+165)

Carson Hocevar led the Daytona 500 on the final lap when an offset bump spun him from the lead, resulting in his car hitting the outside wall and sliding through the infield. Although it wiped out his first career win, Hocevar showed at Bowman Gray and Daytona that he is ready to make a jump this season. He now heads to Echopark Speedway, where he has two career top-10 finishes in four Cup Series starts at the reconfigured track. With the No. 77 car clearly on pace to run at the front of the field, we are confident that Hocevar will post a top-10 finish at Atlanta.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings before AutoTrader 400

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The first points race of the 2026 NASCAR season is in the books, with Sunday’s Daytona 500 providing some excitement, crashes and a wild finale to open the regular season. With many of NASCAR’s best drivers involved in crashes, Sunday’s results were a little worse than usual, and that has some impact on the power rankings entering Week 2.

Let’s dive into our latest NASCAR Power Rankings after the Daytona 500. There will be plenty of changes in the coming weeks, with players like Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe sure to rise as they provide better finishes.

1. Tyler Reddick

Tyler Reddick won the Daytona 500 thanks to great final-lap driving and a push from teammate Riley Herbst. It’s reminiscent of the driver we saw in 2024, who won the regular season title and reached Championship 4 in a season where he won three races (T-3rd most), finished fourth in laps led (597) and tied for second most top 10s (21). Redick’s 2025 campaign always felt like a reflection on everything going on around him off the track, but all that is behind him now. That’s why 23XI Racing has a chance to win the championship this season.

RELATED: Insider sheds light on Tyler Reddick’s future with 23XI Racing

2. Chase Elliott

There was heartbreak for Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team at the Daytona 500. Until the final seconds, Elliott was hoping for a dominant win and a winning start to the 2026 NASCAR season. Then, disaster struck. Tyler Reddick got around Elliott thanks to a push from teammate Riley Herbst. Herbst then swerved to the right to avoid hitting Elliott, resulting in a collision with Michael McDowell, after which Herbst’s car flipped into Elliott and crushed him at the finish line. Still, Elliott finished fourth in the 500 just days after winning Duel 2, and he is third in points heading into Atlanta.

RELATED: Daytona 500 winners, losers

3. Joey Logano

Both winners of the duel at Daytona finished in the top five in the 500 on Sunday and had to give post-race interviews in the care center after a massive crash at the finish line. Joey Logano performed well in the first superspeedway race of the season, recording the fifth-most points (36) and leading the sixth-most laps (9), which is impressive considering he was 29th at the end of Stage 1. Logano now heads to Atlanta, a track he has won at twice before and has a stellar history of starting at the front of the field (3.2 average starting positions since 2023).

RELATED: NASCAR Truck Results from Daytona International Speedway

4. William Byron

The reason William Byron ranks so high in our NASCAR Power Rankings after Daytona is because he finished 12th despite accomplishing so much on the track. He already had to resort to the backup No. 24 car to start the Daytona 500, and then he hit the wall twice during Stage 1, requiring multiple trips to the pits under caution. He finally seemed to be gaining momentum, but then he ran into the Big One and suffered more damage. Somehow, Byron finished 12th on the day, with Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe all finishing outside the top 25.

RELATED: Daytona 500 results, NASCAR stage results today

5. Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney finished 27th in the Daytona 500, but he was one of NASCAR’s best drivers for most of Sunday until the Big One took him out. The No. 12 recorded the most stage points on Sunday – third in Stage 1 (8 points) and second in Stage 2 (9 points) – and was in the top 18 with one lap to go when he went out in Carson Hocevar’s wreck. It felt like he had bad luck last season – 9 DNFs – but Blaney’s stage points still helped him have a strong day, and his overall performance is even more important than the finish.

RELATED: NASCAR points standings today after the Daytona 500

6. Chris Buescher

Sunday proved to be a productive day at the track for Chris Buescher, especially considering the context. Forced to use a backup car in the Daytona 500, he had to navigate his way from last (41st) on the starting grid, and he did so very quickly, as evidenced by his sixth-place finish in Stage 1. Buescher kept himself at the front from then on, finishing seventh in Stage 2 and retaining that position at the end. Possibly NASCAR’s most underrated driver is poised for a strong 2026 campaign, and his performance on Sunday shows he should win at least one race this season.

RELATED: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series results from Daytona International Speedway

7. Bubba Wallace

Bubba Wallace led the most laps in the Daytona 500 (39), scored his first stage win of the season, and probably should have done better than 10th on Sunday. Unfortunately for the No. 23 team, Hocevar’s crash on the final lap pushed William Byron below the yellow line; When he came back slower than the rest of the field – almost clipping Joey Logano – Wallace had to check out to avoid an even bigger crash. Wallace probably deserved a top-five finish on Sunday, but he fell out of it with 37 points, and 23XI Racing showed it has the speed to be dangerous this year.

RELATED: Winner of 23XI Racing lawsuit, loser wins over NASCAR

8. Kyle Larson

It was a disappointing day for the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion. Starting eighth in the field at Daytona International Speedway, Larson’s No. 5 car suffered heavy damage in the Big One. He got caught in a stack-up and, when contact from behind sent him sideways, his front was pushed by teammate Alex Bowman. A battered No. 5 car had no chance of fighting its way back to the front, but another major crash on the final lap allowed Larson to finish at least 16th. He’ll head to Atlanta ranked 15th in points, but we’ll still bet on him to lead NASCAR in wins this year.

9. Denny Hamlin

What would have happened to Denny Hamlin if it weren’t for Justin Allgaier’s serious mental error? With eight laps to go in Stage 2, Allgaier pitted late to try to hold off Hamlin to preserve the lead. Instead, the contact triggered the Big One, causing damage to the front of the No. 11 car. Hamlin dropped back to 11th until Corey Haim came up behind him with nine laps to go, resulting in the No. 11’s right side hitting the wall. Hamlin finished 31st in the race and left Daytona in 33rd place in points.

10. Kyle Busch

Sitting on the pole for the Daytona 500, it finally seemed like Kyle Busch had a real chance to end his two-year winless drought in the Cup Series. Unfortunately, as seems fitting for his time with Richard Childress Racing, it ended in disappointment. Busch still led 19 laps at Daytona and finished fourth in Stage 2. Indeed, the points total (29) and finish (15th) could have been worse. Thankfully, the experienced driver’s wisdom caused him to slow down in the final lap in fear of another accident. Busch’s approach paid off, as staying behind kept him out of a final lap upset, and he spun around the carnage to earn a top-15 finish. It was not the result he had hoped for after starting on pole, but it could have been much worse.

RELATED: Spire Motorsports to Go ‘Big-Game Hunting’ in NASCAR Silly Season

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson