Ultimate Power Rankings: Top Contenders Revealed Now

Martin Truex Jr. has surged back into the top three in this week’s NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings after a consistent string of finishes inside the top ten since mid-April. Truex moved up two spots after claiming a strong third place in last weekend’s event at Charlotte, marking his sixth top-five result this season.

That performance keeps him within 50 points of the series lead, making him a factor in the regular season standings. Denny Hamlin holds steady in first after adding his fourth win of 2024 at Darlington just two weeks ago.

Hamlin’s run includes nine top-tens through fourteen races. William Byron, who led 79 laps at Charlotte before engine trouble, remains close behind in second place on the list.

Byron has led more than 500 laps in 2024, the most among all Cup Series drivers so far, and has collected three victories, including the season-opening Daytona 500. Defending champion Kyle Larson slipped to fourth after a collision ended his day early at Kansas.

Larson still has four race wins, tied with Hamlin for the most this season. Christopher Bell rounds out the current top five, moving up after a strong finish at Charlotte where he posted his seventh top-ten of the year.

Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have secured 14 wins in points-paying races dating back to the 2023 season, continuing that team’s trend of consistent high-level performance. Joey Logano maintains his place in sixth after finishing eighth at Charlotte, showing steady form with top-tens in five of the last seven races.

Tyler Reddick also stays in seventh after bouncing back from a tough week at Darlington with a fifth-place run. Brad Keselowski has climbed two spots to eighth after leading the most laps at North Wilkesboro in the All-Star Race and finishing fourth at Charlotte over Memorial Day weekend.

He is the only driver in the top eight without a win this year, but six top-fives have positioned him well in the playoff standings. Ty Gibbs, the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, slides to ninth after a 15th place at Charlotte but keeps momentum with four top-fives in his rookie Cup season.

Bubba Wallace holds on to tenth despite a late-race incident in Charlotte that left him outside the top twenty. He still averages a finish inside the top twelve at 1.5-mile tracks in 2024.

The upcoming race at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis could shake up the Power Rankings again. This is just the third time the Cup Series will race on the 1.25-mile oval, and past results show several drivers with top finishes here.

Joey Logano won the inaugural 2022 event, while Kyle Busch took last year’s victory with Joe Gibbs Racing. With 22 points races left before the playoffs, every finish matters as top teams look to lock in postseason spots and improve playoff seeding.

NASCAR’s regular season standings remain tight. Six drivers are currently within 60 points of first place.

The competition will likely intensify as the summer stretch of races arrives. Drivers and teams will focus on scoring stage points, maximizing consistency, and chasing additional wins to secure a spot in the Playoffs. This fight for postseason relevance shares the same intensity found in the Outlaw Nitro Series 2025, where every run counts.

The next event promises new challenges and opportunities for changes in the Power Rankings as the Cup Series heads into June, with fans watching to see who will keep momentum and who can rise in the standings. The thrill of these shifts is reminiscent of laughing about wild rides in motorsport history, where unexpected moments can change the course of a season.

John Martinez

John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.