Power Rankings: Can Charlotte Sting Boost Byron in Nashville?

The 2025 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was a showcase of bold moves and late-race drama. William Byron dominated much of the night, but it was Ross Chastain who made the final pass to grab his first Cup Series victory of the season.

Byron, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet, led the most laps and swept the first three stages, nearly pulling off his first win since the Daytona 500 earlier in the year.

Even without the trophy, his outstanding performance earned him the most points of any driver on Sunday—15 more than Chastain—and helped him reclaim the top spot in the Cup standings. Read more about Byron’s night at Charlotte here.

Byron is heading to this week’s Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville with plenty of momentum and confidence after signing a new contract extension. As the series leader, he has shown speed almost everywhere and will be a favorite to battle up front again this weekend.

Last year at Nashville, Byron was a contender, and his team expects another strong run on Sunday when the green flag drops at 7 p.m. ET.

Chastain’s win has silenced some critics and put him firmly back into the championship picture. He has found success at Nashville before, with one victory and three top-five finishes in the last four races there.

Additional details on Chastain’s Coca-Cola 600 victory can be found here.

That makes him a favorite to repeat and rack up more points. Also worth watching will be Denny Hamlin, who scored 44 points at Charlotte despite losing time on pit road late.

In each of the past three Nashville events, Hamlin has led over 70 laps, proving he is a threat if he avoids trouble. Kyle Larson continues to attract attention after a rough Memorial Day weekend that saw him fail to finish both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, losing the points lead as a result.

Larson’s track record at Nashville is impressive, including a win and three more top-10s in four starts. If his team finds its rhythm, a turnaround could be on the horizon.

Other drivers in the top mix include Christopher Bell, who has only one non-top-10 finish in over two months and has looked strong on almost every type of track. Bell led 131 laps at Nashville last year, and many believe he is poised for another win soon.

Chase Elliott has not finished outside the top 20 this season, holding on to a career-best average finish. He is a past winner at Nashville and could break into victory lane again if things go his way this weekend.

Joey Logano and Alex Bowman faced struggles at Charlotte, finishing outside the top 15 and dealing with inconsistent results in recent weeks. Logano scored his first Nashville win last season during the playoffs and is searching for a spark to get back into race-winning form.

Bowman, meanwhile, finds himself just hanging around the top 10 in points but with unpredictable results race-to-race. Several drivers could use a good result at Nashville to boost their playoff hopes.

Tyler Reddick, for example, has not finished better than 14th since early April, while Austin Cindric has only one top 10 since March. Michael McDowell and Chris Buescher are coming off their best races in weeks and might surprise with another strong showing on the concrete oval.

Attention at the track shifts to the Cracker Barrel 400 this Sunday, where the top 20 drivers in the power rankings aim to turn recent momentum into victory. With broadcast coverage starting in primetime, all eyes will be on whether William Byron can keep his points lead and possibly add another win—or if one of his rivals will steal the spotlight at Nashville. For a full overview of recent 2025 NASCAR results, see here.

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.