NASCAR Power Rankings: Briscoe Breaks Through at Pocono

Following Shane van Gisbergen's win a week ago at Mexico City, Chase Briscoe punched his 2025 playoff ticket with a win at Pocono Raceway. It was Briscoe's first win since joining Joe Gibbs Racing, and he earned it by keeping teammate, and Pocono master, Denny Hamlin behind him as he managed his fuel to the finish. Briscoe and team made no mistakes on the day and capitalized when the opportunity presented itself, earning their way into the 2025 championship playoffs. The victory also topped off a run of fine form from the No. 19, which demonstrates that Briscoe is getting more familiar in his new surroundings at JGR and is beginning to maximize what he is getting out of the equipment. Briscoe's win made him the 11th different winner this season, which leaves just five playoff spots left to be claimed on points alone. However, nine races remain in the regular season, and there are still several top drivers yet to visit Victory Lane. The rush to claim one of the dwindling playoff spots to be part of the championship battle continues next week at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway), where Christopher Bell scored his first 2025 win in February over runner-up Carson Hocevar.

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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings After Pocono

1. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11

Last Week: 3

Taking a week off to welcome his new son didn't slow Hamlin's progress one bit. He stormed back to action at one of his best tracks, taking pole for Sunday's race, winning the first stage, and leading 32 laps on his way to a runner-up finish behind teammate Chase Briscoe. Pocono was the perfect venue for Hamlin to make his return, and the week's success suggests he and his No. 11 team can continue hitting the heights they were climbing prior to Mexico. Hamlin now has three consecutive finishes of third or better from his last three starts and only trails Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson in the standings. Hamlin finished sixth at Atlanta in February.

2. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24

Last Week: 1

Sunday's 27th-place effort at Pocono marked Byron's second finish outside of the top 20 from his last three races and third from the last five. Despite remaining at the top of the standings, that is the worst run of form for the No. 24 of the season so far. The week-to-week consistency that propelled Byron to the top of the standings appears to be fleeting at the moment. At Pocono, the points leader crashed in qualifying and was forced to a back-up car. His last-place starting spot set up a challenging day. However, the team was able to score stage points in both segments before slipping backward to finish the race 27th, which is the same spot he finished at Atlanta in February.

3. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5

Last Week: 4

Larson quickly recovered from a stumble in Mexico to return to the top 10 at Pocono. That result required some effort, too. After a disappointing qualifying effort, Larson was forced to drive through the field, which he did. After starting 24th, Larson climbed up the order to reach the top 10 and collect stage points in the second segment. From there, Larson held position and walked away with a seventh-place finish in another example of maximizing a challenging situation. The finish was Larson's series leading 12th top-10 of the season and third from the last four races. Atlanta's superspeedway-style racing is up next, which Larson has been improving on, too.

4. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20

Last Week: 2

Last week was a quiet one from Bell and the No. 20 team. Things started positively with a ninth-place qualifying effort, but a crash before the 100-lap mark put Bell behind the curve for the rest of the afternoon. With no stage points earned and a 17th-place finish, the stop at Pocono will be one to forget. With three victories so far, Bell still sits inside the top five in the standings and has reason to be confident, though. He finished outside of the top 20 just once since April and is returning to the site of his first victory of the season this week at Atlanta. Bell and team are building toward the playoffs and won't let one week of disappointment change their trajectory.

5. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12

Last Week: 5

The Pocono race weekend was another productive one for Blaney. Despite a disappointing qualifying outcome, Blaney worked his way into the top 10 for the finish of the second stage and claimed his seventh top-five finish of the season at the checkered flag. Blaney was one of the race's biggest movers, finishing 17 positions higher than where he started the day. Getting the most out of challenging situations and capitalizing when opportunities, present themselves like they did at Pocono, are two areas that can take the team deep into the championship knockout rounds. Even better for Blaney is a stop at Atlanta next week where he is a former winner and will likely be a favorite to win given the track's superspeedway characteristics.

6. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9

Last Week: 6

Elliott extended his streak of consistent finishes with another fifth-place finish at Pocono. Sunday's result was his fifth top-five of the season and his second in as many races. Even without a victory, Elliott has amassed enough points to rank fifth in the standings. A race win to solidify his spot in the playoffs is still the goal, though. At Atlanta, Elliott won from pole in 2022, but he only finished 20th there earlier this season. That 20th-place finish was his worst of the season, though. While Atlanta has become a little more unpredictable, Elliott still has the goods to claim a top finish. Given the right circumstances, he'll be seeking a chance to win, too.

7. Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing No. 1

Last Week: 7

Pocono Raceway is a track Chastain has never scored a Cup Series top-10 at, and that trend continued Sunday as he qualified 21st and finished 26th. In what was largely an anonymous day for the No. 1 machine, Chastain failed to score stage points and increased his season tally by just 11 with his worst finish since Miami back in March. However, Chastain still sits eighth in points and is firmly in the playoffs with his win at Charlotte. Certain tracks are not Chastain's forte and Pocono is one of them. Atlanta could be different, though. He led 25 laps and finished eighth at the track in February despite starting 33rd.

8. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22

Last Week: 8

Sunday's 16th-place finish at Pocono isn't the most impressive result, but it reversed back-to-back finishes outside of the top 20 for the playoff contender. Pocono should have been a place for Logano to steady the ship and reverse his trend. That is exactly what he did, and now his sights will be firmly fixed on Atlanta, which should be a place he can impress. Logano led 83 laps at that track earlier this season in a 12th-place effort. Given Team Penske's strength at superspeedways, Logano has a great opportunity to build on last week's turnaround to get back into the top-10 finishers. The focus for the No. 22 team remains playoff preparation and being in the mix to win this week at Atlanta would be a sign they are finding success on that path.

9. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19

Last Week: N/A

Briscoe achieved his breakthrough Sunday at Pocono, holding off teammate (and perhaps the best driver at that track) in a masterful fuel economy drive.  It was Briscoe's first win since taking over the wheel of the No. 19 machine, and it capped off a string of improving results through the past several weeks. Prior to the All-Star Race, Briscoe had just four top-10 finishes to his credit this season. In just the six races since, Briscoe doubled that total and added the victory that earns him a spot in the playoffs. Briscoe is holding down ninth position in the standings, up two spots from last week, knowing that he can freely focus on playoff preparations over the next several weeks. The remainder of the 2025 season could be onward and upward for the No. 19 team.

10. Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing No. 21

Last Week: 9

Berry and his Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 team kept the momentum rolling at Pocono. A rear diffuser issue cost him during qualifying, and the team's adjustments to get race ready meant dropping to the rear for the start. Despite the poor circumstances, Berry persevered, claiming an impressive second-place finish in the second stage for some valuable points. That momentum carried into the final stage, boosting Berry to a 12th-place finish on a day that could have been significantly worse. It was Berry's third top-15 finish from the last five races, and it continues his improvement since the All-Star Race. Atlanta could be more good news, too. Berry started third there in February, won the first stage, and led 56 laps before crashing on the final lap.

Knocking on the Door

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23

Last Week: 10

Sunday's Pocono race was one to forget for Wallace and team. Following moving to the rear at the start for unapproved adjustments, Wallace's afternoon ended early after his brakes failed on lap 54, sending the No. 23 Toyota careening into the wall and out of the race. Wallace was one of just four drivers not to finish, and his 36th-place result was his third finish worse than 30th in the six races since the All-Star Race. Still winless in 2025, Wallace needs as many points as he can gather and Sunday netted him just one. Wallace now heads to Atlanta well clear of the playoff cutline but needing a race win to feel more confident of securing his spot in the championship battle.

Ryan Preece, RFK Racing No. 60

Last Week: N/A

Sunday's eighth-place finish tied Preece's prior series best finish at Pocono and earned him his fourth top-10 finish in the last six races and his seventh of the season. Preece has gotten up to speed quickly with RFK Racing and fantasy players should expect his good form to continue as the season ages and he grows even more comfortable in the No. 60. We are seeing Preece finally have an opportunity to live up to his potential in the series, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him win a race before the year is over. He heads to Atlanta embroiled in the playoff cutline battle and more races like Sunday's will help him earn one of those 16 coveted positions.

Chris Buescher, RFK Racing No. 17

Last Week: N/A

Buescher qualified on the front row at Pocono and raced among the top five the entire afternoon. He picked up stage points in both segments before consolidating the third finishing spot, primed to capitalize if either of the two Toyota drivers ahead of him faltered. It was another confident and productive performance from the No. 17 team that has them knocking on the door of a 2025 win. As things stand, Buescher ranks 13th in the standings with a comfortable cushion of points back to the drop zone. However, a win is the target. The top finishes he is scoring now are nice, but after winning at least one race each of the last three seasons, Buescher expects more before the year is over.