Chase Briscoe left no ambiguities in the minds of his competition as he qualified second for Sunday's YellaWood 500, won the second stage, and went on to take the race win. The statement win caps off an impressive season in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing with three wins and now a spot in the championship finale along with teammate Denny Hamlin. The race was a banner day on Talladega's high banks for JGR as they swept the checkered flags for both stages and the race with Gibbs taking the first segment before pushing Briscoe to the race win off of the final turn. The victory was far from a sure thing, though. With miles winding down, Hendrick Motorsports had their drivers in prime position to capitalize before an overtime restart caused Kyle Larson to run out of fuel, ending his and teammate William Byron's chances to help each other to the finish line. In the end, it was the tandem of Briscoe and Gibbs that pushed their way to the front, seizing an all-important final-four appearance for Briscoe.
The coming week's trip to Martinsville Speedway will decide which two remaining playoff drivers will line up alongside Hamlin and Briscoe with a chance to win the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship in the season finale. Below the cutline are Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and William Byron. A healthy 36-point gap separates Byron, the closest to the top four, from Kyle Larson
Chase Briscoe left no ambiguities in the minds of his competition as he qualified second for Sunday's YellaWood 500, won the second stage, and went on to take the race win. The statement win caps off an impressive season in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing with three wins and now a spot in the championship finale along with teammate Denny Hamlin. The race was a banner day on Talladega's high banks for JGR as they swept the checkered flags for both stages and the race with Gibbs taking the first segment before pushing Briscoe to the race win off of the final turn. The victory was far from a sure thing, though. With miles winding down, Hendrick Motorsports had their drivers in prime position to capitalize before an overtime restart caused Kyle Larson to run out of fuel, ending his and teammate William Byron's chances to help each other to the finish line. In the end, it was the tandem of Briscoe and Gibbs that pushed their way to the front, seizing an all-important final-four appearance for Briscoe.
The coming week's trip to Martinsville Speedway will decide which two remaining playoff drivers will line up alongside Hamlin and Briscoe with a chance to win the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship in the season finale. Below the cutline are Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and William Byron. A healthy 36-point gap separates Byron, the closest to the top four, from Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell. Those two are separated by just a single point, though. Anything can happen at the short track and there is still time for a comeback charge from whoever can muster the momentum.
To keep up with all your favorite drivers and get updates throughout the race weekend, head to RotoWire's latest NASCAR news or follow @RotoWireNASCAR on X.
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings After Talladega
1. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11
Last Week: 1
Having wrapped up a spot in the final the week prior, Hamlin played it conservatively Sunday at Talladega. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver dropped toward the rear of the pack early in Sunday's race to avoid any major incidents. As the race aged, Hamlin moved forward and was running in the top five when a long stop to fix a throttle problem lost him the track position he had earned. In the end, it was a clean day for the No. 11, leading three laps and finishing 24th. Keeping the team well drilled and learning what they can are the goals prior to unloading in Phoenix and that is exactly what they accomplished at Talladega. With another week of preparation ahead, Hamlin now at least knows who one of his three championship competitors will be.
2. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19
Last Week: 4
Chase Briscoe's run of superb playoff form continued at Talladega in the best way possible. The playoff contender started on the front row and raced at the front of the field all afternoon, winning the second stage and ultimately the race. The victory puts him alongside teammate Denny Hamlin with a spot in the championship finale. Sunday's win, which was Briscoe's first victory on a superspeedway, was his seventh top finish in the playoffs with his lowest being the 14th-place finish at the ROVAL. Briscoe improved in the second half of the season after finding his feet in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, and his best racing is now coming in the playoffs. With an extra week to prepare for Phoenix, Briscoe is working hard to ensure his best is yet to come.
3. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20
Last Week: 3
Among the playoff contenders not already locked into the Phoenix finale, Bell is in the best standing. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver delivered a valuable eighth-place finish Sunday at Talladega which made him one of just two playoff contenders to finish inside the top 15. It was a valuable day without issues that leaves him third in the standings with a 37-point cushion to the drop zone. That big points gap means Bell's primary focus at Martinsville may be on Kyle Larson, who is just one point behind him. If there is a new playoff winner next week, the pair's points battle will decide the fourth and final championship spot. Bell has been the better of the pair in the playoffs with seven consecutive top-10 finishes versus Larson's four, though.
4. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5
Last Week: 2
Superspeedway racing has long been a weak spot in Larson's skillset, but that weakness has been firming up in 2025. That trend continued Sunday at Talladega when Larson worked his way forward from the 19th starting spot to become a fixture at the front of the field and finishing second in the race's second stage. As laps wound down, Larson found himself in position to race for the win, too. Disaster struck on the final overtime lap when Larson's car ran out of fuel, though. What could have been a top finish that gave him some breathing room in the fight to go to Phoenix evaporated in the blink of an eye with a 26th-place finish. Now, Larson sits in the fourth and final championship spot with one race remaining to earn one of two remaining spots that will race for the 2025 championship.
5. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24
Last Week: 7
Like his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, William Byron is facing an uphill battle at Martinsville to be one of the four remaining drivers racing for the championship. That situation was just one lap from being completely different when Byron and Larson led the field to the final restart at Talladega. Everything came undone on that last lap when Larson ran out of fuel and Byron, left with no help, was swallowed by the oncoming field and ultimately suffered a spin in the push the finish line. Byron's 26th-place finish leaves him 36 points behind teammate Larson and the final of the four championship positions. While the points gap is not insurmountable for the No. 24 at Martinsville, it is significant and a win might be necessary. Byron is a two-time Martinsville winner with both coming in spring races at the track.
6. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12
Last Week: 6
The final three-race round of the 2025 playoffs have come apart at the seams for Blaney and his Team Penske No. 12 squad. First, an early exit at Las Vegas left him last among the contenders. Then, despite having speed and strength at Talladega, pushes to the finish never materialized and Blaney slipped backward with no path back to the front for a finish of 23rd despite having the pace to win. With just Martinsville left to save his championship hopes, Blaney sits 47 points behind the top four, which effectively makes the coming week's race a must-win scenario. However, that is no new scenario for him. Blaney won the last two fall visits to Martinsville to earn final-four appearances. He will be hoping lightning can strike for the third time to carry him into the championship finale.
7. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22
Last Week: 8
Like teammate Ryan Blaney, the right pushes at the right time did not come to Logano's aid as Sunday's YellaWood 500 came to a close. After starting 16th and leading 35 laps, Logano lost all-important track position in the final miles at Talladega with no path back to the front. As time and distance ran out, Logano rolled home to a 16th-place finish, which was his fourth finish outside of the top 15 since the playoffs began. As a result, Logano has a 38-point gap to erase to earn a chance to defend his championship at Phoenix. Not all hope is lost, though. Logano will bring an impressive resume to the coming race at Martinsville. He will be going for his 13th-straight top-10 finish at the track next week, but he hasn't visited Victory Lane there since 2018.
8. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9
Last Week: 5
Superspeedway can be unlucky at times and Chase Elliott felt that bite more acutely than most last weekend. The Hendrick Motorsports driver was hoping to have a productive race, taking advantage of Hendrick Motorsports superspeedway strength to be in a more comfortable position in the playoffs. All that was lost when the No. 9 was collected in the first major crash of the day, sending Elliott straight out of the running and leaving him with just a single point from the weekend. As a result, Elliott will face the coming race at Martinsville last among the playoff contenders and needing a victory to keep his championship hopes alive. Elliott has one Martinsville victory and finished in the top five there each of his last three visits.
9. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45
Last Week: 9
No longer being in the playoffs has not kept Reddick from scoring top finishes. His seventh-place run Sunday at Talladega was his 14th top-10 of the season and second in as many races since being eliminated from the championship hunt. Were it not for 2025's lack of wins, Reddick might be achieving even more. As it is, he and team are establishing a firm platform from which they can build through the winter in preparation for 2026. The coming week's visit to Martinsville will be a stern test of where they stand, too. From 11 career starts, Reddick has just two top-10 finishes at the short oval. However, his 14th-place finish there in the spring was better than his average Martinsville finish of 20.2.
10. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23
Last Week: N/A
A strong showing at Talladega helped Wallace push his way back into the power rankings. The 23XI Racing driver started inside the top 10 and raced there throughout the 193 laps to grab a fourth-place finish, officially making 2025 his best season in the series. Sunday's top-five was his sixth of the season and his 14th top-10 of the year, tying the high-water mark he sent in 2024 but adding a win at Indianapolis to push this season over the top. Wallace has been improving each season and he is now poised to grab his best ever finish in the standings, too. He has two races left to maintain his stride and grab some more top finishes. Wallace's third-place finish at Martinsville in March suggests he can do the job, too.
Knocking on the Door
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports No. 48
Last Week: 10
Alex Bowman wasn't immune from a tough day at Talladega for the Hendrick Motorsports organization. He put his No. 48 11th in qualifying, which was a good start, but Bowman was less than impactful once racing got underway. The one bright spot in an otherwise quiet day was his 10th-place finish in the afternoon's second stage, but at the finish, Bowman was just 29th. That was the second time he ended outside of the top 20 and the fourth time he finished 15th or lower in the last five races. Heading to Martinsville, Bowman can again try to help his playoff contender teammates by taking points and a top finish away from their competition, but he has only landed one top-10 there since winning in 2021 and was 27th in this year's spring race.
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing No. 88
Last Week: N/A
Good times keep coming for Shane van Gisbergen and the No. 88 team. As the road-racing superstar continues improving on ovals, his superspeedway craft is coming along as well. He finished outside of the top 25 in the first trips to Daytona and Talladega this season but finished 16th and 11th the second time around. Sunday's 11th-place finish was also his second top-15 oval finish from the last three, and it came from a consistent day and not a fluke at the finish. There is no question that SVG is figuring out NASCAR-style racing, and when that progress is coupled with his road course abilities, fantasy players are looking at a more realistic playoff contender in 2026. Next week's stop at Martinsville gives him a chance at redemption after a lost wheel ruined his race there in April.
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing No. 6
Last Week: N/A
After a very challenging start to the 2025 season, Keselowski is ending the year on one of his best runs of form. The team owner has 12 top-10 finishes in total this year with three of those coming from the last four races. As is typically expecting of him, he was quick again at Talladega. Keselowski qualified 20th for Sunday's race but led seven laps and finished the race 10th. The last time Keselowski had three top-10 finishes from four races was July and August when he scored four finishes of 11th or better from five races. While 2025 has largely been an underperforming year for the No. 6 squad, progress is present and that should help the organization focus on specific areas in their preparation for 2026.
