NASCAR Power Rankings: Christopher Bell Completes JGR Sweep

The return of extreme tire wear generated an unpredictable Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday night. Avoiding the trouble and taking advantage of positive track position, Christopher Bell claimed the victory just a week after lambasting his chances. His win was the third victory for a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the first three races of the 2025 championship playoffs, and the rest of the playoff field has a gap to overcome if they intend to challenge the JGR teammates when the title is decided in Phoenix. However, the field is now reduced from 16 to 12 with Josh Berry, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Dillon, and Alex Bowman all eliminated from the fight with their finishes Saturday night. The quest for the title continues next week with a trip to New Hampshire Motor Speedway where Christopher Bell won last season. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas have won the last three visits to that circuit and their playoff domination may be set to continue as the playoffs resume with just seven races remaining to determine the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings After Bristol

1. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12

Last Week: 1

Blaney and his No. 12 Team Penske squad successfully navigated the tire troubles early Saturday night at Bristol to take advantage of an opportunity to win a stage and claim an all-important playoff point. By the end of the race, Blaney was one of the few playoff contenders to have successfully navigated the race's pitfalls to claim a top finish. His fourth-place result was his second top-five from the first three playoff races and fourth in the last five races. He begins the next round of elimination races fifth in points, too. Getting to Phoenix in championship contention requires consistency and positioning, which are two aspects of Blaney's game that he and team demonstrated Saturday night. The start of this next round of elimination races will be a test of those qualities, though. Blaney hasn't finished in the top 10 at the track since 2021 when he finished fifth and led 64 laps.

2. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24

Last Week: 2

Saturday night's race at Bristol was an effort of damage limitation for many drivers, including William Byron. The Hendrick Motorsports driver qualified confidently inside the top 10, but joined the rest of the field in suffering tire problems early in the race. However, Byron kept his cool and managed the situation, avoiding problems throughout the race's 500 laps, to finish in the 12th position. While the result was somewhat lackluster, it was enough to see him through to the next round of the playoffs where the points reset now seeds him in the second position with a new set of three races to conquer. The No. 24 team's challenge through the next three races will be to improve upon their first round finishing average of 14.7. Only the top eight drivers will advance from this round, and Byron hasn't finished in the top 10 in a race since Watkins Glen. Byron and team must improve quickly to ensure their 24-point advantage to the cut line isn't erased.

3. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11

Last Week: 3

Hamlin entered the Bristol race weekend as one of the clear favorites to win alongside Kyle Larson. Both drivers suffered from the night's pitfalls, though. Hamlin started sixth but a loose wheel thwarted his night and left him fighting back from a two-lap penalty. Ultimately, his victory to start the playoffs made the Bristol race a nonevent, but Hamlin feeds off of momentum and Saturday night's 31st-place result certainly doesn't add to that fire. The points reset that comes with a new playoff round gives him a fresh start, though. Hamlin will enter the next round of elimination races as the first seed, 26 points ahead of the danger of elimination. Up first is New Hampshire where Hamlin has three wins, too. Things could easily turn around for the No. 11, but since the introduction of the current generation of car, Hamlin has not finished better than 14th at New Hampshire's 1.0-mile oval.

4. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19

Last Week: 5

Saturday night's race may not have ended with the result that Briscoe and team hoped for, but the total effort was another indication of this team's preparedness to fight all the way to the finale in Phoenix. The weekend started poorly when Briscoe qualified just 31st, but consistent progress through the field once racing got underway was the true story. Briscoe and team successfully avoided all of the issues the night threw at them and walked away with their third top-10 finish from the first three playoff races. Briscoe's methodical march through the field also got him into the lead, where he spent 127 total laps out front. With a better starting position, who knows what might have been possible. Briscoe starts the next round of playoffs sixth with the points reset, but there may not be a team with more confidence than his right now. To make it even better, Briscoe finished second at New Hampshire last season.

5. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5

Last Week: 4

Larson's Bristol domination came to a screeching halt Saturday night. It was a race full of drama for the No. 5 team, and their 32nd-place finish marked their third straight finish outside of the top 10 from three playoff races. While that is not a start to be proud of, Larson and the No. 5 team could go out and win any given week. With the points reset for the next round of elimination races, Larson sits third in the standings with New Hampshire the next stop on the schedule. He has eight prior top-10 finishes from 14 series starts at the track, and he finished in the top five in his last two visits. While the No. 5 team hasn't been the team to fear yet in the playoffs, their time may still come. One win is all it takes, and that is usually something within Larson's reach. The downside view may be that Larson's last victory came four months ago at Kansas, though. The team will be looking for positives the coming week at New Hampshire.

6. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23

Last Week: 6

A strong effort with a fourth-place finish in the first stage Saturday night clinched playoff advancement for Wallace. He then backed that up with more stage points in the second segment. The night was going according to plan until contact in the final segment put Wallace hard into the wall and out of the race despite a promising finish being within reach. The incident wasn't Wallace's fault, and the car's pace up until that point should be encouraging as the playoffs move on, though. With two top-10s in the first two playoff races, and a third within reach at Bristol, Wallace and his No. 23 team should be full of confidence and expecting to move forward from their eighth position in the reset standings. At New Hampshire, Wallace has a best finish of third. He crashed out of last year's race, but barring any mistakes, this week should be another opportunity for him to grab a playoff top-10 finish.

7. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20

Last Week: 9

After blowing up in frustration on the radio one week prior, Bell managed tires and track position to seize the opportunity and win at Bristol in the final race of the first round of playoff races. It was Bell's first points win since taking three in a row early in the season, and the boost in confidence that comes with it could have him thinking of a potential championship chance at Phoenix. That confidence could be dangerous for the rest of the garage considering he is also the defending winner at New Hampshire. Bell led 149 laps in last year's race to score his second series win at the New England oval. The championship contender sits fourth in the standings to start the second round of playoff eliminations and Saturday night's win at Bristol could be the start of a championship run for him and the team.

8. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22

Last Week: 10

When conditions are challenging, Logano and team seem to rise to the occasion. Saturday night's fifth-place finish was an example of that. While most championship contenders stumbled, Logano pushed forward to score an unlikely top-five after qualifying outside of the top 20. HIs fifth-place finish was his second top-five in a row and third from the last five races, too. Successfully navigating the elimination scenarios is a big part of winning championships, and the No. 22 team is showing their ability to do that again in 2025. Looking ahead, Logano resets for the second playoff round behind the cutoff line in 10th heading to New Hampshire. This has been a good track for Logano in the past with two victories and 14 top-10 finishes from 26 starts. The coming week's race should be an opportunity for Logano to make up some ground and get out of the elimination zone with two more races remaining in the round.

9. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45

Last Week: 8

Sometimes just surviving is what is necessary, and that scenario is largely what Reddick accomplished Saturday at Bristol. On a night where many contenders suffered trials and tribulations, Reddick quietly went about his business and adapted to the situation at hand, taking what he could where possible. It was a largely anonymous night for the No. 45, but while avoiding major incidents, Reddick was able to ensure advancement in the playoffs, which was the night's ultimate goal. Despite resetting 12th in the playoff standings for the next round of elimination races, Reddick lives to fight on and try to gain ground on the championship favorites. With three top-10 finishes from five New Hampshire races, he stands a good chance of starting the coming elimination round strongly with only a three-point deficit to the transfer positions to get the round underway.

10. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9

Last Week: 7

Like many other competitors, Chase Elliott felt the sting of Bristol's bite Saturday night. The former series champ had a lot of things going his direction, but he suffered from tire issues and was part of a crash that ended his night early. Following the incident, he thought his championship hopes had been extinguished. However, the race's multiple incidents left many victims in its wake, leaving Elliott to advance. Saturday night's 38th-place result was his second in the last five races, which is quite the change from scoring top-20 finishes like clockwork all season until August. What looked like the return of consistent finishes for the No. 9 team seems a bit more shaky after Bristol, and Elliott will need to dig deep to regain his form and take a step forward to make it to Phoenix as a championship finalist. The coming week will be a stern challenge, too. Elliott has just three top-10 finishes from 11 New Hampshire races.

Knocking on the Door

Austin Cindric, Team Penske No. 2

Last Week: N/A

Cindric remains on the cusp of breaking into the top 10 in the power rankings on the back of another almost-there performance Saturday night at Bristol. While the result may not reflect what his potential was, his speed up until the issue that forced him out of the running to the pits should bolster his confidence as the playoffs move forward. A third-place qualifying effort, stage points in the second segment, and 10 laps led are what Cindric and team should take away from last week's stop at Bristol. The No. 2 team is making progress and advancing in the playoffs is a just reward for what they have been able to accomplish so far. They have their work cut out for them in advancing to the next round of elimination races, but Cindric and the No. 2 team shouldn't be counted out just yet. More top results could be within reach and the points battle to advance is a tight one heading to New Hampshire.

Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing No. 21

Last Week: N/A

More misfortune Saturday night brought about the nearly inevitable elimination of Berry from the championship playoffs. After winning early in the season, the No. 21 team raced well through much of the year but couldn't ultimately bridge the gap to advance deeper into the elimination rounds. Two crashes to start off the first playoff races were compounded by a fire Saturday night at Bristol that extinguished their championship hopes. It was always going to be an uphill battle for the No. 21 to advance as a small team, but five top-10s and a victory from the season so far should be considered a success. It is Berry's first year with the organization and there is plenty of opportunity to improve. The first of his chances to do so comes this week at New Hampshire where he finished third last season and could begin the remainder of the season with another strong showing.

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing No. 88

Last Week: N/A

While SVG's playoff story may have come to an end Saturday night at Bristol, this combination has shown that they have come to compete and this will not be the last we hear of them. Had SVG been able to buck the odds and transfer to the second round of the playoffs, it would have been well within his reach to make it to the final eight. With a road course yet to run, the No. 88 team's time is not over. They already have four victories to their credit, and they very well could have at least one more before the season ends. On top of that success, oval improvement has been evident. While top-20 oval finishes were a rarity earlier in the season, top-15s are now part of Shane van Gisbergen's repertoire. With more time, SVG and team will continue to improve, and next season we may expect not just a playoff appearance from SVG but further advancement in the fight.