NASCAR Power Rankings: Corey Heim Delivers Upset Brickyard Victory

Corey Heim's remarkable prelude to a full-time NASCAR Cup Series campaign in 2027 continued Sunday at Indianapolis when he captured the first crown jewel victory of his Cup career in the Brickyard 400. It was the reigning NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion's second series win in his part-time 2026 schedule before he takes the wheel full time for 23XI Racing in 2027, and he held off 23XI Racing boss Denny Hamlin to hoist the coveted trophy. Heim's weekend was a dream one. He qualified inside the top 10 to get things going and then held station among the contenders for the rest of the day, capitalizing on track position in the final restarts of the race to get the lead over Denny Hamlin. He then held Christopher Bell at bay for the final laps to land a second series win in 2026. Heim dominated the trucks series in 2025, and 23XI Racing's move to bring him to Cup next season is already paying dividends with even greater achievements seemingly on the horizon.

The run to the championship battle continues heating up next week at Iowa Speedway. It will be the third time the Cup Series races at the track with Ryan Blaney and William Byron winning the first two visits to the midwestern oval. The race will mark the last four races of the regular season as drivers scramble to ensure they secure one of the 16 championship-eligible spots for the run to the title. Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and Ty Gibbs have already locked themselves into the championship field and Austin Cindric currently occupies the 16th and final transfer spot with a 38-point gap over Ryan Preece in 17th.

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NASCAR Power Rankings After Indianapolis

1. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11

Last Week: 1

Had the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas worked better together on the final restart of Sunday's race, Hamlin might have had something more to say in the finish than the the fifth-place result he ended with. Hamlin was one of the faster cars throughout Sunday's race, leading 14 laps and spending almost the whole race among the top five. On the final restarts, Hamlin was on the front row with chances to take the lead once and for all, but weak linkage from the cars behind him let Heim get out front and left Hamlin without momentum. However, Sunday's result was his 12th top-five of the season and a spot in The Chase is secured. Ensuring he wins the regular-season championship is the next goal.

2. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12

Last Week: 2

Blaney entered the Brickyard 400 race weekend with a million-dollar prize on the line as part of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge. All he had to do was finish ahead of Todd Gilliland, and the big pay day would be his to enjoy. Things looked good after he qualified 13th. During the race, Blaney was keeping his car in contention, snooping around the top 10, until disaster struck late in the running. Blaney was tapped while entering turn 3 in a three-wide battle and spun into the outside wall, falling outside of the top 20 after the incident and repairs. The team worked to get him back on track without losing a lap, but Blaney was behind Gilliland, where he stayed until the checkered flag. It was Blaney's worst finish since Talladega, but he is locked into The Chase and has the season's biggest prize still in his sights.

3. Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54

Last Week: 4

Gibbs started the Brickyard 400 fourth and had positive track position that helped him win the first stage and add more points in the second. In total, Gibbs led 46 laps, but he needed more fuel in the final stop than most of the other leaders, and that slower pit stop put him deeper in traffic for the final run to the finish. With track position being such a big factor on the day, Gibbs was unable to move much further forward after that and finished 12th. It wasn't the result the No. 54 was capable of, but it was still enough to clinch a spot in The Chase. With one of the championship slots locked up, the No. 54 team can use the next four races to perfect their approach to the championship battle, and that peace of mind could help them unlock even more performance.

4. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20

Last Week: 6

Despite enduring more than his fair share of bad luck this season, Bell and his No. 20 squad continue putting him in position to win. In the Brickyard 400, Bell started outside of the top 20 and knew he would have work to do to make something of the day, and the team delivered. They put together a strategy that had Bell among the contenders for the final stint. While the effort came up short of the win, it was Bell's ninth top-five of the season, fourth from the last five races. and his sixth runner-up finish of 2026. He may only be 10th in the standings without a victory so far in 2026, but Bell might be the driver with the most momentum on his side. If he can make the break through as the final 10 race run to the title arrives, Bell could very quickly become a title favorite.

5. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45

Last Week: 3

Reddick bounced back from his bad night at North Wilkesboro with a 10th-place run at Indianapolis. That finish was his 14th top-10 of the year, but just his second from the last six races. Reddick's impressive start to the season carried him well into the calendar, but he and the team now find themselves working to rediscover that early form as the championship races approach. Even with Sunday's 10th-place finish, Reddick's average result from the last five races is 24.0 versus 4.2 to start the season. Next week's race could be an indicator of how well the team is doing ahead of The Chase, and fantasy players should pay close attention. At Iowa, Reddick's average finish 20.5 with an average starting spot of 15th. The team will hope to improve on that.

6. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19

Last Week: 9

Briscoe continued his march up the standings with another top-five finish in the Brickyard 400. While it was not the home win he hoped for, Briscoe's confident run to a fourth-place finish earned him his ninth top-five result of the season. It also continues a fine run of form that sees the No. 19 finish fourth or better in four of the last five races, which now has him placed seventh in the championship standings. Peaking at the right time can make all the difference in the championship as the final 10-race battle to the title lays just four more races away, and Briscoe is finding his form at a good time. Things could get even better, too. Briscoe started on pole at Iowa last season in his first visit there with Joe Gibbs Racing and finished second with 81 laps led.

7. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9

Last Week: 5

Sunday's race was always going to be a challenging one for Elliott once he qualified 27th. Not long after teammate Kyle Larson suffered a rear tire failure, Elliott had one of his own that ruined his day. Once the failure happened, Elliott kept the car off of the wall and nursed it back to pit road for repairs. However, he was then several laps down to the field with no chance to truly recover. At the finish, Elliott was 41 laps down in 37th. It was Elliott's worst finish since Charlotte and it lost him a spot in the championship standings, too. The Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets continue to show some promise but remain behind the Toyotas and time is running out. At Iowa, Elliott's best finish was third in 2024. He finished 14th last year with 11 laps led.

8. Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports No. 77

Last Week: 8

Winning pole position at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a dream start to the weekend for Hocevar. The Spire Motorsports team fielded very quick cars with both Hocevar and Danie Suarez starting on the front row. In the race, Hocevar was also a force, but it wasn't enough for him to convert the top starting spot into another victory. Instead, Hocevar scooped up stage points and another top-10 finish to help push him another two spots forward in the championship standings. Hocevar and Spire have been impressive all season and are continuing to deliver with The Chase just over a month away. That positive trajectory should continue at Iowa, too. Hocevar finished eighth in last year's race there.

9. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5

Last Week: 7

A blown tire sent Kyle Larson spinning into the outside wall early Sunday at Indianapolis, handing him his third finish of 30th or worse in the last four races. Even last week at North Wilkesboro, Larson's 15th-place finish came after contact broke a wheel. It has been a long dry spell for the No. 5, and he remains winless for more than a year. With four races left before the championship battle begins, this team has a lot of work to do. At this point, a return to Victory Lane would be a huge achievement, let alone contending for the title. The coming race at Iowa could bring another struggle. Despite starting on the pole and third in the two races there, Larson's average finish is only 31.0. He did lead 81 laps in 2024 from that top starting spot, though.

10. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22

Last Week: N/A

Logano was able to build on his North Wilkesboro victory with another strong run at Indianapolis. After qualifying 19th, the No. 22 team used pit strategy to gain track position and put Logano inside the top five late in the race. From there, he held position and drove to his fourth top-five finish of the year and third straight top-10. After being behind the competition for much of the season, Logano and his team have lit a fire underneath themselves and are climbing the standings. He was below the championship cutline just a few weeks ago, but after the Brickyard 400, Logano sits 13th in the standings and 27 points ahead of teammate Austin Cindric. With two top-10s in two Iowa starts, the No. 22 team should have plenty of confidence heading into next week's race, too.

Knocking on the Door

Corey Heim, 23XI Racing No. 67

Last Week: N/A

After dominating last year's NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season with 12 victories, Corey Heim made the decision to run a piece-meal schedule in 2026 in multiple NASCAR series, and is making his chances count. He has won three races from six starts in the trucks and added his second Cup Series win Sunday at Indianapolis. Heim qualified inside the top 10, finished inside the top 10 each stage, then placed his car perfectly after taking the lead. He led the final 35 laps, making sure Christopher Bell couldn't get close enough to mount a serious challenge, and captured one of NASCAR's crown jewel race wins in just his 15th career start and eighth of the season. Heim was expected to find success in NASCAR's top series, but not everyone expected it to be so soon. He joins 23XI racing full time in 2027.

Chris Buescher, RFK Racing No. 17

Last Week: 10

Following a tough race at North Wilkesboro, Buescher steadied the ship at Indianapolis. Without making waves, he delivered a quietly productive run and finished 11th with no major drama. That was Buescher's second finish of 11th or better in the last five races and his fifth straight top-20. That consistency could pay dividends with the battle for Chase positions growing tighter. Buescher now sits 10th in the standings with a comfortable margin to the cutline, but maintaining that advantage, and finding more performance, will be necessary in the coming races before the championship battle begins. At Iowa, Buescher's average finish is 20.0, with a best result of 18th in 2024.

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23

Last Week: N/A

One of the highlights of Wallace's racing career was his 2025 Brickyard 400 win. His return to defend that victory last weekend was a tough one, though. Things got off on the wrong foot when he clouted the wall in practice, and it only got more challenging once racing got underway Sunday afternoon. Wallace struggled with track position throughout the race after starting 29th and failed to score stage points before finishing 28th. That result extended his streak of alternating strong and poor finishes, too. Wallace has now finished sixth or better every other race since Michigan while finishing worse than 20th in the races between. Consistency is key in this series, and the No. 23 team is still trying to find it.