The NASCAR Cup Series returned to the ovals Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway. Chase Elliott dominated the early running, but a slow stop later in the afternoon eliminated his track position advantage, and that was when the Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing pounced. Christopher Bell won the second stage and set up a multi-car battle to the finish with several drivers looking capable of winning. In the end, track position proved to be the most important factor and Denny Hamlin was the one who had it. Through a rain stoppage and multiple overtime restarts, the No. 11 was too quick to overcome on restarts and Hamlin put each of his adversaries for the win behind him as he fought mightily for his fourth victory of the season. He is the first driver to reach four wins this season and remains atop the weekly power rankings as a result.
The coming week's trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway should be another hotly contested race among the familiar faces at the front of the field. Kyle Larson won there last season and is breathing down Hamlin's neck after coming from 25th at the start to finish fourth on Sunday. However, both drivers will have to overcome Chase Elliott, who took the points lead from teammate William Byron with his stage win and sixth-place race finish last week. The fight for the regular-season championship is sure to heat up next week at the Brickyard.
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The NASCAR Cup Series returned to the ovals Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway. Chase Elliott dominated the early running, but a slow stop later in the afternoon eliminated his track position advantage, and that was when the Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing pounced. Christopher Bell won the second stage and set up a multi-car battle to the finish with several drivers looking capable of winning. In the end, track position proved to be the most important factor and Denny Hamlin was the one who had it. Through a rain stoppage and multiple overtime restarts, the No. 11 was too quick to overcome on restarts and Hamlin put each of his adversaries for the win behind him as he fought mightily for his fourth victory of the season. He is the first driver to reach four wins this season and remains atop the weekly power rankings as a result.
The coming week's trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway should be another hotly contested race among the familiar faces at the front of the field. Kyle Larson won there last season and is breathing down Hamlin's neck after coming from 25th at the start to finish fourth on Sunday. However, both drivers will have to overcome Chase Elliott, who took the points lead from teammate William Byron with his stage win and sixth-place race finish last week. The fight for the regular-season championship is sure to heat up next week at the Brickyard.
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 Dover
1. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11
Last Week: 1
Hamlin's run of terrific results continued Sunday in a hard-fought victory at Dover. He led the final 67 laps of the race to score his fourth win of the season, surviving two overtime restarts to get the job done. While Hamlin was among the leaders all afternoon, his car really showed its strength late in the running as he battled teammates and competitors alike to get out front and stay there. Since skipping the road course race in Mexico, Hamlin has three top-five finishes from five races. Continued finishes like that should be enough to see him deep into the playoffs, and he and the team will be working hard to ensure they keep that momentum until then.
2. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9
Last Week: 3
After spending more than 200 laps in the lead, winning a stage, and scoring his 12th top-10 finish of the season Sunday, Elliott passed teammate William Byron in the points to head the championship standings. Elliott's consistency this season has been unsurpassed and he still has yet to finish outside of the top 20. He also leaves Dover with four finishes of sixth or better from the last five races, but he lacks the multiple race wins of his primary competitors. Those wins will come by continuing to run like he has, though. Elliott is making a push for the regular-season championship while building momentum for the playoffs, too.
3. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5
Last Week: 4
Larson started Sunday's Dover race in a hole after rain washed out practice and qualifying. NASCAR's metric meant Larson started just 25th with significant ground to cover once racing got underway. Larson wasted no time and was inside the top 10 by the time the first stage ended, though. From there, he was fixture among the leaders but ultimately settled for a fourth-place finish after many late restarts. The result was his 10th top-five of the season and series-leading 13th top-10 finish, making it a productive day from a difficult start. With a little more consistency, Larson might be leading the points, but most importantly is his build toward the playoffs as he continues to make his mark on the season.
4. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24
Last Week: 2
A late crash eliminated Byron's chances for a complete return to top finishes at Dover. The Hendrick Motorsports driver raced inside the top 10 most of the afternoon before being collected in one of the race's final incidents, which left him with a 31st-place result. It was Byron's fourth finish worse than 25th from the last five races, and he lost the points lead, too. The good news for the No. 24 team is that they were competitive throughout most of the afternoon. They'll need to begin completing the race finishes along with that competitiveness again soon with the playoffs approaching, though. Only five regular-season races remain to get things going the right direction again.
5. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20
Last Week: 5
After leading 67 laps and winning the second stage, Bell seemingly had Sunday's Dover win within grasp. Unfortunately, while racing Hamlin at the front, Bell lost control and spun out of contention. It was his second spin of the day, but this one came too late to overcome and the potential victory reversed itself into an 18th-place finish. Bell said he was disappointed in himself after the race, but he remains one of just four drivers with multiple race wins this season with five races remaining until the championship fight truly begins. The coming race at Indianapolis gives Bell a chance at quick redemption, too. He finished fourth there last season despite starting 18th.
6. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12
Last Week: 6
Ford hasn't been the most competitive at Dover in recent years, and this past weekend's race didn't change that dynamic. No Ford drivers finished in the top five and only three finished in the top 10. Best of those was Ryan Blaney, though. The Team Penske driver made the most of what he had and made no mistakes through a treacherous race to finish eighth. That result was even more impressive considering Blaney only started 31st. To move that far forward in the race to be the best finishing Ford speaks volumes about the team's potential. Their situation should improve next week, too. Blaney started seventh and finished third at Indianapolis last season and will be hunting his 10th top-10 of the season next week.
7. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19
Last Week: 8
With three top-two finishes in the last five races, Briscoe is steadily moving up the power rankings. Dover was a great example of him getting more comfortable in the No. 19 as the season progresses. The track is one that Joe Gibbs Racing has had much success on in the past, and Briscoe was able to leverage that knowledge to work his way into contention for the victory, walking away with his eighth top-five finish of the season. With a little more edge, he might have even claimed his season victory of the season. Briscoe is starting to flex his muscle and show that he can be a contender each week, which is a perfect path to be on as the playoffs approach.
8. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22
Last Week: 7
Logano kept his string of respectable finishes rolling at Dover with a 14th-place finish. It was his third top-15 result in a row after four races outside of that range, which could serve as a platform for he and the team to build from in the final races of the regular season. Dover has historically not been Ford's best track, but some of the circuits on deck should suit the manufacturer and Logano better, which should give the team some optimism as the playoffs loom ahead. At Indianapolis for example, Logano has eight top-10s from 13 starts. He crashed out of last year's race but was able to qualify 12th before that. The team must continue taking steps forward to be operating in race-winning form by the time the playoffs commence.
9. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45
Last Week: 10
Reddick's 12th-place finish at Dover keeps him ahead in points of all drivers yet to score a 2025 race victory. He started the day in fourth position after qualifying was canceled, and he raced in and around the top 10 for much of the day. While the finish didn't extend his run of top-10 finishes, it was still the type of result that he and the team are looking for. The rough patches that comprised much of the season to date appear to be firmly in the rearview mirror, and continuing to be among the top 10 each week should give the No. 45 a chance at a win before the regular season concludes. If that doesn't happen, a playoff spot still appears likely based on Reddick's points haul.
10. Chris Buescher, RFK Racing No. 17
Last Week: N/A
After one week out of the top 10 power rankings, Buescher moves back in with a ninth-place run at Dover. Sunday's finish was the team's third top-10 from the last five races and their 11th of the season, which ties Denny Hamlin and William Byron among others. The only box left unchecked for Buescher this season remains the race win that would guarantee his spot in the playoffs. As it stands, Buescher sits 15th in the standings with a 28-point gap over Bubba Wallace in the final transfer position. However, that spot remains precarious as just one first-time season winner, not named Tyler Reddick or Alex Bowman, would push Buescher to the playoff bubble. It could be a stressful run to the playoffs as long as the No. 17 remains winless.
Knocking on the Door
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing No. 1
Last Week: 9
Chastain tumbled out of the power rankings due to a challenging Dover race weekend. Rain on Saturday meant he started mid-pack, setting up a long afternoon. In the race, the No. 1 struggled to move forward and missed out on stage points in both segments before getting caught up in a late multi-car crash. Chastain's 33rd finishing position was his second finish in a row worse than 20th and fourth from the last five of 24th or worse. It has not been a productive few weeks for this Trackhouse Racing team. Chastain's win at Charlotte has him in the playoffs, but his current trajectory might signal an early elimination if the situation doesn't turn around.
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23
Last Week: N/A
Wallace continues to ride the playoff bubble and now heads to Indianapolis with a 16-point advantage over Ryan Preece in the playoff battle after a productive race at Dover. Wallace again maximized his output from an otherwise challenging weekend after he lined 22nd when qualifying was canceled. The team's execution throughout the afternoon gave him chances to score points, landing a point in the second stage and then avoiding calamity to snag a top-10 finish in the race. Sunday's seventh-place finish was Wallace's first top-10 since Michigan, and he is keeping his playoff hopes within reach as long as he continues to take advantage of opportunities like Sunday's.
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing No. 88
Last Week: N/A
Almost as expected, Shane van Gisbergen's high-flying came to a crashing end as the series returned to oval racing at Dover. Rain canceling qualifying actually gave the No. 88 team a leg up with the lineup being set via NASCAR's metric, but as soon as the green flag waved, SVG's trouble began. A flat front tire in the first miles of the race forced him to pit road for a change, losing him four laps to the leaders. Once he returned to action, he was able to keep pace, but the damage was already done and SVG never regained the lost ground. However, being able to run the majority of laps should give him and the team experience they can put to better use at Bristol in the playoffs, which could be a difference maker for them.
