Rain cancelled qualifying again for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase contenders, giving Kyle Larson a front-row start. He did not let that opportunity go to waste. Larson jumped out to an early lead and began a dominant afternoon in which he swept both stage victories en route to a comprehensive race win with 235 laps led of a possible 267. He earned maximum points on the day and that helped him ease ahead in the championship standings to a 26-point lead over rival Denny Hamlin. It was a near perfect afternoon for the No. 5 team, and their dominance sent a strong signal through the championship field that everyone else will have to step up their game if they hope to catch the No. 5.
With six races remaining in the season, there is still a lot of racing left to come, though. Up next is a trip out west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway where Denny Hamlin and Toyota have won the last two races. Recent races have shown that the gap Toyota had over the rest of the garage for much of the season is significantly less than it has been, though. The tightening of competition is setting up an exciting final six-race run to determine this season's champions and every position will matter over the next several weeks.
To keep up with all your favorite drivers and get updates throughout the season, head to RotoWire's latest NASCAR news or follow @RotoWireNASCAR on X.
NASCAR Power Rankings After Kansas
1. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5
Last Week: 1
Four races into the 2026 Chase, Kyle Larson is making a statement. He finished in the top five in every Chase race thus far, ending his winless streak with a victory at Gateway, and taking maximum points with another win Sunday at Kansas. Last week's race was a dominant performance from the No. 5 team. Even after losing the lead late to Chase Briscoe, Larson was able to hang tough to reclaim the top spot and pull away for his second win of the season. The maximum points effort leaves him 26 points ahead at the top of the standings with six races remaining in the season. The bad news for his competition is that Larson was also quick at Las Vegas in the spring, leading 62 laps, finishing second in both stages, and finishing the race seventh.
2. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11
Last Week: 3
Hamlin's third-place finish Sunday at Kansas was his best result since July. That is hard to believe considering how successful the No. 11 has been for much of this season. However, before Sunday, Hamlin had not finished in the top five since Richmond. The veteran was certainly buoyed by a return to the more traditional intermediate ovals where Toyota has had an advantage all season, but this could be the start of a turn for the better in his results. In order to win the championship that has eluded him thus far, he will have to step up his results from where has has been recently. Hamlin is still in good position to fight for the top spot despite slipping to 26 points behind Larson, but the No. 11 team will need to turn Sunday's finish at Kansas into an every-race type of finish.
3. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20
Last Week: 2
Sunday's sixth-place finish at Kansas moved Bell one spot closer to the top of the championship standings. It was his third top-10 finish in the first four races of The Chase, but it still did not match the win he delivered at Darlington. Bell started Sunday's race on the second row and ran inside the top five for much of the afternoon. That type of performance delivers valuable stage points, which often make the difference in a tight championship fight. As things stand, Bell sits 50 points behind Larson, and time is running out to close the gap and take control of the standings. What many thought was a perfectly timed breakthrough win at Darlington has not done much to change the landscape for the No. 20 team. Bell remains where he has been for much of the season, on the cusp of greatness.
4. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12
Last Week: 6
One of the drivers hit hardest by the persistent cancellation of qualifying has been Ryan Blaney. However, Blaney rovercame the adversity at Kansas with a fifth-place finish and points in both stages. The day's production was surprising considering the track has not been one of his best and he was forced to start deep in traffic. The No. 12 Team Penske team did what it has done all season. It methodically worked throughout the day to maximize what was on offer without overstepping and leaving points on the table. It was an admirable turnaround for Blaney after Bristol, and he moved up to fifth in the championship standings. He will need a similar race next week at Las Vegas to keep that positive momentum building until the series visits tracks better suited to his car's strengths.
5. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22
Last Week: 4
Logano started last weekend with more good fortune after rain cancelled qualifying, leaving him on pole after he slipped through for the victory the week prior at Bristol. Logano ran strongly early in the race and finished both stages inside the top five to take home some extra points. That early speed was vital after a tire issue late in the race dropped him through the field to the 20th finishing spot. It was Logano's worst race finish of The Chase so far, and the team will be hoping it was their only mulligan of the 10-race championship hunt. The coming race at Las Vegas will be a tough test of the team's championship chances, though. While Logano is a four-time Las Vegas winner, he finished 15th there in the spring in a race no Penske Ford finished in the top 10.
6. Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54
Last Week: 5
Kansas continued to challenge Gibbs. After scoring his second top-10 finish at the track in the spring, his ninth start there ended with a 17th-place finish last week. The championship challenger started fifth and spent much of the day at the back of the top 10 before slipping backward in the final stage. While the track has never been a great one for him, his bigger concern might be the erosion of the advantage Toyota has enjoyed for much of the season. Gibbs has undoubtedly benefited from the manufacturer's strength, but with that edge being chipped away, the No. 54 team will have to dig a little deeper to stay in title contention. Gibbs heads to Las Vegas next week in a similar position. He has two top-five finishes from eight visits to the circuit.
7. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19
Last Week: 9
Chase Briscoe ended his two-race slump at Kansas. His fourth-place finish Sunday afternoon was especially impressive considering he started 23rd after qualifying was cancelled again. Once the race began, Briscoe moved quickly through the field and was inside the top 10 by the end of the second stage. From there, he mounted a serious charge for the win, with his car appearing to have a long-run speed advantage over Kyle Larson's Chevrolet. Briscoe took the lead with 30 laps remaining, but his car's handling could not hold off another late attack from Larson. Despite missing out on the win, it was one of Briscoe's best performances of The Chase so far. Maintaining that form next week in Las Vegas will be the top priority, but he will hope to take the final step and earn another trip to Victory Lane.
8. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45
Last Week: 8
Last week's race at Kansas wasn't a banner day for the No. 45 team, but their perseverance salvaged what could have been a disaster. Reddick started the race 15th and quickly fell backward and off of the lead lap early in the race. The team pushed through the trouble and actually got inside the top 10 before multiple mistakes toward the end of the race pushed him further back to finish 11th. It was not the race Reddick hoped for after winning the spring race from pole position. Instead, it was a reminder of the fact that 23XI Racing need to improve in order to regain the advantage they had early in the season and have a chance at winning this championship. That spring Kansas race was the last time this team visited Victory Lane. With just six races remaining in the season, time is starting to run out on the No. 45 team regaining their championship hopes.
9. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23
Last Week: 7
Wallace's bi-weekly pattern of alternating strong and weaker finishes continued at Kansas. For the past four months, the No. 23 has followed each finish that improved on the previous race with one that was worse. After coming home seventh at Bristol, Wallace stayed on trend with a ninth-place finish at Kansas. The good news is that the gap between the up and down results is narrowing. His back-to-back top-10 finishes are his first since March, and he retained 10th in the championship standings. Sunday's result was especially encouraging given the adversity he faced after being caught in a crash with about 150 laps remaining. Even better for Wallace, Las Vegas should be an up week if the trend continues, putting another top-10 finish within reach.
10. Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports No. 77
Last Week: 10
Hocevar's day started brightly at Kansas. His Spire Motorsports Chevrolet had top-five speed and Hocevar was a fixture at the sharp end of the field until late in the second stage. After the first unscheduled caution of the race, Hocevar went three wide on the restart and was involved in a multi-car crash. That incident left Hocevar making repairs and he ultimately finished the race three laps down to the leaders in 33rd position, which was his worst result since Daytona. The pain in the points was worse considering how most of The Chase contenders were clustered at the front of the field. As a result, Hocevar slipped three places in the standings and will have to mount a fight back from 11th of the 16 contenders with only six races remaining to make an impact.
Knocking on the Door
Austin Cindric, Team Penske No. 2
Last Week: N/A
One of the more impressive performances at Kansas came from Austin Cindric at the No. 2 team. Cindric was quick from the drop of the green flag and that early-race pace never left him. He and the team stayed on top of adjustments throughout the race and Cindric drove home as the best finishing Penske Ford with a runner-up finish. It was a complete performance from the entire team, and it is evidence that the promise the group has shown glimpses of may be getting closer to being realized. Sunday's finish was Cindric's best of the season and it extended his streak of tp-15 finishes to seven in a row. That result, along with the stage points he collected along the way, moved him up two spots in The Chase, too.
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24
Last Week: N/A
Byron's forward momentum continued to build at Kansas. The Hendrick driver was in good position from the start of the race with a top-10 starting spot, and he executed an afternoon complete with stage points from both segments and another top-10 finish. The result was his third top-10 finish in a row, too. Byron has long had a history of upping his results in Chase races, and he appears to be doing the same again this year. Unfortunately, the No. 24 still languishes outside of the top 10 in points, but his recent pattern could see him climbing that ladder through the remaining races. He is a former winner at Las Vegas and has led at least one lap in his last seven races at the track including 26 this spring when he finished third.
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9
Last Week: N/A
Kansas might be a turning point for Elliott's rough start to The Chase. The former series champion began this year's championship fight on the wrong foot, with two finishes outside the top 20 and a best result of 14th through the first three races. Sunday's eighth-place finish at Kansas was his first top-10 result since Richmond last month. After such a disappointing start, it would take a herculean effort for the No. 9 team to climb to the top of the standings and become a serious contender for another title. However, with the Hendrick Chevrolet package now on much more level terms with Toyota, Elliott could still be in line for more top finishes and perhaps another race win. He finished second at Las Vegas in March, which gives him a chance to build on Sunday's success.
