NASCAR Power Rankings: William Byron Stretches Fuel to Iowa Victory

William Byron stretched his fuel load to the max, winning Sunday's Iowa Corn 350 ahead of Chase Briscoe after a plague of cautions enveloped the final stage of the race. The many stops and starts enabled Byron to take his fuel further than anyone else to land his much-awaited second victory of the season, gaining some valuable momentum with the playoffs edging ever closer. While Byron nursed his fuel, the battle for the other top spots was behind him. Chase Briscoe held off Brad Keselowski, who had another good day, as Ryan Blaney charged the leaders down but ran out of time after his progress stalled. It was a wild afternoon that brought the battle to make the championship playoffs even closer. 

Three races remain in the regular season with three playoff spots still up for grabs. Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman both seem comfortable given their points totals, but multiple new winners would change that picture dramatically. On the bubble, Chris Buescher's lead over Ryan Preece has been hacked away. Preece added another top-five finish to his season total last week while Buescher finished outside of the top 20. Just 23 points separate the teammates on the cut line with a stop a Watkins Glen, where Buescher won last season, next on the docket.

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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings After Iowa

1. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11

Last Week: 1

Not everything goes to plan even when you're at the top of your game, and that was the case for Hamlin and the No. 11 team at Iowa. Despite starting 11th and spending time in the top 10, a spin and fuel strategy cost Hamlin a top finish. Sunday's 24th-place finish was his lowest since Sonoma and worst since Atlanta. Not every race can be perfect and there may not be too much cause for concern, though. With two top-fives prior to Iowa, a one week dip isn't the end of the world. Hamlin is fourth in points, 51 behind William Byron, with three races remaining before the playoffs commence. While Iowa was a mulligan, Hamlin's pace during the race doesn't suggest any major concerns.

2. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24

Last Week: 4

Byron started on the front row and led a race high 141 laps en route to his second win of the season Sunday afternoon at Iowa. The race's numerous cautions gave him the chance to stretch his fuel to the maximum, avoiding a late stop and holding off the competition to the finish. The victory was Byron's fist since the season opener at Daytona, and it helps him move back into the points lead. It has been a long road for Byron, one of the most competitive drivers early in the season, but Sunday's win feels like a new beginning. It comes at the perfect moment with the playoffs just three races away, too. He has a history of stepping up his competitiveness in the playoffs and has some good tracks yet to come.

3. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5

Last Week: 2

Sunday's race was one to forget for Larson. Despite qualifying third, scoring stage points, and racing inside the top 10, several incidents ruined his car and afternoon. By the end of the race, the number of bumps and bruises the No. 5 sustained had Larson fuming on the radio. How he reacts to Sunday's challenges in the coming weeks could shape his season. Larson has been checkers or wreckers throughout 2025 and Sunday was a wreck. If he can channel his frustration into finding speed and victories, he could be the one to beat in the playoffs. Watkins Glen is a place Larson can right wrongs, too. He is a two-time winner at the track and he finished 12th there last season.

4. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9

Last Week: 3

Elliott was not immune to Iowa's pitfalls. Hard racing with Larson and others meant a rough day for the No. 9. Like his teammate, Elliott was a top-10 car that couldn't overcome the day and slipped down the finishing order for a 14th-place result. The finish wasn't as bad as it could have been but it marks Elliott's second straight finish outside of the top 10, though his top-20 streak remains intact. The strength of this team will show in how they respond next week at a venue Elliott should be at the front. The former series champion is a two-time Watkins Glen winner who historically has been one of the best at road courses. Elliott lost the points lead last week, but he may still have what it takes to recapture it this week.

5. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12

Last Week: 5

With just a few more laps, Blaney might have had another victory Sunday at Iowa. The late-race strategy convergence gave Blaney fuel to spare, and he was closing quickly on the leaders. However, once he got to Brad Keselowski's bumper, his progress stalled and his advantage evaporated. Blaney's fourth-place finish was his eighth top-five of the season and third top-10 in a row, though. The No. 12 team is achieving peak form with just a handful of races left to run before the playoffs. Blaney and Team Penske have quietly been putting the pieces together to be a consistent runner at the front of the field for the championship fight, and fans are seeing those efforts in results like Sunday's.

6. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19

Last Week: 7

Briscoe's upward trajectory continued at Iowa, capturing his sixth pole of the season and leading 81 laps to finish second. The finish was his third runner-up finish from the last four races and his ninth top-five of the season. It took the first portion of the season for Briscoe to make the adjustment to a new car and team, but he is firing on all cylinders now. Both he and the team are making fewer mistakes and working well together, which enables them to leverage the great equipment Joe Gibbs Racing fields on a regular basis. It doesn't seem like it will be very long before Briscoe scores another race win and with one of his recent runner-ups being on the Sonoma road course, he could be one to watch closely this week at Watkins Glen.

7. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20

Last Week: 6

Bell was another driver that was on the wrong end of the punishment Iowa dealt. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver qualified and finished 17th, but the journey wasn't without drama. The No. 20 was involved in multiple incidents throughout the race, including bumps with Kyle Larson and fellow Toyota driver Tyler Reddick. Since Chicago, Bell has been stuck in a pattern of having one good race and one poor race, and Iowa was on the poor side. If that trend continues, he should be in store for a good day at Watkins Glen, though. With three top-10 finishes there from four starts, fantasy players will want to expect a quick rebound from Iowa's problems next week. He and the team need to find more week-to-week consistency before the playoffs commence, though.

8. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22

Last Week: 8

Logano and the No. 22 team needed some good news after a tire failure ruined their chances two weeks ago at Indianapolis, and avoiding Iowa's many incidents and landing a ninth-place finish gave them exactly what they were looking for. While Logano qualified outside of the top 10 and missed out on stage points, he was able to take advantage of the many cautions in the final stage to move forward and grab his sixth top-10 finish of the season and third finish of 11th or better from the last five races. Even better news is that two of those finishes came on road courses at Chicago and Sonoma, and Watkins Glen is up next. Logano won there in 2015, finished 15th last season, and was third and 10th in the two visits prior to that.

9. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23

Last Week: 10

Looking just at the finishing order, fans would think Wallace had another good race at Iowa. His sixth-place finish doesn't tell the full story, though. Contact in the final stage caused the No. 23 to slide into outside wall. Wallace pitted the car for the team to make repairs before rejoining the fray, and ultimately battled back to his ninth top-10 finish of the season, taking advantage of the race's many cautions to catch back up. This team has gained a reputation for gritty perseverance and continuing that habit to maximize points under adverse circumstances has been paying off. Every point and position will matter even more when the playoffs begin, and the No. 23 team is already showing the grit they'll bring to the campaign.

10. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45

Last Week: 9

At a time Reddick needs to be maximizing points, he failed to do so at Iowa. It was a rough afternoon for the No. 45, dealing with an ill-handling car from the start and then getting involved in one of the race's many incidents. Reddick missed out on stage points and finished the race 19th, which was his second finish in a row outside of the top 15. While their points tally is still enough to feel relatively comfortable of securing a playoff spot, with three races left, that isn't a sure thing yet. Even after securing a playoff spot, the No. 45 team will need to finish better than they have the past few weeks. Three regular season races remain for Reddick to get the ship pointed in the right direction and the job is starting to look bigger than hoped for.

Knocking on the Door

Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing No. 6

Last Week: N/A

Keselowski needs a race win to be part of this season's championship playoffs, and he has been making all the right moves in that direction the past few races. Keselowski's third-place finish Sunday at Iowa is his second top-five and third top-10 finish in a row. If you include Sonoma, Keselowski now has four consecutive finishes of 11th or better. Running at the front of the field puts a driver in position to win, which is precisely where Keselowski needs to be. While it would be a stretch to think he could win at Watkins Glen, if he is able to maintain his current momentum, Richmond and Daytona are two places he could. Playoff hopes for the No. 6 team are by no means lost just yet.

Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports No. 48

Last Week: N/A

Bowman continues to be in the thick of the playoff battle with little margin for error. Needing as many points as possible, or a race win, Bowman set off Sunday from the 16th starting spot. He missed out on stage points, but was able to move forward in the final segment to land a seventh-place finish. It was his third top-10 in a row and fourth from the last five races. He holds a 40-point lead over Chris Buescher in the standings, which gives Bowman just a little breathing room. Successfully navigating that thin margin through the next three races comes with significant pressure, though. Still, Bowman is knocking on the door with consistent top finishes now, and a race win may not be too far away.

Ryan Preece, RFK Racing No. 60

Last Week: N/A

The RFK Racing No. 60 team got something from nothing Sunday at Iowa. A dismal qualifying put them on the backfoot from the start, but at the end of the day, Preece walked away with an impressive fifth-place finish that cut the gap he needs to cover to make it into the playoffs. The No. 60 now sits just 23 points behind the playoff spots and closing ground with back-to-back top-five finishes. Preece has just a few races remaining to get the job done, but he and the team are heating up just when Chris Buescher is cooling down. The coming week should be a real test of their resolve considering Watkins Glen is where Buescher won last season. However, Preece scored his best ever finish at the track in ninth.