NASCAR Power Rankings 2026: 10 Best Drivers after Dega

Sunday’s Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway delivered “The Big One,” with several drivers near the top of our NASCAR power rankings getting knocked out early in Stage 2. With a first-time winner and a shakeup in the results, there’s some movement in our rankings of the best NASCAR drivers.

Let’s dive into our latest NASCAR power rankings, evaluating the 10 best drivers in NASCAR right now.

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1. Tyler Reddick (Previously: 1)

How? Just how? Despite first taking a bit of damage in “The Big One” and then blowing a tire and hitting the wall in the final stage, Tyler Reddick still finished 14th on Sunday at Talladega. Finishing that high after all the damage the No. 45 car suffered speaks to how everything seems to be going Reddick’s way this season. Through 10 races, he leads the Cup Series in top fives (six), top 20s (10), and both average starting (5.6) and finishing position (5.9).

Related: Tyler Reddick Announces Contract Decision for 2027

2. Denny Hamlin (Previously: 2)

Denny Hamlin led the most laps at Dega (28) and finished 15th. It happened because the No. 11 car got caught speeding in the first section on his pit stop in Stage 1, requiring a pass-through. He spent the rest of the day trying to get that lap back, only managing to do it at the very end. Fortunately for the future Hall of Famer, being in the back in Stage 2 helped him avoid “The Big One” that took out Kyle Larson, William Byron and Ryan Blaney. So, Hamlin keeps his spot in the NASCAR power rankings.

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Read More: NASCAR Cup Series All-Time Wins Leaderboard

3. Chase Elliott (Previously: 3)

Chase Elliott might not’ve gotten the win at Talladega, but he was the only top-10 driver entering the weekend to finish inside the top 13 of the Jack Link’s 500. On the positive side of things for the No. 9 team, Elliott boasts the third-best average finishing position (8.7) over the last six races. However, he’s a distant fifth in laps led (109) during that stretch, and the lack of stage points on Sunday prevented him from overtaking Ryan Blaney for points this season. This performance was needed, though, as it gives Elliott consecutive top-10 finishes after placing 15th or worse in three of his previous five races.

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Read More: Best NASCAR Races 2026, Ranking Every Race This Season

4. Chris Buescher (Previously: Unranked)

Chris Buescher came oh-so-close to snapping his winless streak, but a second-place finish does add to an outstanding run he’s been on as of late. He ranks fourth in average finishing position (9.8) over the last six races, leading 64 laps (eighth) with the second-most top 10s (four) during that span. RFK Racing is getting consistent results, too, so that elusive victory might be just around the corner for the No. 17 team.

Read More: NASCAR Standings after Talladega

5. Carson Hocevar (Previously: Unranked)

After coming so close to reaching victory lanes multiple times in the last calendar year, Carson Hocevar finally got his long-awaited moment at Talladega. He delivered with a celebration that will be remembered for ages. Hocevar and the No. 77 team clearly have the speed to win multiple races this season and the experience he’s gained since becoming a full-time Cup Series driver is showing in the better results. Hocevar ranks sixth in average finishing position (11.2) over the last six races and we’re truly starting to see the signs of him developing into a superstar.

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6. Kyle Larson (Previously: 3)

It’s getting caught up in the wrecks like the one we saw on Sunday that make the self-inflicted DNFs at EchoPark and Darlington even more costly for Kyle Larson and the No. 5 team. Larson netted just a single point on Sunday at Dega, giving him 33 points in those three races. He also hasn’t won a race since May 11, 2025. We wouldn’t have dropped him this far in the NASCAR power rankings if he wrecked while at the front of the field, but the strategy at Dega wasn’t even working out before the crash.

Related: Massive NASCAR Wreck at Talladega Superspeedway

7. Ryan Blaney (Previously: 5)

That’s consecutive finishes outside the top 20 for Ryan Blaney, a combined 20 points at Kansas and Talladega. A wreck caused the DNF on Sunday, whereas a damaged splitter caused by a collision on pit road was the issue last week. At his peak, Blaney has arguably been the best driver in NASCAR this season. Unfortunately, the No. 12 team’s pit crew hasn’t been at that standard, and he’s now had consecutive races where a collision effectively ended his day.

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8. William Byron (Previously: 7)

William Byron’s No. 24 car initially got back on track after taking damage at Talladega on Sunday, but it was ultimately determined it couldn’t make it through the rest of the race. That second DNF of the season comes just two weeks after an inexplicably awful showing at Bristol (30th). We know Byron is capable of ripping off long stretches of dominance, both wins and top-five finishes, but he’s also finished 28th or worse three times this year.

9. Ty Gibbs (Previously: 6)

It was a bit surprising to see the No. 54 car sent back out after the heavy damage it sustained in “The Big One”on Sunday. Minutes later, the aforementioned damaged caused the front tire to go flat and Ty Gibbs’ car slammed into the wall. It ended a streak of seven consecutive top-10 finishes for Gibbs, but he did lead 17 laps on Sunday before the wreck.

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10. Christopher Bell (Previously: 4)

It’s been a weird stretch here lately for Christopher Bell. In the last three races, he’s started outside the top 10 each time and posted an average finishing position of 21.3. However, Bell has also managed 78 points in that three-week span with one of the higher average running positions in the Cup Series. Penalties and bad luck have been the No. 20 team’s downfall lately, but his numbers through 10 races–303 laps led (third)–paired with how often he’s near the front in the stages demonstrate he’s much better than his recent finishes would suggest.

Related: NASCAR Cup Series Stage Winners 2026

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