NASCAR Power Rankings: Who Is The Favorite Heading Into Texas Motor Speedway?

For another week, the NASCAR Power Rankings are here with a few changes in the lineup. A couple of drivers have made an appearance in the rankings after not being ranked prior to this week. Will they live up to the newfound hype?

Carson Hocevar went to Talladega and earned his first career win. He did everything he had to do in order to get the job done, and didn’t squander the opportunity in front of him.

Advertisement

Let’s get into the best drivers in the Cup Series before turning our attention to Texas Motor Speedway. It will be another test for these drivers and teams.

10. Brad Keselowski – RFK Racing (-2)

For the first time all season, Brad Keselowski didn’t finish in the top-20. His streak ends, but he’s still 10th in points. Keselowski is having a much better season than he was at this point a year ago, but he is still searching for a win.

9. Chris Buescher – RFK Racing (NR)

RFK Racing has had a very good season so far. Chris Buescher has snuck up to 7th in points and he only has a single top-five finish. He happened to earn that finish at Talladega on Sunday when he came up one spot shy of a win. Buescher is more than capable of winning at Texas, but are the Ford cars?

Advertisement

8. Christopher Bell – Joe Gibbs Racing (-1)

When is Christopher Bell going to catch a break? He keeps having these disappointing finishes that don’t reflect how he is running in these races. Bell led the most laps at Dega, but had to settle for P17.

7. Carson Hocevar – Spire Motorsports (NR)

The first-time winner! Carson Hocevar delivered a great finish and a masterclass of a celebration. Even if you take away the win and try to dismiss it for being at Talladega, Hocevar is 8th in points and looking like a potential contender.

Advertisement

6. Kyle Larson – Hendrick Motorsports (-1)

Dead last for Kyle Larson. Talladega is a cruel mistress and the track was very harsh to the field on Sunday. Larson is still trying to find his groove. Despite some struggles this season, Larson could dominate at Texas and no one would be shocked.

5. Ryan Blaney – Team Penske (-1)

A couple of bad races for Ryan Blaney and all of a sudden he doesn’t look like the driver he did a few weeks ago. Blaney might be the best at passing on traditional oval tracks, and he needs a solid race at Texas to get this team back on the right track.

Advertisement

4. Chase Elliott – Hendrick Motorsports (+2)

If one or two things happened differently, Chase Elliott was right there to take advantage. He was in the spot you want to be in if the field starts to wreck, but Hocevar and Buescher held strong. Elliott went P4, and sits 4th in points.

3. Ty Gibbs – Joe Gibbs Racing (-)

No change for Ty Gibbs. A DNF put an end to his seven-race streak of top-10 finishes. I doubt this slows down Gibbs and the 54 team much moving forward, though. If he can get back to the top-10 finishes, Gibbs will remain a championship contender.

Advertisement

2. Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing (-)

A salvaged P15 finish for Denny Hamlin at Talladega. He stays put because hes simply been the second best driver this season. He’s been great for the most part, and will likely be up front again before we know it.

1. Tyler Reddick – 23XI Racing (-)

Whenever you see Tyler Reddick not finish near the front, it gets confusing. For only the third time this season, Reddick finished outside of the top-10. He has yet to finish worse than P15, though. We’ve seen Reddick win at Texas during his RCR days. Can he recreate that magic on Sunday and get his sixth win of the season?

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.