NASCAR Power Rankings: Martin Truex Jr., stays No. 1; Ross Chastain moves up
Martin Truex Jr. followed his win at Sonoma with a runner-up finish at last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway to remain No. 1 in the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings.
Two drivers break into the top 10 this week. Chase Elliott climbs to eighth, and Christopher Bell enters the poll 10th.
The series heads to to Chicago for Sunday’s inaugural street course race (5:30 p.m. ET, NBC).
NBC SPORTS NASCAR POWER RANKINGS
1. Martin Truex Jr. (1) — Has four consecutive top-five finishes, which includes a win, a runner-up finish and a third-place result.
2. William Byron (3) — His sixth-place finish at Nashville gives him seven top 10s in the last eight races. He has four top fives and led 336 laps during that stretch.
3. Kyle Busch (2) — Overcame a flat tire, speeding penalty and a spin to finish ninth at Nashville for his fifth consecutive top 10.
4. Kyle Larson (4) — Fifth-place finish at Nashville marks his third consecutive top 10. That’s the longest top-10 streak he’s had in his up-and-down season.
5. Denny Hamlin (6) — Finished third at Nashville. He has three top-three finishes in his last six races.
6. Ross Chastain (8) — Nashville win puts him back on the upswing after a month of results that raised questions about Chastain and the team.
Chastain smashes watermelon to celebrate win
Ross Chastain smashes a watermelon in celebration after his Nashville and speaks about self-reflection and putting trust in his people amid criticism.
7. Joey Logano (5) — Finished 19th at Nashville, snapping a streak of back-to-back third-place finishes.
8. Chase Elliott (NR) — Has back-to-back top-five finishes for the first time this year.
9. Ryan Blaney (7) — Finished last after a crash into a concrete wall at Nashville. He’s finished 30th or worse the past two races.
10. Christopher Bell (NR) — His seventh-place run at Nashville gives him three consecutive finishes of 11th or better.
Dropped out: Kevin Harvick (9), Chris Buescher (10)
