William Byron keeps top spot in NASCAR Power Rankings after Texas
William Byron has kept the top spot in the NASCAR Power Rankings after finishing third in last weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway.
One of Byron's Hendrick Motorsports teammates continued moving up the list. Another fell multiple spots as his Texas struggles continued.
NBC SPORTS NASCAR POWER RANKINGS
Texas win moves Chase Elliott one victory away from a record in NASCAR’s modern era
Chase Elliott is chasing a record shared by Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson in the modern era.
1. William Byron (Last week: 1) — One week after a big win at Martinsville, Byron delivered another top-three finish at Texas. He avoided spins that plagued other drivers in a race that featured 16 cautions and he ended the day third. Byron is on a streak of four consecutive top-10 finishes, one that includes two wins.
2. Chase Elliott (5) — Elliott snapped a 42-race winless streak after holding off the field in double overtime. He scored his first top-five finish on a 1.5-mile track in a Next Gen car. Elliott has finished no worse than fifth in the last three races.
3. Kyle Larson (2) — Larson, who won the pole for the third consecutive week, was strong early. He led 77 laps and won the first stage. However, a lost wheel led to him serving a two-lap penalty. Larson got back on the lead lap but he finished 21st after spinning in the final stage.
4. Denny Hamlin (4) — For the second consecutive week, Hamlin's finish does not reflect the majority of the race. He spun while racing Elliott for the win, an incident that sent the race to overtime. Hamlin finished 30th but kept the third spot in the Cup standings after adding another eight stage points to his total.
5. Ty Gibbs (6) — Gibbs had a hot start to the season with five top-10 finishes in the first six races. He has since cooled a little with three top-20 finishes. Gibbs remains sixth in points heading to Talladega.
6. Bubba Wallace (NR) — Once again, Wallace had speed at Texas. He scored 10 stage points before spinning early in the final stage. He worked his way back through the field and finished seventh. Through nine races, Wallace has qualified inside the top 10 in five consecutive races. His average finish is a career-best 14.3.
7. Tyler Reddick (9) — Reddick's afternoon included some adversity. Reddick had the lead in the final stage but lost his advantage during green flag pit stops due to an issue on the right rear tire. He lost control from third later in the stage and lost several spots. Reddick was still able to rebound with a fourth-place finish, his sixth top 10 of the season.
Who is in, who is out of NASCAR playoff standings after Texas
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8. Martin Truex Jr. (4) — A 14th-place finish was a positive outcome for Truex after a day featuring multiple issues on pit road. He had to make a second trip down pit road under caution in stage 1 due to a loose wheel. Another loose wheel in the final stage sent Truex back down pit road under green flag conditions.
9. Christopher Bell (3) — Bell finished second in stage 1 but sustained significant damage after spinning into the outside wall early in stage 2. The No. 20 team was able to make enough repairs so Bell could salvage a 17th-place finish.
10. Chase Briscoe (NR) — Stewart-Haas Racing remains winless since 2022 but Briscoe continues to deliver solid results. He finished sixth at Texas last weekend, his fourth top-10 finish in the first nine races. Briscoe's worst finish in the last six races is 18th at Richmond and he has moved to 12th in the Cup standings.
Dropped out: Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman
