NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Larson takes over top spot as William Byron slides

Yesterday at 03:25 PM

By Noah Poser, Staff Writer

For the third time this season, we have a change at No. 1.

And the driver who suddenly finds himself atop these rankings should come as no surprise, as it’s none other than Kyle Larson.

With William Byron struggling once again this past weekend, the top spot was left vacant. And although an argument could be made for both Christopher Bell and Martinsville winner Denny Hamlin to take his place, Larson did just enough to prove himself worthy of being the top dog as the series heads to Darlington.

1. Kyle Larson (Previous: 2)

Season Stats: 1 Win, 4 Top 5s, 5 Top 10s, 92 Laps Led, 2 Stage Wins

It was only a matter of time before Larson found himself at the top of these rankings. It wasn't as if he did anything special at Martinsville, but he finished 10th in Stage 1, ninth in Stage 2 and continued to improve throughout the race en route to a fifth place finish. With Byron losing steam over the past couple weeks, that's more than good enough.

2. Christopher Bell (Previous: 3)

Season Stats: 3 Wins, 4 Top 5s, 4 Top 10s, 139 Laps Led, 1 Stage Win

Bell started on pole, finished second and as a result, moves up one spot in this week's rankings. He remains the only driver this season with multiple victories, but this was his first top five finish outside of his three race wins this season. Continued consistency would be welcomed for a team that has been hit-or-miss to start the year.

3. Denny Hamlin (Previous: 5)

Season Stats: 1 Win, 3 Top 5s, 4 Top 10s, 298 Laps Led, 2 Stage Wins

Hamlin has always been one of the drivers to beat at "The Paperclip" throughout his career, but Sunday's victory marked his first win at the Virginia track in 10 years. Even more impressive, however, was that he won in dominating fashion, leading 274 of 400 laps. He suddenly leads the series in laps led, is tied with a number of drivers for most stage wins and is up to sixth in points. Oh and Darlington, one of his best tracks, awaits.

4. William Byron (Previous: 1)

Season Stats: 1 Win, 3 Top 5s, 4 Top 10s, 111 Laps Led, 1 Stage Win

After finishing 12th last week, the No. 24 team was probably looking for something better than 22nd this week. The pace wasn't as bad as the finish indicates, but Byron was never really a factor at Martinsville, and with strong results from Larson, Bell, and Hamlin, he slips a handful of spots in the rankings. 

5. Alex Bowman (Previous: 4)

Season Stats: 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10s, 68 Laps Led

Bowman was fast early and took advantage of a strategy call to finish second in the opening stage. Then everything went downhill after that. A mistake on pit road, followed by an inability to overcome being back in traffic relegated him to a 27th-place finish. This team has been quick all season, so expect them to bounce back at Darlington.

6. Chase Elliott (Previous: 8)

Season Stats: 2 Top 5s, 4 Top 10s, 44 Laps Led

Just when you start to worry about this team, they come back with their best performance of the season to date. Elliott led 42 laps, more than any driver aside from Hamlin, and ran inside the top five essentially all race long before finishing fourth. A not-so-great pit stop late in the running kept him from having a real shot at the victory, but the speed was there. Also, he finds himself third in the standings.

7. Bubba Wallace (Previous: 9)

Season Stats: 2 Top 5s, 3 Top 10s, 98 Laps Led, 1 Stage Win

Another driver that showed serious pace at Martinsville was Wallace, which he put to good use in the form of a third place finish. It's the second straight race finishing third for Wallace, following a stretch of three races where he finished 20th or worse. Even more notable, he's much closer to teammate Tyler Reddick than he has been at any point during their tenure together at 23XI.

8. Tyler Reddick (Previous: 6)

Season Stats: 2 Top 5s, 3 Top 10s, 43 Laps Led

Similar to Homestead, Reddick simply was not a factor at Martinsville. He finished 14th, which is OK, but it's simply not where he and his No. 45 team expect to be running, especially while his teammate is finishing in the top five back-to-back weeks. Perhaps Darlington will prove to be a turning point for this bunch.

9. Ryan Blaney (Previous: 11)

Season Stats: 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10s, 147 Laps Led, 2 Stage Wins

On the surface, an 11th-place finish isn't much cause for celebration. But after three consecutive DNFs, just crossing the finish line at the end of the race is worth appreciating. Blaney had to climb out of a hole early, starting 32nd, but he methodically made his way through the field and was in contention for a top 10 finish late, scoring stage points in the process. Not a bad day overall.

10. Joey Logano (Previous: NR)

Season Stats: 1 Top 10, 260 Laps Led, 2 Stage Wins

It only took seven races and a late charge through the field to boot, but the defending champion is finally on the board with a top 10 finish in 2025. After a late spin, it appeared the streak of lackluster results was going to continue despite winning Stage 1 and showing good speed throughout the race, but Logano was among the quickest cars on the racetrack in the final run to secure a much-needed eighth-place finish.

11. Ryan Preece (Previous: NR)

Season Stats: 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10s, 43 Laps Led, 1 Stage Win

Welcome to the rankings, Ryan Preece! After a slow start to the season, Preece has flipped the switch as of late with four straight top 15 finishes. The last three of those races have seen him finish inside the top 10. He's really starting to find his groove in his first season with RFK Racing as he looks to position himself as a playoff contender.

Dropped out: Josh Berry and Chris Buescher

Next up: A.J. Allmendinger, Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain