NASCAR Power Rankings: Ranking the best drivers as we head into July
The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series is nearly halfway through but the championship is far from decided. In the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday, several highly ranked rivals competed for a handful of hard-fought positions. More than anything, this week’s power rankings demonstrate that competition in NASCAR is constantly in flux, though a few familiar faces always seem to find their way to the front of the field.
Every market, every line for NASCAR is available at DRF Sportsbook. Must be physically present in Iowa to wager.
1- Chase Elliott (Hendrick Chevrolet)
Finish in Nashville: 1st
His recent races haven’t been his best, but Elliott’s victory in the Ally 400 was an emphatic return to form. After failing to finish better than eighth in his previous four starts, NASCAR’s top driver was seldom outside the top five in Nashville, and finishing ahead of Toyota and Ford rivals Kurt Busch and Ryan Blaney in the end only bolstered his performance. Elliott’s second win of the season gives him a 30-point lead in the Cup Series standings.
2- Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Chevrolet)
Finish in Nashville: 5th
If Elliott did anything less than win on Sunday, Chastain would rank as NASCAR’s highest-performing driver coming out of Nashville. Trackhouse Racing’s ace driver has been consistently brilliant as of late, scoring at least 30 points in five straight races to leap from fifth to second in the standings. Though he hasn’t won an event since April, more victories are bound to come if Chastain can maintain this level of performance over the course of the remaining season.
3- Ryan Blaney (Penske Ford)
Finish in Nashville: 3rd
Blaney was a persistent contender throughout Sunday’s race, finishing no worse than ninth in any of the three stages. In a season where Ford has appeared to be a step behind Chevy and Toyota, Blaney has continued providing highlights while climbing steadily up the rankings. He still has no wins this season but is only one point behind Chastain in the Cup Series standings.
4- Kyle Larson (Stewart-Haas Ford)
Finish in Nashville: 4th
It may not be the finish the pole sitter was looking for, but Larson’s performance in Nashville was still strong. After finishing sixth in the first and second stages, he improved to take fourth and earn 43 points toward the championship. The Chevy driver is still only sixth in the standings after a disappointing start to the season, but he has been in exceptional form recently and should continue moving forward.
5- Kyle Busch (Gibbs Toyota)
Finish in Nashville: 21st
Two poor showings in a row aren’t nearly enough to cause panic for Busch, who rattled off three straight podium finishes in May and early June. He hasn’t finished in the top 20 since, but with a long season ahead, Busch is still firmly in striking range to earn his third Cup Series championship.
Every market, every line for NASCAR is available at DRF Sportsbook. Must be physically present in Iowa to wager.
The Remaining Top 30:
6- Joey Logano (Penske Ford)
7- Kurt Busch (23XI Toyota)
8- Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Toyota)
9- Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Toyota)
10- Martin Truex Jr. (Joe Gibbs Toyota)
11- Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Ford)
12- Aric Almarola (Stewart-Haas Ford)
13- Austin Cindric (Penske Ford)
14- William Byron (Hendrick Chevrolet)
15- Alex Bowman (Hendrick Chevrolet)
16- Tyler Reddick (Childress Chevrolet)
17- Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Chevrolet)
18- Austin Dillon (Childress Chevrolet)
19- Erik Jones (Petty Chevrolet)
20- Chase Briscoe (Stewart-Haas Ford)
21- Michael McDowell (Front Row Ford)
22- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Chevrolet)
23- Brad Keselowski (RFK Ford)
24- Chris Buescher (RFK Ford)
25- Justin Haley (Kaulig Chevrolet)
26- Bubba Wallace (23XI Toyota)
27- Ty Dillon (Petty Chevrolet)
28- Cole Custer (Stewart-Haas Ford)
29- Harrison Burton (Wood Brothers Ford)
30- Todd Gilliand (Front Row Ford)
