NASCAR Power Rankings: Christopher Bell holds top spot after Homestead-Miami

Another spot in the Championship 4 has been claimed.

Tyler Reddick joined Joey Logano as the second driver to qualify for the title race with his win on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 23XI Racing driver passed Ryan Blaney in the final corner to secure the victory, giving Michael Jordan’s team its first-ever Championship 4 berth.

With Reddick and Logano moving on, there are now just two open spots left and six playoff drivers still fighting for them with one race left in the Round of 8.

Next up, the Round of 8 concludes Sunday (2 p.m. ET, NBC) at Martinsville Speedway. How does the field stack up after Homestead-Miami? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:

1. Christopher Bell

Last week: 1

The run of incredible consistency continued for Bell in Florida with a fourth-place run. He has 10 straight top-15s and six straight top-10s, putting him in the best position of any driver besides Reddick and Logano heading into Martinsville.

2. William Byron

Last week: 3

Sixth-place was Byron’s worst finish in the last five races. It’s been a steady stretch for the No. 24 team, which currently holds the final spot in the Championship 4 based on points. He’s just seven points ahead of his teammate Kyle Larson, but Byron won at Martinsville in April.

3. Kyle Larson

Last week: 2

While battling Blaney for the win, Larson spun out and then finished 13th. That was after he cut a tire and hit the wall in Stage 1. Despite having a series-best six wins in 2024, Larson is now in danger of missing out on the title race if he can’t make up ground at Martinsville.

4. Denny Hamlin

Last week: 4

Hamlin took the lead on the final restart, only to be passed by Blaney coming to the white flag before Reddick flew by both of them. Though he held on to finish third, it’s a massive missed opportunity for a driver below the cut line. Hamlin is 18 points behind Byron as his season hangs in the balance.

5. Tyler Reddick

Last week: 7

Just when you thought Reddick’s dream season could be over, he pulled off an improbable win at the last second. The regular season champion will now race for his first Cup title in his fifth season. Coming through in the clutch like that had to be extra special with his boss in attendance.

6. Chase Elliott

Last week: 6

A fifth-place finish won’t help Elliott much after he crashed at Las Vegas – only a win would move him to the Championship 4. But still, Homestead-Miami was arguably his best all-around race of the season. He led 81 laps and earned 17 stage points, the No. 9 car just didn’t have enough speed in the closing laps.

7. Ryan Blaney

Last week: 8

Heartbreak for the 2023 champion. Blaney had his sights set on defending his title in two weeks, but he had to settle for second when he left the outside lane open for Reddick in turn four. Like Elliott, Blaney is far enough back in points that only a win will get him back to the title race. Luckily for him, he did just that one year ago at Martinsville in the same situation.

8. Joey Logano

Last week: 5

Winning at Las Vegas gave Logano and his team little incentive to focus on Homestead-Miami or Martinsville. All of their focus is, rightfully, on Phoenix – where the champion will be decided. Logano finished 28th on Sunday, and it could be a similar run at Martinsville this week. But when they get to the desert in two weeks, all bets are off.

9. Alex Bowman

Last week: 9

Bowman continued his consistent playoff run with a seventh-place finish at Homestead-Miami. The No. 48 team has clearly found another level in these last eight weeks, which is something they’ll need to carry into 2025 with the other three Hendrick Motorsports teams (Byron, Larson, Elliott) currently battling to make the Championship 4.

10. Bubba Wallace

Last week: First four out

Wallace started strong before fading late on Sunday. He led two laps and finished second in Stage 1, but only crossed the line 18th at the finish. Still, he has seven straight top-20 runs in what’s been a solid stretch for the No. 23 team to close the season.

First four out: Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Daniel Suarez, Chris Buescher