The Round of 16 ended with a historic performance.
Kyle Larson won the Bristol Night Race for the second time in his career, this time by leading 462 of 500 laps – more than any driver in Hendrick Motorsports history and more than any Bristol winner since 1977.
While Larson locked his way into the next round, four drivers were eliminated from the playoffs – Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Ty Gibbs and Harrison Burton. That leaves Larson and 11 other contenders still battling for the title.
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Next up, the Round of 12 gets underway Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA Network) at Kansas Speedway. How does the field stack up after Bristol? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:
1. Kyle Larson
Last week: 3
Five wins is the most of any driver this season, and now he’s heading to a track that he won at in May. Since joining Hendrick in 2021, Larson has two wins and six top-10s in seven starts at Kansas. Back-to-back wins is certainly on the table for the 2021 champion.
2. Christopher Bell
Last week: 2
Even though he hasn’t won since June, Bell is putting together the most consistent stretch of his career. The 29-year-old Oklahoma native was fifth at Bristol, giving him six top-six finishes in his last eight races. Looking ahead, he’s started on pole in consecutive Kansas races.
3. Tyler Reddick
Last week: 1
Reddick faded in the first round after winning the regular season title. He earned the 17th-most points over the last three races (h/t Trey Ryan), with finishes of 27th at Watkins Glen and 20th at Bristol. Reddick will have to step it up in the Round of 12 as the competition tightens up.
4. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 6
Blaney charged through the field on Saturday to finish sixth despite a poor qualifying run. The defending champion easily advanced through the first round, and the Round of 12 sets up nicely for Blaney. He’s a three-time winner at Talladega, which is arguably his best track.
5. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 7
Hamlin was the only driver to jump from below to above the cut line at Bristol thanks to his fourth-place finish and 13 stage points. So, while he hasn’t won since April, it’s clear that this team is still capable of getting the job done. The four-time Kansas winner will look to get off the schneid this weekend.
6. Chase Elliott
Last week: 8
It had been over two months since Elliott’s last top-five, so Saturday’s second-place run was critical. The No. 9 team has proven to be consistent and among the best at limiting damage, but Elliott hasn’t had race-winning speed for much of the year. Perhaps this is a sign that they can turn it around for the rest of the playoff run.
7. Joey Logano
Last week: 4
Logano wrecked in Stage 2 and rode around laps down to finish 28th. Luckily for him, it didn’t matter for his championship hopes because he already advanced with his Atlanta win. But now that the points are reset for the Round of 12, Logano is back on the chopping block.
8. William Byron
Last week: 5
Byron finished 17th at Bristol after earning six stage points and running inside the top-10 for most of the night. It all fell apart in the final stage, when he just kept fading farther and farther back. Without a win since April, Byron needs to turn things around quickly if he hopes to win his first Cup title.
9. Alex Bowman
Last week: 10
The first round was an impressive three-race stretch for Bowman, who clinched his spot in the Round of 12 with a ninth-place finish and 13 stage points at Bristol. He led 34 laps on Saturday, which was his most in a race since September 2022, when he led 107 laps at … Kansas.
10. Austin Cindric
Last week: 9
Cindric followed up consecutive 10th-place runs with a 13th at Bristol to handily advance. The Round of 12 could come down to Talladega, as Cindric is one of the best superspeedway drivers. He’s never finished better than 11th in six Kansas starts, so the odds are stacked against him.
First four out: Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Ty Gibbs, Daniel Suarez
