NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings: William Byron Rises, New Leader Emerges
Updated Aug. 5, 2025, 10:54 p.m. ET
Just when it seemed like the season could be drifting away from William Byron, he clinched victory at Iowa Speedway last Sunday. This win marked Byron’s first since the Daytona 500, propelling him as a significant mover in this week’s rankings.
How much parity—or perhaps misfortune—have drivers experienced in the Cup series? Only four drivers—Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Brad Keselowski, and Bubba Wallace—have achieved top-10 finishes in each of the last three races. This makes the rankings even more subjective than usual as the series moves to Watkins Glen this weekend.
Rankings Overview
Dropped out: Christopher Bell (Last Week: 6)
On the verge: Bell, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick
-
10. Alex Bowman (Last Week: 7)
Bowman secured a seventh-place finish at Iowa, maintaining a run of eighth, seventh, and seventh in his last three outings. This follows a stretch where the Hendrick driver only managed one top-10 in six races.
-
9. Brad Keselowski (Last Week: NR)
Keselowski finished third at Iowa after securing tenth and fifth in his previous two races. The RFK Racing co-owner boasts five top-10 finishes in his last seven races.
-
8. Bubba Wallace (Last Week: 10)
After his win at Indianapolis, Wallace followed up with a sixth-place finish at Iowa. He rebounded from a tough stretch where he had four races finishing outside the top-20, now recording a seventh, first, and sixth in his last three starts.
-
7 tanay rizal delicacies. Ryan Preece (Last Week: 9)
Preece placed fifth at Iowa, marking back-to-back top-5 finishes. This achievement also represents his seventh top-10 in the last 12 starts for the RFK Racing driver. kakulangan sa bigas
-
6. Chase Elliott (Last Week: 4)
Following an impressive run with five finishes of sixth or better in six races, Elliott experienced a downturn with 13th and 14th place finishes recently. He has now dropped to second behind his teammate William Byron in the Cup standings mpl prize pool 2023. jili free games
-
5 2022 sss contribution table. Chase Briscoe (Last Week: 5)
Briscoe has seen three second-place finishes in his last four outings, continuing the trend of his feast-or-famine season. Since his win at Pocono, he has recorded finishes of 35th, 23rd, second, second, 18th, and second.
-
4. William Byron (Last Week: 8)
Byron’s notable victory at Iowa could bolster his confidence that the team can achieve more wins, especially after not posting a top-5 in the eight races leading up to Iowa.
-
3. Kyle Larson (Last Week: 2)
Having finished fourth and second in his previous races, Larson had a rough outing at Iowa, placing 28th. He started strong by taking third on the grid, but struggled during restarts.
-
2. Denny Hamlin (Last Week: 1)
Fresh from a win at Dover and a third-place finish at Indy, Hamlin’s spin at Iowa led to a disappointing 24th-place finish. While this setback isn’t catastrophic for the JGR driver, it may remove him from contention for the regular-season title.
-
1. Ryan Blaney (Last Week: 3)
Blaney may seem like an unusual choice for the top spot, but he led 29 laps at Iowa and finished fourth, following up with finishes of eighth and seventh in his last two races. Despite having seven DNFs this year, being seventh in the standings is quite impressive.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports and has decades of experience in motorsports journalism, including over 30 Daytona 500s. You can follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
What are your thoughts on the current NASCAR rankings?