NASCAR Power Rankings: Can anyone catch Kevin Harvick?

Welcome to the first edition of the BetAmerica NASCAR Power Rankings! We’ll keep track of the top 16 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series on a bi-monthly basis.

1. Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick has posted a Top 5 finish in six straight races, including victories at Pocono and Indianapolis. He leads the Cup Series in points (763) as well as laps led (700), leaving very little doubt about who should be No. 1 on this list.

2. Denny Hamlin

Following three straight finishes outside the Top 10, Denny Hamlin secured his grip on second place in the power rankings by posting his series-leading fifth victory at Kansas on Thursday night.

3. Brad Keselowski

We’re 15 races into the unofficial second half of the NASCAR season, and Brad Keselowski has finished outside the Top 10 in only three of those events. It’s hard to maintain that level of consistency, but Keselowski has done it.

4. Joey Logano

Joey Logano had been in a deep funk since the Homestead-Miami race on June 14, tallying just one Top 10 over a seven-race span. But he’s still one of only four drivers with multiple wins this season.

5. Chase Elliott

Chase Elliott is the leader in stage wins this season (five) and was the 2020 All-Star race champ, but he’s taken the black-and-white checkered flag in a points race only once.

6. Martin Truex Jr.

Mile-and-a-half maestro Martin Truex Jr. posted another Top 5 finish at Kansas on Thursday night, but much like at Kentucky on July 12, he may have had the best car. Truex seems due for a breakthrough.

7. Ryan Blaney

This has been Ryan Blaney’s best season, as he’s currently third in points (655) and fourth in laps led (512). He probably wishes he had more than one victory through 19 races, but the wins will come in time with these consistent performances.

8. Kyle Busch

The snake-bitten Kyle Busch raced in the Top 10 most of the night at Kansas but was involved in a late wreck. However, he worked his way back from one lap down to finish 11th, a testament to his ability.

9. Aric Almirola

Believe it or not, Aric Almirola has been the most consistent driver in the Cup Series over the last two months, producing eight straight Top 10 finishes.

10. Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch has compiled three Top 10s over his last three races, further cementing his spot in the playoffs (ninth, 561 points).

11. Tyler Reddick

Tyler Reddick had the long-run speed at Kansas, but frequent restarts and spot losses in the pits sunk him. But he still managed a respectable 13th-place finish, which brought down his average finishing position over his last four races to 8.25.

12. Erik Jones

Erik Jones has struggled mightily to string together good finishes this year, which mostly explains why he’s just outside the playoff picture right now. But a sixth at Texas and a fifth at Kansas in consecutive weeks is encouraging.

13. Austin Dillon

Austin Dillon’s playoff berth-securing victory at Texas was one of the luckier results in NASCAR this season – that was his only Top 10 result over his last seven races.

14. Cole Custer

It took a while for him to get going, but Cole Custer has three Top 10 finishes over his last four races, including his triumph at Kentucky.

15. Alex Bowman

It’s been tough sledding for Alex Bowman over his last 12 races – he’s failed to tally a Top 5 result and has led only 20 laps in that span. Fortunately for him, he can still lean on that automatic postseason berth he earned by winning at Auto Club Speedway earlier this year.

16. Matt DiBenedetto

After putting together some solid runs to get himself into the postseason hunt, Matt DiBenedetto finished 17th at Texas before crashing at Kansas (placed 36th). That secures him the 16th and final spot in our inaugural NASCAR Power Rankings.

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