NASCAR Power Rankings: Joey Logano enters the mix after Nashville win
Logano makes his first appearance in the power rankings since March after his first victory of 2024.
Joey Logano is off the schneid.
The two-time Cup champion snapped his 49-race winless streak at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday after a miraculous 110-lap run on a single tank of fuel. All of Logano’s competitors ran out of gas while he managed to hold on for a record-setting five overtime restarts.
JOEY LOGANO WINS AT NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY!
HERE ARE THE WILD FINAL TWO LAPS FROM QUINTUPLE OVERTIME. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/0J3gBNgjnw— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 1, 2024
Logano is the 11th driver to win in 2024, which leaves just five playoff spots unclaimed with seven races remaining in the regular season.
Next up is the second NASCAR Chicago Street Race, with the Grant Park 165 scheduled for Sunday on NBC. How does the field stack up heading into the Windy City? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:
1. Kyle Larson
Last week: 1
For the first time all season, Larson has gone consecutive races without leading a lap. The 2021 champion finished eighth in Nashville after being involved in two of the overtime cautions. It wasn’t the cleanest race by any means, but it was enough to regain the overall points lead.
2. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 3
Hamlin was seconds away from winning in regulation … then he was seconds away from winning in double overtime … then he ran out of fuel. He recovered to finish 12th because of all the chaos around him, but Hamlin’s day should’ve ended a lot better.
3. Christopher Bell
Last week: 4
The driver who crashed out and finished 36th rises in the power rankings? That’s what happens when you lead a race-high 131 laps and win both stages. Bell’s top-10 streak was snapped at five races, but the No. 20 team has more speed than anyone right now.
THE DOMINANT CAR ALL DAY CRASHES.Christopher Bell spins and hits the wall.
📺 : USA Network | NBC Sports App | #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/2BTlHqeHng— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 30, 2024
4. Chase Elliott
Last week: 2
Despite two spins and running out of fuel, Elliott still finished 18th to keep his top-20 streak alive. The 2020 champion is the first driver since 1991 and fourth ever to finish top-20 in the first 19 races of a season. Elliott finished third in Chicago last year and leads all active drivers with seven career road course wins.
Now this is a way to keep your streak alive!@chaseelliott is the fourth driver to finish in the top 20 in the first 19 races of a season. He is the first since Ricky Rudd in 1991. pic.twitter.com/AsmvDrySkE
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 1, 2024
5. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 5
Blaney appeared to be on the wrong fuel strategy before all of the overtime restarts. All of the calamity saved his day, though, and he crossed the line in sixth. The defending champion rolls into Chicago looking to improve on his 33rd place finish from last year.
6. Tyler Reddick
Last week: 8
Third-place was a massive disappointment for Reddick, who was clearly dejected after the race. He had fresher tires and more fuel, but just couldn’t get around Logano in the final overtime. Still, he scored a race-high 51 points and now heads to Chicago as one of the series’ best road racers.
7. Brad Keselowski
Last week: 7
Like Bell and Elliott, Keselowski spun in the final stage. He went multiple laps down with a damaged car and finished 25th after placing fifth in the first two stages. Keselowski has now finished 25th or worse in consecutive races for the first time since the first two races of 2024.
After contact with the No. 3, @keselowski backs into the wall! pic.twitter.com/VmEsm5xNsj
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 1, 2024
8. William Byron
Last week: 6
Byron got shuffled out of the top-10 midway through the race, had a poor pit stop and then couldn’t get through traffic at all. He ended up finishing 19th, which was better than it looked before all of the overtimes. After three wins in the first eight races this season, Byron has finished 15th or worse in six of the last nine weeks.
9. Ross Chastain
Last week: 9
It was almost back-to-back Nashville wins for Chastain before he was wrecked in overtime. The 33rd-place finish won’t help him on the playoff bubble, but the speed he showed in the final stage is promising for Trackhouse Racing – the same organization that won in Chicago last July.
KYLE LARSON INTO ROSS CHASTAIN.DOUBLE OVERTIME AT NASHVILLE. #NASCAR
📺 : USA Network and NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/EQedOv7WXl— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 1, 2024
10. Joey Logano
Last week: First four out
This had to feel good for Logano. Through 18 races, he was on pace for his worst average finish since 2012 and his first time missing the playoffs since 2017. But now he’s locked into the postseason, where Logano will battle for a third title. His 33rd career win puts him into a tie for 27th on the all-time list with Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts.
First four out: Martin Truex Jr., Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs, Alex Bowman