Joey Logano issued a warning to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series field that his No. 22 Team Penske team may have something to say in this year’s title fight. The now three-time Richmond winner started Saturday night’s race 10th but quickly worked his way into the top five where he remained for the entirety of the night before winning with 95 laps led. It was Logano’s second win of the season and third top-three finish from the last four races. The night’s triumph also continued Team Penske’s climb to level terms with the Toyota drivers that have dominated much of the season to date. With two regular-season races remaining before the 10-race run to the series championship gets underway, Logano’s win may signal a shift in momentum away from the Toyota camp.
The first of those two remaining races takes the series northeast to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. That coming race could be a pivotal one in finalizing The Chase field, too. With wildcard Daytona International Speedway hosting the final race before The Chase, the championship contenders still working to cement their spot in the championship positions will want to get the job done to avoid putting their hopes into Daytona’s unpredictable crucible. The race could also be another boost for Team Penske, though. Ryan Blaney is the defending winner and Ford’s momentum from Richmond could continue propelling the manufacturer’s rise in the standings.
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Joey Logano issued a warning to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series field that his No. 22 Team Penske team may have something to say in this year’s title fight. The now three-time Richmond winner started Saturday night’s race 10th but quickly worked his way into the top five where he remained for the entirety of the night before winning with 95 laps led. It was Logano’s second win of the season and third top-three finish from the last four races. The night’s triumph also continued Team Penske’s climb to level terms with the Toyota drivers that have dominated much of the season to date. With two regular-season races remaining before the 10-race run to the series championship gets underway, Logano’s win may signal a shift in momentum away from the Toyota camp.
The first of those two remaining races takes the series northeast to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. That coming race could be a pivotal one in finalizing The Chase field, too. With wildcard Daytona International Speedway hosting the final race before The Chase, the championship contenders still working to cement their spot in the championship positions will want to get the job done to avoid putting their hopes into Daytona’s unpredictable crucible. The race could also be another boost for Team Penske, though. Ryan Blaney is the defending winner and Ford’s momentum from Richmond could continue propelling the manufacturer’s rise in the standings.
To keep up with all your favorite drivers and get updates throughout the season, head to RotoWire’s latest NASCAR news or follow @RotoWireNASCAR on X.
NASCAR Power Rankings After Richmond
1. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11
Last Week: 1
As has become his pattern, Hamlin found a way to get the most production out of an imperfect race. The No. 11 has been the class of the field at short tracks in recent seasons but lacked some pace last week at Richmond. Hamlin started just 14th, but he worked his way forward from the start to move inside the top 10 until the finish. His fourth-place result was his series-leading 14th top-five finish of the season, which also gives him more than a 100-point advantage over second in the regular-season standings. That gap will be erased once The Chase arrives, which is why the No. 11’s impeccable consistency is so critical. Hamlin has been among the leaders nearly every race, and continuing that form all the way to Homestead could net him his first series title.
2. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12
Last Week: 3
Ryan Blaney and Team Penske got a perfect start to the race weekend with pole for Saturday night’s race. From that starting spot, Blaney immediately took control of the race and led 88 laps, winning the first stage and scoring stage points in the second, before slipping backward in the final segment to finish 13th. That final position was not what they wanted, but another race where the car was able to lead significant portions of the race, not to mention four pole positions from the last five races, shows that the team is building their case for contending for this season’s championship. Blaney has been one of the most consistent drivers all season, and this recent step forward in competitiveness against the Toyotas means he may have a better chance than expected to win a second series title.
3. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20
Last Week: 4
Bell’s seventh-place finish in Richmond wasn’t another near miss for the No. 20 team. This top-10 required work and showed that even when facing adversity, the team can still pull off competitive finishes. Bell qualified eighth, but battled to stay inside the top 10 throughout the night. In the final segment, he was one rare car that tried an alternate strategy to make something happen and led laps while pit stops cycled through. In the end, Bell didn’t have the grip to stay out front but still walked away with his 12th top-10 finish of the season. Saturday’s race showed the No. 20 team is willing to get creative when they don’t have the speed, but still have the pace to score meaningful results when things don’t go their way.
4. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19
Last Week: 5
Short-track racing has not been Briscoe’s greatest strength, but his improvement at tracks like Richmond has been dramatic in the past year. Briscoe nearly scored pole for Saturday’s race and was one of the frontrunners throughout the night, leading 171 laps from the front row to finish second for his 10th top-five finish of the season. Contrast Saturday night’s production with the fact that his prior best finish at Richmond was 11th and he had never led a lap at the track. Briscoe now sits fifth in the standings and is locked into The Chase. If he and the team can continue improving their weak spots while building momentum, they should be considered legitimate contenders through the final 10-race run of the season.
5. Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54
Last Week: 2
Unlike teammate Briscoe, short tracks have traditionally been some of the best spots for Gibbs. That trend started accordingly with a fourth-place qualifying effort for Richmond, but multiple incidents, including an early speeding penalty on pit road, held him back from realizing the potential he may have had. With the struggles, Gibbs only finished 15th and did not score any stage points to help soften the blow. Gibbs slipped one position to third in the standings due to the lack of production, which is a reminder of how tight the margins become as the championship races draw nearer. While Saturday wasn’t a disaster for the No. 54, poor points production in the remaining 12 races of this season will become more and more detrimental.
6. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45
Last Week: 6
After qualifying 32nd at Richmond, it seemed as though Reddick’s woes would continue one week after finishing 36th at Iowa. However, the he and the team were able to work their way into the top 10 by the end of the second stage. A loose wheel stunted that progress, but the team continued to play aggressively, which got them back into contention before ultimately slipping back when adjustments failed to pay off on track. In the end, Reddick finished the night 11th, which reflected a nice comeback from the prior week along with a less than ideal qualifying effort. There is still a long way to go for the No. 45 to return to winning form to have a chance at the championship, but Saturday night’s work demonstrates some positive signals the team can build on.
7. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9
Last Week: 7
Hendrick Motorsports still has work to do to join the front runners of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Despite not having the raw speed to get out front to lead and win races, Elliott and team are working to find others ways to get the job done. Saturday at Richmond they started 13th but worked hard to move forward for stage points and finished the race fifth for their first top-five finish since winning at Texas and their first top-10 in more than two months. Elliott and team will have to unlock speed from their Chevrolet in order to become a legitimate title contender, but Saturday night’s return to form locked them into The Chase and may set the team off on firmer footing with two regular-season races remaining to find race-winning form.
8. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22
Last Week: 10
The last five races have been the best of the season from Logano and the No. 22 crew. His win Saturday night at Richmond was his second of the season and was also his third finish of third or better from the last four races. Logano, along with his other Team Penske teammates, have spent much of the season chasing the streaking Toyotas, but appear to have had the measure of their competition the past few races. This uptick in performance is well timed with The Chase on the horizon, but they will have to carry this speed into the final 10 races to make a challenge for another title. The good news is that Logano has a history of success at New Hampshire, too. He is a two-time winner at the track and led 147 laps from pole last year before finishing fourth.
9. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5
Last Week: 9
Battling back multiple times from a lap down, Larson jetted away from Richmond with a sixth-place finish despite starting 30th. Had he not been the first car a lap down on two occasions, the night might have been a lot more difficult. However, Larson delivered in the final stage with long-run speed that helped him climb to sixth for the finish. From there, his night just got better. After the race in Richmond finished, Larson flew directly to Knoxville where a rain delay gave him the chance to race in the Knoxville Nationals finale, which he won. In the Cup Series, he and the team still have their work cut out for them, though. It remains more than a year since Larson has visited Victory Lane, and that will likely need to change quickly in order to successfully defend his series title.
10. Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports No. 77
Last Week: 8
With competition as close as it is in NASCAR Cup Series racing, small mistakes can have major consequences. Hocevar suffered one of those setbacks Saturday night when he fumbled a downshift with just over 100 laps remaining in the race, ruining his engine and causing him to exit the race. After failing to score stage points, finishing last in the race was an especially heavy blow in the standings. While his spot in That Chase is still in a comfortable position, the impact of issues like Saturday’s will only intensify in the the final races. In order to be championship contenders, the No. 77 must find weekly consistency and eliminate mistakes like Saturday’s. With two finishes outside of the top 30 from the last two races, Hocevar and team have work to do with time running short.
Knocking on the Door
Austin Cindric, Team Penske No. 2
Last Week: N/A
Austin Cindric needed a positive result to help secure his bid for a spot in The Chase. As his Team Penske teammates began to make their presence at the top of the standings felt, the pressure for Cindric to do the same only grew. He and the No. 2 team delivered in Richmond, though. Despite qualifying 23rd, Cindric stormed forward to finish the first stage inside the top five. From that point on, Cindric kept himself in contention and drove home an impressive third-place finish that moved him off of the cutline for the championship positions. Cindric now holds a 57-point advantage over the drop zone with two regular-season races remaining and scored just his second top-five finish of the season in what could be a much-needed step forward in performance.
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24
Last Week: N/A
While William Byron has not been making much noise this season, his ninth-place finish Saturday at Richmond earned him his 11th top-10 finish of the season. The No. 24 team holds a confident position among the contenders for The Chase positions, but they need more speed to make waves further forward. However, Saturday night’s quiet but productive night was their second top-10 in a row, which is something the team hasn’t delivered in consecutive points races since March. The Hendrick teammates are beginning to show some life, but they need to make bigger steps more quickly to become contenders in 2026. Byron’s last win was last October, but he finished third at New Hampshire last season for his first top-10 at the northeastern oval.
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing No. 97
Last Week: N/A
The Richmond race weekend was a mixed one for SVG and the No. 97 team. The New Zealander got the weekend started on the right foot with his first career pole position in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He went on to finish fourth in that rain-delayed race before finishing the day full of racing with a 14th-place finish in the Cup race. Optically, things were not the best considering he slipped back a position in the standings to the championship cutline, but converting his 31st-place starting spot into the top-15 finish actually increased his margin over Ryan Preece to 50 points with just two regular-season races remaining. Continuing to avoid mistakes and deliver top-15 finishes in the next two races should see the No. 97 secure their spot in the championship battle.