{"id":896299,"date":"2026-09-15T05:44:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T05:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/896299\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T05:44:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T05:44:10","slug":"nascar-cup-series-power-rankings-kyle-larson-ends-winless-streak-at-gateway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/896299\/","title":{"rendered":"NASCAR Cup Series Power Rankings: Kyle Larson Ends Winless Streak at Gateway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kyle Larson<\/a> ended his 51-race winless streak, a period that stretched all the way back to May of last year, by winning Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. The triumph vaulted the defending champion to second in the standings behind Denny Hamlin<\/a>, and it took an alternative strategy and avoidance of the day’s drama to get it done. Sunday’s race featured 18 yellow flags, two red-flag stoppages, and two attempts at an overtime finish. Once the dust settled, it was Larson who used four fresh tires to overcome Gateway ace Joey Logano<\/a>‘s two-tire track position play to win. Most important for six Chase contenders that finished in the top 10 was the trouble that others endured, though. Five Chase contenders finished 25th or worse. It was a day where simply having a clean race produced a positive outcome.<\/p>\n

With two races in the 10-race run to the championship complete, the standings have only gotten tighter. While Hamlin still maintains his advantage at the top of the heap, his lead is now a mere nine points with Christopher Bell<\/a> just 18 points behind in third. Competition is heating up and could be in for even more of a shakeup next week at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ty Gibbs<\/a> won there earlier this season and will be hoping he can repeat that breakthrough again to move him into pole position for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship.<\/p>\n

To keep up with all your favorite drivers and get updates throughout<\/p>\n

Kyle Larson<\/a> ended his 51-race winless streak, a period that stretched all the way back to May of last year, by winning Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. The triumph vaulted the defending champion to second in the standings behind Denny Hamlin<\/a>, and it took an alternative strategy and avoidance of the day’s drama to get it done. Sunday’s race featured 18 yellow flags, two red-flag stoppages, and two attempts at an overtime finish. Once the dust settled, it was Larson who used four fresh tires to overcome Gateway ace Joey Logano<\/a>‘s two-tire track position play to win. Most important for six Chase contenders that finished in the top 10 was the trouble that others endured, though. Five Chase contenders finished 25th or worse. It was a day where simply having a clean race produced a positive outcome.<\/p>\n

With two races in the 10-race run to the championship complete, the standings have only gotten tighter. While Hamlin still maintains his advantage at the top of the heap, his lead is now a mere nine points with Christopher Bell<\/a> just 18 points behind in third. Competition is heating up and could be in for even more of a shakeup next week at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ty Gibbs<\/a> won there earlier this season and will be hoping he can repeat that breakthrough again to move him into pole position for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship.<\/p>\n

To keep up with all your favorite drivers and get updates throughout the season, head to RotoWire’s latest NASCAR news<\/a> or follow @RotoWireNASCAR<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n

NASCAR Power Rankings After Gateway<\/p>\n

1. Christopher Bell<\/a>, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20<\/p>\n

Last Week: 1<\/p>\n

One week after his breakthrough victory, Bell was tasting the other end of the spectrum. The No. 20 was one of many drivers to suffer issues in Sunday’s incident-filled race. While Bell had his Toyota running toward the front of the field through much of the day, he was one of several drivers caught up in a late-race crash that robbed him of the opportunity to put some distance between himself and the competition in the championship standings. Sunday’s 19th-place finish was Bell’s second finish worse than 15th from the last five races, and it lost him one position in the standings. With many drivers having problems of their own, the damage from the bad day wasn’t as detrimental as it could have been, but it was still a missed opportunity for the No. 20.<\/p>\n

2. Denny Hamlin<\/a>, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11<\/p>\n

Last Week: 2<\/p>\n

Hamlin left Gateway Sunday afternoon with his points lead still intact, which was a mission accomplished. However, the day did not exactly go as planned and threatening for race wins remains in question. Surviving Sunday’s race with a top-10 finish was still an accomplishment considering how many championship contenders suffered problems, though. Hamlin’s lead in the championship is now just nine points. While the No. 11 team continues to wring top-10 finishes out of adverse afternoons, the team will need to rediscover their spark in order to remain championship favorites. Their next chance comes at Bristol where Hamlin is a four-time winner with seven top-10 finishes from the last eight races at the bullring.\u00a0<\/p>\n

3. Kyle Larson<\/a>, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5<\/p>\n

Last Week: 8<\/p>\n

Larson used an alternate pit strategy to win Sunday at Gateway, ending his winless streak that dragged on for more than a year. The win was also Chevrolet’s first since Shane van Gisbergen<\/a> won at Sonoma. Though both Larson and Chevrolet have been behind the competition much of the season, this win could be the spark the organization needs to turn things around and become legitimate contenders. Larson’s speed throughout the entire race paid off with stage points, in addition to those for the victory, to propel him up the championship order to second just nine points behind Hamlin. One win can turn things around, and that is exactly what this team will be hoping they achieved as they turn their attention to Bristol.<\/p>\n

4. Ryan Blaney<\/a>, Team Penske No. 12<\/p>\n

Last Week: 3<\/p>\n

For much of the season, Ryan Blaney<\/a> has been maximizing results from equipment that has not matched series leaders. He put himself in the best possible situation to start The Chase by doing so, but this sport can be a game of fine margins and any missteps can have lasting impacts. A broken brake rotor in Sunday’s chaotic race at Gateway was an example of something Blaney could ill afford. His early retirement from the day earned him just nine points toward the championship, and he slipped backward to fourth in the standings. Blaney now heads to Bristol 33 points behind the championship lead with even less room for error in the final eight-race run to decide this season’s champion.<\/p>\n

5. Ty Gibbs<\/a>, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54<\/p>\n

Last Week: 4<\/p>\n

Gibbs was another of the top championship protagonists that was unable to avoid being involved in one of Sunday’s incidents. He scored points in the first stage but was caught in one of the race’s many accidents, leaving him with a damage front end, and forcing him backward in the field to finish 18th. Sunday’s finish also continued a new trend for the No. 54 of one top finish being followed in the next race with a poor one. Four of his last eight races have ended with top-10 finishes while the other four in that same span ended with results of 15th or lower. Earlier in the season, Gibbs was a picture of consistency, and that is what helped him into such a strong position to start The Chase. To win it, Gibbs will have to rediscover that same form quickly.<\/p>\n

6. Joey Logano<\/a>, Team Penske No. 22<\/p>\n

Last Week: 7<\/p>\n

Joey Logano<\/a> had one of the best average finishes among active drivers at Gateway, and he improved it on Sunday. First, he qualified on pole and then went on to win the first stage before finishing second in the next. A two-tire call on the final pit stop didn’t give him the grip he needed through the final restarts to hold off the competition, though. Unlike prior races this season, despite getting off of pit road first on the final stop, Kyle Larson<\/a>‘s four-tire decision ended up winning the day. Still, Logano walked away with a second-place finish and a hefty haul of stage points that moved him up to seventh in the championship standings. Next week’s trip to Bristol will be another chance for him to make up some ground. He is a two-time winner at the circuit and finished seven in the spring race.<\/p>\n

7. Tyler Reddick<\/a>, 23XI Racing No. 45<\/p>\n

Last Week: 5<\/p>\n

After a strong start to his championship effort, Reddick took a big step backward at Gateway. The 23XI Racing driver qualified just 18th for race and only scored a few stage points from the second segment. Despite that progress forward through the field, Reddick was one of several drivers involved in a late multi-car crash. Reddick’s car suffered significant damage and there was little time left in the race to do anything about it. His 25th-place finish was his worst since ending a mid-season slump at Richmond. He also slipped back one position in the standings to fifth. The coming week’s return to Bristol could be a chance for the No. 45 team to get things pointed back in the right direction. Reddick finished fourth at the track earlier this season, which was his first top-10 there since 2020.<\/p>\n

8. Chase Briscoe<\/a>, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19<\/p>\n

Last Week: 6<\/p>\n

Of the championship contenders, one of the hardest hit by Gateway’s high level of attrition was Briscoe. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was racing on the outside of Chase Elliott<\/a> when the No. 9 Chevrolet suffered a brake failure, taking Briscoe’s Toyota into the wall as an innocent bystander. The damage was heavy and Briscoe was forced to exit the race early with 32nd-place finish. Luckily, some the damage in the standings was mitigated through the 11 stage points Briscoe scored before the incident along with several other contenders also suffering from the day’s problems. Althrough Briscoe fell three positions in the standings, the points battle is still relatively tight and Briscoe was a top-five finish at Bristol in the spring, which should give the team confidence ahead of next week’s race.<\/p>\n

9. Bubba Wallace<\/a>, 23XI Racing No. 23<\/p>\n

Last Week: 9<\/p>\n

The trend continues for Bubba Wallace<\/a>. Over the past two months, Wallace has been in an up-and-down pattern, alternating strong finishes with more difficult ones, and last week’s trip to Gateway was a down week. His 14th-place finish came after an eighth-place run at Darlington and was the result of getting caught in a late-race crash. If the trend holds, as it has since June, Wallace should be in line for a result better than 14th this week. Sunday’s accident hurt, but Wallace still benefited from several Chase contenders having issues of their own. Bristol should offer a better opportunity. Wallace finished 11th there in April, and a similar run would keep the pattern going for another week.<\/p>\n

10. Chase Elliott<\/a>, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9<\/p>\n

Last Week: 10<\/p>\n

Two races into The Chase have Elliott falling backward in the standings. The former series champ was one of many drivers to suffer a brake failure and exit Sunday’s visit to Gateway early. The accident was especially painful considering Elliott had started in the top 10 and took stage points from the first segment. Things came unwound for the No. 9 as the race wore on, though. With eight races remaining in the season, Elliott sits in 11th position, nearly 100 points behind championship leader Denny Hamlin<\/a>. Race wins may quickly become a necessity to keep his championship hopes alive. However, Elliott has never won at Bristol, and he hasn’t finished better than 15th at the track in any of his last three starts.<\/p>\n

Knocking on the Door<\/p>\n

William Byron<\/a>, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24<\/p>\n

Last Week: N\/A<\/p>\n

Despite being one of Sunday’s many caution periods, Byron was able to regroup and claim a top-five finish. His recovery was impressive, but it also meant he missed out on stage points that would have enhanced his day. Even though he only moved up one spot in the standings, Byron’s finish Sunday was impressive. It was his first top-five since Chicago and his second top-10 in the last five races. Byron has a history of stepping up his performance in the championship races, and that may be what fans got to see Sunday. Carrying that momentum forward through Bristol could be a big test for the team, though. Although Byron boasts a respectable record at Bristol, he started and finished outside of the top 30 there earlier this season.<\/p>\n

Carson Hocevar<\/a>, Spire Motorsports No. 77<\/p>\n

Last Week: N\/A<\/p>\n

For all of the controversy that surrounds Carson Hocevar<\/a> and his aggressive style of racing, he managed to avoid the pitfalls that swallowed up much of The Chase field Sunday at Gateway. By racing smartly and keeping his nose clean, Hocevar left the venue with an eighth-place finish and a handful of stage points to add to his total. That helped him move up three spots in the standings to ninth, just eight points behind Chase Briscoe<\/a>. Hocevar has been a lightning rod for controversy, but Sunday’s calmer approach paid off. With a number of competitors calling him out, though, Hocevar will still have to watch his back. Bristol has been a solid track for him, with finishes of 11th or better in four of his six starts, but it could also be the type of place where his adversaries take aim.<\/p>\n

Chris Buescher<\/a>, RFK Racing No. 17<\/p>\n

Last Week: N\/A<\/p>\n

Like the race before it, Gateway should have been a place where Buescher could make up ground in the championship fight. Instead, like Darlington, it became another missed opportunity. Trouble for the No. 17 began early when a failed pre-race inspection led to the ejection of his car chief. He started Sunday’s race 21st and never made an impact near the front before making things worse with a crash inside the final 10 laps of the scheduled distance. It has been a disastrous start to The Chase, and the No. 17 team is nearing a desperate situation after slipping to 13th in the standings. There are still eight races left to get things turned around, but with just one top-10 finish in the last 10 races, Buescher is facing a steep uphill battle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kyle Larson ended his 51-race winless streak, a period that stretched all the way back to May of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":896300,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,193229,634,82],"class_list":["post-896299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-minor-league-stats","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/896299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=896299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/896299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/896300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=896299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=896299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=896299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}