{"id":206598,"date":"2025-10-07T09:22:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T09:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/206598\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T09:22:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T09:22:13","slug":"10-best-nascar-drivers-after-pennzoil-400","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/206598\/","title":{"rendered":"10 best NASCAR drivers after Pennzoil 400"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re now five races into the 2025 NASCAR Cup season with the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway delivering the first major stunner. It\u2019s been an eventful first few weeks of the regular season, with Christopher Bell responsible for three of five trips to victory lane. Following a Pennzoil 400 that saw just the third driver of the season find victory lane with the first driver to win two stages, let\u2019s dive into our latest NASCAR power rankings. Here are the best NASCAR drivers right now following Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

Just Missed: Joey Logano (11th), Kyle Busch (12th), Bubba Wallace (13th), Ross Chastain (14th)<\/p>\n

10. Josh Berry\"NASCARCredit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

In July 2024, Wood Brothers Racing announced<\/a> that it signed Josh Berry to drive the No. 21 Ford Mustang for the 2025 Cup Series season. It provided the 34-year-old with a new opportunity to try and claim his first win in the Cup Series. In just his fifth points race with WBR, he got it. While Berry only led 18 laps at Las Vegas, he finished eighth in Stages 1 and 2. Thanks to a caution, WBR\u2019s strategy paid off. Berry has now punched his ticket to the NASCAR playoffs and he\u2019ll head to Homestead-Miami with the fifth-most laps led (74) and consecutive top-five finishes. On top of all that, he has three top-8 starting positions in the last four weeks.<\/p>\n

Related: Josh Berry wins first NASCAR Cup race as Las Vegas flipped the scripts<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Chris Buescher\"NASCARCredit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Chris Buescher departs Las Vegas at ninth in the Cup Series standings right now and he could be even higher if not for an unfortunate wreck in Atlanta. On lap 204 of the Ambetter Health 400, Buescher spun out after getting clipped by Chase Briscoe, finishing 30th with just 7 points. Outside of that, he\u2019s finished 13th or better in every other race with three top-10 finishes and that\u2019s not including his success at the Clash (10th) and Duel 2 (3rd). Through five races, Buescher ranks fifth in average finishing position (13.0), ahead of Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick. While he\u2019s never been at the front of the field in 2025 \u2013 0 laps led \u2013 he is tied with Larson, Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell for top-10 finishes (three).<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a0NASCAR standings<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Denny Hamlin\"NASCARCredit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Denny Hamlin has had better fortune off the track this season than he is behind the wheel of the No. 11. Still pursuing that elusive first Cup Series championship, the 44-year-old driver hasn\u2019t even won a race since April 28, 2024 (W\u00fcrth 400). Over the last 15 races, per DriverAverages.com<\/a>, Hamlin ranks 21st in laps led (35) and seventh in average finishing position (12.5) even without a single DNF. In Sunday\u2019s Pennzoil 400, he had a pit-road penalty and couldn\u2019t make his way back to the front of the field after pitting while in fourth on Lap 232. Now he heads to Homestead, where he ranks just 14th in average finishing position (13.3) narrowly ahead of nDaniee Suarez.<\/p>\n

Related: Denny Hamlin wins big in Las Vegas, off the track<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Chase Elliott\"NASCARCredit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Much like Denny Hamlin, we\u2019re closing in on a year since Chase Elliott won his last race (Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 on April 14, 2024). He\u2019s remained Mr. Consistent in 2025, finishing top-10 in three of five races (second-most) with the fourth-best average finishing position (11.8) in the Cup Series. After finishing 20th in Atlanta, the No. 9 has finished 10th or better in three consecutive races and he\u2019s averaged 34.3 points per race in that stretch. While he doesn\u2019t have a win at Homestead, Elliott has finished top 15 in all three races there.<\/p>\n

Related: NASCAR schedule<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Alex Bowman\"NASCARCredit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Alex Bowman has earned this spot in our NASCAR power rankings with an excellent start to the season. The driver of the No. 48 has one blemish on his resume this season \u2013 26th at Atlanta \u2013 with four top-9 finishes to go with it. Bowman is tied with William Byron for the most top-10s (four) and he ranks third in average finishing position (11.0) behind Byron and Christopher Bell. The success is carrying over from last season as well, with Bowman fifth in average finish (12.4) and tied with Ryan Blaney for the fourth-most top 10s (nine) in the last 15 races.<\/p>\n

5. Ryan Blaney\"NASCARCredit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Ryan Blaney kicked off the 2025 Cup Series season with a bang, collecting 84 points and 1 playoff point at Daytona and Atlanta. Things have taken an unfortunate turn ever since. He finished 19th at the Circuit of the Americas, still collecting 27 points, then placed 28th at Phoenix (22 points) after his engine blew out<\/a> late in the race. In Las Vegas, Blaney\u2019s car spun out and sustained damage in practice which forced him to the back of the field. He worked his way back toward the front of the Pennzoil 400, but chaos when it went four-wide on Lap 196 took him out of commission to finish 35th. Fortunately for Blaney, he\u2019s now heading to Homestead where has has a pair of top-5s in three races.<\/p>\n

Ryan Blaney stats 2025<\/a>: 143 points, 5 races, 2 top 10s, 1 top 5, 1 pole, 2 DNFs, 24 laps led, 18.6 average finishing position<\/p>\n

Also Read: Biggest takeaways from Carl Edwards conversation with Dale Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Tyler Reddick\"NASCARCredit: Aaron E. Martinez\/American-Statesman \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

After an outstanding start to the season for Tyler Reddick, the recent trip to Las Vegas provided a slight setback. Starting 14th, Reddick made his way near the front of the field multiple times and he picked up a point for the fastest lap at the Pennzoil 400. However, pitting with 34 laps to go ended up costing valuable track position that the No. 45 car couldn\u2019t get back. It was Reddick\u2019s worst points day of the season (16), but he averaged 34.25 per race entering the weekend. He should rebound nicely at Homestead next Sunday, though, recreating last year\u2019s incredible move<\/a> in Miami to punch his Championship 4 ticket is probably unlikely.<\/p>\n

Tyler Reddick stats 2025: 159 points, 5 races, 2 top 5s, 1 pole, 43 laps led, 13.6 avg. finish<\/p>\n

Related: 23XI, Front Row blast NASCAR\u2019s charter injunction appeal<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Kyle Larson\"NASCARCredit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

With a Stage 2 win in the Pennzoil 400, Kyle Larson became the first Cup Series driver this season to record multiple stage wins. He\u2019s also rebounded nicely after a 32nd-place finish at COTA because a wheel fell off. While Larson \u2018only\u2019 has two wins in the last 15 races, third-most, he\u2019s dominating laps led (684) over that span. The no. 5 does have three top-10 finishes over the last month, including two 44-point days with 2 playoff points. He\u2019ll arrive in Miami with a Cup-series beast 296 laps led at Homestead with aspirations of making up for last year\u2019s heartbreak<\/a>. It wouldn\u2019t be a surprise if Larson records his first win of the season next Sunday.<\/p>\n

2. William Byron\"NASCARCredit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

William Byron might\u2019ve had some good fortune on his side to win the Daytona 500, but he\u2019s also put himself in positions for wins in each of the last three weeks. Over the last three races, Byron has amassed 132 points with his worst finish during this run being a sixth-place position at Phoenix. Byron leads NASCAR in points (207), top 10s (four) and average finishing position (8.0) and he is second in average starting position (9.0). He should maintain this dominant run into Homestead, but the lingering question is if we\u2019ll see the fall-off that started happening in late March last year.<\/p>\n

William Byron stats 2025<\/a>: 207 points, 5 races, 1 win, 4 top 10s, 3 top 5s, 1 pole, 110 laps led, 8.0 average finishing position<\/p>\n

1. Christopher Bell\"NASCARCredit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The three-time winner belongs atop the NASCAR power rankings. Christopher Bell\u2019s hopes of winning four in a row were basically shot when Joe Gibbs Racing opted to change a throttle body in the No. 20, forcing them to start the Pennzoil 400 from the rear. He still managed to earn a point in Stage 1 (10th place) but a pit road mistake delivered a costly penalty. Bell still navigated the field to finish 12th on Sunday, overcoming multiple issues for the JGR team. While Bell trails Byron in points \u2013 thanks to a crash with 5 laps to go<\/a> in the Daytona 500 when he was in second \u2013 Bell leads in playoff points.<\/p>\n

Read: Why aren\u2019t NASCAR Xfinity races available in every market, on CW app<\/a><\/p>\n

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\t\tMatt Johnson is Senior Editor of NFL and College Football for Sportsnaut. His work, including weekly NFL and college … More about Matt Johnson<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re now five races into the 2025 NASCAR Cup season with the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":206599,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[425,37579,99],"class_list":["post-206598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-nascar","tag-nascar-analysis","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206598"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206598\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/206599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=206598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=206598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}