Different week, same result.
After winning at the high-speed oval of Atlanta Motor Speedway, Christopher Bell went back-to-back on Sunday with his victory at the road course of Circuit of the Americas (COTA). The 30-year-old driver has won two of the three races this season.
Daytona 500 winner William Bryon was second, followed by Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch to round out the top-five finishers in Austin, Texas.
Next up is a trip to the desert for a battle at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday. How does the field stack up after COTA? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:
1. Christopher Bell
Last week: 5
Patience paid off for Bell in the closing laps, as he methodically passed Busch for the lead and held off Byron for the win. Despite leading just nine laps in the last two weeks, Bell has brought home two trophies. Can he make it three straight in Phoenix? Bell won there last spring, but no one has won three straight Cup races since Kyle Larson in 2021.
2. William Byron
Last week: 1
Second in the race, second in the power rankings. Byron has followed up his Daytona 500 win with a late crash while running third in Atlanta and a second-place finish in Austin. The No. 24 team is clicking early in the season, as they often have in recent years. Byron won at Phoenix two years ago, so his success could continue this weekend.
3. Tyler Reddick
Last week: 6
Third in the race, third in the power rankings. OK, we won't do this for the entire list. But Reddick has rightfully earned this spot through three races. He's third in the overall standings and put together a solid run at COTA, winning the pole and earning five stage points.
4. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 2
Blaney lost the points lead to Byron after his 19th-place finish at COTA. It was an uncompetitive weekend for the 2023 Cup champion, who qualified 25th and only scored stage points due to strategy. On the bright side, Phoenix has been his best track in recent years -- Blaney has seven straight top-fives at the Arizona circuit.
5. Joey Logano
Last week: 3
Similar to Blaney, Team Penske's road course struggles impacted Logano. He finished 24th with nine stage points due to strategy, but he was never in the mix for a top-10. The reigning champion won the title at Phoenix in November and leads all active drivers with four wins at the track.
6. Kyle Larson
Last week: 4
Larson had a decent, albeit not great, run going at COTA before the wheels fell off ... literally. His tire wasn't secured and came off while he was on track, which resulted in a two-lap penalty. He got back in the mix before spinning late and finishing 32nd.
7. Chase Elliott
Last week: 8
Elliott started third but was spun by Ross Chastain on the first turn of the race. He battled back throughout the day to regain track position before a smart pit call late gave him fresh tires. Elliott charged through the field from 23rd to fourth in the final 13 laps to secure his first top-five of the season.
8. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 7
Road courses aren't usually kind to Hamlin, and Sunday was no different. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver suffered damage on the first lap in the aftermath of Elliott's spin. He then slammed into Austin Dillon late before finishing 21st.
9. Kyle Busch
Last week: Not ranked
Busch's career-long winless streak reached 60 races after his fifth-place run at COTA. There's plenty to be excited about for the No. 8 team, though. Busch led a race-high 42 laps and likely would've stayed with Bell and Byron if his tires were fresher. It feels like the two-time champion is close to getting back to victory lane, but time will tell.
10. Bubba Wallace
Last week: First four out
This weekend was arguably the best road course performance of Wallace's career. He has always struggled at these tracks, but he qualified second and won Stage 1. The finish (20th) doesn't look great, but Wallace is still sixth in the standings after a tricky schedule to open the season. Now, the real work begins at more traditional tracks.
First four out: Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain, Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell
Get to know NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney.
