Last week, the FOX coverage portion of the NASCAR Cup Series season came to a close. Sonoma marked the 16th stop on the 2023 NASCAR calendar. We are two races away from the halfway point of the season. There are still 10 races before the playoffs start with six spots left up for grabs. So, with the off week and no race this past weekend, why don’t we talk about who stands where in the power rankings? Let’s discuss who stands where post-Sonoma.
#10. Kevin Harvick:
When it was announced that 2023 was going to be Kevin Harvick’s last season, fans knew it was going to be an emotional roller coaster. The same driver who filled in at Richard Childress Racing after the death of Dale Sr, is retiring. As of Sonoma, Harvick’s season has been fairly consistent. He hasn’t made too much noise but hasn’t had many poor finishes either. Ever since the All-Star race four weeks ago, Harvick has finished 11th or better in all three races since the All-Star race. This is the consistency that Harvick needs to pave his path to the playoffs.
Current 2023 Stats for Kevin Harvick:
0 Wins, 4 Top-5 Finishes, 7 Top-10 Finishes, an average finish of 12.25, 98 total laps led, and 1 DNF on the season.
#9. Joey Logano:
Even before the 2023 season began, Joey Logano was the favorite for the 2023 Cup Series championship. Logano, the 2022 Cup Series Champion, has been quiet throughout the first portion of the season. Since his win at Atlanta earlier this season, Logano has had a string of bad luck. But more recently, Logano’s luck has been on the upward trend with back-to-back Top-3 finishes at Gateway and Sonoma. But Ford’s lack of speed compared to the Chevy’s and Toyota’s is starting to catch up with Team Penske. Logano can win more races before the playoffs, but he and Team Penske need to find some more speed before they can contend for more wins.
Current 2023 Stats for Joey Logano:
1 Win, 8 Top-10 Finishes, 5 Top-5 Finishes, an average finish of 15.37, 217 total laps led, and 3 DNFs on the season.
#8. Ross Chastain:
Throughout the 2023 season, Ross Chastain has made more headlines than any other driver in the last 10 years. Despite being in constant conflict and an occasional post-race fight, Chastain keeps his mind on the positive side of everything. Through the first 12 races of the year, Chastain looked like he was the man to beat. But after the 13th race of the season, Darlington, Chastain has only earned one Top-10 finish. It seems that Chastain and Trackhouse Racing have hit a slight bump in the road, but it won’t be a shocker to see Chastain at the front of the field again soon.
Current 2023 Stats for Ross Chastain:
0 Wins, 7-Top 10 Finishes, 5 Top-5 Finishes, an average finish of 13.87, 348 total laps led, and 1 DNF on the season.
#7. Denny Hamlin:
If there’s one thing that you can rely on during the season, it’s that Denny Hamlin will be running up front. Throughout the first 10 races, Hamlin had a rough start to the season. But his season picked up with a win at Kansas and has started to get his mojo back. But Hamlin has DNF’d in two of the last three races. Several tracks are coming up on the schedule that Hamlin could take a win at. Tracks such as Pocono, Michigan, and New Hampshire. If there is an opportunity for Hamlin to get some momentum going before the playoffs, it will be throughout the next few weeks.
Current 2023 Stats for Denny Hamlin:
1 Win, 6 Top-10 Finishes, 4 Top-5 Finishes, an average finish of 14.56, 255 total laps led, and 2 DNFs on the season.
#6. Christopher Bell:
Christopher Bell has had an up-and-down 2023 season so far. Ever since his win at the Bristol dirt race Bell’s season has looked like a heart rate monitor. Up and down. As previously said, Bell does have his win on the season but doesn’t have much to say after that. Bell has not scored a Top-5 finish and only three Top-10 finishes since his win at Bristol. There is a lot of talent and a lot of potential for Bell’s 2023 season, but he must find something better than a few Top-10’s and Top-5’s.
Current 2023 Stats for Christopher Bell:
1 Win, 9 Top-10 Finishes, 5 Top-5 Finishes, an average finish of 13.06, 206 total laps led, and 3 DNFs on the season.
#5. Ryan Blaney:
Coming into the season, Blaney was riding a very notable winless streak. He saw his teammate, Austin Cindric, win the 2022 Daytona 500. He saw his teammate, Joey Logano, win the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. This bothered Blaney to the core. He was the only Team Penske driver to not win a point-paying race in 2022. Blaney won the 2022 All-Star race at Texas, but no point paying races throughout 2022. He was finally able to break the winless streak with a crown jewel win at the Coca-Cola 600 in late May. But the one thing that Blaney has going for him is that he has no DNFs so far on the season. If Blaney and Team Penske can keep this consistency up, he will become a championship favorite soon.
Current 2023 Stats for Ryan Blaney:
1 Win, 9 Top-10 Finishes, 4 Top-5 Finishes, an average finish of 12.56, 319 total laps led, and 0 DNFs on the season.
#4. Kyle Larson:
Despite being this high in power rankings, 2023 has not been kind to Kyle Larson. Through the first 16 races, Larson already has a field-leading FIVE DNFs through the season. But the one thing going for Larson, he has two wins on the season. When Larson hasn’t registered a DNF, he has been bad fast. He is a legitimate contender for this championship. But Larson’s luck must turn around if he wants to contend for this championship come September. He is in great equipment and will have a shot to win a lot of races throughout the rest of the season. The 2021 Cup Series Champion will have a great shot at this championship but only if his luck can turn in the positive direction.
Current 2023 Stats for Kyle Larson:
2 Wins, 7 Top-10 Finishes, 6 Top-5 Finishes, an average finish of 16.5, 588 total laps led, and 5 DNFs on the season.
#3. Martin Truex Jr:
At the beginning of the season, the very well-documented winless streak for MTJ was the big story. Truex began his season with a win at The Clash at The Colosseum. Though it wasn’t a point-paying race, it was a great way to start the season. The start of the season was a bit rocky for Truex, he had four finishes outside the Top-15 in 10 races. But after the 11th race of the season, Dover, is when Truex’s season began to trend upward. Thanks to a win at Dover, the winless streak was finally over. In the last three races, Truex has finished in the Top-5 all three times including a win at Sonoma. This is the consistency that Truex needs to be a part of the championship fight.
Current 2023 Stats for Martin Truex Jr:
2 Wins, 8 Top-10 Finishes, 5 Top-5 Finishes, an average finish of 11.43, 434 total laps led, and 1 DNF on the season.
#2. Kyle Busch:
When it was announced that Kyle Busch was joining Richard Childress Racing in 2023, nobody knew what to expect from the two-time champion. Busch, who had been with Joe Gibbs Racing for the past 15 years, was taking a gamble by leaving JGR. But so far, that gamble has paid off. It was apparent right from the get-go that Busch and the #8 team were going to be a force to reckon with. With a win in the second race of the season at Fontana, Busch’s confidence was through the roof. We now know what we can expect from the RCR #8 team for the rest of the season. They will be very competitive for the championship when it comes time for the playoffs.
Current 2023 Stats for Kyle Busch:
3 Wins, 9 Top-10 Finishes, 5 Top-5 Finishes, an average finish of 12.12, 214 total laps led, and 3 DNFs on the season.
#1. William Byron:
Ever since Daytona in February, William Byron has been lights out fast. Much like his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, Byron can compete for wins every single week. Byron may have had a rough Daytona 500, but that didn’t stop Byron and the #24 team from finding their mojo early in the season. Byron won back-to-back races at Las Vegas and Phoenix early in the season. In May, Byron finally earned his long-sought win at Darlington. This has been the tone for the #24 team all season long. Lead laps and be relevant in the race. If Byron didn’t have a shot to win, he would be in the Top-10. He currently has the best shot of being the championship favorite come September.
Current 2023 Stats for William Byron:
3 Wins, 9 Top-10 Finishes, 7 Top-5 Finishes, 717 total laps led, an average finish of 12.31, and 2 DNFs on the season.
