NASCAR Power Rankings: 5 drivers heating up before the Chicago Street Course

Chase Elliott overtook Brad Keselowski on the final lap to win Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway. It was the first victory of 2025 for the driver of the #9 as he became the 12th different winner of the season.

With Elliott's massive hometown win came a shakeup in this week's power rankings. Who's heading to the Chicago street race looking strong? Let's take a look.

5. Kyle Larson

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It was a relatively quiet evening for Kyle Larson in Atlanta as he brought the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet home at 17th. The Hendrick Motorsports star seems to have lost a step in recent weeks and takes another step back in this week's power rankings.

Larson holds a season-high nine top fives and is tied with Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin for the most wins (3). However, Larson has only salvaged one top five finish in the last seven races. With the Chicago street race ahead, Larson will aim to get back on track as he seeks another road course win in the NextGen era.

4. Christopher Bell

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As the defending winner at EchoPark Speedway, Christopher Bell's race ended in disappointment. The driver of the #20 got caught up in an early-race wreck on Saturday night, which resulted in a 30th-place finish.

The Joe Gibbs Racing star will look to put the bad week behind him when the circuit heads to Chicago. Bell is coming off a runner-up finish on the last road course race in Mexico City, so you have to figure he'll bring another fast machine to Chicago.

3. Chase Elliott

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It was only a matter of time before Chase Elliott broke into victory lane in 2025. Coming off back-to-back top-five finishes, the driver of the #9 delivered in his home state of Georgia with a victory at EchoPark Speedway.

Elliott not only moved up in this week's power rankings, but he also jumped to second in the Cup Series standings. As the winningest active driver on road courses, expect Elliott to be a contender for his second straight win of 2025 this Sunday in Chicago.

2. William Byron

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William Byron was another victim of carnage at the EchoPark Speedway on Saturday night. The driver of the #24 was collected in a massive early-race crash, which resulted in a 37th-place finish.

However, this year's Daytona 500 winner continues to lead the points standings and brings fast cars to the track on a consistent basis. Byron is a two-time road-course winner in the NextGen era and will seek win number three this Sunday in Chicago.

1. Denny Hamlin

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Denny Hamlin got caught up in "the big one" on Saturday night and ultimately registered a 31st-place finish. However, with a pair of top-two finishes in his last three races, the Joe Gibbs Racing star is still the man to beat through the summer months.

Hamlin holds a season-high three wins in 2025 alongside Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson. The driver of the #11 missed the last road course race in Mexico City, so you have to think he'll have added motivation for Sunday's event in Chicago.