NASCAR Power Rankings: 5 drivers heating up before the Sonoma Raceway

Shane van Gisbergen picked up his second victory of the 2025 NASCAR season in the Chicago street race. The afternoon of racing through the streets of Chicago made for a shakeup in this week's power rankings.

With another road course in Sonoma coming up this Sunday, who's headed into the weekend strong? Let's take a look.

5. Kyle Larson

NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 - Practice - Source: Getty

Kyle Larson earned another presentable finish on Sunday as he came home 13th in the Chicago street race. Yet, the string of subpar results continues for the driver of the #5 as he has failed to finish top five in the last four NASCAR Cup races.

Larson has three wins in 2025, nine top fives, and is currently third in the points standings. In the last seven races, the Hendrick Motorsports star has posted three top 10s. Larson is a two-time and defending winner at Sonoma, with victories in 2021 and 2024.

4. Tyler Reddick

NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 - Source: Getty

After a sensational drive to the front in the late laps at Chicago, Tyler Reddick leaps up into this week's NASCAR power rankings. The driver of the #45 came from 18th to third in 12 laps to bag a second straight top-five finish.

Reddick has five top-five finishes this season but has yet to win a race. The 23XI Racing driver is fifth in the points standings, the highest of any winless driver. With Sonoma coming up, Reddick has one victory on a road course in the NextGen era (CoTA, 2023) and three road-course victories overall, but none at Sonoma.

3. William Byron

NASCAR: Grant Park 165 Cup Practice and Qualifying - Source: Imagn

It was a day to forget for William Byron on Sunday in Chicago. The driver of the #24 started 39th and finished dead last in 40th after early trouble. Despite that, this year's Daytona 500 winner hangs onto the points lead heading into Sonoma.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver has posted seven top fives and one victory in 2025. He has held the points lead for the bulk of the campaign with just seven regular season races left. Byron is a two-time road-course winner, with his last victory coming at CoTA in 2024.

2. Chase Elliott

NASCAR: Grant Park 165 Cup Practice and Qualifying - Source: Imagn

Fresh off a victory on his hometrack of EchoPark Speedway, Chase Elliott came away with a 16th-place finish in Chicago. The driver of the #9 remained second in the points standings heading into this weekend's action at Sonoma.

Elliott has one win and six top-five finishes in 2025. Perhaps more impressively, the 2020 Cup champion hasn't finished outside the top 20 all year. Elliott is the winningest active driver on road courses with seven victories, but never at Sonoma and none in the NextGen era.

1. Denny Hamlin

NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 - Source: Getty

For the first time since August 2023, Denny Hamlin posted a top-five finish on a road course on Sunday in Chicago. The driver of the #11 registered a fourth-place finish on Sunday and remains atop this week's NASCAR power rankings.

Hamlin has finished top five in four of his last five starts, including a win at Michigan. The Joe Gibbs Racing star has three victories in 2025 and nine top-five efforts. Hamlin has one victory on a road course in 2016, with his best finish at Sonoma being second that same year.