NASCAR Power Rankings: 5 standout drivers shaping up for 2025 Coca-Cola 600 race

After the All-Star Race exhibition last Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to points racing this weekend for the longest race of the season. Charlotte Motor Speedway is set to host the annual Coca-Cola 600 for 600 miles and 400 laps of racing.

Heading into stock car racing's longest night are a few drivers who were on a hot streak prior to the All-Star break. Here, we'll take a look at the ones to watch for this year's Coca-Cola 600 in this week's power rankings.

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NASCAR Power Rankings: 5 standout drivers shaping up for the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 race

#5 Denny Hamlin

NASCAR: Food City 500 - Source: Imagn

With back-to-back DNFs at Texas and Kansas, the last two points-paying Cup races were ones to forget for Denny Hamlin. However, with a pair of victories in 2025 and being a previous Coca-Cola 600 winner, the driver of the #11 still ranks high in the power rankings.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver won at Martinsville and Darlington earlier in the year and has posted five top-five finishes in 2025. Hamlin also won the first NextGen Coca-Cola 600 back in 2022. After a difficult last few races, a win this Sunday would certainly be a shot in the arm for Hamlin.

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#4 Ryan Blaney

Blaney drives the Team Penske #12 during the All-Star Open-Source: Imagn

Ryan Blaney has yet to win in 2025, but the former Cup Series champion has shown the speed to do so. The driver of the #12 is coming off two straight third-place finishes at Texas and Kansas, which have him as a top contender to win Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.

The Team Penske driver won the Coca-Cola 600 back in 2023, his first win of his championship-winning campaign that year. Blaney also led the most laps at another 1.5-mile track in Homestead-Miami earlier this year. With his speed on the 1.5-mile tracks and recent consistency, Blaney is sure to be a threat on Sunday.

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#3 Christopher Bell

Bell after winning the NASCAR All-Star Race - Source: Imagn

With his recent victory in the All-Star Race exhibition, Christopher Bell is carrying momentum into Sunday's Cup race at Charlotte. The driver of the #20 is the defending Coca-Cola 600 winner and will look to add to an already impressive 2025 season.

The Joe Gibbs Racing star has three points-paying wins this season, which came consecutively at Atlanta, CoTA, and Phoenix. Along with his All-Star Race triumph, Bell has consistently been one of the fastest drivers in the field. Another victory in the Coca-Cola 600 is sure to establish Bell as one of, if not the top favorite, for this year's Cup title.

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#2 William Byron

Byron during the All-Star Race - Source: Imagn

After a difficult 24th-place run two weeks ago at Kansas, William Byron lost the NASCAR Cup Series points lead after holding the spot for nine straight weeks. Despite that, the driver of the #24 has still been one of the hottest drivers in the field as he chases his second win of 2025 on Sunday.

Byron kicked off the season with his second straight win in the Daytona 500. From there, the Hendrick Motorsports star has consistently been fast as he's registered five top-fives and three stage victories. He might've had an off day in Kansas, but Byron is sure to bounce back with the speed he has.

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#1 Kyle Larson

Larson during the All-Star Race - Source: Imagn

All eyes will be on Kyle Larson this Memorial Day weekend. That's not only because the driver of the #5 is attempting his second career "Double" of running both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, but because he's arguably the driver to beat in NASCAR right now.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver is coming off a dominant victory at Kansas, his third win of 2025. Larson has three victories in 2025 and has more stage victories than any other driver, with eight. It'll be interesting to see if Larson can log the full 1,100 miles between IndyCar and NASCAR. One thing's for sure: Larson will be a contender in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.