NASCAR Power Rankings: 5 standout drivers shaping up for 2025 Nashville race

Ross Chastain took the victory in the longest race of the NASCAR Cup Series season last Sunday, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. With stock car racing's longest night now in the rearview, the Cup Series circuit turns its attention to Nashville Superspeedway for this Sunday's Cracker Barrel 400.

Through 600 miles of racing last Sunday came a shakeup in this week's power rankings. Here, we'll take a look at who's going strong into this Sunday's race at Nashville.

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#5 Ross Chastain

NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600 - Source: Imagn

Ross Chastain's drive to victory in last Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 was nothing short of historic. The driver of the #1 became the first driver to win the 400-lap race after starting in last place when he overtook William Byron for the lead and the win with five laps to go. It marked the sixth victory of Chastain's Cup career.

Along with his sole win of the 2025 campaign, Chastain sits eighth in the points and has three top-five finishes after 13 races. The Florida native is a former Nashville winner in 2023, making him a prime contender to potentially go back-to-back on Sunday night.

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NASCAR Power Rankings: 5 standout drivers shaping up for 2025 Nashville race

#4 Chase Elliott

NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 - Source: Getty

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season hasn't been flashy for Chase Elliott, but one that's been consistent. The driver of the #9 picked up a sixth-place finish last Sunday at Charlotte and remains fourth in the points standings, the highest driver in points without a win.

Elliott has posted three top fives and has registered an average finish of 11.2 through 13 races. However, the Georgia native has yet to win, start on the pole, or record a stage win. While he hasn't had much winning speed, Elliott is a former winner at Nashville in 2022. Sunday night could be the night the Hendrick Motorsports star breaks into victory lane in 2025.

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#3 Christopher Bell

NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Christopher Bell continued to showcase his speed in 2025 with another solid top-10 result last Sunday. The driver of the #20 posted an eighth-place effort at Charlotte and accumulated 12 stage points for another strong run for the Joe Gibbs Racing star.

It's been a while since Bell's three-race win streak he went on early in the year, but a win in the All-Star Race two weeks ago proved that he hasn't missed a step. Now heading into Nashville, you have to expect that the Oklahoma native will be in contention for his fourth win of 2025.

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#2 Kyle Larson

Syndication: Journal-Courier - Source: Imagn

For the second time in his career, Kyle Larson attempted the "Double" by racing the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. However, the driver of the #5 didn't make it the distance in either race, including a DNF in the Coca-Cola 600. The 2021 Cup champion finished 37th at Charlotte, dropping him out of the points lead.

It was a difficult weekend, but the Hendrick Motorsports star has still had a strong season. With three wins and currently second in the points, it would be silly to write off Larson for this year's championship. As a former Nashville winner back in 2021, Larson could bounce back with a victory as soon as this Sunday.

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#1 William Byron

NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 - Source: Getty

Despite coming up short of the win, William Byron had arguably the fastest car in the field throughout last Sunday's 600 miles. The driver of the #24 won the first three stages, led a race-high 283 of 400 laps, and posted a second-place finish to regain the NASCAR Cup points lead.

This year's Daytona 500 champion has now led the points after 10 of the 13 races this season. While Byron has had some dominating runs this year, such as Darlington and Charlotte, the Daytona 500 is still his sole win of the year. After another convincing performance, perhaps Nashville could be the week Byron puts it all together and wins.