NASCAR Power Rankings reset after Kyle Larson’s 2025 Kansas takeover

Kyle Larson cruised to a dominant victory on Sunday at the Kansas Speedway, winning both stages and leading a race-high 221 of 267 laps. The win pushed the driver of the #5 ahead of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron for the points lead heading into the All-Star break.

Much like the points standings, this week's NASCAR Cup Series power rankings had a shakeup after Kansas. Here, we'll take a look at who's going strong into the NASCAR All-Star Race.

#5. Denny Hamlin

NASCAR: Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY - Source: Imagn

It's been a rough past two races for Denny Hamlin as he failed to finish at both Texas and Kansas. Despite that, the driver of the #11 ran firmly in the top five at Kansas before clutch issues ended his race.

It's the first time the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has scored back-to-back DNFs since 2013. However, one can't deny that Hamlin has still had a quality season up to this point. With two victories, five top fives, and a pair of stage victories, the Chesterfield native is still one of the fastest drivers in the field in 2025.

#4 Ryan Blaney

NASCAR: Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY - Source: Imagn

Ryan Blaney continues to knock on the door of his first win of the 2025 season. The driver of the #12 brought his Team Penske machine to its second straight third-place finish on Sunday at Kansas. With four top fives in his last five races, Blaney undeniable warrants a spot in this week's power rankings.

The 2023 Cup champion has run solid throughout the year, but bad luck has plagued him. Most notably, he led the most laps back at Homestead in March, but a blown engine thwarted his chances of winning. If Blaney continues to rack up top fives, it's only a matter of time before they become wins.

#3. Christopher Bell

NASCAR: Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY - Source: Imagn

There's been some bumps in the road, but Christopher Bell continues to be one of the consistently fast drivers in the Cup Series field. The driver of the #20 was in the top five for much of Sunday's race at Kansas and eventually ended in second place.

The Joe Gibbs Racing star enters the All-Star break third in the points standings. Bell has three wins, six top fives, and one stage win through 12 races. While it's been a while since his three-race win streak at the start of the campaign, Bell has been on the brink of a win just about every week since.

#2 William Byron

NASCAR: Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY - Source: Imagn

While he showed speed throughout the weekend, William Byron couldn't recover from an early-race blunder at Kansas. After suffering a right rear tire failure, the driver of the #24 got mired back in traffic and ultimately finished 24th. The finish played a role in him losing the points lead ahead of the All-Star break.

Despite that, this year's Daytona 500 winner held the points lead for nine straight weeks prior to Kansas. With one win, five top fives, and three stage victories, Byron is still one of the hottest drivers on the circuit. The Hendrick Motorsports star is sure to bounce back after the All-Star weekend.

#1 Kyle Larson

NASCAR: Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY - Source: Imagn

There's no denying who the hottest driver in NASCAR is right now. After putting on a clinic at Kansas for his third win of the season, Kyle Larson has taken the points lead and carries a ton of momentum into this weekend's All-Star Race.

The 2021 Cup Series champion has the most stage victories this season with eight, more than double that of any other driver. The Hendrick Motorsports star's three wins is tied for the series-high with Christopher Bell as he took the checkered flag at Homestead, Bristol, and Kansas. Aiming for his second career championship this season, Larson has made it known he's going to be tough to beat.