NASCAR Playoff Power Rankings 2025: 5 drivers to watch at Martinsville as the Championship 4 cutoff looms

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series reaches its breaking point, as the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway tightened the field. With just one race left in the Round of 8, six drivers fight for the final two spots in the finale.

For Joe Gibbs Racing, it was a dream afternoon. Chase Briscoe took the win, joining teammate Denny Hamlin in the Championship 4, while Christopher Bell added another top-10 finish to stay comfortably above the cut line. But for Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske, Talladega didn't go according to plan.

Kyle Larson and William Byron slipped on the final lap, while Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano pitted ahead of the final stretch. Now, Martinsville Speedway - one of NASCAR’s toughest short tracks - will decide who gets the final tickets to Phoenix.

Here’s how the NASCAR Power Rankings stack up heading into the Championship 4 cutoff race.

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NASCAR Playoff Power Rankings 2025: 5 drivers to watch at Martinsville

5. Ryan Blaney - Team Penske No. 12

Ryan Blaney after the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. Source: Getty

Ryan Blaney started eighth and looked solid through most of the afternoon, earning stage points in both segments. But a late-race overtime caution forced the #12 Ford to pit for fuel, dropping him back to finish 23rd. He now sits 47 points below the cut line, but his record at Martinsville keeps him firmly in the mix.

In the Next Gen era, Blaney holds a 4.6 average finish at the short track, including five top-fives in seven races. He’s also a two-time winner and finished 11th in the summer race, his only result outside the top 10 there since 2022.

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4. Christopher Bell - Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20

Christopher Bell in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas. Source: Imagn

Christopher Bell keeps showing why he’s NASCAR’s most in-form playoff driver. At Talladega, he spent nearly the entire race inside the top 10, scored stage points twice, and finished P8 - his seventh consecutive top ten finish. The consistency has carried him to +37 above the cut line in third.

Martinsville hasn’t always been Bell’s strongest track, but his recent form there suggests a turning tide. He finished second earlier this year and famously won the fall race in 2022, which helped him reach his first Championship 4. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has seven top-10 finishes in the eight playoff races so far, and if that rhythm holds, Bell could quietly punch his ticket to Phoenix without a win.

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3. Kyle Larson - Hendrick Motorsports No. 5

Kyle Larson (5) in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Roval. Source: Imagn

Kyle Larson’s day at Talladega was nearly perfect. He jumped four spots on pit road with 18 laps to go and restarted on the front row in the final overtime. But fuel issues on the final lap dropped him to 26th. Still, Larson remains +36 above the cut line, sitting fourth in the standings.

That margin keeps him just inside the safe zone heading to Martinsville, a place where he’s rarely off the pace. In his last six races there, Larson has averaged a 5.4 finish, with his worst being sixth. He won the spring race last season and has been a consistent presence on short tracks ever since.

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2. Denny Hamlin - Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11

Denny Hamlin during the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway. Source: Getty

Denny Hamlin didn’t need much from Talladega after winning the Round of 8 opener in Las Vegas. He played it safe, finishing outside the top 10 but collecting 13 points to keep things steady. Hamlin’s focus is now squarely on Phoenix and Martinsville.

He owns six wins in 39 starts there, including a victory earlier this summer in the Next Gen car. His 8.1 average finish in the new era and five top-five results in the last six Martinsville races underline his consistency.

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1. Chase Briscoe - Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19

Chase Briscoe (L) in victory lane at the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Source: Imagn

Chase Briscoe’s first-ever superspeedway win came at an opportune moment. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver started from the front row at Talladega and made the decisive move on the final lap with a push from teammate Ty Gibbs. The result not only locked him into his first Championship 4 appearance but also extended his incredible playoff streak of seven top-10s in eight postseason starts.

Briscoe now leads the NASCAR playoff standings and carries that momentum into Martinsville. He’s yet to win at the Virginia short track, but he’s been reliable there too, with six top-10 finishes in his last seven races.