SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s Power Rankings – March 15, 2023

Pete Pistone will unveil Power Rankings each week of the NASCAR season. Check out this week’s edition of NASCAR Power Rankings below, and listen to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) on the SXM App now.

The NASCAR Cup Series ended the West Coast swing on Sunday. Here’s a look at the “Power Rankings” Phoenix Raceway:

1. William Byron

Back-to-back wins for Byron as he followed a Las Vegas victory with a trip to Victory Lane Sunday in Phoenix. Byron led twice for 64 laps but another late race caution and excellent pit stop by his crew added up to career win number six for the Hendrick Motorsports driver.

Point Standings: 4th
Last Week: 1st

2.  Kyle Larson

The Hendrick Motorsports driver appeared to be the class of the field winning the pole leading practice and leading a race-high 201 laps at Phoenix. However for a second straight week it was not to be for Larson who crossed the finish line in fourth place.

Point Standings: 5th
Last Week: 4th

3. Kevin Harvick

The Stewart-Haas Racing had his eyes set on a tenth Phoenix win in the late going before a caution came out to change the complexion of the race. A four-tire stop didn’t give Harvick the time he needed to get back to the lead and he settled for a fifth-place finish.

Point Standings: 2nd
Last Week: 10th

4. Kyle Busch

A decent if not spectacular day for Busch the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 team. There were some challenges on pit road along the way as Busch did all he could do to put a top-10 performance on the board with his eighth-place finish.

Point Standings: 9th
Last Week: 3rd

5. Alex Bowman

The solid beginning to 2023 rolls on for Bowman who didn’t have a standout day in Phoenix but he was still good enough to post a top-10 finish and with it climb to the top of the Cup Series point standings.

Point Standings: 1st
Last Week: 7th

6. Daniel Saurez

The Trackhouse Racing duo didn’t have the best Phoenix outing with Chastain’s struggles and Suarez not much of a factor as many anticipated. He finished 22nd after starting the race from the 11th spot.

Point Standings: 11th
Last Week: 6th

7. Joey Logano

The driver who won the race held at Phoenix back in November before Sunday’s return trip had also sorts of problems in the opening stage and actually fell a lap down. But Logano did make a nice rebound to at least salvage an 11th-place performance.

Point Standings: 12th
Last Week: 5th

8. Ross Chastain

A bit of an odd day for Chastain who showed speed early in the weekend with a good qualifying effort and to a degree in the race. However his dust-up with Hamlin ruined any chance for a finish other than the disappointing 24th he was credited with at the end of the race.

Point Standings: 3rd
Last Week: 2nd

9. Christopher Bell

He continues to be the lead car at Joe Gibbs Racing and a carryover from how Bell ended last season. He was inside the top-10 most of the afternoon in Phoenix before taking the checkered flag in 6th place.

Point Standings: 6th
Last Week: NR

10. Denny Hamlin

Qualified on the outside front row but that was the high water mark for Hamlin in Phoenix. He fell back and thanks to strategy that didn’t work and a last lap incident with Ross Chastain the Joe Gibbs Racing driver ended up finishing 23rd.

Point Standings: 7th
Last Week: 8th

Dropped Out: Brad Keselowski