SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s Power Rankings – March 21, 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.

Atlanta Motor Speedway hosted the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday. Here’s a look at the “Power Rankings” after the Ambetter Health 400:

1. Joey Logano

The defending series champion scored his first win of the season and first of his Cup career at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Logano did it in dramatic fashion battling Brad Keselowski down the stretch and finally with a last lap pass to take the checkered flag.

Point Standings: 1st
Last Week: 7th

2.  William Byron

The streak came to an end for Byron who was shooting for his third straight win overall and second consecutive Atlanta spring race triumph. He was eliminated from competition with an accident on lap 192.

Point Standings: 28th
Last Week: 1st

3. Christopher Bell

One of the strongest Toyotas of the day belonged to Bell and his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Camry. Bell was dicing for position in the wild closing laps and took the checkered flag with a third-place performance.

Point Standings: 2nd
Last Week: 9th

4. Kyle Busch

A workman-like day for Busch who stayed out of trouble on his way to a tenth-place finish. His top-10 did include 17 laps at the front of the field.

Point Standings: 7th
Last Week: 4th

5. Kevin Harvick

The Stewart-Haas Racing had a good car and a strong run going until he spun with Chastain close to his rear bumper. Although there wasn’t any contact between the two, Harvick wasn’t able to control his car and crashed hard credited with finishing 33rd on Sunday.

Point Standings: 6th
Last Week: 3rd

6. Kyle Larson

An innocent bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time when Aric Almirola had a tire go down and slid right in front of Larson. The incident ended Larson’s day and he left Atlanta with a very disappointing 31st-place finish.

Point Standings: 9th
Last Week: 2nd

7. Brad Keselowski 

By far the strongest run of the season for Keselowski, who has led a lot of laps in the early going of the season including 47 at Atlanta. He was in a thrilling duel with Joey Logano for the win in the closing laps on Sunday but was forced to settle for a second place finish.

Point Standings: 5th
Last Week: NR

8. Ross Chastain

The Trackhouse Racing driver finished outside the top-10 for the first time in his Cup career at the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway. His 13th-place finish did come with some controversy as he was very close to Kevin Harvick when a multi-car accident was triggered.

Point Standings: 3rd
Last Week: 8th

9. Denny Hamlin

He had his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota near the front of the field but Hamlin got bogged down in traffic and couldn’t make a run in the race to the checkered flag. He did lead 14 laps on his way to posting a sixth-place finish.

Point Standings: 11th
Last Week: 10th

10. Alex Bowman

A quiet and non-eventful day for Bowman who really wasn’t in the mix for the lead at all on Sunday. But the Hendrick Motorsports driver brought his No. 48 Chevrolet home in a 15th-place finish at Atlanta.

Point Standings: 20th
Last Week: 5th

Dropped Out: Daniel Suarez