SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s Power Rankings – September 13, 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 Playoffs rolled into Kansas Speedway. Here’s a look at the “Power Rankings” after Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400:

1. Kyle Larson

The Hendrick Motorsports driver led a race-high 99 laps and also took the opening stage. But a decision to stay out on older tires cost Larson several spots in the middle of the race although he eventually was able to work his way back too finish fourth in Kansas.

Playoff Ranking: 1st
Last Week: 1st

2.  Tyler Reddick

The 23XI Racing Kansas success story continued for the No. 45 car Sunday with Reddick scoring the Hollywood Casino 400 win. He’s off to the Round of 12 after opening up the Playoffs with an average finish of 1.5 in the first two races of the post-season.

Playoff Ranking: 2nd
Last Week: 8th

3. Denny Hamlin

The dominant car again for Hamlin at Kansas as he had the week prior in Darlington. But two weeks in a row now Hamlin has come up winless winding up second on Sunday after getting passed on an overtime restart.

Playoff Ranking: 3rd
Last Week: 4th

4. William Byron

A broken control arm on Saturday got Byron’s weekend off to an eventful start that continued into Sunday’s race that included a spin. Overall he was able to march on to a 15th place finish is in a good spot on the Playoff grid heading into Bristol Saturday night.

Playoff Ranking: 4th
Last Week: 3rd

5. Chris Buescher

Now a good ending for Buescher with a blown tire with just seven laps remaining while racing inside the top-10. The bad news is he’s now just 13 points above the cutline but the good news is a return to Bristol, where Buescher won last season.

Playoff Ranking: 9th
Last Week: 2nd

6. Brad Keselowski

A good afternoon in Kansas for Keselowski who won the second stage and helped solidify his spot in the Playoff race above the cutline heading to Bristol where he’s won three times in his career.

Playoff Ranking: 5th
Last Week: 6th

7. Chase Elliott

He kept alive in his quest to bring Hendrick Motorsports the Owner Championship but the story for Elliott was his contact with teammate Kyle Larson leaving pit road and the potential bad blood brewing between the two derailing performance going forward.

Playoff Ranking: 18th
Last Week: 9th

8. Kyle Busch

An up and down weekend for Busch that started with an unapproved adjustment that sent him to the rear of the field for Sunday’s race. He worked his way up, slid back after hitting the wall and eventually was able to scratch and claw his way back for an 7th place finish.

Playoff Ranking: 7th
Last Week: 10th

9. Bubba Wallace

He had a fast car to be sure and finished second in the first stage. But a blown tire and subsequent broken toe link doomed Wallace to a 32nd place finish and he now faces possible Playoff elimination in Bristol.

Point Standings: 14th
Last Week: 7th

10. Martin Truex Jr.

Disaster struck Truex Jr. on just the third lap Sunday at Kansas when he punctured a tire and was eliminated from the race after making contact with the wall. All of a sudden the regular season champion is in danger of being eliminated from the Playoffs in the opening round.

Playoff Ranking: 13th
Last Week: 5th

Dropped Out: None