SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s Power Rankings – September 20, 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 ended the first round at Bristol Motor Speedway. Here’s a look at the “Power Rankings” after Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race:

1. Denny Hamlin

The best driver in the first round of the Playoffs is not a fan favorite but Hamlin has made it perfectly clear he doesn’t care about public perception. His third win of the season to cap off the opening round solidified Hamlin’s spot as the championship favorite with seven races remaining in the 2023 season.

Playoff Ranking: 3rd
Last Week: 3rd

2.  Kyle Larson

He started last after a qualifying mishap and quickly charged through the field to finish an impressive second at Bristol. Larson is hoping for a better result in the next round of the Playoffs than he experienced a year ago.

Playoff Ranking: 4th
Last Week: 1st

3. Tyler Reddick

The heavy lifting was done the previous race at Kansas where Reddick won to advance to the next round of the Playoffs. Just a 15th place effort in Bristol for the second half of the 23XI Racing duo still with title aspirations.

Playoff Ranking: 8th
Last Week: 2nd

4. Chris Buescher

The defending Bristol race winner only led one lap on Saturday but Buescher was still a top-five finisher. He remains Ford’s best shot at going deeper into the Playoffs and opens the next round at his home track in Texas.

Playoff Ranking: 5th
Last Week: 4th

5. William Byron

A solid of not flashy opening round for Byron got him through to the next round of the Playoffs. A top-10 in Bristol was good enough to keep Byron in the conversation but he’ll look for better performances over the next three races.

Playoff Ranking: 1st
Last Week: 4th

6. Brad Keselowski

Another top-10 finish for Keselowski but he did fall below the the cut line entering the next round of the Playoffs. He’ll need to step it up a bit if the Roush Fenway Keselowski team hopes to keep both its drivers going forward in the championship race.

Playoff Ranking: 10th
Last Week: 6th

7. Chase Elliott

The dust-up with teammate Kyle Larson was well in the rear view mirror as were several competitors Saturday night in Bristol. Elliott started seventh and finished in the same spot to keep his consistent run of finishes going.

Point Standings: 18th
Last Week: 7th

8. Christopher Bell

Three straight poles set the tone for Bell over the weekend and he was finally able to execute a solid race. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver led 187 laps and finished third to easily advance in the Playoffs.

Playoff Ranking: 7th
Last Week: NR

9. Bubba Wallace

The 23XI dream stayed alive with both cars moving on to the next round of the Playoffs. Wallace literally survived and advanced after crossing the finish line in 14th-place Saturday night.

Point Standings: 12th
Last Week: 9th

10. Martin Truex Jr.

He was able to stay alive in the Playoff picture despite a very mediocre at best19th place Bristol finish. Best news for Truex Jr. is a re rack for the next round of the Playoffs and the 19 team is hoping for a much better next three races.

Playoff Ranking: 2nd
Last Week: 10th

Dropped Out: Kyle Busch