SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s Power Rankings

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs kicked off the third round at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Here’s a look at the ‘Power Rankings’ after the South Point 400.

by:
Pete Pistone
October 18, 2022

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 16: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 16, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

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. Revisit previous editions of our Power Rankings here.

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs kicked off the third round at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Here’s a look at the Power Rankings after the South Point 400:

1. Joey Logano

A move around Ross Chastain just a handful of laps from the finish propelled Logano to Victory Lane and he is the first driver to claim a berth in the Championship 4. It will mark the Team Penske driver’s fifth appearance in the title race over the last nine seasons as he seeks his second career Cup Series crown.

Playoff Grid: 1st
Last Week: 8th

2. Denny Hamlin

Nothing flashy from Hamlin in Las Vegas after a very workman-like fifth-place finish. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver kept his eye on getting out of the Round of 8 and advancing to the Championship 4 at Phoenix to have a shot at his elusive first title.

Playoff Grid: 4th
Last Week: 2nd

3. Ross Chastain

The Trackhouse Racing driver led a race-high 68 laps on Sunday and was in the mix for the race win before finally giving up the top spot to eventual winner Joey Logano. But it was a more than solid day for Chastain who remains a player in the championship picture.

Playoff Grid: 2nd
Last Week: 9th

4. Chase Elliott

A very poor performance for Elliott that saw the Hendrick Motorsports driver not be very competitive at all. Elliott qualified 20th and finished one position worse in 21st to cap a surprising and mediocre day at Las Vegas for the regular season champion.

Playoff Grid: 3rd
Last Week: 1st

5. Chase Briscoe

He continues to hang around the Playoff picture with consistent if not spectacular performances. Briscoe fought a number of challenges throughout the afternoon but eventually was able to stay near the front of the field for a top-five finish.

Playoff Grid: 5th
Last Week: 5th

6. Tyler Reddick

His weekend started with news that Reddick would officially leave Richard Childress Racing and join 23XI next season. Reddick then went out and won the pole for Sunday’s race, which saw him finish sixth after leading 32 laps.

Playoff Grid: 11th
Last Week: 6th

7. Ryan Blaney

He appeared to be one of the drivers to beat on Sunday and did lead 39 laps. But Blaney had a myriad of problems throughout the day including a mechanical issue late that sent him into the wall and ultimately out of Las Vegas with a 28th-place finish.

Playoff Grid: 7th
Last Week: 7th

8. William Byron

Surprisingly mediocre for Byron at Las Vegas after qualifying third on Saturday. Byron was never a factor in the outcome of the race and did all he could to bring home his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to a 13th-place finish.

Playoff Grid: 4th
Last Week: 4th

9. Christopher Bell

Collateral damage from the beef between Wallace and Larson sums up Bell’s disastrous day in Las Vegas. A week after winning at the Roval in Charlotte to move on to the Round of 8, Bell once again is behind the eight ball after a 34th-place finish.

Playoff Grid: 8th
Last Week: 3rd

10. Kyle Larson

He was involved in the day’s biggest and most controversial incident when Bubba Wallace took Larson out after the two made contact racing for position through turns three and four. Larson ended his day after just 94 laps and left Vegas with a 35th-place finish.

Playoff Grid: 9th
Last Week: 10th

Dropped Out:



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