Kyle Larson won at the Charlotte Roval but Christopher Bell’s runner-up finish is enough to keep Bell atop the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings with four races left in the season.
This week’s top 10 also sees Tyler Reddick back in the rankings after his effort at the Roval.
This week’s NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings
1. Christopher Bell (Last week: No. 1) — Bell continues to be a master of consistency. He finished second at the Roval. He has finished seventh or better in seven of the last eight races. Bell has an average finish of 8.5 in the last 10 races. He ranked in the top three in average running position in three of the last four races.
2. Kyle Larson (2) — Scored his second dominant win in the playoffs with his victory at the Roval. He led 62 of 109 laps and had an average running position of 2.2 for the race. Larson has a series-high six wins this season. It has been feast or famine for Larson in the last eight races. He has four top-five finishes in the span, but he also has placed 21st or worse in three of those eight races.
3. William Byron (3) — His third-place finish at the Roval marked his third consecutive top-three finish. He averaged 44.7 points per race in those three events. This marks the first time he’s scored at least three top 10s in a row since April.
4. Chase Elliott (5) — His fifth-place finish at the Roval was his fourth top 10 in the last six races. The 48 points he scored this past weekend were his most points in a race since scoring 49 at Martinsville in early April.
5. Ryan Blaney (6) — The reigning Cup champion’s 10th-place run at the Roval was his fourth top 10 in the last six races. The two races in that stretch he didn’t score top 10s were events he was eliminated by an accident (Watkins Glen and Talladega). He’s scored points in seven consecutive stages.
6. Denny Hamlin (7) — Brought home a wounded car 14th at the Roval after he was hit by Tyler Reddick. That finish snapped a streak of three consecutive top 10s.
7. Tyler Reddick (NR) — Determined drive at Roval earned him a spot in the Round of 8. He gained 15 places in the final 28 laps to finish 11th and take what appeared was the final transfer spot before Alex Bowman’s disqualification.
8. Alex Bowman (4) — Came across the finish line 18th at the Roval but his car failed post-race inspection and was disqualified. That knocked Bowman out of the playoffs.
9. Bubba Wallace (10) — His ninth-place finish at the Roval gives him three top 10s in the last four races.
10. Chris Buescher (8) — His 17th-place finish gives him five consecutive top-20 results, including his win at Watkins Glen.
Dropped out: Ross Chastain (9)