NASCAR Power Rankings: Denny Hamlin Flexes Again at Michigan

Denny Hamlin could not be denied last week at Michigan International Speedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver kept his momentum rolling by winning the pole, and even unapproved adjustments before the race that sent him to the back of the field could not keep him from charging to the front. Hamlin took control and collected his second win in as many weeks, along with his third victory in four weeks if the All-Star Race is included. Simply put, no one is better than Hamlin right now, and the No. 11 team is quickly cutting down Tyler Reddick's lead in the points.

With the summer stretch heating up, the points battle is only getting tighter. Reddick's lead, which once stood at more than 100 points, has been trimmed to just 51. Meanwhile, only three points separate Team Penske teammates Austin Cindric and Joey Logano in the fight for the 16th and final playoff spot. Chevrolet showed progress at Michigan, and the upcoming trip to Pocono Raceway, another long oval, could tighten those battles even further as the regular season continues charging onward.

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NASCAR Power Rankings After Michigan

1. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11

Last Week: 2

For the second time in as many weeks, Denny Hamlin came from the back of the field to win. The Toyota driver qualified on pole but was sent to the rear for the start of Sunday's race for unapproved adjustments. While the penalty held him back from scoring points in the first stage, Hamlin worked his way among the leaders by the second and taking the lead for the first time with just over 50 laps remaining. He led 40 laps in total to score his fourth fourth career win at the track and cut Tyler Reddick's championship lead down to 51 points. With three finishes of third or better in the last three races, Hamlin is wresting control of the series from the competition.

2. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45

Last Week: 1

A third-place qualifying effort set Reddick up for another productive day. He went on to win the first stage of the race, and appeared to be in a strong position to capitalize on Denny Hamlin's misfortune to extend his lead in the championship with another top finish. Everything came undone with an accident in the second stage, though. Reddick's day ended before 100 laps were complete. It was Reddick's worst finish of the season and his first outside of the top 15 in a points race all season. With a points lead that Hamlin is quickly chipping away at, Reddick must regain his footing quickly. Reddick has two career runner-up finishes at Pocono but finished 32nd last season after mechanical issues.

3. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12

Last Week: 3

Not a single Ford qualified inside the top 10 for last week's race at Michigan, but Ryan Blaney and his No. 12 team methodically worked throughout the race distance to improve and claw their way forward. By the finish, Blaney was eighth, scoring his 10th top-10 finish of the season, just one behind Tyler Reddick and tied with Danny Hamlin. While race dominating pace hasn't been there for him this season, Blaney is making the most of what he has. That effort is planting him at third in the standings. However, as the summer progresses, Blaney and team need to unlock a bit more performance in order to consistently challenge for wins and another title.

4. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9

Last Week: 4

The Hendrick Motorsports team had a better package to race at Michigan than the past several weeks. While it still isn't on the same level as Toyota, Chase Elliott was still able to make some waves. The former series champion qualified inside the top 10 and won the second stage before a crash with Christopher Bell ended the afternoon prematurely. Before the incident, Elliott led an impressive 67 laps and looked to be capable of racing for the win. While the day ended without the result the No. 9 team desired, it still was a sign of progress from the team as they work to catch the series leaders. The coming race at Pocono should demonstrate whether or not Michigan's progress from Chevrolet is real.

5. Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54

Last Week: 5

Ty Gibbs came out of the gate quickly at Michigan, starting inside the top five and finishing second in the opening stage. Contact in the second stage upended the afternoon, but Gibbs was poised for yet another top finish had the misfortune not struck. Gibbs is having the best season of his career, and could be in store for another race win if he is able to continue putting himself among the top 10 each week. The coming weeks could be pivotal in his quest, too. Chevrolet may be unlocking more speed from their cars, and that will give Gibbs another angle competition he will have to deal with. At Pocono, Gibbs has a best finish of fifth and started on pole in 2024. That could be a track Gibbs can continue his progress.

6. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5

Last Week: 7

With Hendrick Motorsports taking a step forward last week at Michigan, Kyle Larson was there to pick up a top finish. The defending champion was coming off of a 23rd-place finish at Nashville, but qualified in the top 10 for Sunday's race and went on to finish in the points in both stages. After that, Larson avoided trouble and made his way to a fourth-place finish, which was his second top-five in the last three races and fifth of the season so far. He and the team will be working hard to ensure the ground Chevrolet made up at Michigan sticks around for the rest of the season. At Pocono, Larson finished seventh last season and has 10 top-10 finishes in total from 18 starts.

7. Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports No. 77

Last Week: 8

Spire Motorsports did not disappoint at Michigan. The team kept their early-season momentum alive and put their drivers at the front of the field. Hocevar took advantage of the situation, qualifying on the front row and racing at the front of the field throughout the race distance. He finished in the points for both race stages and went on to grab a fifth-place finish, which was his fourth of the season, Hocevar's pace this season has been legitimate and Sunday's race helped him move a further two spots forward in the championship standings. Fantasy players should expect that momentum to follow him to Pennsylvania next week at Pocono, too.

8. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20

Last Week: 6

Despite a competitive car Sunday at Michigan, Bell's bad luck followed closely. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver qualified inside the top 10 and scored points in the second stage before a hard crash took him out of the race with just over 50 laps remaining. It was a disappointing end to a two-race streak of second-place finishes for the No. 20 as the team continues to try to force their way into Victory Lane. Bell fell three spots in the standings to 10th, too. Getting past frequent incidents like Sunday's are what this team needs to do to become a championship threat as the season progresses. Bell has yet to win in 2026 and will try again next week at Pocono where he finished 17th last season.

9. Daniel Suarez, Spire Motorsports No. 7

Last Week: 9

Daniel Suarez kept his impressive season rolling last week at Michigan with another impressive showing for his No. 7 Chevrolet. The series veteran qualified 11th but quickly established himself among the contenders, staying there throughout the afternoon. Suarez scored stage points in both segments and led 10 laps en route to a sixth-place finish. It was his fifth top-10 of the season and the result pushed him up a spot to ninth in the championship standings. This team now has a spot in the championship battle firmly in sight and it doesn't look like one will be out of reach with their 2026 package that continues to deliver better-than-expected results.

10. Chris Buescher, RFK Racing No. 17

Last Week: 10

Despite a slow start to the race weekend, Chris Buescher rallied in the race and came home with his seventh top-10 finish of the season and first since Texas. The No. 17 driver qualified 14th for the race as Ford took longer than the other manufacturers to unlock their speed at the 2.0-mile oval. Working on settings throughout the race and avoiding the accidents enabled Buescher to move forward for the finish, though. In the end, it was a good recovery for the Ford camp after the weekend threatened to be a disaster. Buescher should be looking forward to the coming race at Pocono, too. He won there in 2016 and finished fourth in last year's race.

Knocking on the Door

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23

Last Week: N/A

Michigan was the race Bubba Wallace needed. The 23XI Racing driver had been in a rough patch leading up to the weekend, but he moved forward from the 13th starting spot as soon as the green flag waved, finishing inside the top 10 in the first stage. Wallace then executed a smooth race, leading nine laps and finishing fourth for his first top-five since Kansas in April. Sunday's production moved Wallace up four spots in the standings to 11th, too. With a good weekend under their belts, the No. 23 team needs to build on their momentum at Pocono. Wallace crashed out of that race last season but had a four-race streak of 11th-place or better finishes going prior to that.

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19

Last Week: N/A

Briscoe's 10th-place finish Sunday at Michigan was his third top-10 from the last four races, continuing his climb up the championship standings. The race wasn't straight forward for him, though. After qualifying fifth, Briscoe slipped backward and failed to score stage points in either segment of the race. Things turned around in the final stage, though, as Briscoe climbed back to the top 10, picking up one spot in the championship standings as a result. Progress is evident for Briscoe in the current stretch of races, but the team still awaits a breakthrough victory that could be a catalyst for them. Confidence will be high at Pocono where Briscoe won last season.

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing No. 97

Last Week: N/A

Not every race will be a great one, and Sunday's was a challenge for the No. 97. Van Gisbergen had a terrible qualifying effort and started Sunday's race in 30th position. It is difficult to overcome such poor track position and SVG struggled to make progress. He could not find the right balance to make progress and his bad track position ultimately cost him as he was part of a nine-car crash with less than 50 laps remaining. The day's result was Van Gisbergen's worst finish since Kansas, ending a streak of impressive oval runs from the road course ace. The coming race at Pocono could be a critical one for him as he tries to stay in the top 16 in the championship standings.