NASCAR Power Rankings: Tyler Reddick Nicks Kansas Victory

Tyler Reddick stunned Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson with a dramatic overtime restart, charging to his fifth victory of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Despite starting the race from pole position, Reddick spent most of the event running third behind Hamlin and Larson, with only the stage breaks giving the field a chance to catch their breath and make significant adjustments. Long green-flag runs culminated in a single green-white-checkered finish, triggered by the only unscheduled caution of the day just one lap shy of the scheduled race distance. That opportunity was all Reddick needed. Most of the top contenders opted for two-tire stops at that moment. While Larson jumped out front with just a lap remaining, Reddick's momentum proved unstoppable as he surged past the No. 5 car in the final turns to capture yet another race win.

The quest to catch the No. 45 team continues next week at Talladega. It will be the second superspeedway race of the season, but Reddick won the first one as well. That victory kicked off his impressive season, starting a three-race win streak right out of the gate. Last season, Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe took victories at the daunting track. Both drivers remain winless so far this season, but everyone will be working to dethrone Reddick before his already sizeable championship lead becomes insurmountable.

To keep up with all your favorite drivers and get updates throughout the season, head to RotoWire's latest NASCAR news or follow @RotoWireNASCAR on X.

NASCAR Power Rankings After Kansas

1. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45

Last Week: 1

Reddick's amazing 2026 season rolled on Sunday in Kansas as the championship leader picked up his fifth victory of the season when a late-race caution set up an overtime finish at Kansas. The No. 45 had been quick all afternoon, but mostly trailed the fellow Toyota of Denny Hamlin. However, when caution waved just before the final scheduled lap, Reddick took advantage of a two-lap sprint to the finish. Hard racing at the restart saw Hamlin lose the lead to Kyle Larson, but Reddick was hot on the Chevrolet's tail and carried an impressive run through the final turns to make the pass and get to the line first. Reddick now holds a 105-point lead atop the championship standings with Talladega Superspeedway next on the schedule.

2. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11

Last Week: 3

For most of Sunday's race, Hamlin was the driver to beat. The No. 11 jumped into the lead at the start, heading the field to the first stage caution free. Hamlin went on from that to finish second to Kyle Larson in the second stage, but was again the car to beat in the final segment. In the final laps it looked like Hamlin was set to close the day with a second win for his season, but caution waved just before he got to the white flag. That yellow set up two-tire stops and a restart for the leaders where Hamlin was overcome, slipping to fourth in the final two laps. While it was a good points day for the No. 11, being so close to victory and losing out was a bitter pill for the team to swallow. Hamlin's wait for a second season win may have to wait a bit, too. He hasn't finished better than 10th at Talladega 2023 and he hasn't won at the track since 2020. 

3. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12

Last Week: 2

Problems on pit road continue to plague Blaney and the No. 12 team. After numerous slow stops to start the season, the team made some personnel changes ahead of Sunday's race. Blaney's problems didn't vanish with the adjustments, though. After starting inside the top 10, Blaney collided with AJ Allmendinger on pit road during green flag stops. The team later took a penalty for too many men over the pit wall in order to fix the splitter damage from that contact. In short, it was another day where Blaney was forced to overcome pit woes on track and it wasn't productive. In the end, Blaney scored zero stage points and finished a lap down to the leaders in 24th position. That was his worst finish since the Daytona 500. The quest to fix work on pit road will continue next week, but Blaney will feel optimistic heading to Talladega where he has three prior victories.

4. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5

Last Week: 4

Larson put himself in position to win Sunday at Kansas, a trend that he has been delivering the past few races. The defending series champion has yet to open his wins account in 2026, but his recent races have him in position for a victory to come sooner rather than later. Sunday, he started on the second row and was Hamlin's closest competition throughout the distance. His overtime restart also pushed him out ahead of the competition, but he didn't have enough to hold off the final charge from Reddick and settled for second place. It was a productive day in the points with a stage win, though. Larson now sits fifth in points and is the highest-placed driver without a victory, which is a cushion he might need as Talladega is next on the schedule. 

5. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9

Last Week: 5

Elliott delivered another top-10 finish Sunday Kansas. His eighth-place finish from the 13th starting spot was his seventh finish of 11th or better at the track from the last eight races. The day also included stage points in both segments for the former series champion as he continues to solidify his position in the standings. Elliott is holding down the eighth position in points and is 30 points clear of teammate William Byron. A little more consistency would have him placed higher up the order, though. Sunday's top-10 finish was his third from the last five races, but it continued Elliott's trend of one top-10 followed by a single-race dip. That week-to-week consistency is where Elliott and team need to find improvement. If they can cure that cycle, Elliott would likely find himself in position to win more races.

6. Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54

Last Week: 6

Gibbs backed up his first series victory a week ago with another top-10 finish on Sunday. His ninth-place finish at Kansas was just his second top-10 at the track and it extended his run of top-10 finishes this season to seven in a row. Points in both stages made the afternoon even more productive, too. It has been a fantastic start to the season for the No. 54 squad and Gibbs stands with just Tyler Reddick as the only drivers to have seven top-10 finishes from the first nine races, too. Continuing this form throughout the long season is going to be a challenge, but Gibbs is continuing to deliver with the equipment at his disposal. He is solidly among the top five in the championship standings and this quick early start to the year will pay dividends later as the season draws to a close.

7. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24

Last Week: 7

The Kansas race weekend was a quietly productive one for Byron. While he didn't have the speed of the main protagonists, Byron was able to move forward from his 14th starting position to grab a top-10 finish. It took most of the day for Byron to get there, but the finish was his fifth top-10 of the season and fourth from the last five races. Even more importantly, Sunday's seventh-place finish put his 30th-place Bristol disappointment firmly behind him. Byron continues to lack the competitiveness we are seeing from teammates Larson and Elliott but his consistent top-10 finishes are keeping him in the mix and poised to take more when the opportunity is there. The coming week could be one of those chances. Byron finished third, leading 10 laps, at Talladega last spring.

8. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23

Last Week: 10

Two positive finishes in a row may be indication that the disappointing Martinsville weekend might now be the exception versus the norm. At Kansas, Wallace qualified inside the top 10 and spent the entire afternoon there, adding stage points from both segments before climbing to fifth for the finish. The result was Wallace's first top-five finish of the year and his second finish of 11th or better from the last two races. The positive turn in results came in good time, too. With Talladega next on the schedule, Wallace has a chance to put his superspeedway talent to use in extending his run of good form. He is a former winner at the track and he finished eighth and fourth in the two stops there last season. The coming week should be one Wallace believes he can win.

9. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20

Last Week: 8

Even though Bell's race at Kansas ended a lap down in 20th position, there are still some positive signs the No. 20 team can take with them into the coming weeks. Bell started the afternoon just outside the top 10 and made himself a fixture in the top five throughout the afternoon. The late restart even gave him a chance to make a push for the win. Unfortunately, that is where the effor came undone. Contact and a brush with the wall broke Bell's toe-link on the final restart, and he was forced to limp to the finish with the damage. Not every weekend can be perfect, but putting the early season stumbling blocks behind them could unlock a long run of top finishes from this team. Until then, the No. 20 team will continue working to find ways to execute full races without issues.

10. Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing No. 6

Last Week: N/A

Keselowski continued to prove his team's improvement Sunday with an impressive drive from 21st on the grid to sixth at the finish. His Ford's speed was evident from the start, and Keselowski had worked his way into the top 10 by the end of the second stage despite having only the stage breaks to help. Once there, Keselowski held position until the finish and was even within shouting distance of the lead on the final restart. That finish was his fourth top-10 of the season and his sixth top-15 finish in a row. This team should be full of optimism, and the coming trip to Talladega could bring even more success. Keselowski is a six-time winner there with back-to-back second-place finishes in 2024 and a 10th-place run last fall.

Knocking on the Door

Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22

Last Week: 9

Problems continue to hold Logano back from success in 2026. The team was forced to change his steering rack before the race, which meant Logano had to start from the back of the field. Despite moving forward some positions quickly in the early miles, Logano was fighting to stay on the lead lap by the end of the first stage. He was unable to do that and found himself trapped a lap down with little opportunity to change his fate for the rest of the afternoon due to the race's long green-flag stretches. The situation just goes to show how one slip up, even before race day, can sabotage and entire weekend. Logano slipped two positions in the standings to 14th and recorded his third finish of the season of 30th or worse.

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19

Last Week: N/A

Unlike Logano, Briscoe's fortunes continued to show improvement in Kansas. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver moved up two positions in the standings with his third top-five finish of the season and second in as many races. Were it not for the significant hole created by three finishes worse than 30th from the first four races of the year, Briscoe would likely be much further up the standings. As it is, every race he continues delivering top-10 finishes will move him close to the top of the order. His ability to safely navigate Talladega's perils next week could give him a chance to make up significant ground, too. Briscoe won there last fall and led 20 laps in a 15th-place finish in the spring, too. 

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports No. 77

Last Week: N/A

Fans will be wondering what Carson Hocevar might have achieved Sunday at Kansas had he not had multiple slow stops on pit road. The No. 77 Spire Motorsports car obviously had speed since Hocevar was able to make passes through the field multiple times after losing significant ground on pit road. At one point, Hocevar thanked his team for giving him the opportunity to pass cars again as he worked his way forward. This team continues to punch above its weight in 2026 and elimination of their missteps could put them in position to fight for a victory, too. As it is, Hocevar heads to Talladega 12th in the standings with the confidence that his car is one of the top challengers in the field.