Denny Hamlin did what Denny Hamlin does best on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — take control of a race in its final moments simply because he wants it more. Win No. 60 was paramount for the future NASCAR Hall of Famer, and he rides into a stress-free superspeedway weekend as the only driver in the Cup Series Playoffs that knows he’s racing for a championship this year.
NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks the 2025 Cup Series Playoffs contenders after the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and before Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (2 p.m. ET, NBC, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
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Analysis: Sunday was far from Hamlin’s most dominant among his 60 wins, but it may have been his most Denny-Hamlin-like. A rousing Vegas victory — after which the crowd actually cheered him — was a monumental moment for a consistent Moment Maker, and the 44-year-old is now positioned to win his first championship better than at any other point in his career. As for this weekend, the two-time Talladega winner — and four-time pole starter at ‘Dega in this decade alone – should have a strong shot at two in a row, but the focus shifts fully to Phoenix.
Analysis: Hamlin walked away with the win and Phoenix bid, but Larson scored just as many points and was far and away the most dominant driver on Sunday. He still has some work to do, though, as a strong 35-point buffer could be washed away in a millisecond at Talladega, where Larson has not enjoyed consistent success over the years. There is, however, some hope, as despite No. 5 having just three top fives in 21 career Talladega outings, two of them have come in the past year.
Analysis: Another Las Vegas fall race, another instance of Bell landing just short of a jackpot in the form of a Championship 4 berth in Sin City. Still, Bell opened the playoffs with a P29 at Darlington and has been driving at a torrid pace ever since, with a win and no finishes outside the top seven the past six races. Don’t be surprised if he finds himself once again with his back against the wall at Martinsville, though — Bell’s ‘Dega record is extremely spotty, and with a 20.9 average finish there, it’s far from a guarantee he doesn’t run into any trouble.
Analysis: It’s worth noting above how Briscoe was once “Out” of these Power Rankings, yet here he is on the precipice of his first Championship 4 appearance and essentially playing with house money at this point. This was wholly because of a points penalty that was later overturned, but it’s still a remarkable turnaround for a group in its first year with a new driver filling the shoes of a future Hall of Famer. Briscoe will have an incredible shot at Phoenix if he gets there, and the prognosis is positive. Even before we start talking Martinsville, Briscoe has a solid history of keeping it clean at Talladega, and if he’s able to escape with at least the 15-point cushion he currently has, he’s in great shape.
Analysis: Byron was sensational for most of Sunday’s race at Vegas, winning Stage 1 and turning in a P3 in Stage 2 before, well, you know. That aside, it was a championship-contending kind of afternoon for the No. 24 team, which finds itself in a minor, but not insurmountable hole after Vegas. With five straight top sevens at the Alabama track, Byron may be primed — and there may never be a better time for — his first career win at Talladega.
Analysis: Elliott likely isn’t the Chase most people had in mind that would be below the cut in the Round of 8, with the other positioned to advance to the Championship 4, but it’s the current reality. That said, No. 9 still may be the more likely of the two to advance from here. Despite a lackluster Vegas showing, Elliott remains one of the best at Talladega and won this race in 2022 en route to a Champ 4 berth.
Analysis: There’s bad luck in Vegas, and then there’s Blaney and the No. 12 team. The 2023 champ is once again in the red after a trip to Sin City, but there’s also a reason why Team Penske has won three straight titles — you can’t ever count them out, no matter the stakes. Despite the Vegas snafu, Blaney arguably will be the favorite in each of the next two races at two very favorable tracks for him and should still have an excellent shot to advance with a win … which is probably his only path forward from here.
Analysis: Logano had a strong race at Vegas, finishing sixth, leading a lap and scoring 34 points, yet … still walked out of the desert staring up at a 24-point hole heading to Alabama. This would be a major cause for concern if it weren’t the three-time and defending champ we’re talking about — the same one that consistently defies everyone’s expectations and has four wins at the remaining Round of 8 tracks. Look for Logano to be in the mix this weekend and go from worst to first in these ranks if he wins, as he’d become the favorite once again should Phoenix be in the cards for him.