NASCAR.com’s Pat DeCola ranks the top 20 Cup Series drivers competing for the 2026 championship after the season-opening Daytona 500 and before Sunday’s Autotrader 400 at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway (3 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell enters as the defending winner.
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Analysis: Reddick executed on Sunday’s final lap to deliver one of the most dramatic Daytona 500 finishes in recent memory, grabbing the lead in the closing seconds and barreling to Victory Lane for 23XI Racing and co-owner Michael Jordan’s first “Great American Race” win. No. 45 led only the final lap but did everything right in a truly wild race, and his points haul puts him firmly in the (extremely) early championship picture, which is still worth noting after coming off a down 2025 season. If 23XI can keep his car in the mix all afternoon at Atlanta, Reddick could be a factor to start 2-0.
Analysis: Make no mistake about it — Chase Elliott was in position to win the Daytona 500 on the final lap to finally break through for NASCAR’s most prized crown jewel, only to be swept aside by Reddick’s late move and ultimately finish fourth. That near-miss stings, but it also underscores his ability to navigate traffic and position himself when it matters most, which will come in handy this weekend as he attempts to make it two in a row at his home track. Elliott’s knack for lane choice and momentum should keep him toward the front, and while he may not have the Harley J. Earl, he left Florida with points and promise.
Analysis: Byron’s three-peat attempt was a mix of staying upright after more contact than he’d have preferred and surviving the wrecks, and he ultimately finished just outside the top 10 after splitting through pockets of chaos at the end. While not where he wanted to be — in Daytona Victory Lane celebrating a 500 win for an unprecedented third straight time — he walked away with decent points and a whole season ahead. EchoPark’s style of extended draft and pack momentum will reward those who can find consistent forward progress without overreacting, something Byron has done well over his career. If he and the team can manage position early, a rebound weekend is well within reach, but plenty of highlight-worthy days remain ahead in 2026 at large.
Analysis: Larson navigated Daytona’s turmoil all day, staying in contention into the closing moments to finish just outside the top 15 in a race that is often, to put it simply, rude to him. EchoPark’s got an unconventional drafting style that could land in Larson’s wheelhouse over time, so the defending champ will continue to be a name to watch in the early going here, in addition to all season long.
Analysis: A favorite of many to win his first Daytona 500, Blaney did lead two laps and walk out with a decent-enough 27 points, but the record books will still show a disappointing P27. EchoPark’s ever-shifting draft packs will continue to play to his strengths, though, as a driver more than comfortable in the draft and able to exploit openings without panic. If Team Penske has clean early speed, Blaney should be in the conversation again, and this weekend could establish him as one of the steadiest early contenders. As expected.
Analysis: Three-time 500 winner Hamlin wasn’t immune to the Daytona melee, but he clearly hasn’t lost a step in the rebound from a difficult end to 2025. EchoPark’s style also plays into his key abilities, so expect him to be aggressive in the draft but calculated more than most as he looks to strike early in 2026.
Analysis: Buescher appeared in the late stages of the race to be in contention for the win, and while that didn’t come to pass, he maneuvered Daytona relatively cleanly and came home with a top 10. RFK’s improvements continue to show up in moments like this, and EchoPark will only give them more opportunity to flex on this style while shaping into a threat at other tracks lately as well.
Analysis: Logano positioned himself, somehow, to bring home a top-three result out of a wild final lap, reminding everyone why he’s one of the best on superspeedways in an otherwise somewhat pedestrian day for him. The former Atlanta resident should find himself at EchoPark back where he’s comfortable — near the front of the field — and it’s quite possible “Even Year Joey” gets an early start on his championship run this weekend.
Analysis: Briscoe’s Daytona ended well outside the spotlight after he got caught up in a mess and his shot at the win ended early, though he did finish the race. Expected to compete once again for a championship after making last year’s Championship 4, look for the Daytona front-row-starter to once again have a fast ride this weekend.
Analysis: Bell’s Daytona was a tough one, with contact and chaos burying him deep despite having shown competitive speed at times earlier in the race. He is of course capable of a rebound on any weekend he’s looking for one, but with this one in particular — which he enters as the defending race winner — the title contender can feel especially good about it.
Analysis: Wallace led the most laps at Daytona (40) and still finished inside the top 10, but the dejection on his face after coming so close while seeing his teammate celebrate winning the race that eludes him was evident. Still, that performance leaves him near the top of the early standings and, more importantly, gives confirmation that 23XI has drafting command right now.
Analysis: Starting from the rear in a backup car, Chastain led at halfway, cycled to the front during green-flag stops and showed top-tier speed before the closing laps sorted him into the midpack and out of a trophy bid. EchoPark’s draft-heavy intermediate style could play directly into No. 1’s comfort zone, manipulating lanes instead of just surviving pack chaos. Plenty of Ross Chastain ahead for us this year.
Analysis: Preece wasn’t able to keep the momentum going off a Clash win and relatively strong overall Daytona week, culminating in a finish that didn’t reflect the speed he’s shown in the early going. All signs point to RFK once again giving him a car that can maneuver in the draft, and he’s got a shot to keep his name in the 2026 headlines this weekend.
Analysis: SVG once again showed flashes of comfort in pack traffic before Daytona’s late incidents cut short what could have been a noteworthy run to open an important year for him. If he and Trackhouse can avoid Atlanta attrition, SVG could put many doubters to rest if he can maintain his clear early improvements.
Analysis: Bowman’s Daytona result was a victim of circumstance more than lack of speed; he was in the mix before a big wreck thinned the field. He does have a pair of top-five runs at Atlanta in the past two seasons, but each came in the summer race. Still, he could rebound.
Analysis: Berry turned a chaotic Daytona into a points-earning top-10, mostly avoiding wrecks and doing what he needed to do. Berry’s approach has always been measured, but he may need a way to get aggressive at Atlanta, where he’s yet to finish better than 18th in five tries.
Analysis: The first-time Daytona 500 polesitter had high hopes to add “first-time Daytona 500 winner” in addition to that, but Busch will have to settle with a top 15 after making it through the chaos but failing to find the front at the end. RCR clearly has the juice it’s looking for on drafting tracks right now, though, and the two-time Atlanta winner has recent success there as well. No reason to think it won’t continue.
Analysis: Keselowski gutted out a hobbled Speedweek only to leave Daytona … gutted that he came so close to winning his first Harley J. Earl and was taken out of contention in the final seconds. A top five is still a decent way to start the year, though, and the two-time EchoPark winner and last summer’s runner-up should be once again in the mix.
Analysis: Hocevar flirted with history, leading on the white flag of the 500 and looking set to become the first to win his first Cup race in NASCAR’s crown jewel, but Lady Luck was not on his side Sunday, and it will have to wait. While heartbreaking for him in real time, it showed he has the speed and track sense to be up front at the biggest races, and we should only expect that to continue. EchoPark’s extended drafts will be a different animal, but if he can convert his raw aggression into forward position early, Hocevar could reset quickly and climb back into contention, and perhaps last spring’s runner-up will finish one spot higher this time around.
Analysis: Cindric led five laps, and his 12 points earned for a 34th-place finish certainly isn’t the worst-case-scenario, but it’s never how a Daytona 500 champion envisions their day going as they seek another “Great American Race” crown. No. 2 has led double-digit laps in each of the past five Atlanta races, and you gotta figure, just playing the odds, he’ll break through to Victory Lane there sooner than later.