Power Rankings: Will Bell cash in on Vegas speed, make Champ 4 return?

Analysis: Larson looked like his old self once again this weekend (i.e., a world-class championship heavyweight) and offered Shane van Gisbergen’s toughest competition on the day, even pacing the field for 27 laps out front. Though he’s yet to win since the Kansas spring race, Larson carries a three-race streak of top-seven finishes into the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas, where he has three wins and two runner-ups from 2021-on alone. Analysis: Blaney enjoyed a stress-free day at the Roval after already having advanced, but still did himself a favor by capturing the Stage 2 win and a playoff point along with it, which could come into play later on, so remember that. No. 12 has led in 10 of the past 11 races as he continues to fortify his championship hopes, and this could be an interesting weekend for him ahead. After looking early in his career that Vegas would be a track Blaney would be a multi-time winner at, he’s found the inside of the top 20 there just three times in the Next Gen era.

Analysis: Hamlin seems to be involved in nearly every marquee on-track incident this year, and the Roval was no different as he and Ross Chastain came together in the final moments during a last-ditch effort by the No. 1. Something’s clearly working for him, though, as No. 11 enters the Round of 8 solely atop the points standings as he perhaps closes in on title No. 1. Vegas is a track he tends to have speed at, but it’s only resulted in one of his 59 career Cup wins. That said, he’s sort of been the man to beat there this decade, and that may be the case again for the rest of the field Sunday. And it’s quite possible nobody can. Analysis: Bell was the only other driver capable of sharing a podium with SVG and Larson at the Roval on Sunday, deserving and finishing third in a tough battle at times with each. There’s a strong chance the Bell and Larson battles don’t stop there, either, with both appearing to be Championship 4 favorites and both eyeing the win this weekend. Bell has three Vegas poles and a ton of laps led in each (including 155 in a runner-up effort in this race last year), so he’ll no doubt be aiming to finally capitalize out in the desert. After last year's crushing Championship 4 miss, Bell could see himself in this year's quartet before any of his peers. Analysis: Elliott had a pretty strong day at the Roval, collecting 40 points in an eighth-place effort, even though he didn’t need any of them after he’d clinched advancement a week prior. There was still incentive for him to run as well as possible, though, because any potential playoff points would have helped -- No. 9 slots in below the bubble after the reset, 14 points off the cut. Though he finished top 10 there earlier this year, an overall 19.0 average finish and one lap led in the last seven Vegas races offer some cause for concern. Analysis: The final results haven’t been atrocious and he’s clearly done enough to make the Round of 8 with even a bit of cushion, but there’s still something lacking from Byron and the No. 24 at the moment, having led just once in the past nine races and for only five total laps. Considering six of those were playoff races, “rising to the occasion” isn’t the first thing that comes to mind here, but that could all be washed away Sunday at Las Vegas, where Byron excels and owns five straight top 10s, including a win. On the flip side, if they don’t get it together out in Nevada, it might be a signal that Byron could have to wait for title No. 1. Analysis: Briscoe didn’t quite have to sweat making the Round of 8 or not, thanks to his overall very strong playoffs, and it’s a good thing he didn’t -- starting inside the top 10 and finishing outside of it, while leading no laps in a cutoff race, certainly isn’t doing oneself any favors. Still, one of the season’s brightest story lines will have at least three more chapters; however, the first one could be rocky. Long one of his worst tracks (22.1 average finish), Briscoe will need to find some of that old Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 car 1.5-mile magic this weekend if he wants to avoid leaning on Talladega (gulp) and Martinsville to advance to his first Championship 4. Analysis: The whole “where there’s a will, there’s a way” ethos clearly applies to no team and driver more than the No. 22 group and its intrepid three-time champion, and here he is once again, defying the odds and putting himself within striking distance of another title. Despite being ranked eighth here primarily because of a notable points deficit to open the round, you could make just as strong an argument for Logano to be No. 1 just based on what we know he and crew chief Paul Wolfe are capable of. Not a single soul out there would be surprised in the least to see them rip off another Vegas win to punch a Championship 4 spot (like he did last year … and in 2022). If that happens, we might as well save everybody the airfare to Phoenix and start engraving the Bill France Cup next week. No guarantees, though, of course -- Logano doesn’t have a top 10 at a 1.5-mile track since Kansas, in May. | MORE: Analysis: Logano is the last one other competitors wanted to see make Round of 8