NASCAR Power Rankings: Evaluating the Championship Final 4 contenders after Ryan Blaney's win shakes up the playoffs
As NASCAR is heading towards its final race in Phoenix, here are the power rankings of the Championship 4 drivers who will battle in the race. Ryan Blaney, who won at Martinsville, is the reigning Cup Series champion.
The Cup Series will come to rest after an action-packed season with multiple race winners in the last 35 races. Four of them, namely Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and William Byron are set to fight for the championship. Whoever finishes ahead in this final four-pack will be crowned the champion. Blaney is targeting his second consecutive championship, while Logano is expecting to add a third to his cabinet. Byron and Reddick are chasing their first titles.
Although the season has given a tough battle to all the drivers, these four managed to climb to the very top of the spot. They have been consistent throughout the season and co-incidentally have won three races each this season. Here is an analysis and power ranking for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race.
NASCAR Power ranking for Championship contenders in Phoenix
There are multiple factors that could account for the NASCAR champion in Phoenix. While experience plays a major role, it is also important to focus on the drivers' track-based performance. Some are good on superspeedways and at the same time, others can be much faster on short ovals. Here is an estimated power ranking based on the top four drivers' experience and performance in the previous years:
#4 Tyler Reddick
The #45 23XI Racing driver locked himself up in the final four championship battle after winning at Homestead-Miami. However, his race win is sandwiched between two DNFs at Las Vegas and Martinsville. Although he was consistent early on in the season and managed to finish in the top 5 at multiple events, his performance took a hit after the start of the playoffs. Despite this, he has had some exceptional races this season, proving his worth amongst the top drivers. But, his best finish at Phoenix has been P19, which he achieved consecutively in 2020 and 2021.
#3 William Byron
The 2024 Daytona 500 winner has been extremely impressive in the playoffs, managing to pull off four consecutive top-5 finishes and three early wins in the season. Although his #24 Chevy was involved in four DNFs so far in the season, he proves to be a strong contender.
#2 Joey Logano
Logano is the most experienced driver in the Championship 4. Having marked his presence in the NASCAR Cup Series field since 2008, he has taken part in over 570 races of the Series and continues to be a strong driver. He has won the Championship twice in 2018 and 2022. Furthermore, he has had competitive performances at Phoenix twice in the last five years. His form has remained good this season as well.
#1 Ryan Blaney
The 2023 reigning NASCAR World Champion is the most promising prospect heading into the final race of the season. His performance has been excellent so far in the season and has had successively improving finishes at Phoenix in recent years. He has remained competitive in the current season as well with three race wins so far.