Congrats, Kyle Larson, on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series title.
OK, so who is going to win in 2026? While that is still a long ways out, how about some way-to-early preseason power rankings? Here you go:
1. Kyle Larson
Say what you want about Larson and how he won the title, the fact is that he earned the most points of any driver throughout the 2025 season and would have over the final 10 races if stage points were awarded to the Champ 4 drivers. So with that, the Hendrick Motorsports driver is tops on this list. And that’s despite Chevrolet bringing a new body style in 2026 that should be an improvement but also could take a little time to develop.
Kyle Larson will go for Cup title No. 3 in 2026.
2. Chase Briscoe
Briscoe made the Champ 4 in his first year at Joe Gibbs Racing, earning 15 top-5 finishes and seven poles. Conventional wisdom is that he’ll be better next season after a full year with JGR.
3. Ryan Blaney
The most consistent driver when it came to speed among the Ford drivers in 2025 was Blaney. He tied for second in overall race wins with four. The Team Penske driver once again will be factor next season.
4. Christopher Bell
Bell had four wins in 2025 and was the top driver in points earned over the final 10 races. Even though he didn’t make the Championship 4, his fast start last year very well could be repeated in 2026.
5. Denny Hamlin
The winner of six races in 2025 and the driver who dominated the championship race drops to fifth on this list because how in the world is a driver going to come back from such a kick in the gut? Yes, he has a few months to get over it, but if anyone has a hangover from 2025, it could be Hamlin, who still has a potential lawsuit trial on his docket this year as co-owner of 23XI Racing.
Can Denny Hamlin put his Phoenix heartbreak behind him in 2026?
6. William Byron
Byron didn’t have the greatest playoffs as he was ninth overall in points earned. Granted, the crashes at Vegas and Talladega had a big impact on that statistic. The Hendrick driver is the two-time defending Daytona 500 winner, and he’ll be a threat to win from Race 1 in 2026.
7. Chase Elliott
Elliott had strong performances more often than not in the second half of the 2025 season. He should feel good about what he’s got going on in 2026, although the new Chevrolet body could cause its teams some early angst as anything new typically requires a learning curve before producing results.
8. Brad Keselowski
Keselowski earned the 11th-most points over the final 10 races and the amount of speed the RFK organization found during the year should be a boost his team needs to start the season strong.
9. Tyler Reddick
Reddick seemed to be a little bit off throughout 2025, so will the 2024 regular-season champions rebound or continue a slow decline? Here’s banking on a rebound.
Tyler Reddick will attempt to rebound after a mixed 2025.
10. Joey Logano
It’s an “even” year, and that typically means a strong one for Logano, who won titles in 2018, 2022 and 2024. Not that we get into those numbers or anything. For 2026, the Team Penske driver hopes that weird year phenomenon stays true.
On the verge: Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain, Ty Gibbs, Carson Hocevar, Ryan Preece, Bubba Wallace
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
