The primary factors race of the 2026 NASCAR season is within the books, with the Daytona 500 on Sunday delivering some pleasure, crashes, and a wild end to start out off the common season. With so most of the greatest NASCAR drivers caught up in wrecks, Sunday’s outcomes have been a bit wonkier than ordinary, and that has some affect on the ability rankings getting into Week 2.
Let’s dive into our newest NASCAR energy rankings after the Daytona 500. There will likely be loads of adjustments within the weeks to return, with the likes of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and Chase Briscoe certain to rise as they ship higher finishes.
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1. Tyler Reddick
Mike Watters-Imagn Photographs
Tyler Reddick gained the Daytona 500 because of some excellent final-lap driving and a push from teammate Riley Herbst. It felt paying homage to the driving force we noticed in , who gained the regular-season title and reached the Championship 4 in a season the place he gained three races (T-third most), ranked fourth in laps led (597) and tied for the second-most prime 10s (21). Reddick’s down 2025 marketing campaign at all times felt like a mirrored image on every thing taking place round him off the observe, however all of that’s behind him now. He’s the explanation why 23XI Racing has a shot at profitable the championship this season.
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2. Chase Elliott
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Photographs
There was heartbreak for Chase Elliott and the No. 9 group within the Daytona 500. Proper till the ultimate seconds, Elliott was staring down a crown jewel win and a profitable begin to the 2026 NASCAR season. Then, catastrophe struck. Due to a push from teammate Riley Herbst, Tyler Reddick received round Elliott. Herbst then yanked to the suitable to keep away from giving Elliott a push, leading to a collision with Michael McDowell, with Herbst’s automobile subsequently turning into Elliott and wrecking him on the end line. Nonetheless, Elliott completed fourth within the 500 just some days after he gained Duel 2, and he sits third in factors heading to Atlanta.
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3. Joey Logano
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Photographs
Each of the Duel at Daytona winners snagged a top-five end on Sunday within the 500 and needed to do post-race interviews within the care middle after the huge wreck on the end line. Joey Logano carried out effectively on the first superspeedway race of the season, recording the fifth-most factors (36) and having the sixth-most laps led (9), which is spectacular contemplating he was twenty ninth on the finish of Stage 1. Logano now heads to Atlanta, a observe he has gained at twice earlier than with a stellar historical past of beginning close to the entrance of the sphere ().
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4. William Byron
Mike Dinovo-Imagn Photographs
William Byron stays this excessive in our NASCAR energy rankings after Daytona as a result of he nonetheless completed Twelfth after overcoming a lot on the observe. He already needed to resort to the backup No. 24 automobile to start out the Daytona 500, after which he received up into the wall twice throughout Stage 1, requiring a number of journeys to the pits beneath warning. He lastly gave the impression to be gathering momentum, however then he received caught up within the Huge One and sustained additional injury. In some way, Byron navigated his technique to a Twelfth-place end on a day that noticed Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe all end outdoors the highest 25.
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5. Ryan Blaney
Mike Dinovo-Imagn Photographs
Ryan Blaney completed twenty seventh within the Daytona 500, however he was among the best NASCAR drivers for almost all of Sunday till the Huge One took him out. The No. 12 recorded probably the most stage factors on Sunday—third in Stage 1 (8 factors) and second in Stage 2 (9 factors)—and he was inside the highest 18 with one lap to go when he received taken out within the Carson Hocevar wreck. It felt lots just like the unhealthy luck he had final season—9 DNFs—however Blaney’s stage factors nonetheless helped him have a powerful day, and his general efficiency stands out greater than the end.
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6. Chris Buescher
Mike Dinovo-Imagn Photographs
Sunday proved to be a productive day on the observe for Chris Buescher, particularly given the context. Pressured to make use of a backup automobile within the Daytona 500, he needed to navigate his manner from final (forty first) on the beginning grid, and he did so shortly, as evidenced by a sixth-place end in Stage 1. Buescher stored himself close to the entrance from then on, inserting seventh in Stage 2 and holding that spot on the end. Arguably NASCAR’s most underrated driver is off to a powerful 2026 marketing campaign, and his efficiency on Sunday suggests he ought to win no less than one race this season.
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7. Bubba Wallace
Mike Dinovo-Imagn Photographs
Bubba Wallace led probably the most laps within the Daytona 500 (39), earned his first stage win of the season, and doubtless ought to have had a fair higher end than tenth place on Sunday. Sadly for the No. 23 group, Hocevar’s wreck on the ultimate lap compelled William Byron down beneath the yellow line; when he got here again up at a slower tempo than the remainder of the sphere—practically clipping Joey Logano—Wallace needed to verify as much as keep away from inflicting a fair larger wreck. Wallace doubtless deserved a top-five end on Sunday, however he got here out of it with 37 factors, and 23XI Racing confirmed it has the pace to be harmful this yr.
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8. Kyle Larson
Nadia Zomorodian / USA TODAY NETWORK through Imagn Photographs
It was an underwhelming day for the reigning NASCAR Cup Sequence champion. Ranging from eighth within the area at Daytona Worldwide Speedway, Larson’s No. 5 automobile sustained heavy injury within the Huge One. He received caught up within the stack-up and, when contact from behind turned him to the aspect, his entrance finish was pushed into by teammate Alex Bowman. A banged-up No. 5 automobile stood no probability of combating its manner again to the entrance, however one other massive wreck on the ultimate lap no less than allowed Larson to complete sixteenth. He’ll head to Atlanta ranked fifteenth in factors, however we might nonetheless wager on him to steer NASCAR in wins this yr.
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9. Denny Hamlin
Nadia Zomorodian / USA TODAY NETWORK through Imagn Photographs
What may have been for Denny Hamlin if not for the crucial psychological blunder by Justin Allgaier? With eight laps to go in Stage 2, Allgaier moved down late to attempt to block Hamlin to guard the lead. As an alternative, the contact triggered the Huge One, with the No. 11 automobile sustaining front-end injury. Hamlin climbed his manner again to eleventh place till, with 9 laps to go, Corey Heim received into the again of him, leading to the suitable aspect of the No. 11 slamming into the wall. Hamlin completed thirty first within the race and leaves Daytona thirty third in factors.
10. Kyle Busch
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Sitting on the pole for the Daytona 500, it lastly appeared like Kyle Busch had an actual shot at snapping his two-year winless drought within the Cup Sequence. Sadly, as feels so becoming for his time with Richard Childress Racing, it led to disappointment. Busch nonetheless led 19 laps at Daytona and snagged fourth in Stage 2. Really, the factors complete (29) and end (fifteenth) may have been even worse. Fortunately, the veteran driver’s savvy resulted in him slowing his tempo within the closing laps in anticipation of one other wreck. Busch’s strategy paid off, as holding again stored him out of the last-lap mess, and he navigated across the carnage for a top-15 end. It isn’t the outcome he hoped for after beginning on the pole, but it surely may have been lots worse.
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