Christopher Bell maintains top spot in NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings

Christopher Bell maintains the No. 1 spot after last weekend’s Cup playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway.

William Byron, the only driver to secure a spot in the next round of the playoffs, and Denny Hamlin are the biggest mover this week, each climbing three spots. Also a new driver joins the top 10 this week.

The series heads to the Charlotte Roval on Sunday (2 p.m. ET on NBC).

NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings after Talladega

1. Christopher Bell (Last week: No. 1) — His sixth-place finish at Talladega marks the sixth time in the last seven races that Bell has placed seventh or better.

2. Kyle Larson (2) — He finished fourth at Talladega, snapping a streak of 14 consecutive races at drafting tracks without a top 10. Larson has three top fives in the last six races this season.

3. William Byron (6) — Clinched a spot in the next round with his third-place finish. Byron scored 48 points at Talladega. Only winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (49 points) scored more than Byron in the race. Byron has back-to-back top-three finishes.

4. Alex Bowman (3) — He finished 16th. He has three top 10s in the last five races. Bowman has scored points in nine of the last 10 stages.

5. Chase Elliott (4) — Was in position for a top-five finish until he was collected in the big crash late in the race. He finished 29th. Elliott has three top 10s in the last five races.

6. Ryan Blaney (5) — Has three finishes of sixth or better in the last seven races, but he has finished 29th or worse (all DNFs for accidents) in those other races. Blaney has scored points in each of the last five stages.

7. Denny Hamlin (10) — Finished 10th at Talladega, giving him three consecutive top 10s.

8. Chris Buescher (9) — Won a stage at Talladega before finishing 17th. He has four top 10s in the last eight races.

9. Ross Chastain (7) — Eliminated by a crash at the end of the second stage and finished 40th. He has four top 10s in the last six races.

10. Bubba Wallace (NR) — Finished ninth at Talladega, giving him two top 10s in the last three races.

Dropped out: Tyler Reddick (8)