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Christopher Bell remains atop the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings heading to Homestead

Christopher Bell remains atop the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings heading to Homestead

Joey Logano’s win in Las Vegas put him back in the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings, but Christopher Bell remains No. 1 with three races left in the Cup season.

Logano was one of two new drivers in this week’s top 10.

The Round of 8 continues Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC).

This week’s NASCAR Sports NASCAR Power Rankings

1. Christopher Bell (Last week: No. 1) – His second-place finish in Las Vegas gives him back-to-back runner-up finishes this season. He has 12 top-four finishes in 33 starts this season – three wins, three runner-up finishes, three third-place finishes and three fourth-place finishes. Bell has achieved eight top-10 finishes in the last nine races. He led 155 of the 267 laps in Las Vegas, won one stage and scored 19 stage points. He had an average run position of 2.5 in Las Vegas.

Bell fails in Las Vegas: “We had to win”

A disappointed Christopher Bell says he hasn’t “come to terms with” how the Las Vegas race ended after missing out on victory and knows you’re “never safe” in the playoffs.

2. Kyle Larson (2) – Came back two laps behind and finished 11th. A chaotic pit stop resulted in him leaving the race before the left rear tire had been replaced, forcing him to complete two laps in a row and falling two laps behind. The first race of each round of the playoffs was a challenge for Larson, but he wins before the round ends. Will this trend continue in either Homestead or Martinsville?

The Las Vegas Cup race is a “tough battle” for Larson

Kyle Larson is putting up an “uphill battle” in Las Vegas to open the Cup Series round of 16, battling back to 11th place after falling a lap down during the race.

3. William Byron (3) – His fourth-place finish in Las Vegas marked his fourth consecutive top-five finish in the playoffs. He has scored points in six of the last eight stages.

4. Denny Hamlin (6) – His eighth place finish gives him four top-10 finishes in the last five races.

Hamlin: Las Vegas was “not a clean day”

It was “not a clean day” for Denny Hamlin in Las Vegas, and the No. 11 car finds itself in fifth place in the playoff standings after the opening race of the Round of 8 with its sights set on Homestead.

5. Joey Logano (NR) – After his victory in Las Vegas, he has won two of the last seven playoff races.

‘Incredible’ turn of events puts Logano in champ. 4

From exiting the Cup Series playoffs to a spot in the Championship 4, Joey Logano describes his day in Las Vegas as a “total team victory” after saving enough fuel to hold off a hard-charging Christopher Bell late.

6. Chase Elliott (4) – Car damaged after Tyler Reddick caused an accident. Elliott finished 33rd. In the last five races, he had three top-10 finishes and two finishes of 29th or worse

7. Ryan Blaney (5) – Also a victim of the incident involving Tyler Reddick. Blaney finished 32nd. In the last seven races, he finished in the top 10 four times due to an accident and finished outside the top 30 three times.

8. Alex Bowman (8) – His fifth place gives him three top-10 finishes in the last five races.

9. Bubba Wallace (9) – He finished 12th in Las Vegas and finished 12th or better in four of the last five races.

10. Ross Chastain (NR) – His seventh-place finish gives him four top-10 finishes in the last six races, including one win.

Dropped out: Tyler Reddick (7), Chris Buescher (10)