NASCAR Power Rankings: Tyler Reddick Wins Big at Daytona

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season kicked off Sunday afternoon with the biggest single-day prize of the season - the Daytona 500. Sunday's field featured one of the most competitive fields in recent memory with manufacturers and teams all fighting to gain an edge throughout the build up to the green flag. The race featured 66 total lead changes among 25 drivers but wasn't decided until the final lap when Tyler Reddick harnessed momentum out of the final turn to overtake Chase Elliott, and lead just the final lap, to claim his first Daytona 500 victory and the first for Toyota since Denny Hamlin's 2020 triumph. 

Reddick's big victory comes following a winless 2025 and it sets the stage for what fans hope will be a competitive 2026. With the knockout championship format eliminated and a return to the 10-race Chase format, consistency across all types of tracks will be the focus of the garage. The march down that long schedule toward the championship is now underway and a trip to the smaller superspeedway of EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta is next on deck as the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues to pick up steam.

To keep up with all your favorite drivers and get updates throughout the season, head to RotoWire's latest NASCAR news or follow @RotoWireNASCAR on X.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings After Daytona

1. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45

Last Week: N/A

After finishing 22nd in the Clash and 12th in his Duel qualifying race, Reddick came up big to lead just the final lap of Sunday's Daytona 500 and capture an impressive first victory of the season, Throughout Sunday's race, Reddick's No. 45 was a relatively quiet competitor, but patience paid off as he worked his way into contention in the final miles and capitalized on some last-corner momentum to make a run for the lead and take the victory. The win is vital for Reddick and his No. 45 squad after going winless in 2025. With at least two race wins in the three preceding seasons, Reddick will be thrilled to get out of the gate early in 2026 with a major win.

2. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9

Last Week: N/A

Elliott could almost taste a Daytona 500 victory considering how close he came Sunday afternoon. The former series champion started and raced among the leaders throughout the afternoon and was just yards from victory before being passed and caught in a crash at the finish. Even with the heartbreak or just losing out, the first week of the season has been a good one for the No. 9. His win in his qualifying race set up a confident Sunday that the veteran took advantage of, and Elliott now heads to his home track third in the early standings. Elliott is also a two-time Atlanta winner, including last fall's race at the track, which makes him a driver with some valuable early momentum.

3. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22

Last Week: N/A

Joey Logano's Daytona 500 effort started with a win in his qualifying race, cementing his status as one of the favorites to win on Sunday. Circumstances didn't play out as hoped for as the No. 22 was in and around several of the race's incidents, but the team persevered and Logano moved his car into contention in the race's final miles. Despite being caught in the final wreck of the race, Logano's third-place finish was the closest he had come to the finish of any race at Daytona since 2023. His effort through the week reaffirmed Team Penske's superspeedway strength, which will be valuable the coming week at Atlanta. Logano is a two-time winner at that track with laps led in each of his last six visits.

4. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12

Last Week: N/A

Like teammate Logano, Ryan Blaney was one of the stronger competitors throughout the sessions last week at Daytona. During the race he was also one of the front runners and finished in the top three in each of the race's stages. However, Blaney was one of the many victims of the late-race chaos that shaped the outcome. His 27th-place finish is not representative of of what he and the car were capable of, and the goal will be to turn that around right away. The coming race should give him the opportunity to do that. He won at Atlanta in 2021 and was on pole at the track last spring when he finished fourth.

5. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23

Last Week: N/A

At the end of 2025, Wallace was making improvements and wound up the season 11th in the standings, which was his second-best season result since joining full time in 2018. His efforts last week at Daytona are showing that he intends to continue that trajectory. He was aggressive in his qualifying race and a crash and spin meant he would start just 27th in Sunday's 500. That low starting position didn't hold him back, though. Wallace won the second stage and raced to a 10th-place finish that puts him eighth in the standings after the first race. Wallace's talent has been evident since his arrival and fulfilling that potential is the goal for 2026. 

6. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5

Last Week: N/A

Superspeedway racing has never been Kyle Larson's strength, but the defending series champion continues to progress at the discipline. At Daytona, he delivered an impressive qualifying race to earn a top-10 starting spot for the big race. Larson then managed his race well Sunday afternoon before being collected in a multi-car crash in the final stage. Even with significant damage from the crash, Larson did enough to finish the race inside the top 20 and leave the first week of a racing 15th in the standings. Another superspeedway lies ahead for him to endure, but his third-place Atlanta finish last spring suggests Larson won't be dreading the coming race as much as he might have in the past. 

7. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24

Last Week: N/A

Byron's quest to win three consecutive Daytona 500s ended with a 12th-place finish Sunday afternoon. The Hendrick Motorsports driver started deep in the field after resorting to a back-up car following a crash in the Duels, but Byron made a go of things and found himself in contention at the front of the pack as the race progressed. Contact in a major crash in the final stage meant the win would not fall his direction, though. Still, Byron finished the race 12th and gets his season started with a spot inside the top 20 in the standings. He and the team should feel confident of moving forward quickly from there, too. Byron is a two-time Atlanta winner, but he was involved in crashes in both races there last season.

8. Chris Buescher, RFK Racing No. 17

Last Week: N/A

Parity throughout the manufacturers and teams at Daytona was remarkable, and RFK Racing was right among the contenders throughout the week. Chris Buescher and teammates were contenders in every session and overcame just about every obstacle that stood in their way. Despite a crash in Thursday's Duel, Buescher moved from last in the field on Sunday into the top 10 by the end of the first stage, and he remained rooted inside the top 10 all the way until the finish, claiming seventh at the end. The team's superspeedway strength should make them optimistic of their chances again next week, too. Buescher has five top-10 finishes from 15 Atlanta starts including a ninth-place result at the track last fall.

9. Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing No. 6

Last Week: N/A

RFK Racing's power at Daytona was evident, and that step forward in competitiveness could signal great potential for Keselowski and his teammates. As it was, Keselowski earned a top-five to get the season started, and he'll be looking for more the next time out at Atlanta. His continued recovery from a broken leg during the offseason means that he is walking with a cane, but things inside the car seem as comfortable as ever. Keselowski is a two-time Atlanta winner, and he finished second at the track last fall with 46 laps led. Starting the season with consecutive superspeedway stops plays to Keselowski's strengths and another top finish next week could keep him comfortably among the early-season Chase contenders in the standings.

10. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19

Last Week: N/A

The Daytona race weekend kicked off on the right foot for Briscoe and his No. 19 team as they put their car on the front row for the season's biggest race. Speed wasn't enough to keep Briscoe out of a stage 2 crash that effectively ruined the team's day, though. Despite leading 27 laps, Briscoe spent the majority of Sunday's race at the back of the pack and finished 12 laps behind the leaders. The result may not have been what he and the team were hoping for, but early indications are that the car has speed to compete at the front early in the season. Briscoe will need that confidence this week at Atlanta where his best finish is a pair of 15th-place results. He crashed out at the track last fall and finished 21st there in the spring.

Knocking on the Door

Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing No. 8

Last Week: N/A

Busch's Daytona 500 week started with his first ever pole for the big race. It was an accomplishment that adds to his already impressive resume, but the high from that brilliant lap didn't carry through Sunday's 500 miles. Busch led 19 laps and scored some stage points but was caught in the chaos of the day and was out of contention in the final miles. One late decision to drop out of the chaotic pack on the final lap led to a recovery of several spots for a 15th-place finish, though. After several difficult seasons, Busch is working for a return to Victory Lane and a potential run at a championship. Five Atlanta top-10 finishes from his last six track starts could help him build some early season momentum.

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11

Last Week: N/A

The winter was a tumultuous one for Hamlin. His involvement in the legal dispute with NASCAR, the loss of his father, and a shoulder injury were more than enough to sideline anyone. Hamlin is a proven fighter, though. He took to the track as his usual determined self at Daytona and led three laps before multiple incidents in the final stage took him out of contention. How Hamlin handles the off-track circumstances and manages his injury throughout the season will be a focus. Sunday's result wasn't how Hamlin wanted to get the season started, and how he and the team work to turn that around could define the early 2026 season for the No. 11.

Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports No. 38

Last Week: N/A

Zane Smith delivered an impressive afternoon to get his 2026 season started on a confident note. The former NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion won the first stage Sunday afternoon, which was the first stage win of his career since joining the Cup Series. It wasn't over, though. Smith went on to lead nine total laps and finish the day sixth. It was a dream start to the year as he continues to work to establish himself at NASCAR's top level. Last year, Smith delivered one top-five and five top-10s en route to 28th in the standings. After Sunday he is poised to better his top-five tally from last year in just the first two races of 2026. Smith finished 11th and seventh in the two Atlanta races last season, which bodes well for his chances to continue his momentum next week.