NASCAR Power Rankings: Christopher Bell new No. 1

The 12 drivers racing for the NASCAR Cup Series championship are 0-for-3 in playoff races to date.

The question of the moment is not: Can a non-playoff driver win another race? Now the question appears to be: Will a playoff driver ever win again?

Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher won the races in the first round.

Texas Motor Speedway will provide the next platform for the championship hopefuls. Sunday’s 3:30 p.m. ET (USA Network) race will be the fourth of the playoffs and the first of the Round of 12.

Based on the results of a wacky Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, Christopher Bell, who appears to be mounting a serious challenge for his first title, has moved to the No. 1 spot in the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings, replacing Denny Hamlin.

1. Christopher Bell (No. 2 last week) — Bell is the only driver to finish in the top five in all three races in the first round. He led 143 laps on the way to a fourth-place finish at Bristol.

2. Chase Elliott (No. 3 last week) — After opening the playoffs with a crash at Darlington, Elliott has rebounded with an 11th at Kansas and a second at Bristol.

3. Denny Hamlin (No. 1 last week) — Hamlin was ninth at Bristol but led no laps. He has finished in the top 10 in all three playoff races.

4. Kyle Larson (No. 4 last week) — The defending champion led 34 laps at Bristol before finishing fifth. He’s fourth in the playoff standings.

5. William Byron (No. 6 last week) — Byron has been strong in all three playoff races, finishing eighth at Darlington, sixth at Kansas and third at Bristol.

6. Joey Logano (No. 5 last week) — Suspension issues parked Logano late in the evening at Bristol. His best finish in the playoffs is a fourth at Darlington.

7. Ross Chastain (No. 9