NASCAR Power Rankings: Denny Hamlin steps to the front

Does anybody here want to win this championship?

After two races in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the 16 drivers eligible for the championship are 0 for 2. Erik Jones and Bubba Wallace, interlopers among the championship field, won at Darlington and Kansas, respectively.

Joey Logano, who topped the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings last week, had a boring Kansas, leading only two laps and finishing a sour 17th. He drops to fifth in this week’s rankings.

Chase Elliott, the point leader entering the playoffs, couldn’t muster a top 10 at Kansas and falls a spot in the rankings.

The new leader is Denny Hamlin, who finished a strong second at Kansas and now is chasing both the driving championship (which would be his first) and the owners championship, thanks in part to Wallace’s Sunday victory for 23XI Racing.

The playoffs roll on to Bristol Motor Speedway for a 7:30 p.m. race Saturday (USA Network).

1. Denny Hamlin (No. 3 last week) — Hamlin’s second-place run at Kansas was the best effort among the playoff contenders. He also was second in the first playoff race at Darlington, giving him a sound start to the playoff run.

2. Christopher Bell (No. 6 last week) — Bell leaps four positions in the rankings this week as his third-place run at Kansas boosted him into the top spot in the playoff standings. He was fifth at Darlington in the playoff opener.

3. Chase Elliott (No. 2 last week) — Elliott was never a factor at the front at Kansas on Sunday. He drops a spot in the rankings (although he gained two positions in the playoff standings to seventh).

4. Kyle Larson (No. 4 last week) — Larson was eighth at Kansas but was no match for the Toyotas.

5. Joey Logano (No. 1 last week) — Logano had an uninspiring day at Kansas,