NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Larson jumps to No. 1

Late-race strategy and a strong car lifted Kyle Larson to victory Sunday at Martinsville Speedway and into the top spot in the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings.

After a decade of struggle at Martinsville, Larson finally broke through for his first win at the half-mile track. He led the final 30 laps and was boosted by a two-tire change during the final round of pit stops.

Hendrick Motorsports drivers own three of the top five spots in the rankings.

1. Kyle Larson (sixth last week) — Larson became the second driver with multiple wins this season with a strong finish at Martinsville. He took the lead late and ran away from the rest of the field, finishing 4.14 seconds ahead of second-place Joey Logano.

2. Ross Chastain (second last week) — Chastain led 31 laps at Martinsville (and didn’t clash violently with the outside wall this time). He finished 13th.

3. William Byron (first last week) — Byron wasn’t a factor at Martinsville, finishing 23rd, his third straight finish outside the top 10. He was running 12th late in the race but reported a vibration in the car and lost spots.

4. Joey Logano (seventh last week) — Logano was lapped early in the race Sunday but had a solid comeback, leading 25 laps and finishing second. It marked his eighth consecutive top-10 finish at Martinsville.

5. Alex Bowman (fourth last week) — Bowman was absent from the action at the front Sunday but scored an 11th-place finish.

6. Denny Hamlin (ninth last week) — A master at Martinsville, Hamlin led 36 laps Sunday and finished fourth, his first top-five finish of the year. He complained post-race about few opportunities to pass.

7. Christopher Bell (fifth last week) — After winning the previous week at Bristol, Bell was a non-factor at Martinsville