NASCAR Power Rankings: Tyler Reddick jumps to No. 1 after Phoenix

There’s a new driver atop this week’s NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings after Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway.

Chase Briscoe added his name to the history books as a Cup Series winner, now marking four different drivers that have gone to Victory Lane this year. That only further underscores the parity the Next Gen car has brought to the Cup Series.

While many drivers are worthy of a mention, here are the 10 that made this week’s list:

1. Tyler Reddick (Last week: No. 2) Reddick spent the majority of the West Coast Swing at or near the front of the field. The No. 8 Chevrolet bolstered those performance highs with a third-place finish Sunday in Phoenix and was in the mix for his first career win against Chase Briscoe and Ross Chastain. Reddick didn’t lead any laps this weekend but was a top-five contender all day, evidenced by his 5.86 average running position, according to NASCAR’s loop data. He led 90 laps at Auto Club and rallied for a seventh-place finish at Las Vegas after an earlier spin. The car is fast and he’s quickly learning how to maximize his days — especially after making further adjustments to alleviate numbness in his legs.

2. Kyle Larson (Last week: No. 1) Even after a broken valve spring ended his day early at Phoenix, Larson still maintains the highest average running position in the series at 10.447. The No. 5 team loses its lead in the rankings this week after an underwhelming performance overall in Arizona. Despite leading the way in all relevant categories in Saturday’s practice sessions, Larson was never a factor in Sunday’s race. Of course, after an Auto Club win and a runner-up result in Las Vegas, I don’t think the team is too concerned.

3. Kyle Busch (Last week: No. 4) Busch continues to