NASCAR Power Rankings: William Byron wins, remains No. 1

Darlington race winner William Byron remains atop the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings.

Byron’s victory made him the first driver with three wins this season. It also boosted him from eighth to fifth in the points standings.

Teams take a break from gathering points this week for the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Byron is one of eight drivers entered born after the Cup Series last raced at the track in 1996.

1. William Byron (first last week) — With his third win of the year, Byron solidified his position as a major contender for the Cup championship. In the chaos of the Darlington finish, he was the prime survivor.

2. Kyle Larson (second last week) — Larson led 29 laps at Darlington and likely would have challenged for the win if not for a crash with Ross Chastain in the closing laps.

3. Chase Elliott (sixth last week) — Elliott continues to impress in his return from a leg injury, finishing a strong third at Darlington for his best run since returning.

4. Martin Truex Jr. (fifth last week) — Another late-race crash victim Sunday, Truex continues to show improvement. He led a race-high 145 laps after starting from the pole.

5. Ross Chastain (third last week) — Another race, another controversial crash. Chastain could have won Sunday but instead wound up in the garage area after a wreck with Kyle Larson.

6. Denny Hamlin (fourth last week) — Hamlin led nine laps at Darlington but wasn’t a factor. He came home 12th.

7. Kyle Busch (seventh last week) — Busch ran in the shadow of the leaders Sunday, finishing seventh without leading a lap.

8. Christopher Bell (ninth last week) — Bell was a non-entity at Darlington. After two straight top-eight finishes, he has failed to make the top 10 in the past two races.

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