by Jentezen Smith
Among the 36 full-time drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, there are 12 drivers that are simply set apart from the rest of the field.
Below is a ranking of those 12 drivers, separating them into three tiers based on each driver’s skill set, driving style, wins and performance statistics.
Tier One: #5 Kyle Larson, #20 Christopher Bell, #24 William Byron, #12 Ryan Blaney
These four drivers are by far the most skilled wheelmen in the sport. The way they work and maneuver their cars is levels above everybody else. Larson, Bell and Byron all possess the ability to win anytime, anywhere. Make no mistake though, Kyle Larson is easily the most talented driver in NASCAR currently and maybe even all-time. Kyle doesn’t just win, but either he dominates races or pulls off spectacular moves for the win. While Bell may be similar, he sits at 12 career wins compared to Larson’s 30, not to mention Larson is a former champion. Though that’s not to say Bell cannot get there, given Larson has six years more of cup level experience. So far in the next generation era, Bell has won multiple times every year, so he’s on the right track. William Byron has the second most wins in the next gen car with 12, only behind Larson with 14. While it may not always be as flashy or dominant as his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, he knows how to win. Even when Byron’s not winning, he always seems to be lurking in the top ten and rarely has an awful finish. Then you have Ryan Blaney, who matches Larson’s level of skill and talent, but he lacks the ability to win on road courses like the other three. What’s special about Blaney though is when he doesn’t DNF, he’s either winning or finishing much better than he started. No matter how good his car is, he optimizes its potential and overperforms with it.
Tier Two: #11 Denny Hamlin, #45 Tyler Reddick, #22 Joey Logano
All three of these guys are proven winners and have unmatched strengths, but their weaknesses are what land them in tier two. Hamlin is elite on short and intermediate tracks, possessing the ability to dominate like the tier one drivers, but his struggles on road courses hinder his ranking.
Reddick is in the same boat as he excels at road courses and intermediates, but his average finish at short tracks is 18.6. Tyler doesn’t dominate races, but his driving style and the skill of the moves he makes on road courses and intermediate tracks could be the best in NASCAR. Joey Logano may not be the most skilled or dominant driver, but he knows how to win and he’s got three championships to show for it. Similarly to Hamlin, Logano lacks road course success. You can be sure though that when the playoffs come around Joey Logano will be up front in championship contention.
Tier Three: #9 Chase Elliott, #48 Alex Bowman, #1 Ross Chastain, #8 Kyle Busch, #23 Bubba Wallace
All five of these drivers have the same thing in common, they are always good on race day but rarely are they great. Elliott hasn’t had a season average finish rate lower than 13.07 in the next gen era, yet since his five wins in 2022 he’s only found victory lane twice. The same can be said for his teammate Alex Bowman, who also has only two wins and a worse finishing rate. Bubba Wallace is comparable to Bowman in regards to his top 10 finishes in the next gen car as Wallace has had 37 and Bowman has had 44. The difference is, Wallace hasn’t won since 2022. Kyle Busch has four wins in the next gen era, but his last one was in June of 2023. Busch has been in the mix for wins numerous times, but just hasn’t been able to get over the hump. The only driver who consistently has is Ross Chastain, who’s won every year in the next gen car. But nowadays, even Chastain is rarely in contention for wins. While all these drivers are a step in front of the rest of the field, they all still lag behind the consistent repeat winners.
