NASCAR Power Rankings: Christopher Bell pushes Denny Hamlin for No. 1

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Denny Hamlin remains in the top spot of the power rankings thanks to a second-place finish Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway).

The winner? Austin Cindric doesn’t crack the top 10 — as much as the win was a boost, it was only his second top-10 finish this year.

Cindric did snap an 85-race winless streak. Just how many drivers on this list have had a winless streak that long? We’ll take a look at the moments where they got off the skids.

1. Denny Hamlin (Last Week: 1)

Hamlin’s longest winless streak was 50 races, which he broke with a victory at Pocono in August 2009. He has three wins this year (the most recent in April at Dover) and currently is on a four-race winless streak.

2. Christopher Bell (LW: 8)

The longest winless streak for Bell came between his first and second win, a span of 53 races that he snapped with a victory at New Hampshire in July 2022. Bell, who has two wins this year, including a victory a couple of weeks ago at Charlotte, is on a one-race winless “streak.”

3. Kyle Larson (LW: 3)

Larson went winless in his first 98 starts before earning his first Cup win in August 2016 at Michigan. His longest winless streak after that was 75 races, which he snapped at Dover in October 2019. Larson, who has two wins this year, including at Kansas last month, is on a two-race winless streak.

4. Brad Keselowski (LW: 7)

Keselowski, who won at Darlington last month, is on a two-race winless streak. That victory at Darlington snapped his longest winless streak, a stretch of 110 races.

5. Tyler Reddick (LW: 5)

Reddick went winless in his first 91 Cup races before capturing the victory at Road America in July 2022. Since then, his longest winless streak was 21 races, which he snapped last fall at Kansas. Reddick, who won at Talladega earlier this year, is on a five-race winless streak.

6. William Byron (LW: 2)

After going winless in his first 97 Cup races, Byron won at Daytona in August 2020. As far as between victories, Byron snapped a 37-race winless streak in March 2022 at Atlanta. Byron, who has three wins this year with the most recent one at Martinsville, is on a seven-race winless streak.

7. Chase Elliott (LW: 4)

In his 99th career start, Elliott earned his first Cup win in August 2018 at Watkins Glen. Elliott, who won at Texas earlier this year to snap his longest winless streak (42) between starts, currently is on a six-race winless streak.

8. Ty Gibbs (LW: 6)            

Gibbs, in his second full season of Cup racing, is winless in his 66 Cup starts.                                                              

9. Ryan Blaney (LW: NR)

Blaney earned his first Cup win in his 68th start at Pocono in June 2017. His longest winless streak between victories was 59 races, which he snapped in May 2023 at Charlotte. Blaney is on a 16-race winless streak with his last victory coming at Martinsville in the next-to-last race in 2023.

10. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 9)

It is hard to remember, but Truex had a winless streak of 218 races between his first win (at Dover in 2007) and his second (at Sonoma in 2013). So this doesn’t sound as bad: Truex is on a 31-race winless streak dating back to New Hampshire last year.

On the verge: Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, Austin Cindric, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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