NASCAR Power Rankings: Top 10 Drivers for 2026 Daytona 500

February 13, 2026

Dave's NASCAR power rankings for the 2026 Daytona 500. Dave goes over his top 10 drivers with the best shot to score a victory in the 2026 Daytona 500.

To put things lightly, there were a lot of changes in NASCAR this offseason. For starters, 23XI Racing owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin basically won their lawsuit against NASCAR and gained more favorable charter agreements for the race teams. This should lead to a more even revenue split and help race teams finish in the black as compared to the red. If you didn't get a chance to read some of the details of this lawsuit and how much money some of these race teams lost over the years, take a minute and do so. The numbers are truly staggering. Some teams reported losses in the $100 million range. It made me feel much better about dropping a ton of money at the poker table.

The other massive change NASCAR made during the offseason was to scrap the elimination playoff system and return to the 10-race "Chase" format used from 2004-13. This is a good change that should reward consistency more than the previous format while also appeasing fans who believed that a one-race format was a fraudulent way to determine a champion. That now brings us to this weekend, where we will crown a new Daytona 500 champion. It's a brand-new season, and the nature of the pack racing at Daytona means any of the field's 40 drivers can win. However, which drivers enter the 2026 season carrying momentum and have the best chance to score a victory? Today, we will discuss our 2026 NASCAR power rankings for the 2026 Daytona 500.

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2026 Daytona 500 Power Rankings

10.) Bubba Wallace

Wallace enters 2026 coming off arguably the best season of his career. He finished 11th in the final points standings, tied a career-high with 14 top-10 finishes, and scored a huge victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Brickyard 400.

BUBBA WALLACE WINS THE BRICKYARD 400! pic.twitter.com/8X697NTDRn

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 27, 2025

Wallace hasn't won at Daytona, but he's a good drafter and did score a victory at Talladega in fall 2021. If he can avoid the wrecks, he could find himself in contention for the race win.

9.) Tyler Reddick

Like his 23XI teammate, Reddick does not have a victory at Daytona but has won at Talladega Superspeedway. Reddick is coming off a down year in 2025, but with 23XI's lawsuit against NASCAR finally in the rearview mirror, we should see better performances from this team in 2026.

That could start with a strong run in the "Great American Race."

8.) Kyle Larson

The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion checks in at No. 8 on our list. This might seem a little low, but the reality is that Larson has not been a good racer at the drafting tracks. He's never won at EchoPark, Daytona, or Talladega. His results at Daytona in particular are awful, and he's posted just six top-10 finishes in 23 Daytona starts to go along with an average finish of 21.2.

When it comes to the drafting style of racing seen at superspeedways, some guys have it, and some guys don't. This kind of racing just does not seem to fit Larson's driving style.

However, out of respect for the defending Cup Series champion, we will still include him in our rankings.

7.) Chase Briscoe

2025 was Briscoe's first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, and it was a good one. He finished third in the standings and set career highs across the board. Briscoe even won the series' most recent superspeedway event at Talladega in the fall.

CHASE BRISCOE WINS AT TALLADEGA! pic.twitter.com/lrDQ1dQXom

— NASCAR on USA (@NASCARonNBC) October 19, 2025

Joe Gibbs Racing usually brings the goods to the superspeedway tracks, so Briscoe has a great chance to find himself in contention for the victory on Sunday.

6.) Christopher Bell

Bell was considered one of the favorites to win the Cup Series championship in last year's playoffs. He even set a career-high with four victories. Unfortunately, things did not work out, and he was left out of the Championship Round and finished fifth in the standings for the second year in a row.

As much as that stings, he did post his fourth consecutive top-5 finish in the standings and eclipsed 20 top 10s for the third time in four seasons. Bell has had some mixed results at the drafting tracks but did score a victory at EchoPark last February, proving he is capable of winning at this style of racing.

Expect a strong run out of him this weekend as he looks to set the tone on another championship-caliber season.

5.) Chase Elliott

While Elliott has not had a ton of success at Daytona, he's had plenty of success at EchoPark and Talladega. Elliott has two career wins at Talladega as well as two wins at EchoPark since the track's reconfiguration.

He has yet to win a Daytona 500 or any points race at Daytona, but Elliott did score victories in Duel races in 2017 and 2018. Elliott has finished outside the top 10 in his last three Daytona 500s, but given his success at the other drafting tracks, we can probably chalk this up to bad variance.

It's only a matter of time until Elliott finds himself hoisting the Harley J. Earl Trophy. That could very well happen this weekend.

4.) Joey Logano

Logano is one of the betting favorites to win this weekend, and it's for good reason. He has experienced much success at the track and scored a victory in the "Great American Race" back in 2015.

Logano also has four Duel wins on his resume as well. His 2025 season was disappointing, but he'll be looking to start 2026 with a strong run at Daytona.

With Penske horsepower behind him, he'll have a good chance to do so, and he is live to score his second career Daytona 500 victory.

3.) Denny Hamlin

It was a tough offseason for Hamlin. He lost his father when a fire broke out at his parents' home, and his mother was also severely hurt in the ordeal. We certainly wish him and his family all the best.

As for this weekend, Hamlin is a three-time Daytona 500 champion and is one of the best drafters in the field. He also finished as the runner-up in the NASCAR playoffs last year. We’ll see how everything Hamlin went through this offseason affects his efforts on the track.

That aside, there’s no reason to think he won’t be in contention for another Daytona win this weekend.

Memorable Moments of the Daytona 500 (according to @bobpockrass).

#12: "Denny Hamlin wins the 2019 Daytona 500, five weeks after the death of J.D. Gibbs, the Joe Gibbs Racing team president who saw Hamlin at a test and decided he might be the JGR star of the future." pic.twitter.com/pyXiD2m8UL

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 4, 2026

2.) Ryan Blaney

Blaney's 2025 season ended in disappointment when he missed out on a chance to repeat as champion at Phoenix. However, Blaney is arguably the best superspeedway driver in the field, and he is tremendous on drafting tracks. While he has yet to win a Daytona 500, he did win a Duel race at the track back in 2018 and scored wins in the summer race in 2021 and 2025.

Team Penske drivers are always a factor at these drafting tracks, and this weekend should be no different. Look for Blaney to start the 2026 season with a strong run at Daytona.

1.) William Byron

Byron has won the last two Daytona 500s and is going for the three-peat this weekend. He’s finished inside the top 10 in six of his last nine Daytona starts.

With Hendrick Motorsports' horsepower behind him, he’ll have a great shot to capture his third Harley J. Earl Trophy on Sunday.

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