NASCAR power rankings: Christopher Bell wins third straight race in photo finish - Iqraa news

It's a hat trick for Christopher Bell.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver won his third straight race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, this time in dramatic fashion. Bell held off teammate Denny Hamlin at the line in a photo finish to become the 18th driver in NASCAR history to win three races in a row.

Behind Bell and Hamlin was Kyle Larson, Josh Berry and Chris Buescher to round out the top-five finishers.

Next up is a trip to Sin City for a battle at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. How does the field stack up after Phoenix? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:

1. Christopher Bell

Last week: 1

Phoenix was Bell's most dominant win of the season, leading 105 laps en route to victory. Winning three straight races is tough (it's only been done 29 times) -- but winning four straight would put him in an even more exclusive club. Only eight drivers have ever pulled it off, and they're all Hall of Famers. Bell, with 12 career wins and no titles, still has work to do to get on that level -- but he's well on his way.

2. William Byron

Last week: 2

Byron started on the pole, led 83 laps and won Stage 1. An ill-timed caution in the final stage put him at the back, and he still recovered to finish sixth. The Daytona 500 champion continues to lead the standings despite Bell's relentless pace -- these two could be in for a season-long back-and-forth battle.

3. Kyle Larson

Last week: 6

For a moment on the last lap, it looked like Larson could've pushed the issue and gotten through Bell and Hamlin. He opted for a cleaner approach and crossed the line third in a much-needed positive day. Larson has dominated at Las Vegas since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 (three wins), so he could be the driver to snap Bell's streak.

4. Tyler Reddick

Last week: 3

Reddick finished 20th, but that was indicative of his speed on Sunday. He was second in Stage 1 and fifth in Stage 2 before a speeding penalty and power steering problems took him out of contention. The No. 45 team has shown good pace early in the season, though.

5. Joey Logano

Last week: 5

It was an eventful day for Logano, who isn't leaving Phoenix as happy as he did in November when he won the title there. He had an early restart violation while leading, putting him behind on strategy all race long. Logano still finished a respectable 13th with 81 laps led, giving him positive momentum heading to Las Vegas (where he has four wins).

6. Ryan Blaney

Last week: 4

At one of his best tracks, Blaney was good but not great for much of the race. He scored 13 stage points and had a top-10 run going before his engine expired in the closing laps. That sent Blaney to the garage for the day and he finished 28th, his worst of the season.

7. Denny Hamlin

Last week: 8

It didn't seem like Hamlin had race-winning speed until the very end of the race, when he seriously challenged Bell for the victory. His second-place finish was his best Phoenix run since winning there in 2019. Everything seems to be clicking with his new crew chief Chris Gayle.

8. Chase Elliott

Last week: 7

Elliott was regularly running from 10th to 15th throughout the race. Despite being caught a lap down due to a caution, he recovered to finish 10th in a grind-it-out day. While Elliott hasn't been winning like he used to over the past two seasons, his consistency is still among the best in the sport.

9. Kyle Busch

Last week: 9

Through four races, Busch's team looks vastly improved compared to 2024. He has a 13.5 average finish and three top-10s after posting an 18.3 average finish with 10 top-10s in 36 starts last season. The two-time champion was eighth at Phoenix after two finishes outside the top-20 there last year.

10. Alex Bowman

Last week: First four out

Bowman started 32nd and narrowly avoided several crashes, then came to life in the final stage to finish seventh. He has three top-10s in four starts this season, although he's yet to finish inside the top-five. Bowman will have to take the next step at some point, but these steady finishes are important early in the season.

First four out: Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Carson Hocevar

Get to know NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney.