Chase Elliott rising after snapping winless streak

Chase Elliott is back.

The 2020 Cup champion snapped a 42-race winless streak on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, surviving two overtime restarts and a track record-tying 16 cautions.

Elliott’s 19th career victory puts him back into the playoffs after missing it last year for the first time since joining the series.

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So, how does the field stack up heading into the upcoming race at Talladega Superspeedway? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:

READ MORE:Chase Elliott shares why he’s “disappointed with the result” of Texas Track alterations

1. William Byron
   Last week: 1

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Byron finished third in Texas, his fourth straight top-10 finish. But the talk afterward is about his wreck with Ross Chastain on the final lap. Byron appeared to be at fault in the accident, where he drove into Chastain’s rear bumper and turned him. While Byron didn’t want any problems with Chastain after the race, you don’t want to be on his bad side moving forward.

2. Denny Hamlin
   Last week: 2

A potential win slipped through Hamlin’s fingers in the closing laps when he lost the lead to Elliott. Then, while battling for the top spot, he got out of shape and spun into the wall. Hamlin eventually crossed the line 30th – a disappointing result but another obvious sign that the No. 11 car can win at any track type.