NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Larson leads the way before first road course race

Well, that was different.

NASCAR’s first short track race of the season last Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway was a shock for drivers and fans alike. Despite using the same tire compound as last year, there were constant failures by essentially every driver.

In the end, the three oldest drivers in the field – Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski – managed their tires best and finished in the top-three spots.

Now that Bristol is in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead.

READ MORE:Kyle Larson responds to rumor of Dale Earnhardt Jr. replacing him

How does the field stack up heading into Sunday’s race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:

1. Kyle Larson
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2. Larson finished fifth in Bristol after leading 19 laps and scoring 12 stage points. He’s now tied atop the points standings. Despite having four career road course wins, he has just one top-five finish in three starts at COTA.
3. Ryan Blaney
   Last week: 1
4. After leading the field in practice and qualifying, the consensus was that Blaney would be the man to beat in Bristol. Instead, he struggled to manage his tires and finished 16th – snapping a three-race streak of top-fives.
5. Denny Hamlin
   Last week: 5
6. Make it back-to-back Bristol wins for Hamlin. The future Hall of Famer continues to pad his resume, now with 52 career victories as he sits 13th on the all-time list. Road courses haven’t been a strength for Hamlin in recent years, though, and he’s never finished better than 14th at COTA.