After 33 weeks of the Pit Pass Network Power Rankings, it is time for the final power rankings of the year. On a week to week basis, the power rankings listed the top ten drivers in the Cup Series. As with any power ranking list, recent swings in momentum could see drivers climb or fall through the rankings. For the 2023 finale, this will be a cumulative ranking for the entire season. Each driver’s average ranking from the previous 33 weeks has been calculated. The Top-10 this week are the top drivers in terms of average ranking. Now, time to take a look at PPN Power Rankings 2023 Finale.
#10 – Kevin Harvick
Average Ranking: 8.61
Highest Ranking: 3
Lowest Ranking: Honorable Mention
Weeks at Number 1: 0
Most Frequent Ranking: 9 (9 times)
Kevin Harvick finds his way into the final power rankings of 2023. Despite not winning a race, Harvick remained consistently solid for the bulk of the season. Early in the power rankings, Harvick was sitting around the Top-5. After Week 10 (Darlington) though, Harvick never sat higher than ninth in the power rankings. At the same time, Harvick never was completely left off the power rankings. Honorable mention status was the lowest Harvick hit during hit retirement season.
#9 – Ross Chastain
Average Ranking: 7.97
Highest Ranking: 3
Lowest Ranking: Honorable Mention
Weeks at Number 1: 0
Most Frequent Ranking: Honorable Mention (11 times)
Early in the season, Ross Chastain looked to be a threat for the number one spot. He would hit third a couple of times, but usually would have a bad/mediocre race to prevent him from climbing higher. Post throwback weekend though, Chastain was noticeably slower. Outside of his win at Nashville win, Chastain hit a cold streak that lasted until the playoffs. However, Chastain did put together a nice run to end the season, culminating in a win in the season finale.
#8 – Brad Keselowski
Average Ranking: 7.58
Highest Ranking: 4
Lowest Ranking: Not Ranked
Weeks at Number 1: 0
Most Frequent Ranking: 6 (6 times)
2023 was a bounce back year for Brad Keselowski. Other than a win, Keselowski’s statistics resemble what he has done throughout his career. Keselowski had a minor skid from Weeks 11 to 15. Once he reentered the power rankings in Week 16, he never dropped out again. Some tough luck in the final four races prevented Keselowski from reaching higher in the rankings. Looking forward to 2024, it seems that Keselowski is a sure bet to win a race.
#7 – Chris Buescher
Average Ranking: 7.45
Highest Ranking: 1
Lowest Ranking: Not Ranked
Weeks at Number 1: 2
Most Frequent Ranking: Honorable Mention (8 times)
The highest ranking Ford in the Power Rankings 2023 Finale is Chris Buescher. Buescher’s year started a little slow but came to life during the summer. After reentering the power rankings in Week 13, Buescher consistently moved up until he hit number one after his third at Darlington (Week 24). A poor Round of 8 saw Buescher stumble a bit at the end. Still, a fantastic season for Buescher and RFK as a whole.
#6 – Kyle Busch
Average Ranking: 7.21
Highest Ranking: 1
Lowest Ranking: Not Ranked
Weeks at Number 1: 1
Most Frequent Ranking: 4 (6 times)
Kyle Busch’s 2023 season is a tale of two halves. In the first half, Kyle Busch looked to be a championship contender. Most weekends, the 8 car had great speed and Busch resembled his dominant form. In Week 16, Busch hit number one in the power rankings. From mid-July on, Busch’s season went off a cliff. While the speed was usually there, Busch started hitting the walls almost every weekend. In the final 17 races, Busch’s average finish was 19.2. This saw Busch fall out of the power rankings in Week 26, to which he only return once.
#5 – Martin Truex Jr
Average Ranking: 6.30
Highest Ranking: 1
Lowest Ranking: Not Ranked
Weeks at Number 1: 9
Most Frequent Ranking: 1
What an ugly way to end the season for Martin Truex Jr. 9 of the last 11 races saw Truex finish outside the Top-10. It really seemed that taking his foot off the gas at Daytona foreshadowed a bad playoff run. Despite the bad ending to the season, no driver was more consistent during the summer. Truex reigned over the power rankings for seven straight weeks (nine out of eleven). His mid-season dominance secured Truex a spot in the Top-5 for the Power Rankings 2023 Finale.
#4 – Christopher Bell
Average Ranking: 5.61
Highest Ranking: 1
Lowest Ranking: Honorable Mention
Weeks at Number 1: 1
Most Frequent Ranking: 5 (7 times)
The second Joe Gibbs Racing driver to be in the Top-5 is Christopher Bell. Bell made his second straight Championship Four this year. With a consistent year, Bell never found himself off one of power ranking articles. Outside of two weeks (24 and 25), Bell managed to remain inside the Top-10 all year. Bell never broke out in the way many expected. That is reflected on his lone time atop the power rankings in Week 8 (Dover).
#3 – Denny Hamlin
Average Ranking: 5.45
Highest Ranking: 1
Lowest Ranking: Not Ranked
Weeks at Number 1: 2
Most Frequent Ranking: 3 (7 times)
Denny Hamlin beat all but two of your favorite drivers in the Power Rankings 2023 Finale. He also received the top spot out of the JGR team. What some might not remember is that Hamlin got off to a slow start this season. From Weeks 1 to 7, Hamlin did not rank higher than ninth (including Week 5 where he was completely left off). Once Hamlin got rolling, he rose quickly through the rankings. After cracking the Top-5 for the third time in Week 18 (Pocono), Hamlin never ranked lower than fourth.
#2 – William Byron
Average Ranking: 3.24
Highest Ranking: 1
Lowest Ranking: 8
Weeks at Number 1:Â 8
Most Frequent Ranking: 2 (9 times)
For those who followed the power rankings weekly, numbers one and two will not be a shock. William Byron fell shy of the top spot due to a sluggish summer. While he did win two races, Byron consistently ran outside of top contention each week. Once the playoffs began, Byron fire off better through the final 10 races. A great season for Byron saw him sit atop the power rankings eight times.
#1 – Kyle Larson
Average Ranking: 2.00
Highest Ranking: 1
Lowest Ranking: 4
Weeks at Number 1: 10
Most Frequent Ranking: 2 (15 times)
Kyle Larson is the number one driver in the Power Rankings 2023 Finale. After 33 weeks, Kyle Larson’s worst ranking this season was fourth. While it may seem strange that a driver with 8 DNFs is number one, he never strung multiple bad races together. Plus, most of his DNFs occurred later in races where he was usually running toward the front. All season long, the 5 car had speed. Larson led a season high 1,127, 111 more than the second driver (Byron).
Honorable Mention
Ryan Blaney
Average Ranking: 9.21
Highest Ranking: 3
Lowest Ranking: Not Ranked
Most Frequent Ranking:Â Honorable Mention (7 times)
The summer stretch where Ryan Blaney averaged a twentieth place finish is why the Cup Series Champion did not make the Top-10.
Tyler Reddick
Average Ranking: 9.61
Highest Ranking: 5
Lowest Ranking: Not Ranked
Most Frequent Ranking: Honorable Mention (10 times)
After his COTA win, Tyler Reddick struggled to run consistently. It saw him outside the power rankings for a solid chunk of the season.
Notable Statistics
Most Weeks at Number 1: Kyle Larson (10 times)
Number of Drivers to be Number 1: 7
Total Drivers Featured: 23
Driver with Most Honorable Mentions to Not Rank: Bubba Wallace (9 times)
Longest Gap Between Being Ranked: Joey Logano (27 weeks)
