Although Phoenix Raceway has never been the most exciting track on the Cup Series schedule, Sunday proved to be an entertaining affair. Goodyear brought back the option tire, allowing a different element of strategy to unfold. The field never felt too stagnant, as most green flag runs had at least one driver running with the option tire. Goodyear deserves praise for what they have been able to accomplish on the Gen7 problem tracks via their tire combinations. As for the FitStop Performance 2025 Week 4 Power Rankings, Phoenix might turn out to be tricky. The option tire will have the same influence as short pitting the stage did for COTA and Week 3. Time to see how the drivers rank in this week’s Power Rankings.
#10 – Alex Bowman
Previous Ranking: 8
Although Alex Bowman finished with a Top-10, he lacked the Hendrick Motorsports speed that many expect. Throughout the race, he consistently found himself running in the teens. Often, his car would get worse as the run would carry on, seeing him slip further down the leaderboard. Dropping 2 spots might seem harsh, but other drivers had better days.
#9 – Kyle Busch
Previous Ranking: 10
So far, 2025 has been an improvement for Kyle Busch. While COTA has been the only avenue for breaking the winless streak, Busch has collected 3 Top-10s through the first 4 races. At this point, it feels safe to say that Busch will find his way to victory lane during the season. With this renewed speed, he will also see himself climbing up the rankings.
#8 – Chase Elliott
Previous Ranking: 6
Similar to Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott escapes Phoenix with a Top-10 despite a car that ran in the teens all race. Honestly, Hendrick Motorsports seemingly missed the setup at Phoenix once again. Through the first 4 races, Elliott sees himself falls into the second tier of the Hendrick camp. Sure the finishes have been solid, but the 9 car still lacks the race winning speed many expect.
#7 – Chris Buescher
Previous Ranking: 9
Picking up his first Top-5 on the season, Chris Buescher took advantage of his long run speed throughout the race to consistently pick up positions. Unfortunately, Buescher usually found himself having to regain those spots after a poor restart. His average running position of 13th does not accurately represent how good his car was. Still, Buescher finished inside the Top-10 for the fourth straight Phoenix race.
#6 – Denny Hamlin
Previous Ranking: 7
Denny Hamlin is turning into The Office meme where Angela sneaks up on Dwight. After not running upfront for the entire race, somehow the 11 car finds itself with a chance at the win in the closing laps. It happened at the two superspeedways and now Phoenix. To be fair to Hamlin this week, he did run inside the Top-10 most of the race. However, it would have been a steal if he managed to grab the win away from his teammate.
#5 – Ryan Blaney
Previous Ranking: 4
For the first time since 2019, Ryan Blaney had a DNF due to a mechanical issue. That is an impressive feat for the Team Penske 12 team, although quite unfortunate for them in Phoenix. Prior to the blown engine, Blaney looked off for his usual Phoenix standard. He ran inside the Top-10, but the 12 car lacked the performance to run inside the Top-5. Despite this, Blaney will still dominate the fall race enroute to his second championship.
#4 – Tyler Reddick
Previous Ranking: 3
If only the power steering did not become an issue. Tyler Reddick ran inside the Top-5 all race leading to the closing run. During the pitstop where all the leaders put on their final option tire, Reddick got nabbed for speeding. Smartly, Billy Scott called Reddick back down to put the prime tire back on. That strategy could have put Reddick in the best position to win as the cautions fell. However, his power steering went away and Reddick struggled to drive the 45 in the waning laps.
#3 – Kyle Larson
Previous Ranking: 5
Up a couple of spots this week, Kyle Larson almost benefitted from two teammates battling hard for the win. Similar to Denny Hamlin, Larson ran inside the Top-10 without featuring much in the Top-3. However, he was there at the end with a legitimate chance to win. After the struggles at COTA, picking up a podium finish at Phoenix will build momentum as the schedule flips to some of Larson’s best tracks.
#2 – William Byron
Previous Ranking: 2
Down from the top spot, William Byron looked to be the strongest Chevy in the field. Qualifying on pole and winning Stage 1, Byron could have been some serious competition for Christopher Bell at the end. Unfortunately, the debris caution for Bubba Wallace appeared right after Byron pitted for the option tire. He got trapped a lap down and had to fight to make up the lost ground. Finishing 6th through that mess was a great bounce back. However, not enough to keep him at the top of the rankings.
#1 – Christopher Bell
Previous Ranking: 2
3 straight wins earns you the right to sit atop the FitStop Performance Power Rankings. Christopher Bell has been on a tear lately, which could see him rattle of a Gen7 high number of wins in 2025. Much like last spring Phoenix, Bell easily had the fastest car on track and established himself as the driver to beat. If not for the option tire, this race likely would have been completely dominated by the 20 team. Heading into this next stretch of races, it is tough to see where Bell will falter to lose the top spot in the rankings.
Honorable Mentions
Joey Logano – A strong qualifying effort and early lead was quickly wiped away after a restart violation put Logano deep into the field. Still, the 22 car looked to be the best Ford of the day.
Ross Chastain – Ross Chastain had a better car than his 11th place finish. After an early speeding penalty, Chastain used his first set of option tires to regain track position, which hurt his finish at the end.
John Hunter Nemechek – 2025 has been a much improved season thus far for John Hunter Nemechek. Through 4 races, JHN has collected 3 Top-15 finishes.
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