FitStop Performance 2026 Week 6 Power Rankings

While not an official Throwback Weekend, Sunday’s Goodyear 400 certainly had an old-school feel. Sure, there were few throwback schemes in the field. However, the racing had the vibe of a race from a previous generation. With the increased horsepower with lower downforce, the cars were difficult to drive and managing tires became top priority. The teams who hit on the setup ran well while those who did not floundered. Despite all this, a familiar winner found victory lane. Still, it was a thoroughly entertaining race from start to finish. With the old-school feel, will that lead to some drastic movements in the rankings? Las Vegas held Week 5 in check, but what did Darlington do to the FitStop Performance 2026 Week 6 Power Rankings?

#10 – Brad Keselowski

Previous Ranking: Honorable Mention

If not for a rocket ship out of the 23XI Racing stable, Sunday might have seen the feel-good win of the 2026 season. Brad Keselowski (and the entire RFK Racing team) adorned Greg Biffle throwback schemes. For much of the race, the 6 car led the way. Keselowski led a race-high 142 laps and swept the stages. Sunday demonstrated what Keselowski can do when he qualifies well.

#9 – Bubba Wallace

Previous Ranking: 8

Bubba Wallace had a rough day at Darlington due to no fault of his own. After qualifying on the front row, Wallace ran the entire first stage within the Top-5. However, the pit stop during the stage caution saw him fall down the leaderboard after his team brought him back for a loose wheel. While deep in the field, Wallace got caught up in his boss’s mess. Wallace putt-putted around the track for the remainder of the race.

#8 – Christopher Bell

Previous Ranking: 4

Joey Logano took most of the flack for missing the mark at Darlington. However, Christopher Bell and the 20 team also missed on the setup this week. While his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates were fighting for Top-10s, Bell could not remain on the lead lap. After a couple of quality races, Darlington hurts Bell severely this week in the rankings. When things are this tight in the rankings, bad days are amplified.

#7 – Ty Gibbs

Previous Ranking: 10

The hottest driver in the Joe Gibbs Racing organization is the namesake’s grandson. Darlington continued Ty Gibbs hot streak to start the 2026 season. Since wrecking out at Atlanta, Gibbs has finished no worse than 6th. While Darlington was not his strongest race of the season, Gibbs remained consistent and took advantage of some misfortune ahead of him. If he keeps this up, the driver of the 54 will shoot up the rankings.

#6 – Chris Buescher

Previous Ranking: 9

Stop if you have heard this before: Chris Buescher near the front is wrecked in Turn 3 by Tyler Reddick. Unlike 2024 though, the blame cannot be squarely put on Reddick’s shoulder. Trying to make an aggressive move after losing the lead, Buescher went to pit while Reddick went to make the pass. Although the 17 took damage, Buescher managed to still bring it home with a Top-10.

#5 – Kyle Larson

Previous Ranking: 2

Darlington was a race of the ever-vanishing Kyle Larson. At the start, Larson was a prominent figure of the Top-5. As the race progressed though, Larson faded through the Top-10. Before his late race issue that took him off the pace, Larson had fallen out of the Top-10 during the final stage. A bit of a head scratcher from Darlington for Larson this week.

#4 – Denny Hamlin

Previous Ranking: 5

Denny Hamlin had an adventurous Goodyear 400. During the race, Hamlin spun out Erik Jones, damaged the nose of Bubba Wallace’s car, and drove a significant number of laps with a loose wheel. After all of that though, Hamlin brought the 11 car home in 11th.

#3 – William Byron

Previous Ranking: 6

Despite moving up 3 spots in the rankings and finish Top-10 in every stage, William Byron’s Darlington feels underwhelming. While leading the way for Hendrick Motorsports, Byron was simply there all race long. He would run inside the Top-10, but never climb too high up the leaderboard. Still, the numbers dictate that he should be the rightful #3 this week. However, there is a gap between Byron and the Top-2.

#2 – Ryan Blaney

Previous Ranking: 3

If Ryan Blaney’s pit crew would clean up their stops, Blaney could be a threat for the top spot. Once again, the 12 pit crew stumbled multiple pit stops throughout the race. Constantly being put back in the field, Blaney rarely had the opportunity to measure his stuff against the top cars. If he could have kept his track position, there is a chance that Blaney could have competed with Reddick. Still, a third place finish is a strong result for Blaney.

#1 – Tyler Reddick

Previous Ranking: 1

After a winless streak of 2 races, Tyler Reddick once again finds victory lane this week. With this win, Reddick secures another week at the top of the FitStop Performance Power Rankings. After damaging the alternator in the initial laps, the 45 team overcame a battery to quasi-dominate this race. Clearly, the 45 was the best car in the field. Reddick managed the race perfectly behind the wheel, leading to his fourth win and a 95 point lead in the standings.

Honorable Mention

Chase Briscoe – Darlington continued the string of bad luck and the inability to put together a full race for Chase Briscoe. A potential Top-5 run is spoiled by late race contact with the outside wall.

Chase Elliott – Although he qualified third, Chase Elliott never remained in the Top-5 after pitting late in the first cycle. He hung around the back-end of the Top-10 but failed to make an impact.

Ryan Preece – The final driver of the RFK Racing trio lurks in the honorable mention. Ryan Preece had Top-10 speed, but the decision to pit after the early caution in the final stage lost his track position.

The brainchild of Hunter Smith, FitStop Performance is dedicated to training the toughest around – from motorsports athletes to multi-tasking soccer moms. He desires to help everyone who walks through the doors of his gym to perform optimally throughout life. FitStop Performance is in its second season sponsoring the weekly FitStop Performance Power Rankings which tracks the highest-performing NASCAR Cup Series drivers throughout the season. Give them a follow (Facebook, Instagram, X) and thank them for their sponsorship!