But even though the playoff format emphasizes and rewards winning at the right time above all else -- Joey Logano is living proof of that -- perhaps too little attention has been paid to the run that Christopher Bell is on as he tries to win his first championship.

Joey Logano’s win at Las Vegas returned him back into the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings, but Christopher Bell remains No. 1 with three races left in the Cup season. Logano was one of two new drivers to this week’s top 10.

Christopher Bell has been an incredibly consistent driver for more than two seasons now but he does not get as much attention as his peers.

A win by any of the playoff drivers at Las Vegas on Sunday, or the next two weeks at Homestead-Miami Speedway or in Martinsville, Va., will earn an automatic berth in the finale.

Christopher Bell is back at No. 1 and Joey Logano moving up. Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings after the South Point 400 in Las Vegas.

Christopher Bell has not been in victory lane in a while now but he has still been the best-performing driver in the playoffs.

Once overlooked, the Joe Gibbs Racing prodigy has turned the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series into his own chessboard, moving with precision and stealth toward the ultimate prize. Now, as the season heads into its most intense phase,