Denny Hamlin holds NASCAR 26's highest Cup Series rating at 99 overall, and every one of the game's four divisions has its own top-rated driver: Justin Allgaier (O'Reilly Auto Parts Series), Layne Riggs (Craftsman Truck Series), and Jake Bollman (ARCA Menards Series) all lead their respective series at 99.
Top-Rated Drivers by Series
| Series | Driver | Overall Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Cup Series | Denny Hamlin | 99 |
| Cup Series | Ryan Blaney | 95 |
| Cup Series | Tyler Reddick | 92 |
| Cup Series | Christopher Bell | 91 |
| Cup Series | Ty Gibbs / Kyle Larson (tied) | 90 |
| O'Reilly Auto Parts Series | Justin Allgaier | 99 |
| O'Reilly Auto Parts Series | Kyle Larson | 95 |
| O'Reilly Auto Parts Series | William Byron / Sheldon Creed / Carson Kvapil / Sam Mayer (tied) | 93 |
| Craftsman Truck Series | Layne Riggs | 99 |
| Craftsman Truck Series | Kaden Honeycutt / Chandler Smith (tied) | 97 |
| ARCA Menards Series | Jake Bollman | 99 |
| ARCA Menards Series | Tristan McKee | 98 |
This is a list of the highest-rated drivers The Daily Downforce reported per series, not a complete roster — see Full Driver Rosters for the full 255-driver, four-division breakdown.
No Driver Hit a Perfect 100
Unlike NASCAR 25, where three drivers reached a perfect 100 overall, no driver in NASCAR 26 has a confirmed 100 rating — Denny Hamlin's 99 is the ceiling reported across all four series. NASCAR.com's own preview separately confirms Hamlin at 99 and Kyle Larson at 90 (Cup Series), matching the numbers above.
Kyle Larson Appears Twice
Kyle Larson is confirmed with two different ratings because he's rated separately per series he competes in: 90 overall in the Cup Series and 95 overall in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. That's a reminder that "confirmed driver" ratings in NASCAR 26 are series-specific, not one single number per person across the whole game.
FAQ
Denny Hamlin, at 99 overall in the Cup Series — the highest confirmed rating in the game, since no driver reached a perfect 100.
Yes. He's confirmed at 90 overall in the Cup Series and 95 overall in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, since ratings are series-specific.
No. Unlike NASCAR 25, which had three drivers at 100 overall, NASCAR 26's highest confirmed rating is Denny Hamlin's 99.