The competition in the NASCAR Cup is intensifying with only three races remaining before the final phase of the season. Denny Hamlin continues to dominate with a lead of 103 points, although the new name in second place has surprised everyone. Ty Gibbs, after achieving a decisive victory in Iowa, has risen from fourth place, surpassing Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney.
The competition among these three drivers is so tight that they are separated by only 17 points. Furthermore, the bonus points that can be earned once the Chase phase begins are expected to be crucial for their title aspirations.
In the last race, Christopher Bell was the big winner, moving up four places in the standings, from tenth to sixth place. In contrast, Carson Hocevar fell three spots, placing eighth after experiencing engine issues during the race.
The battle around the cut line for access to the Chase phase is intensifying. Austin Cindric remains on the edge, while Ryan Preece has reduced his deficit to just 29 points, after entering the race with a 38 point difference. The 25-point penalty Preece received earlier does not affect the owner standings, allowing him to remain just four points below the cut line.
The outstanding work of Ross Chastain has allowed him to move up three spots in the standings, cutting 25 points from his deficit, and he is now 47 points below the cut line. Brad Keselowski and Erik Jones are closely following him, keeping their options open for a possible advancement.
Just above the cut line, Shane Van Gisbergen has lost some of his comfort, dropping from +57 to +47 points.
NASCAR Cup points standings after Iowa (Race 23 of 36)
Position | Driver | Points | Changes in positions
1. Denny Hamlin – 923 —
2. Ty Gibbs – 820 +2
3. Ryan Blaney – 813 —
4. Tyler Reddick – 803 -2
5. Chase Briscoe – 663 +2
6. Christopher Bell – 659 +4
7. Chase Elliott – 657 -1
8. Carson Hocevar – 644 -3
9. Chris Buescher – 637 —
10. Kyle Larson – 629 -2
11. William Byron – 600 +1
12. Daniel Suarez – 597 -1
13. Joey Logano – 586 —
14. Bubba Wallace – 565 —
15. Shane Van Gisbergen – 544 —
16. Austin Cindric – 526 —
17. Ryan Preece – 497 —
18. Ross Chastain – 479 +3
19. Brad Keselowski – 478 —
20. Erik Jones – 476 -2
21. Michael McDowell – 454 -1
22. AJ Allmendinger – 438 —
23. Todd Gilliland – 421 —
24. Zane Smith – 417 —
25. Riley Herbst – 386 —
26. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 383 —
27. Austin Dillon – 382 +1
28. John Hunter Nemechek – 373 -1
29. Alex Bowman – 313 —
30. Josh Berry – 297 +3
31. Noah Gragson – 288 —
32. Ty Dillon – 279 —
33. Cole Custer – 279 -3
34. Connor Zilisch – 245 —
35. Cody Ware – 188 —
36. Casey Mears – 12 +1
37. Kevin Magnussen – 11 -1
38. Jimmie Johnson – 9 —
39. Katherine Legge – 8 —
40. BJ McLeod – 4 —
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_9c11c71464c06c4bbe2d65d15dc219dd57ea6b50