NASCAR has a new Cup Series points leader before Richmond return

As a seasoned NASCAR fan with a heart full of horsepower, I must say, this year’s Cup Series has been nothing short of thrilling! The back-and-forth between Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott is reminiscent of a nail-biting football match, where the lead changes hands like a hot potato.

In the last seven NASCAR Cup Series events, teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott from Hendrick Motorsports have frequently swapped the lead in the championship standings multiple times.

At first, Larson forfeited the points lead to Denny Hamlin from Joe Gibbs Racing when he didn’t participate in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. However, just two weekends later, he regained it by securing his third victory of the season at Sonoma Raceway.

After that, Elliott assumed the top position at Iowa Speedway, while Larson found himself once again level with the leader at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Later on, Larson regained the lead at Nashville Superspeedway and maintained it at the Chicago Street Course. However, Elliott managed to take over at Pocono Raceway again.

After securing his fourth win of the 2024 season at the first Brickyard 400 held since 2020 and marking his own return to victory at the Brickyard 400 since 2019, Larson retook the lead, giving him a 10-point advantage over Elliott.

Larson leads NASCAR standings after summer break

For about three weeks now, there hasn’t been a Cup Series race since the Brickyard 400, as NBC has been focusing on covering the Summer Olympics taking place in Paris, France.

As a devoted racing enthusiast, I might put it this way: Although I missed one race earlier in the season, Larson’s dominance is evident as he tops the series in playoff points. His impressive tally of 28 points comes from his remarkable four victories, earning him five points per win, and his outstanding eight stage wins, each netting him a point.

Leading by points, he’s also eligible for an additional 15 playoff points, given that the regular season champion receives points equivalent to three race victories. The second-place contender gets 10 points, so in essence, the difference between the top two is equal to a complete race win.

In simpler terms, the team that comes in third place gets 8 points in the playoffs. This number drops by one for each lower position, so the fourth-place team gets 7 points, the fifth-place team gets 6 points, and this continues down to the tenth-place team receiving only 1 point.

23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick finds himself in third place in the season standings, trailing Larson by 15 points and Elliott by five. Interestingly, Reddick hasn’t held the top spot in the standings at any point this season or throughout his Cup Series career thus far.

As a long-time NASCAR enthusiast, I must say that the current season has been particularly exciting for me. The competition among the top drivers is fierce, and it’s always thrilling to see who will come out on top each week. Four of the five leaders this season find themselves sandwiched between fourth and seventh place in the standings, which makes every race even more nail-biting.

However, it’s worth noting that while another front-runner this season is Kyle Busch from Richard Childress Racing, he finds himself in a significantly lower position, sitting at 18th, which is beyond the playoff zone.

In an attempt to secure a record-breaking 12th consecutive playoff appearance, the two-time series champion currently trails by 112 points and may require a victory to qualify. Additionally, he’s striving to lengthen his impressive streak of 19 consecutive winning seasons to an unprecedented 20.

Listen to USA Network at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, August 11 for the live telecast of the Cook Out 400 from Richmond Raceway. Sign up for a free FuboTV trial today so you don’t miss out on any of the excitement!

2024-08-11 16:02

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