NASCAR has a new points leader to start the round of 8

As a die-hard NASCAR enthusiast with decades of racing under my belt (and a few gray hairs to prove it), I must say that the 2024 season has been nothing short of thrilling! The recent round of 12 finale at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval was a nail-biter, and the final results were as unpredictable as ever.

In an unusual scenario, William Byron from Hendrick Motorsports approached the final race of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval as a contender with a special status.

He held the highest number of points and was the sole racer who had clinched a spot in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs’ final eight rounds. However, he was destined to lose his lead before the final eight races, regardless of whether he won at Charlotte, because there would be a point reset for the playoff rounds.

Regardless of whether Kyle Larson or Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell had secured their spots yet, it was certain that one of them would advance in the competition.

On Sunday, Byron participated in a 109-lap race at the 17-corner, 2.28-mile (3.669-kilometer) racetrack in Concord, North Carolina, holding 23 playoff points. In contrast, Larson started with 47 and Bell began with 32. Additionally, Tyler Reddick from the team 23XI Racing was slightly ahead of Byron, but he was close to the cut-off for the round of 8.

Larson, Bell, and Reddick all made progress in their respective competitions. Larson boosted his points tally by five with his victory at the Bank of America Roval 400, while Reddick picked up an additional point thanks to a stage win.

So Larson is back to leading the standings ahead of the round of 8.

4,052 points put him in the lead, with Bell trailing behind at 4,032 points, Reddick close behind with 4,029 points, and Byron following closely with 4,023 points.

The driver currently positioned just outside the Championship 4 cutoff is last year’s Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney from Team Penske, who has accumulated 4,019 points. Denny Hamlin from Joe Gibbs Racing, who would have amassed 4,028 points if not for a significant penalty he received in August, trails closely behind Blaney with 4,015 points.

1) Chase Elliott and Joey Logano finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the standings, with scores of 4,014 and 4,012. Logano progressed to the next round due to Alex Bowman’s disqualification from the Charlotte Roval race. Initially, Bowman had secured a spot in the round of 8 for the first time since 2020.

Larson is also the new championship betting favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Originally, both He and Bell were considered equally likely to win at odds of +450. However, Larson’s victory in Charlotte and his current lead of 33 points above the cut line for the start of the round of 8 have made him the new front-runner with odds of +370. Bell remains second favorite at +450, while Reddick is now positioned third at +500.

Kick off your weekend by tuning into the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Sunday, October 20th. The event begins at 2:30 p.m. ET and NBC will be broadcasting it live. Don’t let the excitement pass you by! Start a free trial with FuboTV today to catch all the action unfold!

2024-10-14 16:02