NASCAR Cup Series Standings After Bristol: Kyle Larson Takes Chase Lead From Denny Hamlin

The NASCAR Cup Series Chase has a new leader, and there is almost nothing separating the top two.

Kyle Larson left Bristol Motor Speedway with 2,206 points, moving one point ahead of Denny Hamlin after Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Hamlin, who entered Bristol atop the standings, now sits second with 2,205 points.

Joey Logano made the biggest statement of the night.

Logano won the 500-lap race at Bristol and climbed to third in the standings with 2,190 points, just 16 behind Larson. Christopher Bell is another point back in fourth, putting the top four drivers within only 17 points after three of the 10 Chase races.

With seven races remaining, the championship picture is already tightening.

NASCAR Cup Series standings after Bristol

Here are the unofficial Cup Series Chase standings following the Sept. 19 race at Bristol, with three of 10 postseason races complete:

Kyle Larson — 2,206 points
Denny Hamlin — 2,205 (-1)
Joey Logano — 2,190 (-16)
Christopher Bell — 2,189 (-17)
Ryan Blaney — 2,154 (-52)
Tyler Reddick — 2,145 (-61)
Carson Hocevar — 2,121 (-85)
Chase Briscoe — 2,119 (-87)
Bubba Wallace — 2,114 (-92)
Austin Cindric — 2,090 (-116)
Chase Elliott — 2,089 (-117)
William Byron — 2,085 (-121)
Ryan Preece — 2,082 (-124)
Chris Buescher — 2,082 (-124)
Daniel Suarez — 2,072 (-134)

Unlike NASCAR’s previous elimination playoff format, all 16 Chase drivers remain in championship contention throughout the 10-race postseason. There is no Round of 16 cutoff or advancement line after Bristol.

Kyle Larson takes the NASCAR Chase lead by one point

Larson entered Bristol nine points behind Hamlin, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver erased that deficit Saturday night.

Larson finished second behind Logano, while Hamlin came home eighth. The result was enough to flip the top of the standings and give Larson the championship lead by the smallest possible margin.

But Logano suddenly has company in that conversation, too.

His Bristol victory moved him to 2,190 points, leaving him 16 behind Larson and one ahead of Bell. With Larson, Hamlin, Logano and Bell separated by only 17 points, there is effectively no breathing room at the front with seven races still to run.

Farther down the standings, Bristol proved costly for Ryan Blaney.

Blaney won Stage 2 and spent much of the night near the front before his race ended after contact with Carson Hocevar with 43 laps remaining. Blaney now sits sixth, 52 points behind Larson.

Hocevar is eighth at 85 points back after finishing third. The two later confronted one another on pit road after the race, with punches thrown following their late-race incident.

The Chase now moves forward with Larson in control of the standings.

By exactly one point.

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