Denny Hamlin is closing in on the NASCAR Chase top seed after a top-five finish on Aug. 9 at Iowa.
Hamlin finished fifth, behind winner (and teammate) Ty Gibbs among four Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas in the top six positions.
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Tyler Reddick ceded second to Gibbs after a Lap 4 crash ended the No. 45’s day before it really started.
Austin Cindric’s points cushion for the final Chase spot is down to 29 points ahead of Ryan Preece.
Here’s the updated NASCAR Cup Series points standings:
IOWA RESULTS: Who won NASCAR Cup Iowa race? Winner is Ty Gibbs, plus full results
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Pennington Ford, leads the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
(Chris Graythen, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Pennington Ford, leads the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
(Chris Graythen, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: (L-R) Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, his son, Cooper Larson and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Pennington Ford, attend the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
(Sean Gardner, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: NASCAR Cup Series driver, Ross Chastain (L) and Dierks Bentley talk in the #1 Busch Light hauler prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
(Sean Gardner, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Pennington Ford, looks on prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
(Sean Gardner, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, spends time with his son, Cooper Larson prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
(Sean Gardner, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon stands during the national anthem prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
(Sean Gardner, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Pennington Ford, looks on prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
(Sean Gardner, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 Roto-Rooter Chevrolet, looks on prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
(Sean Gardner, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Daniel Suarez, driver of the #7 Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation Chevrolet, waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
(Sean Gardner, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Carson Hocevar, driver of the #77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet, waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
(Sean Gardner, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 SupplyHouse Toyota, waves to fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
(Sean Gardner, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 SiriusXM Toyota, and Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
(Chris Graythen, Getty Images)
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Inside the NASCAR Iowa race with our best Iowa Corn 350 photos
NEWTON, IOWA – AUGUST 09: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 SiriusXM Toyota, and Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol at Iowa Speedway on August 09, 2026 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
(Chris Graythen, Getty Images)
NASCAR points standings, Cup Series points update after Iowa race
Unofficial after Iowa Corn 350, 23 of 26 regular-season races complete; top 16 drivers make the Chase following the Daytona summer race
Denny Hamlin 923 points, +426 to 17th place (locked into Chase)
Ty Gibbs +323 (locked into Chase)
Ryan Blaney +316 (locked into Chase)
Tyler Reddick +306 (locked into Chase)
Ryan Preece -29 behind 16th
John Hunter Nemechek -153
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR points standings: Cup Series points update after Iowa race, Chase picture
