NASCAR Cup Series Standings After Pocono: Biggest Winners and Losers
· Yahoo Sports
Denny Hamlin’s victory at Pocono Raceway did more than add another trophy to his collection.
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It significantly tightened the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship race while creating even more separation between the playoff contenders and the drivers still trying to fight their way into the top 16.
With just nine regular-season races remaining, Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 reshaped several important battles throughout the standings. Some drivers left Pocono with momentum. Others left facing a much steeper climb.
Biggest Winners
Denny Hamlin Is Suddenly Within Striking Distance
No driver benefited more from Pocono than Hamlin.
The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran earned his fourth victory of the season and record-extending eighth Cup Series win at the 2.5-mile triangle. More importantly, he cut significantly into Tyler Reddick’s lead atop the regular-season standings.
Reddick remains the points leader with 704 points, but Hamlin now trails by only 19 after entering the weekend much further back.
With nine races left before the postseason begins, what once appeared to be a comfortable advantage for Reddick has become a legitimate two-driver battle.
Christopher Bell Keeps Fighting Through Injury
Christopher Bell’s final result won’t fully tell the story of his afternoon.
Bell entered the weekend dealing with a broken wrist suffered in last Sunday’s crash at Michigan International Speedway. Yet despite the injury, he still spent much of the race battling near the front and remained a factor throughout the afternoon.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver ultimately finished 26th after late-race issues, but his performance was remarkable considering the circumstances.
After the race, Bell explained that the injury wasn’t particularly noticeable when he had clean air and room to operate. The biggest challenge came in traffic and during restarts.
“Whenever the field got strung out I felt fine. Running by myself I felt like it was normal,” Bell said. “Certainly adverse conditions. Like whenever people made quick moves on restarts … cars got loose, things like that.”
He added: “Under normal circumstances I think I’m fine. Certainly restarts are very difficult.”
Even with the difficult finish, Bell remains 10th in the standings.
Brad Keselowski Is Still Very Much Alive
The final result wasn’t ideal, but Keselowski remains in striking distance of the playoff cut line.
The RFK Racing co-owner sits 17th in points following Pocono, just four points behind Austin Cindric for the final transfer position.
Considering Keselowski spent much of the spring buried deep in the standings, simply being this close entering the final nine races is a significant improvement.
One strong run could completely change his playoff outlook.
Biggest Losers
Joey Logano’s Nightmare Season Continues
Logano’s difficult season took another hit Sunday.
The Team Penske driver was caught up in late-race trouble and limped home with a 34th-place finish. As a result, he now sits 18th in the standings and trails the playoff cut line by 21 points.
For a driver accustomed to competing for championships, the standings paint a startling picture.
Logano now finds himself behind both Keselowski and Cindric in the playoff race with time beginning to run short.
Carson Hocevar Gives Back Valuable Ground
Carson Hocevar entered Pocono seventh in the standings.
He leaves ninth.
The Spire Motorsports driver remains comfortably inside the projected playoff field, but the drivers around him continue to close the gap. In a year where every point matters, losing two positions in the standings is not insignificant.
Hocevar still appears well-positioned for the postseason, but Sunday’s race represented a missed opportunity to strengthen that position.
Austin Cindric’s Cushion Is Nearly Gone
Austin Cindric technically remains inside the top 16.
Barely.
The Team Penske driver is tied with Erik Jones at minus-349 and now holds only a four-point advantage over Keselowski for the final playoff position.
That means every stage point, every finish, and every mistake could prove critical over the next two months.
No driver near the cut line has less breathing room than Cindric.
NASCAR Cup Series Top-20 Standings After Pocono
- Tyler Reddick — 704
- Denny Hamlin — -19
- Ryan Blaney — -165
- Chase Elliott — -195
- Ty Gibbs — -198
- Kyle Larson — -210
- Chris Buescher — -243
- Daniel Suarez — -254
- Carson Hocevar — -255
- Christopher Bell — -283
- William Byron — -289
- Chase Briscoe — -293
- Bubba Wallace — -310
- Shane van Gisbergen — -343
- Erik Jones — -349
- Austin Cindric — -349
- Brad Keselowski — -353
- Joey Logano — -370
- Ryan Preece — -382
- Michael McDowell — -398
The Playoff Bubble Is Tightening Fast
The biggest battle entering next weekend may not be for the regular-season championship.
It may be for the final playoff spot.
Only four points separate Austin Cindric in 16th from Brad Keselowski in 17th, while Joey Logano remains within striking distance despite another frustrating finish.
Near the top of the standings, however, the headline belongs to Hamlin.
After Pocono, Tyler Reddick still controls the regular-season championship race. But for the first time in weeks, the margin is small enough that every stage and every race could swing the battle in a different direction.