This week’s NASCAR standings got a little bit of a shakeup at the top. Martin Truex Jr. won at Dover on Monday, but someone else hit it big. Now that we’re about a third of the way through the season, the point standings are getting more clear. There is still a tight race at the top.
In the win-and-in playoff system that NASCAR has now, standings don’t matter as much. At least not for most. However, for drivers that are able to compete for the regular season championship, it is very important. Winning the regular season gives you a boost as you head into the postseason.
This year, Ross Chastain led the NASCAR standings for the first time in his career. Well, after picking up a whopping 51 points, he’s back on top. Christopher Bell couldn’t hold onto his lead at the top. Chastain leads Bell by just three points – 370 to 367.
Those two have been really consistent this season, and if Bell had one less DNF, he’d be up by about 30 points or so. The JGR driver has eight top-10 finishes in 11 races and five top-5s to add to that as well. Two DNFs hold him back, while Chastain has finished every race this year.
There are some veterans lurking behind these young drivers, looking to capitalize on any mistakes they might make.
NASCAR standings, the chase pack
Looking behind those two leaders who are ahead by 38 and 35 points over third place, respectively, there are some veterans looking to make big moves. Kevin Harvick currently sits in third and he’s just quietly doing what he does. Pick up points, race really well, and bide your time.
We know that Harvick has cars that can win. His Stewart-Haas Racing team has had some bright spots as of late. However, Harvick is going to have to fight off some others if he wants to climb into the points lead.
The Closer is in third with 332 points. Right behind him at 330 is Martin Truex Jr. who is locked into the playoffs after his win at Dover. Those are two drivers that have been dying for some success in the last couple of years.
While Harvick won two races last year, he didn’t finish the season as well as he had hoped. Truex Jr. was left out of the playoffs completely by just three points.
So, another week and another leader in the NASCAR standings. As things head to Kansas, can we expect some more movement? This is a track the Toyotas are drooling over, especially the 23XI Racing team.