Kyle Larson is on fire, but he still isn’t at the top of the NASCAR Cup Series standings.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver took the checkered flag Sunday afternoon in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. It was the second consecutive victory for Larson, who joined Martin Truex Jr. as the only drivers who have won three races this season.
Chase Elliott, Truex, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five.
Despite the win, Larson, who entered Sunday’s race in second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, still is looking up at Denny Hamlin for the top spot. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who still is winless on the year, has been atop the standings for virtually the entire season.
Here are the top 16 drivers following Larson’s victory:
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kyle Larson
3. Chase Elliott
4. William Byron
5. Joey Logano
6. Martin Truex Jr.
7. Kyle Busch
8. Ryan Blaney
9. Kevin Harvick
10. Brad Keselowski
11. Alex Bowman
12. Austin Dillon
13. Tyler Reddick
14. Chris Buescher
15. Christopher Bell
16. Michael McDowell
Matt DiBenedetto, Kurt Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ross Chastain rank 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th, respectively.
The top 16 drivers earn spots in the NASCAR playoffs, with race winners automatically qualifying. Given Hamlin’s position and the fact there have been 11 different winners this season, there really only are four spots up for grabs.
There are 12 points-paying races left in the regular season. Qualified drivers will compete next Sunday in the NASCAR All-Star Open at Texas Motor Speedway.
