Denny Hamlin almost has lost his grip on the top spot in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has held the top spot basically since the start of the season, despite not having a victory. But Kyle Larson, who saw his win streak snapped over the weekend but nevertheless ran well at Pocono Raceway, trails Hamlin by only two points in second place.
Here are the top 16 drivers in the NASCAR standings following the Pocono doubleheader:
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kyle Larson
3. William Byron
4. Joey Logano
5. Kyle Busch
6. Chase Elliott
7. Martin Truex Jr.
8. Ryan Blaney
9. Kevin Harvick
10. Brad Keselowski
11. Alex Bowman
12. Austin Dillon
13. Tyler Reddick
14. Kurt Busch
15. Chris Buescher
16. Christopher Bell
Michael McDowell, Daniel Suarez, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Darrell Wallace Jr. 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 10 races left in the regular season. Drivers will compete Sunday in the Jockey Made in America 250 at Road America.
