Did You Notice? … With two races remaining, four NASCAR Cup Series drivers have a realistic shot at the regular season points championship.
It’s an important milestone not just for the driver but for the playoff bonus it provides. The winner gets 15 points that can’t be lost from round to round, at least five more than anyone else (second place gets 10, third place eight, then one point less all the way down to 10th position).
Right now, Tyler Reddick is in the best position to cash in, inheriting the points lead for the first time in his career after winning Monday’s (Aug. 19) rain-delayed race at Michigan International Speedway. But Chase Elliott (-10), Denny Hamlin (-28) and Kyle Larson (-32) are all nipping at his heels, each having led the standings as recently as Memorial Day Weekend in Charlotte.
Since the 16-driver playoff format was adopted in 2014, we’ve never had a race for the championship this close.
NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Points After 24 Races
| Year | Points Leader | Gap Between 1st to 2nd in Points | Gap Between 1st to 4th in Points |
| 2014 | Jeff Gordon | -27 | -84 |
| 2015 | Kevin Harvick | -43 | -115 |
| 2016 | Kevin Harvick | -35 | -78 |
| 2017 | Martin Truex Jr. | -101 | -127 |
| 2018 | Kyle Busch | -43 | -207 |
| 2019 | Kyle Busch | -39 | -94 |
| 2020 | Kevin Harvick | -100 | -173 |
| 2021 | Kyle Larson | -22 | -163 |
| 2022 | Chase Elliott | -116 | -142 |
| 2023 | Martin Truex, Jr. | -59 | -121 |
| 2024 | Tyler Reddick | -10 | -32 |
As you can see, this year’s parity is highly unusual: in six of the previous 10 years, fourth place was already eliminated from title contention. No one’s been closer than 78 points (2016), a virtual impossibility to make up with two races left in the season.
Who has the edge as we head toward the final two weeks? And what does it mean for what’s expected to be a wide-open battle for the championship?
The Case for Tyler Reddick
The last two races feel like they favor Reddick the most. He’s the most recent winner of a pack race (Talladega Superspeedway in April) and won the Bluegreens Vacations Duel at Daytona back in February. He also had arguably the fastest car at Darlington Raceway in May, leading a race-high 174 laps before a mistimed move on Chris Buescher took them both out of contention for the win.
Reddick’s regular season title carries weight with 23XI Racing. It’s never led the standings this late in the year. Sitting 15 points behind Larson for the most playoff points earned and driving for the most inexperienced of these four teams, it’s crucial for Reddick to close the…
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